It's my birthday and I will run if I want to

run if I want to
you would run to
if you were you know who ...

(you should be singing the above to the tune of  "It's my Birthday and I will cry if I want to")

This is what happens when your ipod dies 15 miles into a 25 mile run.  You make up songs and think of crazy things you can do. 

Today really is my Birthday.  I am 38.  I should be running 38 miles (like any good ultra runner would do) but I only have 25 in and no idea if I am going for 13 more tonight.  Only time will tell.  The run this AM felt great as in GREAT!!!!!!!  Oh man the legs are starting to feel like my legs again.  The ankle is great as long as I don't tweak it too much...that may be an issue on my 50 mile trail race in less than two weeks, hummmmm...  Now onto the two amazing women I met this week.

On Saturday I had headed out on an Emergency Easter Bunny run.  What is that you ask?  Well Chloe had sent a letter to the Easter Bunny asking for a bulldozer, her father (my husband, who is amazing) forgot to tell me about this letter.  As Chloe and I were driving back from VT she tells me that the Easter Bunny is going to bring her a bulldozer, she is sure of it because she sent a letter with a picture.  SHIT! Ok so Saturday I head out for my run/mission.  It is pouring rain.  I run all the way to town and find a bulldozer at the back of the shelf at the grocery store, GREAT! Now I have to get the thing home.  I tie it to my camel bak.  Now there is a site for you.  In super uppity Ridgefield a runner running in the pouring rain with a bulldozer tied to her pack, bahahahahaha.  I am rounding the corner to out neck of the woods (quite literally) and I see the lady who lives across the lake running the other way.  U TURN.  I track her down and crash her run.  What?? I need a running buddy.  I am desperate.  I hijack her run and we run 3 miles or so together me with the bulldozer now under my arm (the bag broke).  I am not sure that was the best first impression to make but it sure was fun to run with someone.  Any bets on if she will run with me again? 

The next day, Sunday.  We are all done with our egg hunt and are sitting outside with the neighbors and Chloe is playing with her bulldozer (she loves it btw) and Taren (Karen with a T) runs by.  She says Hi! And then says "I didn't know you run ultras, Jeff (her neighbor, word gets around quick up here in our lake community) told me."  "Anyway you want to do a 2.5hr run with me."  Well HELL YES!! Doug gives me a thumbs up and I scurry inside to change as quick as lightning.  Did I forget to say I have seen Taren running by, she is super fast and was therefore sort of avoiding her.  But, desperate times call for desperate measures and long runs even everything out, right???? OMG she was fast.  Turns out she runs 3hr marathons give or take 5 minutes.  And her idea of an easy run is my marathon race pace.  If you think she slowed going up hill you are wrong, we ran up hill and down hill all at a sub 9mm pace.  It was tough but it was awesome.  She is an awesome lady and so inspirational.  I can't wait to run with her again.  I was kind of laughing about the whole situation, how many people run up to a neighbor and say, hey you want to run 2.5hrs and the nut job says yes?  You just don't find that everyday.  Love it. 

All in all I had an awesome week last week.  Love finding running buddies.  Wooot wooot!!

Happy Running All!

Happy Running

I have begun a post three times now.  I am all over the place with my thoughts and as you all know writing is not my strong suit.  I sometimes find it so hard to write a post and, other times I just write exactly what I am thinking (that usually means it is a garbled mess).  When I was a kid I used to dream of being a writer.  I joined writing clubs at school, stayed after school just to write, wrote papers for other kids (oh it was a trade I would write two papers and my buddy would edit both).  I have somehow drifted so far away from that, that now I can't even string a few thoughts together, hummmmm, when did that happen?  Well, lets get to this post...I am warning you now I might be all over the place.

I went to the Doc this week, I am cleared to run on even surfaces (ok he said I was only allowed to run on a track but ummmmmmm no one can do that for 14 miles, I am not crazy, you know ;)).  The day after he cleared me to run I hit the roads for 14.5 (what? I am sure when he said take it easy he meant anything under 20)  blissfully sweet miles.  OMG!!! That run felt awesome.  I ran a short run today and tomorrow I plan to take the legs out for a 20+ miler.  I realize I am no where near in shape for this race.  I actually find myself a bit panicked about going to the race alone, to race up and down a mountain on a busted ankle and in poor physical condition.  But, somehow I can't drop out, I really want to do this, I want to spend all day at a race chugging along, I miss it.  I keep telling myself I am ok with the goal of just finishing.  I hope that isn't a lie.  I hope that I will be totally fine with just getting this one done.  I really really hope the ankle holds up, I would say there is a 50/50 chance of that.  I am nervous.  That is it, I am nervous and for the first time I am not sure if I can really even finish a race much less do well. 

And now onto a totally different subject:

Picture from my Novice year on the rowing team.

I am happy!  I love my life!  I am a positive person, not much gets me down.  I am annoyingly optimistic.  I wasn't always like this.  I was always a fighter, always determined, always a hard worker but not happy.  I didn't find happiness until my 30's.  I received an email this week from a friend whom I admire more than she will ever know.  She was reminiscing about our college days and here is the thing:  I am totally embarrassed of the person I was during college.  I just didn't like myself and I think it showed in so many ways.  But then I can't really regret it too much because I am here now.  My journey no matter how ridiculous it has been got me here and I like HERE.  But sometimes I wish I could go back and be the person I am now, the friend I am now to those amazing ladies I met back in college.  I met the most amazing women during my days as a rower in college.  They sort of drug me through college and from there I went into the Navy where I met another group of amazing people.  I guess what I am saying is I have been blessed in my life.  When I was lost in the forest I had amazing folks to help show me the way.  Every person has their journey, we can't change our pasts but we can change how we do things now, we can always work on being better.  I am thankful to those who helped me get to this place of HAPPY because it ROCKS!

I wish I could write exactly what I am trying to say the way I hear it when I am running.  hummmmm

Back to running, I think after tomorrow I better get going on a taper.  Even with no training I think it is better to not have sore legs going into the race than to try and squeeze one more week of running in.  OMG...this is nuts.  I am beginning to think this 50 miler is the craziest thing I have done to date.  Fingers crossed. I am going in on a wing and a prayer.

Happy Spring Break everyone.  Chloe and I are headed to VT for some much needed sister/cousin time.  Have I said lately how much I love living so close to my sister.  Wahooooooo. 

Busted and WOD

So I busted my ankle.  By busted I mean sprained.  Did it weeks ago on the trails.  Took me almost a week to head to the doc.. He was a good guy, gave me a brace, said not to run for a few more weeks and that I could walk as much as I wanted.  Hummmmm... by walk as much as I wanted did he mean continue training?  I am sure that is what he meant.  And so I have hit the Treadmill with force.  I have 40 miles in this week (done in 3 days) and plan to snag some more miles tonight.  The Doc and the PT said I could go for the race but, that I would have to wear the brace, I am guessing that is going to hurt just about as much as my quads do after no running for a month and then treking up and down a mountain.  Oh well, it is all in the name of sanity.  At this point I just want to finish the race.  Wait...race??? Oh yes I forgot after my last post I signed up for a race, a 50 miler, first week of April, went out for my first "training run" and busted my ankle.  Dang I am good.  So there you have it.  I am now determined to do a race that I didn't even know about a few weeks ago.  I am really hoping that I am in good enough shape to pull off a 50 mile race but, I don't know.  I am guessing 50 with this little of training is going to feel like 100 with a ton of training, and well...that later hurts like the dickens (I was going to curse here but didn't want Mama Cathy on my case). 

Another crazy thing I am doing is: Mobility WOD.  Doug read about this nut job in Competitor Magazine.  This PT (Physical Thereapist) who does Cross Fit and other stuff and positively insane about his stretching.  As most of you know I pretty much don't do it, don't stretch, don't like it, don't do it but, Doug sold me on the fact some ultra runners had said after they saw this PT they had zero injuries and were bounding out of bed in the morning like they were teenagers.  They no longer did the ultrarunner shuffle, hummm...... So Doug proceeds to sell me on KStar (the PT nut job who does Mobility WOD) and shows me the first workout/stretch/whatever...The guy wants you to do one insane stretch for 10 minutes each day and slowly get yourself back in alignment.  I think he is on like day 214 or something, he is commited to putting up a video with a stretch, everyday for a year.  You start at day one and then go all the way to 365.  So for 10 minutes each day Doug and I have been torturing ourselves with this stretching but it is AMAZING!  Oh man am I loosening up.  My hips have never been this loose and while I thought I might pop a quad the other day they too now feel awesome.  So if you are interested in stretching check out this guy.  Oh and his site is free and he is hysterical.  Now go find your goat and stay out of the pain cave! I should say Day 1 lulled me into thinking this might be easy but Day 2 kicked my you know what.