Who’s up for a little VT100 this July?
The Long Race
Ultramarathons & Trail Running
January 1st is quickly approaching with 2 big countdowns; New Years 2013 & Leadville 100 registration.
Which one are you eagerly anticipating?
No-one told us we should do this. No-one told us it would be easy.
Someone said we are our dreams, that if we don’t dream we are no longer alive.
Our steps follow our instinct and take us into the unknown.
We no longer see the obstacles behind us, but look forward to the ones ahead.
It’s not about being the fastest, the strongest or the biggest. It’s about being ourselves.
We are not just runners, mountaineers, or skiers… or even athletes we are people.
We don’t know if we’ll find it, but we’re going in search of happiness.
~ Summits Of My Life
“Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” ~Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons
Choose the trail less traveled & enjoy scenery few get to see.
(Source: roammagazine, via chefathlete)
Roadtrip. Beautiful Canada. Miss you.
The race is long… remember to keep a steady pace & enjoy the journey.
The Tarahumara believe when you run on the earth and with the earth you can run forever.
Finding the strength that goes beyond the body and mind is when the magic happens.
It’s about having desire and the will.
If you can walk you can run.
Trail and ultra running continually forces me to confront perseverance, strength (mind & body), adaptability and most important myself.
New limits were tested at the Virgil Crest Ultras, a 50 & 100 mile race in the Finger Lakes. I started the race feeling in tune and on top of the world… it was going to be my day! By mile 6 I felt something in my ankle. Thinking it was a thorn I stopped, quickly realizing that thorn was a wasp accompanied by a lot of friends! BIG, angry, killer wasps seeking vengeance for a race taking place above their nest. Seven painful stings later would alter the rest of my day.
On the first big vertical climb about 30 minutes after encountering the wasp nest I started feeling numb, sleepy, cold, shaky and swollen. I had a tough decision to make. Do I take my 1st DNF and drop? Do I press on and accept I’ll be running at a deficit, finishing at a much slower time then desired?
I knew if I continued it would be a long, challenging day ahead. I also knew if I quit I would be frustrated at myself for giving up. It was a no brainer. I would keep putting one foot in front of the other until I reached that finish line. Setbacks are part of the sport and unforeseen limitations happen. There is a difference between being uncomfortable and not being able to keep going. I wanted to keep going!
Going beyond what the mind and body tells us we are capable of doing is good for the soul. Taking on the challenge and not being defined by limits is part of distance trail running and something I’ve learned to apply in other areas of life.
In the end I crossed the finish line in 12 hours and 1 minute. I learned on September 22, 2012 that we are not defined by our best performances, instead defined by our ability to overcome hardships and still achieve our goals.
