As anyone who has talked to me recently probably already knows – October 30 is the 5 Year Anniversary of my first marathon aka “marathon-versary”. And in just a few days – less than a week, I am attempting my first 100 Miler.
It will be my 40th race, and 9th ultra.
Oh, how my life has changed so much! Ive added so many new and wonderful people to my life. Ive learned so much about who I am, and what Im capable of.
During this journey so far, starting with training for my first full, five years ago – I have been in so many different places, in terms of fitness and training. There were races that I ran EVERY day for. I remember following plans to a T. I remember between work trips or my kids’ basketball, football and lacrosse games, I would use those periods of time to hit the trail – I always had my shoes and gear on me or near me. Football practices were 6 nights per week, so why not run around the practice field the whole time? People in the community just came to know me as a stinky person.
That’s what I did.
Ive been injured to the point of completely incapacitated. Ive had a pulled back and a ripped open knee. Ive been just plain old lazy and my weight has ranged up and down in a 30 pound window!!
For me personally – Ive over trained. I dislocated a toe (that is still not connected to my foot) doing incessant hill-repeats for hours. And I’ve under-trained, driving hours away to a race where I found myself barely able to walk anymore, nevermind run! What a lesson!!
When you don’t listen to your trainer about how to fall (roll into it) not only do you break your hand – sometimes you end up with enough rocks in your knee (and left over flesh on the trail) that your ass is stuck on crutches for
weeks.
Every step of the journey is a learning experience. Ive had to learn about what nutrition works by trial and
error. Ive learned about shoes, socks, jackets, lights, hats, bottles and gloves – and every kind of gear you can imagine. What treatments are effective? Do I want a collagen injection for tarsal tunnel? Do I need KT Tape? Are compression socks going to help me? How much fluid do I really need?
And all of this has to be learned by experience. Since each of us is different, no two stories will ever be alike.
When people ask me what to do – I try to always tell them what worked for me with the caveat that all advice is a nothing more than guideline that they have to adjust to work for themselves by listening to their own bodies.
Please know this, no matter who you are, what youre attempting and how you’ve prepared for it – there’s no telling what race day has in store for you. Whether you are doing something you’ve done before or something brand new – there are many factors that all work together to determine the outcome – positive or negative. There’s weather and nutrition – there’s every aspect of your health, to include a bonus element if youre female – theres unexpected mishaps like falling or getting lost (hey, it happens).
This isn’t just a running thing or an ultra-running things. This is a life thing. You do your best and you hope for the best but there is always the unknown, no matter how unlikely, even if its only an iota of a percent of a chance for things to turn out in the unlikely way possible – you cant control anything – other than your will.
Be well and move forward.
<3
~K~
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