Just another blog ~ some helpful stuff ~ some feelings etc

Tag: challenge

a heck of a week

This week started with me losing three precious rings. Valuable and irreplaceable. Poof gone. And that sucks emotionally and financially. And I filed with my homeowners/renters (Im both right now – long story) – and its under investigation (another long story). I don’t feel like getting into the details, but that is a good summary and Im trying (to find and/or replace them). – now I just WAIT AND SEE.

Meanwhile, my youngest, Justin had some challenges happen to him in school and again without going into all the details, that would take forever, we’re doing all that we can and WAITING AND SEEING with him too.

Next his brother had something occur that will be very costly, and again, sans details, trust me when I say – Ive already fully exhausted all the ideas and we’re doing what we’re doing and it is what it is.

*Insert all the bible references here for surrendering and trusting and learning from tribulation.*

So I think to myself – Im just gonna close up this winner of a week with a quick run. Even though Im not exactly where I want to be training-wise etc, I have been improving and Im still going to do this big race in a few weeks so off I go with my dog, who I have been doing very fast hill repeats with lately.

We get going, we’re really rolling, its feels great but a little bit scary and then it happens. I fall.

*Anyone who has followed my ultra-running story knows, Ive had a few very bad falls [I broke my hand a few yrs ago and later left half my knee on a mountain]. And there is a backstory associated with how and why I fall –> but in following my writing style this evening of skipping details (possibly because tonights fall caused some pretty awesome injuries to both hands and typing hurts) – I will say, I was just thinking the other day how proud I was of myself for running fast down hill on the repeats lately, w out fear…

So now, I have badly skinned up knees and hands (a nurse should really clean the rocks out better and my first aid kit is at my other house) and I have some super yucky injuries on my right hand that might/should prevent me from running the big race in a few wks. I realize people who don’t run, endurance ultras particularly, wonder why you need a hand to run but trust me – you do.

All that being said – I am seriously seeing Gods hand in all of this.
In the losing the rings, I feel that inexplicable peaceful ‘its ok’ feeling and I can see some things in my character that I needed to work on that losing the rings might accomplish.

Im not going to get into the two kid things, because they involve other people – and – Im tired – so Ill say this. Ive been taking the wrong approach with some challenges recently and I can look back at my life and see a pattern in my behavior that Im in a position now to change and improve.
So these injuries now – maybe its Him stopping me from going to a race Im not ready for. Maybe its so I’ll go do something else Im supposed to do that day. All I can do now, is – WAIT AND SEE [how bad my injuries are tomorrow, how fast I heal etc].

Im thankful for so many things. Everything I have ever faced turned out fine in the end. There have seriously been some dark and scary times. And now Im just going to be my best me and do things as well as I can.

Im currently taking my career to a whole new level and facing challenges and the possibilities are
endless but its not going to be easy.

Next week Im goinig to TAKE OFF A FEW DAYS (yes, me) and take one of my sons somewhere he has never been and do cool shit. All the work will be here when we get back. This summer Im going to go somewhere Ive never been with the whole family – and do amazing things.

See your challenges and struggles differently – especially the unfair, the inconvenient and the painful.

Be your best you.

Be well,

Love ~K~

*~* I love my family, dog, friends, job, blessings, homes, people, life *~*

why

People ask me why I run ultras.

My dad stated some years ago when I started all this that anyone who would ask would not understand the answer.

The first time I ever raced was 10 miles. I went into it having never run any distance even close to that and had no idea if I could do it. It was the greatest feeling crossing the finish line and Ive never stopped since.

In a few weeks Im going to run my third 50 miler, then a marathon a few wks later (not sure if Im going to run it or walk it yet), and then a week later, my 3rd 24-hour loop race. I did 50 the first time, 100k the second, and I’d like to do 75 miles this time! And that’s my spring racing season, for which I have not really prepared, at least not as far as time on my feet goes.

I will re-assess how I feel about #Grindstone after the summer. I have had people say that I should try a 100 Miler that is less technical. Maybe a nice flat loop race. That’s not what I want to do though. Its not just the miles or distance – it’s so much more. I want to go back to that course which was the hardest most technical thing Ive ever set foot on and accomplish it – and qualify for Western States while Im at it. Qualifying for #WesternStates, is, to me, what I guess, qualifying for #Boston is for marathoners.

And while we are at it – I just watched the Barkley documentary and I cannot stop thinking about it.

The wretched James Earl Ray, who assassinated Dr Martin Luther King Jr, escaped the ‘inescapable’ Brushy Mountain Maximum Security prison.
He made it 8 miles in 54 hours. And THAT is where the #Barkley takes place. It is this unmarked, ever changing course. No gps allowed. Five 20 miles loops going up and down 12k feet every pass – the equivalent to going up and down Everest, twice. Flesh tearing thorns. No course markings. Just books that you tear pages out of to prove you’ve gone where youre supposed to go.
In 30 yrs, 16 have finished, and it took 10 yrs for the first person so finish. No female, ever.

IM GOING TO FINISH THIS RACE.

Mark my words.

And Im gonna do the whole Appalachian Trail, and maybe Machu Piccho. I have got so much to do. One Step at a Time.

Gary Cantrell:

“you cant accomplish anything without facing the possibility of failure”

“to find out that something, about themselves” – “challenge your limitations”

“you cant tell how much you can do, until you’ve tried more”