Time to Start Over

This week began with numerous challenges that continued throughout the week. It took a lot to stay positive and a lot of crying was done.

I always love Monday, but the 6th was an exception. I was house/pet sitting and the dog barked during the night and again in the early morning hours when the trash truck came. The dog was just doing what dogs do alerting the neighborhood that hey did you hear that noise oh well what about my barking I know you hear my barking. I remedied it with a beach run later that evening and the following day with soup bones to keep him occupied. Now I'm sure the dog whisperer has a better solution, but that seemed to work for the dog and I the best.

I then received an email where I was asked about the small number of responses that I was able to get at an event I was at where I wanted to promote OCR. My spirits were dampened, but I decided some response was better than none at all.

I continued my day doing my job. The relief manager I overlap with two days a week was out due to a loss in the family. I sure value her and even more when she has a day off.

The morning was tough and I called my mom. She simply said,"just start over."

The next message I got was a friend who shares my desire to stay positive and I've come to value him a lot. He was saying good morning and sharing news of a job interview later that day. This gave me a chance to redirect focus from myself and wish him good luck.

The day went on and without going into too much detail I received a return phone call from my doctor in Santa Barbara. I am so grateful for her kindness and soft spoken reassuring words. She left me with a referral and I recognized the name of the doctor. I remember him treating my Godsons aunt and as I called her I broke down crying. She invited me to dinner as she shared the news that she's moved close to where I live. 

I finished my work day and headed to workout. I had taken a couple weeks off and I made the mistake of thinking I could jump right back instead of easing in. My body let me know back squats hurt and the workout of the day left me sore the following two days. My dear friend Terri was there and I shared news of my rough day with her and she simply said tomorrow is another day. She sure is awesome!

I had some equipment I'd borrowed from my Spartner Seth that I needed to return to him. His work was close to where I was house/pet sitting. I was grateful he was around to talk to and he could multitask and work like a busy bee as we chatted a few minutes.

Tuesday went much better and Wednesday I received a call from my friend Erik asking if I remembered what day it was. I took a lucky guess it was full moon hiking night. He said we were making pizza at Paul's Place after. I said I'd try to make it and I forgot about my sore legs. The hike was great until I had to go down cardiac hill my legs hurt so I crab walked my way down it. Paul made amazing thin pizza crusts and we each made our own for him to cook in his outdoor stone oven. I met a great girl Nicole who I got to share my pizza with and she talked about her line of work with me and I knew right then that God puts the right people in our life's at the right time.

Late Thursday night my friends returned home from their honeymoon and I told them my gift to them was no charge for house/dog sitting. I thought it was the least I could do since Arlene gave me such inexpensive rent the year I lived in the guest house there. They brought me back the sweetest little surprise from Hawaii. A great bag for race gear or groceries and an anklet with my favorite color aqua beads.

Friday I followed up with my doctors advice and went in for a minor medical test. I'm not good at reaching out or expressing my needs, but I really value the beautiful people in my Tuesday running group and I just asked for positive thoughts and prayers. I reached out to some close girlfriends as well and the kind words of love and support from so many of them was really touching.

I signed up to run a half marathon. Today it started at 7:00 am. Marci from my Tuesday running group saw me and asked about how things went and if it was okay to ask. We talked and once again I was shown how God puts the right people in our path at the right time.

The race started and I knew I was going out quicker than usual, but I wanted to PR so I stayed along with Marci for the first two miles. Her son was running in Chicago today hoping to have a qualifying olympic time.  I saw my friends Jadd and Alejandra and they cheered me along. I dropped back as Marci continued her sub 10 minute pace. I saw my friends husband who I'd just finished house sitting for. He was doing his job as a deputy in the traffic division and was at an intersection. I thanked him for his time. The next friend I saw was my favorite local race photographer Kaori. I had talked to her last night and shared a race photo from my first half marathon with her and asked if she might get another so I could do a side by side. I saw her and yelled out to ask if she was running her own race today. She grabbed her camera and snapped some shots. At that moment I felt a surge of adrenaline and may have paced a way to fast time for 20 seconds. We would later joke that she should race alongside me throughout the course. The hills were fun the aid along the course was great being passed by friends was encouraging and I made it to the finish line and achieved the one goal I set of a PR and beating my time from 5 years ago. I also completed some of the Strava challenges and benchmarks that I wanted to. http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20141012_City_to_the_Sea_Half_Marathon_and_5k.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Bib=154&Firstname=&Lastname=

Although my week was challenging I am grateful for running therapy and this is the way I get to start a new week over.

Time to Increase the Challenge

I began my vacation Thursday evening with birthday dinner with my friend Emily. She later dropped me off at the airport to begin my travel to Vermont.

My first flight had a slight air traffic delay which would put me in Los Angeles with a very short time period between my connecting flight. I was very glad I only packed a carry on and began a quick run to the departure gate for the flight to New Jersey, I was able to sleep on the plane making the redeye flight not seem so long. I caught another flight to Boston where I was met by my friend Casey and her boyfriend Luigi and we drove to Vermont.

I stayed with friends in a lodge near the race venue. Friday I just relaxed, did some socializing and enjoyed the scenery.

Saturday I went to the race venue early to see my friend Iram off at the starting line. I met Iram last year when I went to participate in the same race. He had a really positive impact on me last year and we have kept in touch. My favorite thing about Iram is that he's really funny, his smile is very contagious (I loved seeing it at the starting line over the wall),  he's an amazing father to his daughter and anytime I ask how he is doing his response doesn't change. He simply replies,"always good." After I saw the elite heat start I went to the exit tent to do my volunteer assignment with the Street Team. The weather was cold and windy and I wished I'd worn pants. I prayed several times the sun would come out and asked for nice weather for Sunday. I fiinished my shift and went over to the finish line just as Iram had crossed. I had just missed watching him jump the fire, but NBC decided to do some extra filming so Iram got to hike up the hill again and jump the fire to run to the finish line. I gave him his medal and a hug and my day was complete.

Saturday evening I took time to prep my race pack and get rested for Sunday. Sunday morning I finally got to meet Alex a girl from Australia I had been chatting with through social media. She had a 6:30 am start time so I wished her well as she went to begin. I went over to the start and saw Juliana and she told me to stay happy. I started at 6:45 am with a quick wall climb to toe the starting line. The UltraBeast race began with a downhill run followed by gradual uphill ascents. I loved the single track and I wanted to follow my ultra running friend Jadd's advice to take my time and not burn out my quads charging the downhills. I see an Eastern states trail marker on a tree and I get really emotional. I've just recently become involved with ultra running events and I respect and love the athletes. True to Spartan Race fashion the beginning obstacle would be under over through obstacles. Followed by a little more running and a sand bag carry that is always way too light. I get frustrated every single time at this obstacle because it doesn't present a challenge for me. The difference this time is that I know this course is going to zap every ounce of strength out of me so I decide to be happy and take the lighter women's weight bag. The next obstacle is a bucket carry. I've always had fun with this obstacle because I set a goal to not stop to rest with the bucket. My friend Schmitty who was at the Las Vegas 12 Hour Hurricane Heat got to this obstacle around the same time and I told him I kind of missed doing this obstacle with a tire. He replied he was happy he left his tire behind. The next obstacle was the traverse wall and I was so happy I was finding success on it without any cramping that has so often been the case for me on this obstacle. I was almost to the bell and didn't manage to stretch my foot far enough to the next block and I earned myself my first 30 burpees. The next obstacle was in water. I would usually just jump in with my pack, but something told me to grab a personal flotation device. I began swimming and was instantly caught off guard by the colder than I wanted it to be temperature. I knew I needed to keep moving and just focus on breathing and the obstacle ahead. The obstacle was a rope and wood ladder suspended from a bridge. I had viewed it from the lodge room the night before with anticipation and excitement. It is the obstacle I didn't get to last year and I was going to get a chance to try it. It was harder to climb than I wanted it to be and I didn't attempt the tarzan rope obstacle immediately behind it. I swam to the shore and did my next 30 burpees. I was then told to go back in the water along the shore. This was rocky and the water depth varied greatly sometimes only knee deep and other times over my head. I was cold, but refreshed and knew I couldn't slow down. The next obstacle was the atlas carry. I trained with a 95# atlas stone for many months prior, but for some reason this stone felt not much lighter. The barbwire crawl following was short and sweet. I came to a log carry and had to choose a log to carry up a hill and back down. This reminded me of all the times I went with my dad to get a load of firewood and I couldn't help, but smile. On the way down the photographer teased me asking if I tried to find the biggest log. This made me laugh as he snapped away with his camera. A little more running and there was a peg hop to a log balancing obstacle. I was intimidated by the jump from the peg to the log and I went on to my next set of 30 burpees. By this time I have lost count of how many burpees I've done and I'm obsessed with my watch. The 8 feet walls are a fun obstacle and a welcome sight. The next part is one I remember from last year's course it is really muddy, cool switchbacks with a cargo net climb at the top that was frustrating to traverse over the top. A mountain top cargo net and a tractor pull which is a chain attached to a cement stone follow. I enjoy the break. The first spear throw I arrived at was a spear attached to a rope and I was looking forward to seeing how my practice would pay off. A throw and a miss. 30 burpees it is. A volunteer tells me to do the memorization obstacle. I'm given Sierra 121-3096. My Spartner loves drinking Sierra Nevada Beer. I'm instantly reminded of him and I can't stop laughing. I did some running and came to a section of trail with an orange closed sign. I don't know if the course is closed there or not, but my prior experience with trail sweeping tells me I should follow the tree flagging. I arrive at the invert wall and I love this obstacle too. There is another bucket carry up a hill and back down followed by I think what is called the death march. It's a really long gradual hill climb and I can't wait to arrive at the top. I pass three guys doing the UltraBeast and they say they are done. I get a little disheartened I want to see everyone succeed.  I don't know why, but this reminds me that I am no where near done and that if I am to get that time hack I have to keep moving forward. Apparently the hill climb and obstacles prior took a little out of me. The tire drag obstacle was next and I struggled and a girl and I had to help one another. I'm fairly certain in the upcoming days I may be found trying to drag a heavy tire attached to a rope up a hill. I'm still a little irritated it was hard.

Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it all. I was just about to get that challenging sand bag carry that I'd always asked for. Last year this obstacle was at mile 4 and it took me 58 minutes. This year it is at mile 9 and I want to cut my time in half. I really don't know how I did, but the sandbag was just as heavy some wet sand spilled out and the top came open. I was going to use my trauma shears to cut paracord to tie it shut so I could run an honest race, but I used the plastic string at the top and tied knots to hold it closed. I came to something called a platinum rig consisting of rings, monkey bars, rope and low rings. I got the first set of rings and I was happy. I hadn't been able to do rings when I tried to practice them a few weeks prior. The monkey bars gave me some trouble with the square bar thrown in. I let go and went over to burpee jail. I came to the tyrolean. I was so excited this is something I've been training for using the bars at the gym and in the bus of fun. I started out way too fast so I slowed down some and focused on technique and getting to the bell. I made the mistake of looking back to see how far the bell was, my arms fatigued my legs wouldn't move and into the water I went. That's okay I got to do it and hey it gives me a chance to get really good at burpees. I finish my burpees and run to recite my memorization code. At the rope climb my foot cramps so I take a break and try again only to fall just a couple feet up. 30 more burpees. At the 30 burpee box I meet some other UltraBeast participants and I ask them if we are given the option to continue at the cutoff time are they going to take it. The young man tells me it depends on his wife. His loyalty earns my utmost respect. Another spear throw that earns me 30 more burpees, but at least I got near the target. I climb another wall and approach the barbwire crawl that goes on for eternity. I have fun with crab walks and rolling and army crawls until I finish. The next obstacle is vertical pipes and I want to try them as I practiced for that too. I got only two hands down the bar and slipped off. I come to the hercules hoist and am glad there is an obstacle that is fairly simple with a little squat technique. Then the shipping container walk followed by monkey bars that I earned another 30 burpees on. Juliana is at this obstacle and she chats with me and asks if I'm happy and reminds me of her words to just stay happy. I'm glad to have a familiar face here as I know the end of the first lap is approaching. I am having a debate about stopping or continuing on until I finish or get cut from the course. I am reminded of the banner I used to always see that stated. It starts with a decision. I decide I will stop at the finish of the first lap. I go up the hill and climb over some fallen logs and run down the hill as a staff member stops me and asks if I'm ultrabeast and I tell him yes I am not continuing and would like to just jump the fire for a photo with my Vermont beef stick. The company was kind enough to select me as a winner in their contest and they requested more fun photos so I thought that might make a great shot. He said he had to cut my timing chip and that I would be dnf. I said okay. 

Later in the evening I would meet up with two of the guys I participated in the 12 hour hurricane heat in Las Vegas with. We also all happened to stay together in the lodge. We met for a DNF podium photo.

Just like last year I am not disappointed with a DNF I saw areas where I was fortunate to improve and I got to enjoy another adventure outdoors.

My before and after always smile