Grateful for November

The month is coming to an end. This is our month of gratitude. November seems to bring with it that mindset to that allows us to stop and reflect on all the awesome gifts that God, Spirit the universe has given us. I am crazy grateful for my kids because they are my biggest teachers. They teach me to be patient and to be present. That is probably the hardest but the lesson that feel I really need. That means no phone just be there in the moment with them. I am also so grateful for the Running group I belong too. I feel so lucky to be one A Trail Crasher. No shit ultra - runners are the nicest people. They have got your back its crazy what a wonderful life changing community it is.

This little guy has discovered this month he loves hiking. This makes me crazy happy as you can imagine. We have on a could hikes and the going up hill is way better than the down but its all good.

I just finished this book and it was lovely. I had no idea Joe Biden was such a bad ass. This man has endured life lost that very few of us can imagine with such dignity and poise. He has given up so much of his family life to serve. I am glad I read it and I have so much respect for this man and his heart.

Our first picture with the Christmas Tree. My husband loves Christmas and we have had our lights up for weeks and our tree but the full on decorating just got finished. We are in the mood for some Santa now.. 

November days

This is me the month of November. Nothing really big or exciting just day by day simple Joys. These are the things that fill my brain and some sweet memories I will hold close to me. I am working on my December daily and this project is one I really love. It makes me want to plan dates with my loved ones in the month of December and somehow this project of collecting stories of my life it makes it brighter and more sparkly. I am also taking
Ali Edwards class that goes along with this project and its really gets you creative juices moving.
My kids are all taking music lessons and the house seems happier with so many instruments being played. Even though there not great I love the noise they make. The funny thing is I don't really care how good they are . I stand in the hall listening and its perfect to me. Life is moving so quickly that I keep thinking about getting a tattoo that says BE HERE. The days are long but the years are short. I don't want to miss it.
Oh Frida I think about her all the time. I love that she never gave a fuck what anyone thought of her awesomeness..
Oh I found a pink egg and quickly made brownies from scratch with it so it would taste extra yummy.
My running is off right now. These months suck for me. I am off so I make myself run at least 5 miles 6 days a week. This week was different because I had serious dental work done. As I type this I have 7 stitches in my mouth. (oouucchh)  I still ran 5 miles today slow but I just don't want to lose my running mojo You know what I mean.
Then there was a friends giving I went to that was a blast. I love my running friends there my bestest peeps. I even played Jenga
That is me right now. A little bit of this and that and I gotta love it!
Wishing you a full rich weekend with your loved ones. 

Volunteering at Mount Laguna Marathon

I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer at The Mount Laguna Trail Marathon with my crazy fun friends. I chose not to run this year because I am still recovering from Tahoe 200. ( I am tired ) We had a blast just helping and encouraging runners to keep going. The Mount Laguna marathon is actually 27.3 miles so our job was to stand at mile 26 and clap and yell and keep runners moving along. Oh and maybe offer up some candy or a shot of something !!! The mountains where showing of there beautiful color. Fall is my favorite time of year. 

Just cause life is worth recording

I have decided that I need to go back to making this my everything about every day blog. Somehow along the way I decided that this would be just about my running adventures and yes those are fun and crazy hard but so is the everyday story of my life. ( not crazy hard but it is life )
 There is so much more to me and I have had this little space for the last 7 years where I have shared so much and why I stopped well I am not sure but I am back. My kids are growing up so fast and I want to document it here. I heard the quote the days are long but the years are short and yes it is so true !!!  I kinda want to share all my new goals for next year and hopefully better record how I plan on achieving it... Here is to sharing mommy . family. running stories

My Cuyamca 100k Race report

 I woke up at 3am made some coffee got all my gear in the car and made my way to my friends house. We carpooled to the race because I know  that running a long race and trying to drive home alone can be really hard.  We made it to the race by 5:30am
As soon as we got there I felt better. We got great parking and had lots of time to check in and hit the bathroom. I got my number 119 and got my picture taken. Then got in line and ready to start. This is one of the best races in San Diego. The race director Scott Crellin really makes sure that everything is ready for us the runners. We had our morning briefing and then right at 6:30 am we where off.  I felt good and ready. I do want to say this.. I know I am not recovered from the Tahoe 200 and that I should not be running yet but I love this race and I love the ultra running community so much. That my will power lost and there you have me at the start. 

This course is beautiful but it will kick you ass if you are not trained.  The aid stations are amazing. They want you to succeed so they encourage you to keep going. They get you ready to keep going by feeding you good food or hugging you and believing in you when you stop.
This year my back and feet where not happy with me. I didn't carry any water in my pack and I thought maybe my back would be just fine. It still hurts from Tahoe I think the pack I chose for that race was way to big .
 I got to Cuymaca peak that was Angela Shartel's aid station. (she is this amazing ultra runner)  I wanted to quit because my back was on fire. I sat there and Angela in a very sneaky way got me back on the trail. She did that thing that helps you get your head back in the game with out letting your self know thats what your doing.  A young man at the aid station cracked my back twice and that really helped so before I knew it I was running again. 

I was not moving really fast but I was moving and I was loving running . I could manage the pain in my back so I was good to go. I needed to finish the first loop with a little bit of a cushion in order to be timed out. I was chasing cut offs ( almost chasing them) I finished loop 1. Becca and Nartaya got me ready and next thing you know I was off again. Loop 2 is hard even though its only 13 miles. The thing I told myself is its 13 miles G. You can run 13 miles.

I took this picture at the point I knew I was not going to be able to compete this race.  My back was killing me, Tahoe caught up with me and my feet where so sore. I decided at this moment to count my blessings. I would end up running 48 beautiful miles at the Cuymaca 100k and that is a huge positive. I love this hard race and imagine this . Here I am in this beautiful field running and sharing stories with other runners. The part of me that really wanted to run this under 17 hours was let down but my heart is way bigger than that and running owns so much of my happiness that just being a part of this amazing event was enough for me this year.
Miss G got a DNF at the Cuymaca 100k this year and yeah a DNF always sucks but I love running so I will be back next year. 

This weekends 100k

This Saturday is the Cuyamaca 100k. I am super excited but also nervous because it is a hard race and I want to do well that for me means 16 1/2 hours. I have my nutrition down and I have some new Olympus Altras so my feet should be happy. My friend Nartaya who is in this picture is coming out to pace me and we always laugh together. I love races like these because San Diego has the nicest runners and getting to see everyone is always so much fun.

What 331 miles !!

The month of September is gone . Forever I thought the Tahoe 200 would never happen and now its all in the past. Thanks to that crazy ,beautiful race I ran my biggest month ever. I ran 331 miles in September and maybe that is why my feet hurt. (ha ha) I am still having a hard time believing that Robert and I did it. We finished 200 miles in 99 hours. I was so scared going into that race. My biggest motivation was remembering what my friend Becca always tells me when we go into race. Trust the training G. When you put in the work and you don't cheat yourself your chances of finishing are really good and when your brain knows that and believes it . You finish what you start. The older I get the more I really get how good this running thing really is.
Sending you awesome blessings for next month.

Random Life Stuff

Recovery has been slow. It has been a couple weeks and my feet don't hurt. I have been running around wit Jack going to scooter parks. This gets me moving !!

Peeps They Cryo thing has been amazing for my recovery. My legs feel so good after 3 min. If you have not tried Cryo ..You need to and don't feel scared to try it a bit colder. This is the place I go to in Del Mar. Cryogenics    I love it.

I have been eating fruits and lots of veggies too. 

I am trying new shoes. My feet hurt so so much during the Tahoe 200 that all I could think about was I need to try something else. I got 3 pairs of Altras and I hope they work. Life after the 200 is really good I just need to give my body some time to heal. 

The finish line Tahoe 200

We finally crossed the finish line. I aged aged a couple years. You know when your so tired your like a zombie. Thats what I felt like. A very emotional tired G. I cried a bunch and I wanted a shower so bad. Robert and I did well. 

look at this thing ! Insane 

Here we are with the race director. I was so mad at her during the race it was just so hard but now looking back. at our run what makes it special is that we conquered even though it was insanely tough. Would I do this again ?? I said no way but now 2 weeks have passed and well I am thinking about it. I would like to do the other 200 she has. Moab or Big Foot maybe next year.

This is my new sexy buckle ...Do you like it ? I love it.

Day 3 and 4 Tahoe 200

Even on the third night, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty. My thoughts kept reminding me to try and be present: take it all in G. I would stop and count from 10 to 1 and take deep breaths. It is a good way that works for me to remind myself to come back to NOW.

OMG!! Let me tell you the story about this picture. I don't remember what it's called but I took this picture when I got to the top. Okay its about 6am and we have to run through the streets of  Tahoe where the really nice houses are to get to this trail head. We get there and I literally looked up and said, 'oh shit!' I remember during the race briefing they told us about this part of the race where you see the telephone poles. They told us you will have 3 false summits and it does not look like a trail but it is. You will have to go through bushes and pull yourself up by roots and just when you think your done you're NOT! I was so mad at the race director at this point. I was like OMG this lady is trying to kill us. I think it was the fact that I was tired and how freaking hard it felt. Then as I am struggling to go up I hear, 'on your left.' Just like that a 70 year old passes me. He just climbs up like its nothing. My butt felt humbled. In my brain I was being a baby and I told myself we don't have time for that G. It was at this point I started realizing I needed to step up. When I got to the top I took the picture, went pee and waited for Robert. 

I feel like after this climb this race for me got real. Robert was the perfect partner. We got in grove where we stopped talking and we just ran in rhythm. I started having serious foot pain too. My bottom of my feet just ached and I kicked a rock and tore my big toe nail off. I started with La Sportiva and then wore Hokas but they where too tight on my fat feet so I ended up running the last 80 miles with Salomons but by then my feet were gone. The best thing I could do to was just channel my pain away from me and go faster. Even though it hurt I felt lucky just be able to run and be in the mountains.

Robert was in pain but neither of us complained too much. I helped him and he helped me. He was amazing at keeping us on track and I only got mad once and that was because I am a slow eater and I hated having to eat fast at the aid stations. Robert got kinda upset because I took way to long for 2 miles but once he communicated what was wrong I stepped it up and went faster. After he told me we actually made up a whole hour. 

My dad was great he drove with me and crewed me. See how tired I looked. I think I was totally swollen too. Oh by the way this jacket by Ultimate Direction is not a warm jacket. It is a wind breaker. Note to self I need a new rain jacket.  This picture was taken mile 190 and I Robert and I had been up for almost 4 days. We had 10 miles to go but needed 5 hours to do it in because of the climbing that was coming up. I was starting to feel nostalgic and I missed my husband and I wanted to tell him all about this crazy race. I felt love for Robert because he was such a great running partner that made sure we never got lost. I felt grateful for my dad and Anthony and Cassie. They were so good to me while I ran. I felt so lucky that somehow with Robert's help we where going to make it. You know your out there for so long and it's like being in another world for 200 miles. I kept thinking about people like Scott Mills and what he has accomplished and what an inspiration he is for me. I thought about Angie Shartel this strong bad ass female Ultra runner mom I admire. She just had surgery and I know she is will come back stronger because thats who she is. I thought about people I have met in the San Diego ultra community and how much they mean to me. How there story had inspired me so much to not give up. I just feel so lucky to have found The Trail Crashers. The running group that took me in and let me suck and stuck in there waiting for me during training runs until one day I got a little stronger and I was able to keep up. I think I should probably just say I don't know what there is about this sport not to love. I had to keep myself from thinking about my kids because I was trying not to cry but I cried from mile 203 to mile 205. 

Day 2 Tahoe 200

Day 2 did not get any easier. I guess I was able to sleep for 2 hours and that was a blessing. The relentless up hill was so constant that it defiantly kept me awake and worried .. My thoughts can I keep doing this for 200 miles ..

The views were spectacular. To me I felt like I was looking at Gilligan's Island. The little Island was a tan with deep blues surrounding it. The weather was nice on most of the second day. I just kept telling myself I can do anything for four days and now I just have 3 to go. 

I know I look like crap in this picture but this is me. Tired but eating with a purpose and keeping warm. Check out the bags under my eyes !!!

This was the part of the Rubicon trail. That was weird because there was massive jeeps and all hours just plowing through..CRAZY

One of the best parts for me was that Robert and I got along so well. We really did. It was so easy running together. It didn't make the course easier but it made life easier.

Day 1 of the Tahoe 200 miler

I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought I knew what I was signing up for but I didn't. I had no idea in this picture that the next couple days would be so hard. I live in San Diego so I don't really have a sense of elevation gain. This race has an Elevation Gain :  35,117 feet (10,704 meters) of ascent and 35,117 feet (10,704 meters) of descent.

I did not go into this alone my friend Robert and I hiked and ran the entire 200 miles together. We took care of each other and kept each other motivated. In the past when I run at events the days go by fast but not at Tahoe .The days went by slower and I think it was because you where always climbing and moving. I was always thinking about what do I need next. Do I have enough food to get me by and the water situation was a mess. I ended up eating 43 gels. The CHIA gels ended up being my favorite. They seem not give me tummy issues and they went down easier. It sounds like a-lot but when you know it works you just swallow. I ate bananas and ham and cheese sandwiches too. 

 It was also a big deal having a friend with you that reminded you its time for a gel. I wish I would of taken more cookies and just other food but I can't imagine carrying more stuff in my pack. It was so heavy on my back. As I sit here and write this my back hurts. 

The view where amazing. I loved being outside and it was a spiritual journey for sure.

The plan was day 1 Robert and I would cover 62 miles and the plan was that would take us 20 hours. As you know I am not a fast runner I am usually middle of the pack. Cuyamaca 100k took me 17 hours and in my brain that is a really hard race so the thought of it  taking me 3 more hours for 100k worried me. My thoughts kept coming back to how hard can this be...REALLY FUCKING HARD. At mile 6 we saw Cassie and Anthony they are crewing Robert and consequently me.  We got some water and kept moving then out of no where comes my dad just hiking along. He has a lot of energy and it was nice to see him smiling. Robert and I kept going and I saw about 30 runners in front of us. I asked Robert what was going on and it was really a surprise to see so many people lost. This is early in the game maybe mile 10 and there are no ribbons to be found. There are runners coming from all sides. Some ran east and west and till no ribbons so Robert takes out the GAIA app and we all fallow what it says. The problem was the worrying every step you take your worried its in the wrong direction and when your going 200 miles that is the one thing you don't need extra milage. Finally about an hour and a half later thanks to the  GIAI app we found a ribbon. We all clapped and it was the best feeling. I don't think they marked that area well. I don't believe that anyone would pull that many ribbons just to screw w us. Now we are back on track. The weather was nice and we just kept plugging along these insane hills.  The time passed and we found our  grove . Everyone had told me the first day would be the hardest. I was ready to work and I knew it would be a long day. I kept thinking how will I stay away and will taking a get every hour really work. It turns out that wheat kept me awake was the adrenaline. Just knowing I was doing this with Robert and that he was counting on me to keep pushing kept me pushing. It took us 20 hours to get 100k done. I think part of it was the altitude and the other half was the climbing. 

1 day until the Tahoe 200

Here I am. I made it to Lake Tahoe and on Friday morning I will be at the starting line of the Tahoe 200.  If you want to fallow me just click on Tahoe 200 and you can fallow me I am number 37. You might be stuck to your computer for four days !!! I am not as scared as I feel I should be. My mind set for this adventure goes something like this. I am beyond grateful that I am healthy enough to do this and everything else is a gift. I am not running for time I am praying I finish with a good cushion. I want to be mindful on this journey and be present and aware of my surroundings. I know its going to hurt and that I will suffer and that is part of the journey of choosing to run 200 miles.. There is this huge part of my brain that still shows up at these events and does not understand how I got lucky enough to take part in an event like this. I feel trained and ready.
 I feel bad for my husband who is home with 3 kids for 6 days. Thank you Mike for making all of this possible. My husband often tells me when I bring up a big race and when I am feeling him out to see if it is going to works with his work schedule the kids and school. I just want to say I have 3 kids in 3 different schools that start at 3 different times... It is a bit crazy. My husband tells me G how could I not want you to go and why would I not try and make happen for you . It's what you love and it makes you happy and I like it when your happy. That's another reason my heart feels humbled and I feel so grateful.

Friday morning at 9:am myself and a bunch of other amazing human will take part in a 200 mile journey around Lake Tahoe. I am so excited to just be a part of it. I am sure it will take me the 4 days we are given and I have no idea what to expect but I do know that I will be working my butt of while practicing patience and determination. 

You are the road of Love, and at the end my home.. Rumi

Meditation on the run

I went yoga today and the teacher told us to try and lead from our heart. I put my hand over my heart and tried to visualize . Then she said feel your emotions go through your heart almost like your coming in from the back door. I never thought about love coming from my entire heart and how about it going through . I love that visual I picture my heart and good energy flowing from the back door through to the front around and back.
I went on a short run today and I have been working on keeping my heart rate low when I run I can go farther for longer.
Today I just focused and sat with love flowing through me. I had the coolest, easiest feel good but quite run.  It felt like I really just meditated while I ran . It left me feeling special.

A new adventure coming up

Some of the best people I have met have become my friends out on the trails. There is something about spending an endless amount of time running with someone that makes you specially good friends. I never thought I would run a 100 mile race. I remember training for a marathon and thinking 30 mile weeks where insane. The last couple years have been so much fun.  Running has helped me become a stronger person both emotionally and physically . I used to be afraid of so many things and lets just say that has changed. I feel confident. 

My friend Robert and I will running The Tahoe 200 in about 10 days ! I am so excited and nervous but more excited than anything. Robert was so awesome he paced me at Lost Boys and we run well together. He runs better than me so  guess I fallow well. The race looks like its going to be crazy so much everything. going on. The elevation is crazy so I have been hiking my butt off. I have been running my butt of but I have been learning  how to listen to my body when I am feeling tired and slowing down with  a purpose. I am so looking forward to this adventure ..

Just Keep Moving

Today I went to visit Chris and it was so sad. I go a couple times a week it feels right. The kids and I feel better every time we go. This morning I went for a really early 8 mile run before the day got going. I had stopped running early and you know what running early made my entire day so much better. I noticed a huge difference in my mood and my energy level. I was able to focus on good memories about Chris. I guess I am writing this because even in the crappiest of times remembering to keep moving helps so much. It helps in the saddest of times. 

The Black Canyon 50k

I signed up for The Black canyon 50k . I thought it would be a great training run for Tahoe 200 . The weeks fallowing the passing of Chris I had no running in me. I felt guilty leaving my kids to go for a run so I stayed as close to them as I could. I was not happy because running is my happy and training for a race is what really keeps me motivated but life has been mixed up lately. The last two weeks I kicked myself in the butt and started running again. 

On Saturday July 21 I woke up early and drove 25 minutes to the race. Another reason I signed up for this race it's so close to home. We started at 6am. I had no freaking idea what I was in for. I thought oh its a 50k I can do that and we don't have that many hills in San Diego so I should be okay. BS
It was really hard and challenging. I got my butt kicked and it was just what I needed to remind me that I need to keep at it if I want to take part in this sport.
About the race. It was really well organized . The shirts and hats totally rock. There logo is awesome and they had Popsicles at the aid stations... The volunteers as usual where so nice and helpful.
The course was a bunch of complicated loops but the way they marked the trails was really well done. I did not get lost and there where so many ribbons that I never really freaked out about being lost. The heat and the climbing sucked and it went on forever and ever. The moment I got to the top of a hill oh wait there is another hill and another.
It took me 8 hours peeps !!! That is a long time but looking back this is a great race because your working your ass off. Your running climbing and trying to keep cool. All the things we look for in a good challenging race !!!

s

I felt a-lot like the green guy in the picture !!
Now its back to training the Tahoe 200 is in about 1 month. Yes, its going to be a great time because even when it sucks its good.