My thoughts on my race this Saturday... Lost Boys !!!

Elevation profile for Lost Boys !!! eek

I am sitting here with both butterflies and nervous energy. Jack and I went to the park all day to keep me focused on something else. This weekend is Lost Boys 50 miler at 5am Saturday morning. I am really excited for the adventure of the race and I would say nervous for the amount of hard work that is going to be needed to complete this race. There will be so many of my good friends running that it also feels like a mini party. The race to me feels more like a survival crazy weather 50 mile adventure. 

There will be 66 participants this year and out of that 15 females. Its a point to point race starting in the  Anza Borrego dessert that's in San Diego County.1,100 foot elevation tops off on top of Cuyamca peak at 6,512 feet of elevation., Then it ends at Cuyamaca lake  with nearly 9,000 feet of climbing. It is 28 miles of trails ,4 miles of dessert sand 18 miles of jeep road. Does that not sound like an awesome adventure. Last year Angela Shartel  won this race ! She is this really fast ,super strong altra athlete. she ran the entire 50 miles with all that climbing in 8 hours ..  Yeah incredible 

I just really feel like I am so grateful that I will be able to take part in such an exciting event. I am so grateful for the story that will come of showing up and running. My goal is to finish 30 min faster than last year. Last year my goal was to finish and I did so looks like this Saturday will be another amazing day !

The La Jolla Half marathon

I was not planning on running the La Jolla half but a friend asked if I wanted to join the fun and I could not say no. We took of promptly at 7:30 and I knew I would have to push because I was running on tired legs. I already had 55 miles in for the week but my thought was the more tired I am the better because during these 50 and 100 mile runs I have coming up I will for sure be running on tired legs so what better way to prepare. I love this race for starters its 13.1 miles. You know you'll be done early that is a huge plus. The weather is amazing and the scenery is the best of San Diego.  

The morning was perfect. Great weather a great DJ and so many excited runners and a food truck.

I don't have any pictures of me running but I had a good race. 8:36 average pace and 1:55 finish. I was happy with that . I didn't Walton the hills and that is a big plus for me. 

Here we are after a super fun time. My friend Daniel and me. 

I also did the total fan girl thing and asked Andrea from runcoachrun if I could take a picture with her. She was so nice and sweet. She is an amazing bad ass ultra-runner.  Look at my smile I was so excited. I had a great time and I fell so grateful that I was able to take part in such a fun event !!!

It was a great day !!

The Wild Animal Park. The news lately is so sad that I am going to get back here and focus on the positive. Today my dad jack and I went to the on a mini adventure to the Wild animal Park. This was the first time he went on the Merry Go-round with out being afraid. Kids grow up really fast and having four I am constantly reminded that this life of mine is a gift and it is not going to last forever so I try to find the story in of each day. Today's story was watching my dad and Jack hanging out together. Jack asking my dad ," grampa why is your white ?" My dad trying to get Jack to share his ice cream by taking some when Jack was not looking . The way Jack asks my dad a bunch of questions about the animals? Questions like ," Do the big animals poop ?"  I try and take these moments in and then I hold them tight because they are the stars in my sky. THE BIG moments are in the little pieces we choose to hold on too..

Encinitas Half Marathon

I love this medal. The white building is Swamis and I have been running by it for years. I had to share the medal so cool !!

Encinitas Half marathon

Two weeks ago I ran the Encinitas Half marathon. I put in a-lot of miles the week before and I was not planning on running but last minute I joined. I went into it as I do most of my races. I wanted to enjoy I and not push because my head told me I should be tired from the 60 something miles I put in that week. It was a very well executed race. The fast people first and then the rest of us. I felt sore at first but my mile 3 I was feeling really good. If you don't know Encinitas the race was pretty much flat and it's a beach town. The people are awesome and the town has that old fashion beach feeling.
So I am running and here is my thing I know I am not a fast runner at least that's what I think but as I was running I said to myself G lets see if you can run at an 8:40 pace so I did and I felt fine. I just kept that pace up and then I did the whole How do I feel thing ? I do this this thing and I am sure a bunch of us do. The body scan, My feet don't hurt and my legs are fine and I am breathing really well so all is good. Then I thought lets see if I can go faster and you know when you have been running 12 ,13 minutes miles forever 8 feels fast. Then I got down to 8:30 and just stayed there and felt fine. I had one mile to go and I looked at my watch and saw that if I could run a 7 minute mile I could run a 1:50 and that would be my fastest half marathon ever. I was not going for a PR but it was so exciting to see what my body could do when my mind let it. Its fascinating where this journey of running has taken me. I have grown so much as a person because of it. I am thinking maybe next time I run a half I will just start fast and see what happens !!! 

I was so happy and it was a great day !! Oh and the medal.

the craziest things happen when you don't expect it !