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