Part 2 of Western States training camp

Back to training camp. Day 2 we woke up really early and got our packs ready figured out what we needed for food and if I recall I spilled a bunch of water on the floor because I was so tired just trying to get my stuff ready so early was a challenge. I am always afraid I will forget something but the true beauty of running is you do not need much. A good attitude, coffee and water and some nutrition. I loved that my friends where with me. I told Becca I felt like we where on a Running Honeymoon.
The thought of knowing all I had to do was show up and run was awesome. The second day was easier than the first. We only had 20 miles to run so that thought was nice. The view was amazing. When you don't live near a trail and it is your first time taking it in it is magical. The river was to left and the canyons where so green. What I took away for race day is I just need to stay focused and keep moving forward. Julianne Becca and I totally bonded . Thats what I think and Ricky is so much faster that we only saw him at the end of each run but he the nicest guy. ( Becca's husband) aka super fast awesome runner. The aid stations has everything we needed. They took a while to get to and as soon as we did the guy said " oh your doing fine your 1 hour before the cut off" I hate the word cut off. It really got me thinking about my game plan for the race. The end came way quicker than I thought it would and they had food for us. I had a burger and chips and we waited for the bus. Some of the cool things where seeing some of the amazing runners I have a huge admiration for. Ann Trason, Sage Canaday , Magdalena Lewy-Boulet to name a few. Always cool to see them in person. I did not ask for a picture because I think they is there time on trails and there training . We needed the day by going out to islands for a quick dinner and then we went to the trail in motion picture festival. I saw Gordy speak ad he is a character. Very funny guy and a great story teller. Bed time came early because we would do this one more time in the morning and we where all tired. All together we ran 72 miles in 3 days. It was an amazing trip . We all got along and the runs where epic.  I would highly recomend doing the training camp even if you don't get it to the race. 14 days to go and we are at race day. Have great weekend..

Be Strong who me

What do you do when you are scared to do something ?
You show up and give everything you've got.

So here I am 18 days to go until Western and lets be honest here. OMG !! I am pooping my pants. I am so scared like literally scared. My tummy hurts and I just never thought I would get the opportunity to actually run this race. I hope I did enough running and training.
Ok so here is the deal I have never ran as much as I have since I found out I got into Western States (50 to 80) mile weeks consistently.  I have never gone to the gym or done this much core work. I have never ran so many hills or run down so many hills. You know they say  it's a down hill race. A big part of me feels like what if I did all the work and I am still not a good enough runner to finish Western in 30 hours. The training camp was not easy and we had three days to do it. Maybe I should be writing that I feel strong or that I am so excited. Maybe I should be a bunch of positive stuff but man oh man I am just not feeling it. I know its just a race but It is a really big deal race.  We rented a place my whole family is flying up. I am really nervous and I hope I can let go some of this HOly Shit feeling soon because its really messing with my happy vibe. I have had this poster of Gordy running on the course for years and hanging in my closet. Every morning when I get ready to go for a run or just   look at it.. This has  been a crazy dream of mine forever and I just hope I can do it. 

My Sunday Rock and Roll Run

This past Sunday my dad ran the Rock and Roll half marathon and I ran the full. My dad is 65 he ran his first full marathon at the age of 60 with a time of 4:30. That's amazing don't you think. I do I am so proud of him. This year he ran the half and he did really well 2:10. I am so proud of him. The weather was amazing. You know perfect running weather . The race started at 6:15 am. SO early but I picked up my dad at 5am and we made it right on time. I ran alone and I thought if I could run around 4 hour marathon I would be pleased . I honestly just wanted to have a good run. I ran a 4:12. I was happy with that. The best part was seeing my dad as I crossed the finish line yelling G. Then I yelled HEY DAD as loud as I heard and he heard me. That was an awesome feeling. The Rock and Roll did a great job putting on the race. It was amazing with the music and costumes and the energy was beautiful running magic. 

Western States training camp day 1

Day 1. Day of of camp was the hardest day for me. The run was a scheduled 32 miles with 3 water stations about 8 miles apart. We woke up really early because we really were not sure how many people would show up and how much parking there was. The run started at 8 am we arrived at 6:30 am. There was so much excitement in the air as we all stood together and listened to the directions and information we needed to know for the run ahead. My pacer Julianne won a north face Western states Jacket early in the morning and I knew that was sign that we where going to have a great time. The run started in the snow and at Robinson Flat. A huge part of me could barely believe I was there. A bigger part still can't believe I will be running this race in 20 days. The three of us stayed together and Julianne led the pack then Becca and then me. This was the hardest day for me. I was doing well until mile 16 then I got really hungry and I threw up. I just kept fallowing along and making progress. 

I had a great time but I just felt kinda sick. I did not have breakfast just banana and I figured out that I need a full breakfast. The trail was so so beautiful. I have not smelled or seen that type of beauty before. The pine trees stood high and the sky had levels of blue. The air was so clean I felt like where running in fairy land. We talked about life and kids and love and God. We laughed and I just felt like my heart was going to burst with happiness because it was just so beautiful. I did get my butt kicked. This was not easy for me and that's OK. I did to and I felt OK.

I was so happy to be done because I was starving..We crossed rivers and saw waterfalls. The actual trail is epic. That's why it Western States right !! I felt like we where on a very cool running adventure the entire time. I think it took us like 7 hours to run 32 miles. The hills went seriously up or seriously down. My legs where burning but I would be lying if I did not say I love that part.  I was relieved to see that I lived through day 1. The actual training run was really put together nicely. They had aid station and the course was really well marked. I love that. The people where all really sweet and friendly too. 

to WS training camp I go

 It's here the Western States memorial weekend training camp.    I just laid out all my clothes for this weekend.  What do I take? Everything that has to do with running is what I want to take. You know just in case I need it all. I got new shoes yesterday and I will get my new insoles fitted in them tomorrow . I know I probably should not of gotten new shoes but my feet where killing me and new shoes feel the best to me. I feel like my little broken bones in my feet are healing. I have been so careful only running on soft sand but still getting my miles in. It will be interesting to see how my feet do in the Canyons of Western. (I can't even believe they picked me )
I am going to over pack of course but I will have what I need to be able to run the 70 miles in 3 days. We are taking a little road trip up to Auburn so it should be fun. I will keep you posted. 

My Morning Routine

I thought it would be fun ti share some of my favorite morning routines. I am a creature of habit and once I find something that works well I try and make it a habit as much as possible. This past year I have learned a-lot about healthier choices I could make that are simple and easy to include into my life.
1. I wake up and first thing is I say Thank You for letting me wake up and it sets a good place for thinking head to be in.
2. I go down stairs and have a glass of warm water with lemon and lately I have added some mint. Here is a link to some lemon water benefits.
3. I  take 5 to 7 minutes to do some stretches. I usually run 5 days a week so these babies seem to really help my legs.  I alway like looking on Pintrest for help with changing up mu routine. I like these this routine the most. 
4. My morning smoothie. There are so many great ways to make a smoothie my favorite is
1 cup of frozen spinach
1 banana
1/2 cup of peaches and pineapple blend and right now I am adding mint leaves too. After its blended I add some chia seeds too.
5. Then before I walk out the door to take my kids to school I go to the bathroom and I look in the mirror and tell myself that I am going to have a really good day G so keep smiling and stay on track.  Positive self talk is awesome . It really helps my attitude. My thought on this matter is. You have to go through the day right . So why not give yourself the chance of having a great day by changing your attitude ...

44 peeps

Holy Cow Batman that was fast .
I just had my birthday and turned 44. I woke up on my birthday and for the first time in many, many years I had no anxiety about getting older or needing things to be different. This year I woke up and I knew that I am on the path I am supposed to be on. I am right where I am supposed to be. It was a great feeling.
I woke up made breakfast for my teenagers and then drove them to school . Then my little man and I went on a walk and even that was a sign that I was where I needed to be. My dad took me out to lunch and Jack and I went for a swim in the early afternoon. SO far so good. I drove home and picked up the my kids and reminded them it was my birthday !! They gave a me a hug and all was good in the world. Then later than night I went out dinner at a Mexican food restaurant that had mariachi. It was a really good day. My  big sister sang Happy Birthday to me and that made it a complete. The best part was through out the day I felt settled. I did not feel sad at all. There are so many reasons or stories I had told myself in the past that just made my birthday's feel so melancholy. One of the things I have learned in this past year is to try to be present and with that comes learning about the self talk. Its really crazy the things we tell ourselves or the negative self talk that goes on in our brain. I have been consistently working on that and lately something clicked where I now feel a calmness within me because that talk has gone down a  level its mostly positive. I am giving myself a break now. I feel like I have earned it.
It is nice to just be present and I also changed my view on WS. I am going to go into the race grateful to be there and grateful for every mile I am able to run. I will be proud of myself for even showing up and taking part of something that is so much bigger than me . I am going to enjoy the journey and stop stressing so much about everything else. My birthday wish is that my feet heal well and world peace. Happy Trails .

update

Thank you DEbbie for the picture.
It's nice to know that I am this happy when I run.. I know I feel it and it shows. I went to the doctor to find out why my feet are in so much pain and he said I have two tiny broken bones. 1 in each foot. The sesamoid is the name of the bone and there fractured. He gave me a cortisone shot that hurt like hell and said it should get the swelling down and feel better. Since I will still be training for Western I am sure it will continue to hurt but what can I do. I guess just be smart with my running and hope for the best. 

I will revise my training plan tomorrow and go from there. 

My PCT and DNF race report

picture by Christopher ferrier
 Her DNF
Once upon a time in a far away land this Mexican girl named Gloria thought she was a bad ass and tried to run two 50 mile races with in 2 weeks. Then as she was running the second one along came the distance bit her in the ass made her stop and walk and before you know it she could run no more. So she turned in her bib and felt like shit and cried. The moral of the story is respect the distance.
Here we go. There are so many books that I have read and listened to that tell you to never DNF. It is supposed to be the worse thing ever. I had made it out to be the worse thing ever and I thought that would never happen to me. How could you ever feel so bad in a race ( beside 100 miler that is another animal) that you would have to stop. It happened to me. I should of known. I should of been sensible enough to know that I am not a runner that can just run Lost Boys 50 miler and 2 weeks later run The PCT 50 miler. Instead my thinking was I need to do  as much running as possible  for Western States. Why ? because it is a once in a life time opportunity and I should be able to run that much. Maybe this does not make sense to you and maybe now looking back it does not really make sense to me either but there it is. I got caught up in myself and did not respect that fact that I needed to rest and I just got to a point where I can run 50 miles WTF am I thinking I can run 2 so close together. The distance taught me not to let me ego get the best of me.  I need to slow down rest and respect every race I sign up for. I just need to slow down G.

I did my normal 5.9.5 this past week. Then I stayed at a friends house and got to the race on time. I had been feeling tired but I took lots of naps so I thought that was enough. I was really excited to be there with all my friends that I really admire and love. The race started and I went out in the middle of the pack. I usually try and go out near the back of the pack because I like going out slower and then getting warmed up and then going faster. That's what works for me. Lets remember I am not thinking about placing and in my heart I am not doing it for anyone else. Running these distances has become one of the great loves of my life and I do it because it makes me so happy.
I went out to fast for sure and at mile 6 I felt really tired. I put on my music thinking it would make me feel better right ? nope
Then I had a GU and It gave me energy but it did not help enough. I kept moving along and all I could think was I just need to find my happy place. That place I find in the mountains where the miles just fly by. Mile after mile passed and I could not find it. Then at mile 20 I just felt this tired feeling come over me. It was exhaustion fallowed by grief. Not a good combination. I walked to the half way point and at the turn around  I saw Angie Shartel and the one and only Scott Mills. They brought my smile back gave me words of encouragement they could tell I was not having fun. I started on my way back. I then walked 3 miles to Penny Pines. I knew Julianne Storm my pacer for WS was volunteering at the aid station and then between the crying and feeling horrible I knew I wanted to stop running. I did not want to finish or continue anymore. My legs felt so heavy my feet hurt and my heart hurt even more. As soon as I saw Julianne she hugged me and talked to me and let me know it was OK. The Aid station volunteers where amazing. They all where so kind with there words and told me many times my real race was WS. I needed to rest up and be ready for that race. Scott Mills told me that for every mile you race you need 1 day of rest. That means 50 days of rest for a 50 miler. I did not know that or I conveniently forgot it. I only got to mile 26 and  I felt sorry for myself but as soon as I got a ride from Julianne down to the start line I got excited for my friends they all looked great finishing and a female won the over all race. This was my first time watching my friends finish and what a great feeling it was. I was so excited for each and every one of them. What a day with lessons learned and a humbled heart. I can not say in word how much I love this sport and this Ultra Running community we have in San Diego. It really feels like a family. Stranger will literally give you the shirt off there back if you needed it in the San Diego Ultra Running Community. So I do not have a bib or a medal for yesterdays race but what I do have is a very grateful and humbled heart. In a weird way yesterday was a good race but for other reasons than finishing. I hope this makes sence somehow. 

Its time for the PCT50

Tomorrow is the PCT 50 miler. I will be running with a bunch of friends and taking easy . I am going to try and use this as a training run for W.S. This would put me at 70 miles for the week. I am nervous and excited. It is going to be a beautiful day so it should go well and be fun. This is almost a 25 up and 25 back down race. I am trying new nutrition and I feel rested so fingers crossed I do better than last year 11:45. I am going to shoot for 11 but my first priority is really enjoy myself. Life is to short for anything else. I have a picture of my sister I am bringing with me. So I am off and I will tell you all about it Sunday .. Happy Trails G

Tuesday talks

Tuesday. Today was a good day Jack and I hit the beach with my dad. It is Mothers day in Mexico today and I could not stop thinking about my mom and what she must be going through today missing my sister. Losing someone is like going through life under a dark cloud but you still have to go through it. I think it might be that motion of moving forward no matter how slow that keeps us going. You just can't give up. When I am really tired during an Ultra and I get to yet another big hill I find myself saying baby steps G. Just keep moving taking baby steps and before you know it your at the top.
I was able to get my run in 5 miles and a did my yoga class at home too. Today was simple we had taco Tuesday the kids got there homework done and my dad stayed for dinner. I am so grateful for simple easy days. 

Monday Mood

I read the best quote :Stories have to told or they die. and when they die ,we can't remember who we are or why we are her.
Sue Monk Kidd
This is one of the reasons I keep this blog to remember. This weekends long run was emotionally draining just to get too. I got up and started on my way and next thing you know I am all tears. I just felt sad all over. I got there just in time and before I knew it we where running. We started with an easy 12 miles toward Raptor Ridge and I felt fine my legs felt happy to be moving and before you knew it I was just having a good time with The Trail Crashers enjoying our Saturday run. It is so weird to know here I am running and my sister is gone.
I really need to get my ass in gear again with less than 7 weeks until  Western States I just need to get all my runs in. The weather was awesome Saturday Cloudy with a chance of rain. We did another 10 miles the other direction and called it a day at 22 miles. Becca does a great job getting the group together and it was a big turn out. Running is a great way to clear your mind for a little bit. I am loving my Lost Boys shirt. I am so proud to be wearing it. Literally I NEVER thought I would get the point where I would be able to finish a race like that one.  You have to try it if your love a good challenge and beautiful scenery. Last week I ended up with 40 miles. Life happens and so I am OK with it. This week is already looking better . I got 2 work outs in today and it should be a 70 mile week including the PCT 50. That's Saturday race. I plan on taking that 50 mile race as a training run for WS. Last year I ran it in 11:45 so I would like to the same or better considering I think my legs are still tired for Lost Boys.  Whatever happens I will share. 

Life thoughts

 I am a dreamer and I know that. I dream about things I want to do and adventures I want to take my kids on. Many times I can't afford what I want to do so I break it down and start where I can but I do part of it .  This running thing is one of my biggest dreams come true. It is crazy because I never thought of myself as an athlete I have always been a mom a wife and a daughter. 

I think athletes are the winners and the sponsored people. When I race ( see that even sounds funny to me). When I run these awesome ultra-marathons I always feel so grateful to be able to run in the woods hours I feel so whole.  There is a part of me I did not know existed before I found trail running. The girl in me that runs theses long distances she hates all the stuff that happened to the child I was once and I swear that through running I have slowly healed and forgiven . I was able to let it go but for some reason it makes me feel bigger than being left and then on that trail I suddenly feel found. The opposite of abandoned is adopted cherished , defended. Trail running gives me all these feelings. This leads me to believe that really no dream is to big. My dream of getting lost for hours in the woods came true and my dream of healing came true. Like everything it takes work and really coming face to face with ourselves . There are no short cuts but with work you can do so much and live such a good life. I am insanely grateful to be alive and to be able to have kids and run. When I wake up I say thank you lord for today.  

 Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life . Losing someone  that is  so close to you and knowing you will never be able to see them again feels like having your heart ripped out and you just feel so sad it hurts. I know my sister is in heaven but it still hurts.  My sister and I had a special relationship you can see it when you look at pictures of us. The way she looked at me and the way I saw her. I felt like she was both my baby and my little sister. I loved her little hands so much. She was really special. Having her in our life was a huge blessing. She taught my family so much.  How can you complain about life or feel sorry for yourself when your sister is in a wheel chair and can't talk but she is as happy as can be . I know she changed my heart. You know when I was little every birthday when I closed my eyes and I wished that she could walk. I would think please when I wake tomorrow please let my sister be able to walk.  My wish never came true she never walked but her spirit soared. 

Tomorrow we have 24 mile run and I know that after my run I will feel better for a while. So if you ever thought that the whole exercise thing does not helps your mood and helps you heal . I miss my little sister so much...

Lost Boys 50 mile race report

 I woke up at 3:15 am on Saturday morning. I rented a cabin about 10 minutes away and asked a friend - fellow runner( Jonathanelo Fields and his crew Jeranimo)  if I could get a ride with them to the start line the Anza Borego Desert Floor. I was really nervous and scared about the weather conditions. We got the the start line at 4:30am and the wind was so crazy you could feel it pushing  the car. I opened the car door and was literally pushed by the wind and yes it was cold. It was so windy one of the porta-potty flew over.  I was  worried about being cold so I decided to that the thing to do would be look at this as a off road running adventure and dress for the adventure ahead. I wore 3 shirts. A tank top and a short sleeve and a long sleeve. (it was honestly cold)  Then I got a little excited about the conditions once I was able to change the way I saw the race I was OK and I saw a -lot of other crazy running friends and that settled my nerves too. Hey I was not alone in this craziness and as soon as we started I just thought about how much I love this and how I had all day to share this run with my sister and I was golden. I was super impressed with how well the trail was marked. There where multiple orange ribbons for every turn. As soon as I knew I was not getting lost I was able to just run and focus on the day ahead. It was a beautiful challenging course.

This time of year there was so many flowers in bloom in the desert. I had to stop and take pictures. So here we are running pre dawn. So its dark but not to dark and then about an hour into my run I passed a mountain on my left and the sun slowly came out. It was amazing. I was feeling great and stoked to be out there. After all the day was just beginning. 

So these picture really do not do this course justice. It was magnificent. I saw Paul Jesse and his crew at the first aid station and you really don't need much at this point but it was so nice to have him say Hi Gloria with a smile. I did not need anything so I just kept going.  There was this really cool part of the course that you have to climb. That was awesome. We ran through all theses desert washes and mountain valleys. 

Now we had about 18 miles of Jeep road and 28 miles of trail and It felt we went up hill forever and ever. The aid stations where awesome . The volunteers got you ready quickly and everyone was happy to see you. I felt great the whole day. I thought I would run it in about 12:30 hours. Becca Roan was my crew and I saw her at the two most important aid stations. She gave me clothes and a new pack with water. I thought to myself this is what it must feel like if your a serious rock star runner. It was awesome and she was a great friend and crew all in one. Robert was my pacer and we started running together at mile 30. This was the second time I had a pacer and what I felt was this new excitement to talk and share my race with my friend. It was awesome. I was really not paying as much attention at this time because I was tired . I ran in front of Robert and 3 times he saved my butt from getting lost. This was because I was tired and just did not see the orange ribbon poking me in the face. Once again I was so grateful to have a friend who was willing to run in the cold with me for 20 miles just because. Thank You Robert Pardy ! The last 5 miles where really painful because my biggest problem are my feel. They hurt so much when I run on rocks. I took some aleve but my feet just hate rocks so I took my time trying to find the softest rock. ( there are no soft rocks ) I would say besides that I had a beautiful day. I felt like Carmen was with me. I could picture her flying along side me. I told her I loved her and it was nice to be out in nature feeling tired and knowing she was my companion. This race was seriously awesome !!! I want to do it again but next year !!!! This was great training for WS

Love Loss Running

This week has sucked and I feel like I am living  through life under a dark cloud. A piece of our tight family circle has passed on. A piece of my life my little sister has passed. She left before I had a chance to say goodbye and that would be my fault. My sister was positive bright light. She really was. I had a race scheduled this weekend and I was going to skip it but then I had this feeling . I got an email from the Lost Boys 50 mile race . They gave me my bib number 38. My sister was just about to turn 38. When I ran my first marathon 12 years ago I had a picture of my sister under my bib and every time I got tired I would look at her picture and just knowing she was at home stuck in her wheel chair always gave me strength to run for her. My next thought is this time I can really take her with me. Then I sat with that and I just know she wants me to go run this weekend the reason is she wants to know what its like to run 50 miles. I figure she will be my angel pacer and that she will either think I am crazy or she will love it.  

So Saturday morning at 5am I will be at the start line of Lost Boys 50 miler.  I am running this race because its scares me and it looks really hard and I know we can't let fear stop us from doing what we love. I know my sister is in heaven with God but if he is looking for her tomorrow she will be my companion and her and I will be running in the dessert. I love her .

I will miss you My Sweet Lillie

My little sister passed away last night. Yes, she was really sick for a very long time and I know that. I want to share a little about my sister. She was an angel and God sent her to us to bless our lives. She has a beautiful smile that came from with in. She taught me to be gentle and to be empathetic. She opened my heart in a way no one else could and when I ran I ran for her all the time. I knew she was home sitting in that wheel chair and somehow I took her with me. I carried her in my heart. Oh my sweet Carmen how you will be missed.

I love her little hands. They where soft and sweet. She had a great laugh and loved dancing in bed . She loved putting on make up and getting her nails done. Like all girls.

Carmen always loved me and I knew that. When I was little and I felt alone or heart broken just getting in her crib and holding her healed me in so many ways. When she was little and could talk she would say yoya. Thats me. She was 37 years old and she is my sister and now she is gone but I will carry her in heart forever and she has made me a better person. She always did.. I love you Carmen. 

Lost Boys 50 Ultramarathon - course overview

Weekly update

Its Monday and 60 days from today is Western States. I am both excited and scared. I am doing what I know I need to do to finish and hopefully have a better race than my last 100 mile race. This past week I got 70 miles in . I think 40 where good miles and 30 felt like time on my feet miles. A couple of things that make me feel like my training is paying of are it seems like my last run of the week feels the best. I absolutely love my long Saturday runs. I share them with my friends and its so nice to see them . The past week we ran with some new people and man I mean when I say. Trail Runners are the nicest people. We ran a part of the new course for the San Diego 100 miler. It was a long morning  on the trails but we covered a lot of ground. Robert and Phillip and David and Nartaya are all running SD100 so it was a good to get out there.
OK so here goes. I am kinda pooping my pants over here with 2 months to go until my dream race that I can't even believe that I got into WITH ONE TICKET !!!. Every chance I get I have been running and watching every Western States video out there. I AM CRAZY excited and I have been trying to sleep a lot too.. So I thought that for the next two months I would just blog about everything leading up to just being able to be a part of something so much bigger than me. 

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a big training weekend for me.  I put in a lot of miles some with my awesome running group and lots of walking with Jack. I don't think I have ever put in so much work into a goal. The amount of training that goes into running 100 miles is daunting on paper. Then there is the fact that my second 100 miler will be Western States has made me want to work even harder.
 Looking back on last weeks runs makes me thing Holy Crap G.. You have come a long way. My #1 goal is to go into WS strong. I also do not want to chase cut off times. That is just stress I don't want to feel,  but after running we did the last  3 days with a ton of elevation gain and accent it makes me feel way better about what I can do. That's the awesome part about this whole experience. What I am taking away from all this. How running is changing me. How much more I appreciate my life. 

 I thought I was training well last  year but I was taking short cuts This year I really want to finish WS. Saturday morning I arrived at 6:30 I felt a migraine coming on so I decided that if It worse I would just turn around and go home. We got started around 7am and I knew this was going to be along run. It took a lot of effort and It was work. At mile 20 I started feeling good. WTH right ? The weather was nice the sun was strong but it was windy so it did not feel to hot. I was so happy to be done 26.2 miles up climbing up and up the PCT. I never thought I would be so familiarized with this trail. I was so freaking happy to be done. SO was everyone else. Then we had Sundays run to look forward too. 22 miles and yes back to the mountains we go. I was dreading it but I know that showing up is half the battle so I showed up . Sunday it was crazy windy and cold at Penny pines. We looked kinda crazy running . The wind would just push you down but we kept moving and I knew by mile 3 that I was going to have a great run. I felt strong and it felt easy to keep going. I was so surprised because my mind told me I was tired but my body did not agree. So I played my music I went for 70s disco music on Sunday and was once again happy and grateful to share the morning with friends ..I am little bit stronger and that makes me happy. So I ended up the week running 60 miles and walking 21. Happy Week friends.

Mommy Adventures

My mini morning adventure :
Today was one of those days that I needed to get out of the house. I have a-lot of those days. I needed to be outside so as soon as I dropped of my older kids at school I headed home and got my stroller ready and set out for a long walk with my little man. He is no longer interested in the stroller but I thought eventually he will be. It was weird even though it should not be to leave my car behind and walk into town. We left early and we walked together for about an hour. We hit the park and then just walked. We walked by old buildings and under the freeway. We walked by people on bicycles , skateboards and every time we passed by a runner Jack would yell ," go runner ". We walked and he walked and then I ran for about 3 hours and then it was lunch time. We made our way to the Broken Yolk. I was starving and so was Jack so we ate like champions after all we walking people that a-lot of work for 2 1/2 year old and his 43 year young mom :).  We really did have a great time at lunch Jack was tired so he was so good. He ordered and said Thank you to the waitress. I felt very proud. After lunch there was the walk home but to my surprise I only had about 45 minutes to get home before my mommy taxi services needed to start. Jack insisted on walking so I let him and very shortly after he wanted in the stroller. "stroller mama" I walked as fast as I could. Suddenly I had to go pee and there was no bathroom in sight at the same time Jack wanted out. I told him I had to go pee and he said "run mama".

This is him running home so I can go pee. I barely made it and poor kid was so tired he fell asleep 10 minutes later. I like to think of mornings like these as my mini adventure morning. I looked at my watch and we walked 8.3 miles. It was fun and we got to spend the day outside. Most of the morning outside.
Happy Trails.

So True

I read this quote and I loved it. Here are some random thoughts on this ::
 This is a picture I took this past weekend of a friend coming into the finish line. She looked strong and I felt so happy for her.  It is so true where you put your focus that is where you send your energy. So I asked myself where does my energy go ?

 Most of my energy goes to my family. That means all the awesomeness that comes with being a stay at home mom. I don't love to cook but I do love to feed my family and a huge amount of my time goes to making sure we all eat well. My favorite question after we eat is " is your tummy happy." I cook a-lot and I has become fun. We sit for dinner every night and end up hanging out for an hour or so we laugh with the kids then sometimes my  kids argue. We discuss all the things that are tough discussing outside the house like religion and politics and opposite sex questions are coming up a lot. I have two teenagers  its perfect. The bigger the meal the longer we sit so I am OK with cooking because of that. The next thing is taking care of my house. I really have to have a clean house not crazy but I need clear open space for peace of mind. I feel like Jack need toys everywhere for his mind so we have come to a good negotiation.

Then running my thoughts and energy seem to go there no matter what.  I focus on running and all I want right now is to have good strong races. Planning for them is fun. I don't care how I place. I am a middle of the pack kind of runner and that is perfect. I focus of my form. My stride my breathing my surroundings and that makes me happy. There you go lots of crazy G thoughts for today. Keep your focus on the good things and the bad things will seem smaller and if that doesn't work go for a long run and your troubles will fade away. 
Happy trails ..G

Oriflame 50k pictures

One of the coolest things for me is getting the email from the photographer letting you know your pictures are ready to be viewed. They take you right back to that moment right ? Paksit photos took them this year and they are really good.
All the thoughts that I was having at the time they took this picture. I was thinking  how much better I felt about my running because I have been training with such good people. It has made a huge difference in confidence as and my desire to get it done.   Having rad people to run with is the sh-t. They put so much hard work into there passion it rubs off.
 The Trail Crashers where not running next me but instead they where with me the entire day. I could see us lined up on the mountain running along. I could see Ricky at the top waiting for us. I felt becca waiting for me up ahead. Robert making me laugh. I actually have so many memories on this exact trail now. Last year I would not even know where this trail is and today I  could run to it right now. All this gives me so much hope that there is so much more fun goodness ahead. Good times ahead and happy Trails for sure ..I read about the group affect and yes I think it's true for me . 

My Oriflame 50k race report

Yesterday was Orriflame 50k.
This was taken right when I got there. I love morning pictures before a race. I really do.  I was a worried about the weather because it was looking like it was going to be really cold but I decided to think about it as an adventure run. I arrived at 6:30 am and the race started at 7am. I was surprised I found parking and all I could think is the the weather must of scared some people off because I did not see a-lot of people. So with 20 minutes to go I checked in and got number 52 . I saw my friends and then we made our way to the start line. 

as we are waiting for the race to start I noticed my water hose was not working. It was stuck so Robert tried to fix it but the we had a minute to go and with out getting it fixed we put it back and I took off. The race starts on a single track and my hands were really cold besides that I felt good. I was happy to just be there. My friends where in front of me and besides not having water all was well. Every time I looked up I was so inspired by the clouds. Yes maybe there was going to be rain but who cares when it looked so beautiful.

This race is an out and back course and struts at the Sunrise Trail head parking lot. It fallows the PCT trail north for a couple miles. I think about 5 miles as your running in front of you there are mountains and the dessert. Its magnificent.

Then you start running down  Oriflame Canyon. Here is my story with this canyon. Last year we did a training run on this canyon on a very hot day. It scared me enough that I decided to not do this race. It was so freaking hard I felt like shit after we where done so I said no and I did not run it. Not this year !! There was no way I was not running a local race because I'm scared. 

If this sport has taught me anything it is to be brave and not be afraid of working hard at something I love. I hate fear so this is me working my ass of to conquer my fears and grow. There I am running down the canyon . I think I should say I was very carefully jogging down. Running down hills is something I am working hard at. I have along way to go and I knew this was going to be the challenging part. It was really cool watching all these awesome ultra runners kill the hill. I was having a great time. I needed to stop at some point to fix my bladder because it was stuck and there was no water coming out. You know when your running the last thing you want to do is stop so finally at mile 13 I got thirsty enough and it took me like 3 minutes. I took of my shirt and fixed my bladder and drank as much water as I could. I was so thirsty. 

The aid station volunteers where very supportive and I only stayed for a minute or two. When you get to the bottom of the canyon you runs couple miles in the sand get to the turn around point. My friend Jeff was there and he gave me some water. Its always nice to see a familiar face. I was not feeling great at this point. I felt a little dehydrated . I just needed to drink my water and I knew I would be fine soon. When it was time to start running up the canyon I felt so much better. I really like running up hill for some crazy reason. I started my just keep moving G. No walking G just keep moving G . Then it was G you love running up hill fallowed by lets me how many people I can catch. There was 3 girls I could see in front of me and 6 men. So I just kept moving and one by one I passed them. No walking just short strides and running only zone. Then before you know it I was at the top and feeling the best I had felt all day. This aid station made me feel super inspired. They cheered when I ran in and told me I looked strong even though I probably looked like crap and I left happy to be alive. 

Thank you Paul for this picture. This is me leaving the S2 aid station. I had a banana and I was off .I had the total running happy thing going at this point. I had 5 miles to go and I ran the rest of the way in. No walking just running. I passed 4 more people and finished 6:28. I am happy with that.

Thank you Nartaya for this picture, This is me finishing. I had a great time it was a ton of hard work and I loved it. I love the 50k distance. A big thanks to John Martines the race director for putting on a really great race that was so well marked. The aid station volunteers for being there in the freezing cold just to help us . I had a great day it was hard and challenging . We ended up with great weather too. 

Saturday's run

Yesterdays run started around 8am. That mean that I had to be out the door by 6:30 am. Very doable and that's how it started. The drive was really nice because I was realign awake and the sun had just come out. The light had that morning glow about it. The freeway just seems nicer in the early morning hours. Once I arrived and saw all my fellow runners getting ready to go I felt that excitement about knowing this entire morning would be spent outside making my way though the mountains. We are training for the PCT 50. A 50 mile race that started at the bottom of the PCT and goes up and around 25 miles and then you make your way back. We started running at 8:02 and I knew by mile 2 that this was going to be a long run for me. Yes we where running 19 miles but there is easy long runs and today for not it for me. My legs felt so tired and I couldn't find my running mojo.  

I decided to just do my best to keep a a slow pace and not stop. I was suffering but I just kept think that this run would make me stronger because I felt like crap but I still had to keep going. I did just that. I saw a horse on the trail and since hiking season started I saw lots of hikers too. The scenery is just amazing and I don't care how tired you are somehow you get more energy from all the beauty that surrounds you. The air is crisp and you can see as far as Mexico. It always help when you run with friends too . Mentally they keep me motivated and I know there in front of me and behind me so I just keep you moving along. I kept thinking about how I could hitch a ride back to my car because I felt so tired but knowing we where all out there suffering somehow made it easier.  

I have to thank my friend Louka for these pictures.  I was not done at this point but instead I  refilled my pack and was just so damn happy that we only had 2 miles to go !! It was a long beautiful morning that I know helped me grow as a runner. There are many a times you just have to suck it up buttercup as Robert says. I feel like I am at a point in my life where I really appreciate the hard work that goes into finishing an Ultra-marathon. Your age does not matter or your gender we all have to put in a bunch of hard work to finish running any distance farther than a marathon through the mountains. I also have a whole new respect for all the woman I know or read about that go out there and kick ass. They have changed the way I look at female strength . I just want to go out there and do a better my best like so many woman before me do everyday. 

Hello and Happy April

Hello and Happy April 1st. This week has been a great training week. Everyone is on spring break so I don't need to drive the kids anywhere and that means more time on the trails for me. I ran  80 miles so far this week and I am a little sore but super happy to be sore. You know that feeling. Yesterday, I was able to get that dripping spring run in again. It was hard but a really good hard. I also ran with my girl friend most of the time and that in itself is a treat. This weekends run should be fun and but I don't think easy. I hurt my foot a bit so I will be trying to run easy. Sometimes running easy is just not possible when your with your friends. You know you just want to go !!!!
I am getting way more excited for Western. I am a mom and an athlete and I can do this. Thats one of the things I keep telling myself.  It will be back to the PCT tomorow nice and early . The only good reason to get up at 4am. if you ask me is to go RUN ! Have great weekend.