journey to grindstone starting line-- part 1

 hey guys! it's been awhile since my last post. Well, this summer was uh. interesting, bizarre, lots of extreme highs and lows, peaks and valleys.  and I'm happy it's fall and the summer is in my rear view mirror.

 I guess I'll pick up post highlands sky. Recovery went well, and my training resumed. I had a GREAT summer with my boys swimming, camping, having all sorts of little adventures and "field trips".  They got to hike a couple miles on the AT during tour de VA and that was such a big deal. We went to the beach 3 times this summer. Which was SO great to spend so much time with brock and the kids and have the family time we don't usually get.   while on vacation, decided to run a 5k for funsies , and  I was able to run a 21:15 5k at the brindley beach lighthouse 5k and was 4th overall female, which for me, that is a GREAT 5k time. I hadn't ran that fast since college.

 yay for running 5k's fast. fast =fun. 

 The kids with Rick and Rebecca during day 2 of the tour de va.  

CTR 10k went AMAZINGLY well.  over a hundred participants!!!! THANK YOU so much to ALL my friends in the running, trail running, and ultrarunning communities who came out ( yes, even while mumford and sons was in town) and supported my brother's scholarship but running, volunteering, donating.  I am always SO extremely humbled by how many kind people help me with Todd's race. Special thanks to all the race's sponsors. The race would not benefit the scholarship if it wasn't for the generosity of sponsors buying the shirts, awards, food etc. So all the money from the entry fees 100% goes directly to the scholarship. Thank you and big shout out to State of Franklin Track Club, Donna Bays, Matt and Maria Studholm for ALL their help with the run score system, timing, and course measurement, posting results etc...  You guys are amazing and I'm so blessed to have you for friends. xoxo

The recipient for this year, Eric Weaver, is a freshman at WVU and just such a bright, good person and has such an exciting future ahead of him. The race and the scholarship are such an important part of my life's journey. I can say that 5 years ago,  Both are something I never fathomed I would do: be a founding member of a  501c ( lil more complicated than is seems to set those up and do everything accordingly)  or be a race director, but life has this odd way of presenting things to you...  I had no choice but to accept what happened to my brother. Losing him easily was the most difficult thing I have had to go though. I did learn however, I had a choice in how I chose to deal with his death.  Even now, every day it's a choice.  I choose to celebrate the good memories and times I had with Todd, and to honor his memory by helping others. that, in turn, is healing for me. Love you, Toddy.

CTR scholarship recipient Eric Weaver. 

marlin yoder and his family came to the CTR 10k!!!

okay so after CTR 10k, the next day was when I went to OBX.  ran the 5k, got some good road running in, ate some yummy food, and really focused on spending time with brock and the kids.  Brock had been having some of troubles at work--really honestly and just being real. He's had a tough time.  It's was REALLY stressful this summer. With me trying to organize the race ( yeah, I do that pretty much solo and have a difficult time facilitating until I get my volunteers on race day-- no one ( unless you are a race director yourself) can understand just how much work goes into putting on a WELL ORGANIZED race. ) it's hard. With brock being so upset about his job,  taking care of my kids, my training ( had cheat mtn 50, blue ridge relay and a little 100 called GRINDSTONE on the horizon) ... wow.  Jenny was a little overwhelmed but I decided to just take it one day at a time, head down, get the job done and do it well. I ran, I ran hard.
 I ran too hard.  when cheat mtn came-- my achilles was feeling tweaky, I ran anyway.. it began to HURT-- I ran for 24 miles and decided I was stupid for running hurt and if I didn't stop, I'd have a long recovery and wouldn't make it to grindstone. yep, part of my pride was wounded-- first DNF in an ultra distance..  im a loser.  then I rationalized.  WHO was I doing all this for anyway? WHY am I doing this? WHY do I feel compelled to run ultras?  for other people's perceptions? NO, I DO THIS FOR ME.

so here I was when I was in peak period for training for grindstone and I wound up hurt.  taking time off...  BUT in the END I feel it was a good thing..