adventures in race directing and pinhoti training

I can't believe it's been three months since my last blog post!! Oops! I have been so busy! Since my last post- didn't get to run imtr due to a back Injury the Tuesday before the race. (It was from tripping and falling into a weight machine in the weight room) bummer after training all summer long on the iron Mtn trails. I was really fit and ready for the race.

So after that was out, I readjusted my goals. I ran blue ridge relay (gently) a week after for fun. Running on pavement was easier than running on trails for a bit because of all the agility movement of trail running- as opposed to the same repetitive motion. Blue ridge relay was such a fun experience. I was on a great 12 man team from Bristol called "12 pk of pbrs" would love to run with this team again! (Hint hint gene!)

I also have been working a lot more at Mtn sports( which has been wonderful) I got to go to EORA in August, and did all the spring 14 buying cycle
For women's apparel and accessories.
so excited about all the new changes with the store. The clothes on the women side are so awesome!! If you haven't been to Mtn sports in awhile, PLEASE go in there and check out all the new changes! We now carry kavu accessories.

We already have a bunch of new salomons on the wall, in the spring will have mantras, mission xr and xt wings. I'm so excited about the Salomon presence in the store, as Salomon has been so good to me this yr.

also I have gotten montrails back to Mtn sports!! Starting in January, Montrail will be available!! :) we are going to have a Montrail shoe demo event to launch and also a Salomon demo is planned for the spring.

And lastly Mtn sports is considering having new balance shoes in the store. This will be a great fit because we are going to have some road running shoes on the wall (for the first time ever!)

I also have race directed three races over the past couple months:
my brothers memorial race- Christopher Todd Richardson memorial 10k on the virginia creeper trail august 10th. It went very well we raised enough money for two annual scholarships for this year, and it was a great evening spent with family and friends, running community celebrating my brother Todd's life.



- then on September 14 I race directed the first annual
Sullins 5k and kids mile at sugar hollow park in Bristol, va. This race was a fundraiser for need based scholarships extended to students who attend Sullins academy. While the turn out was small for this first time event, we netted $4,000 for the scholarship fund. I felt great about that!! I have a great vision for this race and the kids mile. I feel this a running start for the event and it will only grow and flourish. Very happy to get to race direct this race. Both my boys attend Sullins. This is a great school with a very active parent involvement- with my schedule and training many times I felt like I wasn't able
To contribute my time
The way I wished I could. The Sullins 5k was a way for
Me to contribute utilizing my knowledge and talents.

The next race I directed was this past weekend. It was another first year event but this race became "my baby" for the summer. I got
The idea to have a race within my neighborhood. I love running my morning runs where I live. It's so beautiful and challenging place to run. I wanted to be able
To share it with other runners, and create an event to benefit a local charity where I really made a difference in others lives. I originally thought I needed to have another 5k but struggled laying out the course. I couldn't figure out how to accomplish having a 5k without shuttling runners because the start and finish would be so far apart!! I was thinking all inside the box-- when a good friend suggested I have a 4 mile race- why did it HAVE to be a traditional 5k?? The light bulb came on and thus the idea for it to be an "extra mile" 6.6k was born. My neighbor and golf course manager here at the Virginian Kenny Kerr helped me so much by getting approval for the race and hooking me up with Wellmont and the Nicewonder cancer center here in Bristol, to benefit from the race. The cancer center treats patients from southwest va and northeast tn, and the funds from the race are ear marked for hospice care and cancer patient assistance. This was a cause that was easy to get sponsors, runners, walkers, momentum and excitement. The committee I worked with from Wellmont were amazing. Such a positive experience. I hired state of Franklin track club to manage and time the race, fleet feet sports of Kingsport/ Phil Horner was my back bone for so much of the promotion and was kind enough for us to use his finish line, pa equipment, and he essentially co- RDed with me on race day. I truly appreciate all his hard work and jumping on board to help make the Virginian extra mile 6.6k a great event. We had 70 runners, 53 walkers and so far we netted $19,000 for the cancer center!!!!! For a first yr event I'm just blown away by people's generosity, humbled by the support and enthusiasm of my neighboorhood!

So other than that-- I turned another year older!  I've been focusing on being an awesome mom and training for pinhoti 100 and enjoying fall weather. I've ran a lot, camped a lot, kayaked and I got a new specialized road bike from Mtn sports and I have been cross training a lot!! And also enjoying good food and making jewelry-- even survival bracelets for my boys and their friends and painting some:)

So I hope that catches everyone up to speed!! Super excited for taper for Pinhoti100- it's in three weeks!! Super ready to just do my thing all day and all night and get the finish:) I truly just want to focus on doing something I love for 24 hrs and feel so extremely blessed to have such a full life and having all the love and support that I do--my family, friends Mtn sports, salomon, gu-- all have helped me so much this year achieve so much. While it completely hasn't been what I visualized for myself 2013- (rd ing three races, struggling with fatigue after OD, and hurting my back the week of ImTR 50/- soo much good, personal
Growth and maturation has occurred. I'm so lucky thankful and happy to just be on the journey I'm on. Cheers y'all!!
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