Mmtr 50 weekend- adventures in crewing-

 This weekend my husband Brock completed his first 50 mile trail race. It’s held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and called Mountain Masochist 50- it’s been held for 30 some years but unsure of the exact number. However I feel it’s a very very hard and challenging 50 given the hard 12 hour cut off and the vertical climbing this race boasts.

We drove to Lynchburg area Friday and it pouring the rain. We went to sleep early but a bus load of basketball players at 11:30pm insured we would be awoken- and tormented for the next couple hours with their obnoxiousness- I most certainly had a chat with my son jack who is going on a band trip next week about hotel etiquette once I returned home after this experience- 

Anyways we woke up at 4am got ready ate breakfast and I drove Brock to the start at the camp KoA in Monroe.

He seemed calm and confident and ready for the day!! 

The race began and I drove to the parkway bridge aid station for Brock to come through at his mile 11 - to switch hand helds and get his headlamp 

Blurry pic but he was looking strong and happy and under control- and so I met him at the next aid station at the resivoir 

Again strong looking good and on sub 10 hr pace!  This was mile 17 for him So I was thinking I suspect today will be a good day for him- I felt if he kept his efforts steady he would break 10 hours 

I then drove to the long mtn way side mile 23 gave him a turkey and provolone slider I made for him and a soda

I didn’t get any pics from there but I did at the loop mile 31

Looking so fresh and strong! I was so impressed!! So I got to stay here an hour and see so many friends! Which really was fun for me because I haven’t ran mmtr myself since 2014. 

I missed Brock at salt log gap- which it’s a long drive but even better I knew he wasn’t slowing down he was speeding up! 

So I drove to the finish and got everything ready for that 

His clothes to change into so he wouldn’t get cold- post race food and warm stuff to drink (I brought my jet boil and heated up bone broth for him to

Drink post race because I knew with the salt and protein it would be good and also it’s warm and it was windy and cool at the start) 

So finally he finishes 9:49!

He met his goal! He ran beautifully all day and it made me so happy to see him do well and be apart of his special day! 

Little salty 😜

Brock with Dr. David Horton 

Brock and I at the finish  watch everyone 


 Brock with his LUS black hole

Duffle bag  congrats Brock! I love you and so proud of you! 

Okay! So all day everyone was telling me I need to get back out there and asking me what I was doing. Which is so amazing people are encouraging and interested in what I have going on- I really tried to keep everything nice and breezy- and I am going to try to train for holiday lake in February 

However- it’s obvious to me- I haven’t really raced hard or ran well since 2012.  I ran a lot of long hard races that year and had a lot of life stress- I’ve ran ultras since then plenty of them even  2 hundreds and got finishes but I just think something kinda broke  inside me via overtraining syndrome and I keep hoping I heal- that’s why I focused on so many other things - to give myself a break from training so hard- working mar mtn sports, teaching yoga, making jewelry, I went back to school and worked on my masters teaching certification a semester —- all in the hopes I find something that fires me up like running ultras that I can love and be passionate about- alas I have not found that thing- and I still train and run daily however my body forces my mileage to be low.  I wish I could explain the fatigue and tiredness I have felt for years- on a daily basis- and I’ve really tried to

Figure it out for myself- I eat healthy I take supplements - I’ve been tested for lymes- negative- my thyroid is a little low but nothing extreme- everything else is normal when I go to the doctor I’m healthy- so I how can I explain- I can’t run long distances hard and intense anymore- he is just impressed I can go run 5 hrs even if it’s 13 min pace on a trail. So I’ve been in this limbo-

But the good news is I’m fine now- for years I can’t tell you the stress anxiety and tears about not running well and not feeling enough or my  frustration about it. Today yes I would love to run fast again for long long distances - will that ever happen for me? I don’t know and I’m okay and accepting for that - only took 6 years for me to get there - I have an appt with a new dr who is a runner nov 13 and they are supposed to do a host of tests to try to figure out what can be done if anything 

I’m just trying to be in a place of gratitude- life is not that bad for me- I have a healthy husband who is killing it at his running and happy!! I have happy amazing kids! I have dogs who love me-  I still lift and get to run and bike! Just not for hours and hours - with out terrible side effects that make me have a set back- read some of things on irunfar about over training syndrome - it’s nuts. I try to be happy at least I can do what I do and I do have some hobbies I enjoy 

This weekend I’m going backpacking again with my cousin on the AT inNC

Backpacking although it’s slow and cumbersome in comparison to trail running- it gets me out there - and that’s truly my love is to be outside. 

I also hunt and fish and really have enjoyed cultivating those skills within myself 

I eat what I kill or catch - I’ve been busy this fall with jacks band and October was very warm when bow season began so I haven’t had the opportunity to hunt much 

So yesterday after we got home I went to my parents farm- it was such a beautiful evening and I really just wanted the time with my dad and peacefulness of sitting quietly in the woods 

But after several hours a huge buck 125-130 lbs showed up but his rack was small- 4 pt. Which isn’t important to me as I’m hunting for meat and not a trophy -I was able to harvest him with my cross bow! 

Dad and I field dressed him and hung him to drain and he will be  skinned out and processed this morning!! Field to table and stream to table is the most sustainable  food healthiest form of protein. I don’t take the loss of life lightly- and harvest responsibly same as my dad selects steers for us to slaughter once a year for our family.  Its old school- but if you really think about where our food in grocery stores come from- this way for me is optimal since I’m an omnivore 

  I’m going trout fishing with my brother later this week, and very excited to get to have trout for dinner and get to spend time on the river with my brother Brian. Hunting and fishing hasn’t replaced  or eclipsed my passion for running- or trail and ultrarunning it will always be my first love but being outside and cultivating skills that I know I can feed myself(and I feel the same with herbalism and foraging and I haven’t discussed my love for that here but will do some posts on that in the future)- I find very satisfying 

 After my dr appt I will do a post as well to keep everyone updated on my journey - on how to optimize my health and enable myself to do the things I love ❤️ 

And in closing- I had an incredible weekend. I’m so proud of Brock and so happy I was able to crew him.  I’m working to get back out there ♥️ I have zero regrets as life is a journey and I just need to keep moving forward and take everything one day at a time- just like a race- aid station to aid station. 

Band Mom and Date Night

We are having a busy weekend and I’m having a hard time sneaking in my workouts and runs- but that’s okay!!

My oldest son Jack is in band and it’s really kept us hopping this fall with games and competitions. He had a game on Thursday and today we travel to Pulaski, Va for jacks last competition of the season. It’s been so amazing to watch him grow and flourish just this year alone -

Here are some pictures from his game on Thursday 

And last night, because the game was moved to Thursday- Brock and I found ourselves with the rare opportunity to get to go to dinner together and have a date night!!  He works out of town pretty much Monday- Friday every week. Lately he has even had to work some weekends so it’s been - ugh- so freaking hard- I miss him terribly and the kids miss their dad as well. I completely appreciate how hard Brock works to provide an amazing life for us- and completely appreciative of the opportunities he has to make money but - we still miss him and want him home- over the moon happy when he comes home. 




I think we clean up just fine ♥️😁

Brock is tapering for mmtr 50 next weekend- and I’m so excited to get to crew for him and see all my friends at the race!! Going to Lynchburg ultras is like a big family reunion for me, as these ( along with WVMTR)are the first ultras I ran as a newbie ultrarunner and they are the ones I find myself going back to year after year because of the people and sheer positivity I experience running and crewing at their races!! 

Lastly and I know this will be a blog post later this weekend or Monday: I am having a party!!! I’m so excited- I decided I was isolating myself way too much and what better way to break out of that than to invite 5or 6 of the coolest chicks you know?! So Sunday afternoon- I’m hosting a pumpkin carving party- costumes optional (I’m dressing up!) and I can’t wait- all the ladies I invited are so unique and cool in their own rite- and best part each of them are my friends! Like real friends!  Like if I was hurt or sick or needed help I know I could call any of these women and they would be there without hesitation to help- and same me for them- So that feels soooo good to me- to gather a collective of people I adore like that! So I’ll keep you guys updated how the party goes and be sure to take pictures!! 

Hope your weekend is fantastic ♥️ hug your family, friends, dogs and kitties and tell them you love them- life is short!! 

Cutting back hedges, making room for more light in my life

Yesterday was a bear. It was the third day that I spent with my 72 year old dad clearing brush and cutting back my hedges in my landscaping because they had become so overwhelming to me- they were blocking the  sunlight that comes into my house - and also growing up against my house and just making a mildewy mess- I love plants- and at first recoiled at having to trim them back what I felt was severely- but as my dad pointed out- in the long run it makes them grow correctly it makes them heartier and healthier and give me space- so as we were working I noticed the more sunlight and space I was making by trimming- the more I could breathe I literally felt lighter and better- the sheer overgrowth of my landscaping I felt had choke hold on me and I didn’t realize it- I wish I had before and after but this walk way I couldn’t even use before it was like a green tunnel and really mosquito-y in the summer 

Now it’s so open and lovely and I feel I can actually utilize it- so my point is - what other things have a subconscious choke hold on our psyche? Are there places in our life that are so out of control and over grown- we need to prune and trim and cut it back into submission so that it actually works for us  and makes sense again? Just something to think about- but I know I want to make more  space for myself  and for things to look lovely and have access to plenty of sunshine!!! ♥️

I was so tired last night for dinner I made soup again but this time it was my spin of beef pho- but I used  fake ramenoodles soba ? I think so their name (gluten free) sirloin from pounding mill land and cattle ( my parents farm) and I used beef bone broth I had made- if anyone wants the  precise recipe I can post it later- 

It’s going to be another beautiful October day! Clear blue bird day crisp high 60- I’m getting ready to go run 🏃‍♀️- 5 miles then plan to take maverick for a walk-  here are some pictures of the back of my house with maverick this morning- I’m just so happy how everything looks in my yard now ( and that I can breathe) 

 Maverick be like “lady stop taking pictures of me” 

Okay  lastly this is a humble brag - yesterday I fixed my son todds bounce back for lax- it had gotten messed up when the yard dudes moved it to mow around it - and since spring had been under my back porch in a crumpled sad heap- and it drove me crazy- I hated it - I wanted to throw it away but was too afraid I would scratch my truck trying to load it by myself because it was so cumbersome- 

My dad said he would help me haul it away yesterday and I said well let me try one more time to see if I can get it to stand and not fall down-  and for whatever crazy reason and some wd40 I got it to work 

 So I had a happy child

After school who practiced on his bounce back 

Then he practiced cradling and shooting for an hour- so that is a victory  in my book. My goal is just to continue to dig out small victories like the bushes or the bounce back every day - 

Hope everyone has an awesome Wednesday!!! 

Power to the Tower 50k and other adventures in OD 100 training

 its been awhile since I've updated my blog! just wanted to catch everyone up to speed for april.

 What I've been into: ran a VERY well organized first year 50k ( the non ultra distances were also held last year) put on by my good friend, phil horner, owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Kingsport, Tn. The course, about 32 miles, was about 7,000 ft of climbing and about 85% single track. It was a hot day and very challenging course. I felt great and was really running well, but as the day grew warmer, I felt I needed to dial back my efforts, and once hearing I was an hour ahead of the second place female. I kinda went into training run mode. ( first hot day of the year,  ( 80F broke records for high temps that day, and I was feeling it--) took a wrong turn up the mtn about a mile from the finish and got a bonus mile my garmin was 33 miles at the finish. ended up running 6:33:46. so good for the win, great time on my feet and great heat training for OD 100. win- win.  I highly recommend this event. it's in between terrapin and promise land (phil was careful and mindful not to conflict with LUS and I feel that is commendable) ,  FUN primarily all single track, plentiful aid stations,  and the finish line was AMAZING, food, beer soda, and rocking music. 

Phil and his crew did an amazing job. It would be so awesome to see more familiar faces out there next year. I think it takes guts to undertake RDing an ultra ( and phil did a stellar job) , and i know he would greatly appreciate the support of the local ultrarunners from SWVA and NETN. So please put this on your calendars for next year. :) 

                                               love my mason jar!! :)

                                   Blurry finish line pick!! I wore my Salomon S lab 5 soft grounds for this race and  they were amazing. The S Lab series really works well for me.  I wore my Advanced skin 12 hydration pack and SOO glad I opted to carry a pack. I would of DIED out there with just a handheld.
     for my fuel, I used aidstation fare, GU roctane, GU chomps,  GU brew electrolyte tablets. ( I just eat them) and GU brew recovery drink post race. :)  took a couple S! caps during the race because it was so hot.
 I'd like to thank Salomon and GU  and Mountain Sports, LTD for all their support:) truly am appreciative for all the do for me!  Them believing in me, has given me the courage and enabled me  to chase my dreams this year. Very thankful.


  OKAY ASIDE from the 50k I've been doing alot of THIS:

AND ALOT OF THIS: 

                                             Been out there with jack and todd doing this THREE OR FOUR     EVENINGS A WEEK:

 SOME OF THIS: 

                                                     aren't they cute in their MSL hats?

ALOT, ALOT, ALOT of THIS: 

   

                                                 And then I really try to do THIS as much as I can too:

 Really excited for MAY!! I have alot of cool things coming up this month: TAPER for one! 

Pacing Marlin Yoder at MMT:) MAY25 Mtn sports and I are hosting a GU nutrition clinic following the Bill Gatton freedom 5k in downtown bristol, Va. HERE is a link to more info. Hope to see you guys there!! :)