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A Lesson Learned from Racing

9/17/2020

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PictureMe (on the left) with one of my training partners.
The fun thing about running is that there is no shortage of running goals one can achieve. If you’re like me, your running career can start out innocently enough. The 5ks and mud runs first drew me in, then I set my sights on a marathon. With each marathon training run, I achieved a new distance - 10k, a half marathon, longest run ever, reaching the 20 mile marker, and finally the big 26.2!. For me reaching goals pushes me harder to reach the next goal.  Before I knew it I was reaching for my biggest goal yet: an ultra marathon. 

Ultra marathon training went surprisingly well, especially since I was battling both an achilles and knee injury while training. Pool running and Physical Therapy were my saving graces.  I was able to maintain optimal fitness for my race while letting my body heal. I achieved my goal and had a great first ultra marathon experience and finish. After the race, I had a 7-day runners high - I was elated for completing such a feat that my running friend convinced me to sign up for another ultra a month away.  My friend and I thought the second ultra would be easier than the first. The trail for the race wasn’t as technical and it was in our own backyard. This meant more sleeping time prior to the start. Or so I thought!

PictureAt the start of my race with my fellow Stroller Warriors. I can tell I was not feeling well in this photo. My eyes are glassy and my face/sinuses are red before we even start running.
Leading up to my ultra,  I wasn’t feeling well. I had  an awful sinus headache and pain, but pushed the home remedies and persevered. On the eve of the race, I wasn’t feeling well; but I have NEVER backed out of a race and couldn’t bring myself to throw in the towel before the race even started. 

Race morning I woke up and snuck off with my friends to race. My 1 year-old wasn’t awake so I skipped our morning nursing session and jumped in the car with my friends. At the start, it was cold and I wasn’t feeling well but made the call to run regardless of my sinus pain.

PictureI'm in the front, making the most of it.
I didn’t feel like myself the whole race, but at the 10 mile marker I knew I was in trouble. I felt semi delirious and had pain with every step. Despite the pain, I kept running in hopes the pain would even out or go away… but it didn’t. Where was my pain you ask? In my breast. Skipping the morning nursing session was a horrible idea and I knew from my symptoms and from previous experiences that I was developing mastitis. At mile 14 I called my husband in a panic and asked him to come to the next aid station at mile 26… I needed to nurse the baby. My friend and I trucked on as best we could. We rolled into the 26 mile aid station and I was so excited and thankful to see my husband with the baby! But unfortunately for me my daughter was not interested in nursing AT ALL. I tried nursing again and again. After several minutes I gave up and set her free. My husband could tell I didn’t feel well and urged me to quit. The thought of not finishing what I started ate at my soul and I assured him I’d be fine. 

At mile 27 my friend suggested I step off the trail and hand express milk to get a bit of relief.  At that point, I only wanted to get to the finish line that was 5 miles away. I was so delirious I hardly remember the rest of course. I have one memory of seeing the down hill stretched in front of us and telling my friend I’d rather roll down it. I love downhill running! It’s one of the times I feel most free and light, so not wanting to run a down hill is definitely not me! She laughed and encouraged me to roll. So I laid down on the trail and rolled down the hill.  I learned why that wasn’t a good idea in the deserts of California… I got a million prickly hitchhikers on my clothes and had to pick them off for the rest of the race. If you watch the video below, you'll notice I am using my elbows to protect my chest as I roll down the hill. Extra pain? No thank you! 

PictureSome Stroller Warrior friends knew I was hurting and met me before the finish to 'run me in' but there wasn't much run left in me.
​At some point I couldn’t run anymore and encouraged my friend to forge ahead without me. I walked the most I’ve ever walked in a race and cried from the pain as I walked. I finished the race, cleaned up and went to the doctor. I was told that not only did I have mastitis, I had a sinus infection as well! It was a rough recovery, but I’m so thankful for modern medicine and the ability to heal. 

PictureMy kids were there to help me finish.
This ultra marathon taught me that I can gut out a 5k if I’m not feeling well. I even can gut out a 10k. However, it is NOT recommended to gut out a 50k! This race taught me when to listen to my body. If I could have a re-do I would have stayed in bed and nursed my baby rather than gone for a 50k race!

Have you had a race teach you a lesson? If so, tell us about it! 

Picture
Recovering and not much use to anyone :(
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Tales of a Trail Runner

1/16/2020

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PictureOur camp site the night before my run.
I woke up at 5am, crawled out of my sleeping bag and slowly got dressed by the light of my phone. My husband was deep asleep and our four children were sleeping soundly nearby. I had 10 miles to do and was excited to be able to do them in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. We were camping this weekend. I had never been on these trails before and was excited to get out and explore. 

During my run I was greeted with huge mountain peaks to scale and some gorgeous sights to see. Since I didn’t know where I was going I decided to do an out and back course. About 4 miles into my run I saw the silhouette of a few animals ahead me on the trail. They looked a bit like Coyotes. In California, I was used to encountering coyotes on the trail. Coyotes don’t like people and in the past when I have encountered them on the trail they have kept their distance. When I move forward, they also move forward; keeping the space between us the same. In the past they had even abandoned the trail, leaving it to me.

PictureTrails make for such beautiful runs!
So I pressed forward, the mountain peak on my left side, and a drop off down the mountain on my right. I kept my eyes on them as I moved. There seemed to be 3 or 4 of them. They skittered back and forth on the trail but didn’t move further up the trail as I was expecting. I took a few more steps forward and they turned to face me and braced themselves as if to say, “I’m not scared of you!” When they turned to face me, I realized they weren’t a pack of coyotes, they were a pack of wolves!

Realizing I’m out on the trails, alone, 4 miles from camp and no one would likely hear me scream if a pack of wolves attacked me, I decided to let them have the trails for the day. I could pick up an extra 2 miles somewhere else. I wasn’t interested in pressing my luck when they weren’t moving for me. As I was deciding to turn back, I watched as one of them pranced up the hill and started making his way back towards me. He disappeared into the underbrush and while I couldn’t see him, I could hear him crashing around in the underbrush above me. This made me very nervous. Too nervous to turn around and RUN back, even thought that's what the hairs on the back of my neck were telling me to do. So, while still facing them, I started walking backwards slowly, keeping my eyes on the ones I could see the whole time. I remembered reading about how if you act weak/afraid, or if you run you will ignite their animal instinct and they will go after you. I wasn’t interested in any of that happening to me so with my heart beating out of my chest, I backed away slowly.

PictureImagine this guy and his friends, but without the snow.





















 I took about 20 steps backwards and by this point the trail had curved around the mountain enough that they couldn’t see me anymore. I turned and started running back to camp as quickly as possible. I knew I had at least one wolf to my right and above me, and several behind me. As I continued around the curve of the mountain, I practically jumped when a wolf came around the corner, RUNNING RIGHT AT ME. Instinctively, I threw my hands up really big and yelled as loud as I could, “GET BACK!!!!!” 

My heart raced. I had wolves behind me, one to the side and now one was in front of me/to the side! The wolf bared it’s teeth at me and jumped to the side, running off the path, down the mountain.​

I was really worried now that they were going to come at me again, but as a pack. So I picked up the pace, scanning the ground quickly as I ran. I found two big sticks and scooped them up as I ran. I held one in each hand as I ran, feeling somewhat comforted by the fact that I sort of had a weapon now.  

You bet your bottom dollar I negative split my run and made it back to camp far faster than I had made it out! Thankfully other than my initial wolf pack encounter my run back was completely uneventful. I had to find another route to run for my last two miles to get me to 10 miles but it’s okay. I lived to tell the tale of the day I met a pack of wolves out on the trail!

PictureRunning with friends; even more friend and safer too!
Before you go, let’s talk about what you can do to stay safe out on those trails.
1. Run with friends. 
2. Run with water/food. I always wear my camel back or bring water on trail runs, even if it’s just a few miles I have planned. You never know when you might make a bad turn and get lost. You never know how long you might be lost. Better to be prepared, just incase.​
3. Run with a whistle. Whistles are louder and carry better than voices. They also use less energy. You’ll want to be able to notify others if you get injured, and they will easily be able to notice and locate the noise of a whistle. Many hydration packs have whistles attached as a part of the buckle. Check it out. You may have one already and you just never knew? 
4. Make noise. Jingle your keys, or ring a bell or maybe play some music. You still want to be able to hear what might be coming at you, but you also want to be able to notify the wild life that you’re coming so they can get out of your way. 
5. Read up on the local animals you should be on alert for in your local area and be aware of how professionals say to respond to them. You’ll feel more confident if you have a mental plan in place and know what to look for and how to respond if you encounter an animal. 
6. Remember no matter what, you are strong. you are capable. You can do this! 


Happy Running!
Kelly



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