Tag: trailrunning

Making the effort … to see the shadows.

msdesertwellness
The Boo Hoff Trail in the shadows.

Another week that feels as if it were a month. Do you ever have those weeks? Maybe it is we cram too much in each hour of each day, too much scheduled, or it is just the pace of life in 2019. A mostly good week that ended with my third training trail hike/run in the dark. Today’s hike was in a more agreeable temperature but not the perfect 50 -60’s that I am dreaming about. My hiking buddy and I started out on the trail with our headlights at about 5:00 AM. Not much talking in the beginning, just trying to breathe as we ascend up. I did notice about 30 minutes in that I wasn’t anxious or even thinking about some of the fears that I had before on my previous hikes in the dark. Amazing what facing your fears, bringing them out in the light can do. The rising light in the sky would stop us both in mid-sentence as the hike continued. The turn around point for me was a Spring Energy gel washed down by lukewarm water and a smile because now we would run. I have not gotten strong enough to be able to run up the 1600 feet (3.5 mile) or maybe my mind has convinced me of that. This trail is more technical so I definitely will need my confidence and maybe a third lung if I intend to run it completely. As we were running down the trail we saw that the rising sun had cast glorious shadows along the terrain and that got me thinking. Do we honor the shadows like we should?

The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say. Gregory Macguire

All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow. Leo Tolstoy

The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy in the shadows. Brene Brown

I recently enjoyed an outdoor photography workshop where this idea of taking pictures of what is in the shadows was discussed. It surprised me when the instructor right from the beginning had us taking photos in the shadows not in the light. He then talked about showcasing the shapes and darkness that the shadows cast and that it can enhance the composition of a picture. I now see that the intensity reaches another level for both the lightened area and the dark. I believe that shadows can truly enrich a photograph.

The balance of light and shadow.

Light and shadows add a sense of balance, and balance is what we all should be striving for…. Right?

Exercise for the week – 21 miles running/hiking, 1 day weights & balance, 1 day jump rope and one legged exercises.

Meal Prep-Baked Crusty Bread, Steel Cut Oats (will add toppings of fruit), hummus & veggies bowls, Pizza Zucchini bites, & Salmon (3 ways- plain, Pesto, spices)

  • Crusty Bread
  • luv Zucchini
  • Spicy Salmon

Have a Happy and Healthy Week!

Here is something to leave you with ….

This is NOT me and hope it is NOT you 🙂

Making the effort to ….. welcome the sufferfest!

msdesertwellness
Los Liones Trail- 10 miles + 2100 ft elevation gain= Tough one

So if you haven’t had your head stuck in your phone or laptop since Friday then you have not caught the UTMB ( Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc) bug! Talk about a SufferFest, probably the most well known ultra marathon races that start and end in Chamonix in the French Alps. There are 6 races of ranging lengths but the final race is a 106 mile race with huge elevation gain and all are considered the toughest foot races in the world. This year I followed some of the best runners from America.

Thanks to technology I was able to follow the live stream at the finish and I just couldn’t concentrate until I knew the podium winners. America was represented extremely well. I knew more about the female runners but not gonna lie I caught myself holding my breathe while watching all of the runners. Such emotion and such humility!

  • Courtney Daulwater’s amazing 1st Place finish!
  • The Ladies top Three

After watching the race I began thinking, all the runners know that they are going to hurt.. like really hurt. What does a person say to oneself to prepare for that kind of pain? Or do they know and it is just their ability to shut it out and see the outcome?

Sufferfest-A workout or race in the arena of endurance sports that involves prolonged suffering on the part of all who participate.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.

Muhammad Aali

I found a cool article on Suffering –

The Article ‘Ultra -Marathons: the 15 stages of suffering in the Ultra Running magazine by Sean McCoy,July 2016″ and below I will paraphrase.

  1. Jitters (a couple days before)- Hello… I am about 6 months out from mine and I am already nervous!
  2. Panic-full blown panic should set in night before the race (I will be an overachiever in this area)
  3. Adrenaline-… and Run! The pack moves fast, probably faster than you should go (which you will regret quickly).
  4. Reality Check- Oh Boy .. what am I doing here? and I better get my pace under control because I have a long way to go.
  5. Aid Station #1- Everyone feels good so they run past. This is a good time to do a mental check and see if you need to attend to any issues .. and take in some calories!
  6. It is gonna be a long day-the first twinges hit you and you think Ok let’s do this!
  7. This is bullshit- and so the cussing begins along with the pain.
  8. Bargaining- The mental game of an Ultra is a monster! At this point you will make any deal with yourself .. both to quit and to keep going.
  9. Halfway there-Yeah!.. & Oh No!
  10. Point of no return-you probably picked a point in which no matter what you will finish… (hopefully this hits about 2/3 ‘s way in my race and gets me to the finish line).
  11. The Pain Cave/ SufferFest- every thing sucks and you are just pissed, nothing tastes good and all you can think about is the pain. Remind yourself “this is what you came here for..”
  12. Realization- in the middle of the pain you will realize and recognize your worth… and may give a little smile.
  13. Will this EVER end?- where is that stupid finish line? .. and they better have Ice Cold Chocolate Milk waiting for me.
  14. Smelling the Barn- You are that close you can smell it- I personally find this part loooonnng! I usually have to look down at my steps because the finish line just keeps moving away.
  15. The Emotional Avalanche-Why is my lip quivering? The relief is overwhelming and the tears, high fives and WooHoos may come.

I hope you read the article in its entirety, because I believe that Sean McCoy nailed it. I can speak from experience, I have recently had a couple of SufferFests. Mount Whitney and the LA Marathon, but I would not trade those experiences for anything.

  • Epic!
  • Never thought I would climb a 14′ ner
  • training- after 20 miles
  • Thumbs up- no idea why I am smiling

These two events came at 50 , 51 and this year I will be 53yrs old and racing my first Ultra. Goodness .. what was I thinking! LOL! Wish me Luck.

I am almost 6 months out from the Antelope Canyon Ultra Race 55K so you will probably hear more on this. As far as training-The last couple of weeks I have really tried to up the training in Elevation Gain and Altitude while continuing to include more time in the gym. I seem to see the biggest results when I am consistent with these. Today I did a 10 mile with about a 2100 ft elevation gain and tomorrow (holiday – off work) will hike Mt San Jacinto .. not quite sure that elevation gain but it is about 12 miles I think. These back to back days are not only for strength but for my mental training I want to really push it and know that I can.

Meal Prep- will have to wait until tomorrow. I did bake some sweet potatoes and pork chops that I can pull from this week.

Have a Happy and Healthy Week!

Making the effort to be healthy.. let’s start there!

msdesertwellness

So it has been a week… and of course the “plan” I had for exercise had to be amended due to work, weather or in other words life. I am sure you have been there. The school year is wrapping up and much needs to be done even at the end of a school year. Employee evaluations, cleaning the kitchens, and preparing for Summer School all while putting a plan into place for next year. So that being said I have had to adjust my run/lifting schedule. I had to squeeze in time early (4:00 AM) on some days and drive to a cooler place for heat relief. But actually those are the days I enjoy most! Early hours at the gyms are rarely busy,

and early runs in the streets peaceful and invigorating (necessary precautions taken).

  • Early Morning Hill Workout

I am very lucky that living in California affords me the opportunity to be close to mountains, and to beaches within a couple hours drive. I enjoy driving up to Big Bear Lake and especially if I need some altitude training. Big Bear is at about 7,000ft and my favorite trail has about a 1000ft gain.

Big Bear Lake 2019

I had an awesome run on the trails, and definitely felt the elevation but with more time spent that will improve. I had planned an easy run today to complete my week but I found myself caught up in baking and doing some meal prep. I listen to by body, and trust me I push it when I have to but today decided to give myself a break.

Now let’s talk Meal Prep…. I am not one of those people that take the whole day on a Sunday and end up exhausted . I enjoy cooking and baking and take advantage when I feel inspired. Today I wanted to try a new recipe, Cashew Sandwich Bread by @lauraleabalanced. It is gluten free and made with cashew flour which I had never tried before. I am not a trained chef or baker but I do love to mess around in the kitchen especially with alternative products. My diet is not completely vegetarian, I just do not eat red meat, not gluten free but I have noticed the older I get my digestion is affected, this is why I enjoy trying out alternative ingredients. I also find this area of health just expanding so much and I am very interested in it. Meal Prep today :

  1. Cashew Bread
  2. Egg Cups w/Spinach & Tomato
  3. Baked Yams
  4. Almond Butter filled Dates

So now you are caught up on how this week I was “making the effort to be healthy”! To be Continued……..