When no one Rescues you.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" 

Psalms 121;1

My decision to run outside was not one of my finest moments this Monday.
I found myself Praying. Asking God to keep me safe, to get me home. As I trucked up another hill with the high winds pushing me back, I kept my Faith.

20 mph winds.
-6 degrees
Roads not runnable.

That was the text I received from my husband.
I even responded..."ohhh no".

I am just not exactly sure what happened in my head from there.

I needed 10 miles.
I didn't have time to go to the gym.

I think I thought:
"Just dress for it."

SORTA.

I ran a out and back. Even though I ran 20 miles yesterday I am ultimately training for a June 100K, Kettle Moraine. My training has me running "Back to Back" long runs.
Again, I needed 10 miles. To add insult to injury, I needed hills to, Ann Arbor Marathon is HILLY!


I heard Lacey in my head from yesterday, "Anita, we are going to do this and we are not going to complain about it."

"STAY Positive" My beginning Mantra.
This was easy mantra to keep when I headed down the paved road with the wind at my back.
I needed the hills, and this meant I was going to be running with the wind pushing me 5 miles.
*Rule of thumb is "Always start your run INTO the wind." 

The first 5 miles, even with the elevation I felt great. My legs weren't fatigued from yesterdays run, the hills really were not rattling me, I honestly felt great.
However, the harder the wind pushed me the more I was reminded of the affliction I was about to endure.

I made that turn to head back home, back up all those hills and now back 5 miles into the blasting winds.

I had a couple handicaps that exasperated my efforts. At mile 2, I slipped on ice and fell, leaving my running pants and gloves wet. Somehow, when I fell it blew all my water out of my handheld leaving me with no water. Oh, and my phone died at mile 4. I was without music to motivate me and keep me from thinking. Sometimes my thoughts really trip me up.

That turn the game was a game changer.

I was suddenly blasted with winds that took my breath away.
Within a mile I was trying to get my Smart Wool neck gaiter over my face. My pace dropped dramatically and my eyelashes were frozen together.
My wet gloves were now frozen along with my pants. I couldn't feel my thighs for that matter my right hand was burning from severe coldness. I tried to ball my fingers up to keep them warm but after a while I didn't feel anything.

Mile 6, I knew why Andy had texted me. This really was NOT a good idea. The winds were coming off the fields in whirlwinds. It was literally coming RIGHT at me, whipping sleet in my face like ice shards. I pulled my buff up higher with my balled up hands.

I wanted to do the "Hard Things".

I just tried to make it 1 mile at a time. I decided if anyone came by to get me I was going to let them rescue me and take me home.

No one came.

I kept waiting for someone to drive me home, but they just WAVED and moved over on the road!

10 miles. I survived. This little recap is not me being "DRAMATIC".
I was seriously nervous. When I couldn't feel my fingers, my thighs went numb and I knew that if I stopped it would only make it worse, I got concerned.


HOWEVER.....Todays little experiment reminded me of a couple things.

YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MORE THAN YOU KNOW!
I didn't have a way to QUIT. It was 5 miles back home and my phone was dead! I did my best to stay POSITIVE, knocking out one mile at a time.

DO THE HARD THINGS.
Maybe not all at once, I should not have added all those elements. The Challenge is what I was after. I just got a little too excited.
Embrace the Challenge, seek it. Don't let yourself get complacent, you don't know what you are capable of unless you TRY.

Never quit, Believe in yourself, Embrace challenges.

No one came to Rescue me, But God never quit Protecting me. 

TRAINING TIP:
If you are curious about running an ULTRA you CAN. But you should have at least a marathon under your belt and even that is not a prerequisite. But running 35-40 miles a week per week for at least 4-6 months will help you be more successful.

Anita