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

Moving from Here to There:

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." 

C.S. Lewis

GOALS:

2019 Goals: Run more intentional, Run stronger, smarter and harder. 

Monthly Goals, Weekly Goals: I have set goals at different stages of my training that all play into the BIG Picture. For me, this is the best way to stay focused and less scatterbrained. A little less anyway.

Monthly Goals: *Add more miles. *Run in a new/newer location. *Run at least one race a month. 

Weekly Goals: Run Sore, add mileage, pick up speed, drop mileage, focus on diet and recovery to name a few of my weekly goals.

My training this year is different than last year. It is more than just getting miles. I can get miles in all day long, run run run, run, run....

I did that last year. And I didn't get any faster or stronger. I sure had a lot of fun though. 

This year, I have decided to have a few smaller single digit runs in there. Faster, harder runs, hills, speed work, tempo, progressive...that means recovery days. Time off is important.  

I purposely design my runs for the week and stay dedicated to the plan. EX. My Speedwork /Hills are done mostly after a rest day. so I have fresh legs.  If I have a long run with my group I don't want to over do it the day before and hinder my run with them making them run slowly because I ran too hard the day before.  I design my training then stick to the plan as close as possible.

Lacey bought me this running journal for my birthday. It is one of the best training journals I have ever had. 

February, a word I can just NEVER spell, I wrote out my goals, my plans, my thoughts even. 

From Here, I have finished up my 25k, Snow Moon Run. I didn't meet my timed goal but managed to get 3rd place overall female by shock. I didn't run it hard, I just ran it steady. The conditions were not worth getting injured over. It was bad enough that I got a 2 inch blister, something I didn't even get after running last years 100k in Pinckney. 

From Here, the winter should start tuckering out, allowing me to run stronger trails and roads. 

From Here, I have noticed the days getting longer, I have been able to have some evening runs. 

From Here, I have managed to stay uninjured, maintaining 40-45 mile run weeks. (My goal miles) 

To There, I have signed up for a 10 mile run in FLORIDA in March with all my family! 

To There, add some new training runs. 

To There, Probility Ann Arbor Marathon. 

RUNDOWN:

Sunday: RECOVERY from Snow Moon Trail 25K

We found clear paths at Indian springs for our 20miler. Lacey put a podcast in that picked our pace up the last 7 miles. Sword and Scale, I don't think I slept that night after listening to the real life murder in DETAIL. 

Monday: 20 miles Indian Springs

Tuesday: REST

Wednesday: HILL Repeats, 6.35 milles

Thursday: Fun run, Trails 13.5

Beautiful trails. 

Friday:  Moderate Run w/ Andy, 4 miles

Saturday: REST

TOTAL MILES: 43.85

Training TIP: Plan to run a 50k race to lead up to any race distance beyond 40 miles. This is the purpose of all my races. Each one is purposely placed in my training to benefit the Goal Race, Kettle Moraine 100k.  I do this for multiple reasons:

1. My training plans tell me too!

2. It s good mental training

3. It helps me to test out my hydration, fuel, gear and fine tune my fitness. 

Anita

Snow Moon Run 2019 Recap. Quitting

Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. That is seriously all I could do. The trail conditions were so obnoxious that you had to make light of it. It was HORRIBLE. 

Snow Moon Run Trail 25K

• Midland, Mi
• Midland received 8 inches of snow this week
• Race time 7pm
• Race Distances: 5k, 15k, 25k
• This race is designed to run loops. 3 mile loops that bring you through 2 aid stations and the finishing tent. 
• Temperatures started out at 23' and dropped down below 15'. 

I car pooled with Chris and Kris.

We were there over an hour early, but the parking a problem. Because they started the 5K a half hour earlier and they had doubled the participant size they were offering shuttle service.

This was really nice. 

We honestly had NO idea what the trail conditions were going to be like. 

Ignorance is not always bliss. 

I always love running into this sweet lady, Dale, your the BEST. 

LOOP 1. DRUNKEN RUNNERS

Everyone was trying to stay upright. The snow was thick, deep and best described like running in sand. Only with a layer of ICE under it. 

The runners looked like they had drank too much in the starting tent. No one was running upright. We all were slipping, sliding and kicking ankle high snow everywhere. 

And so I laughed. It was a sight for sore eyes. I laughed for over a mile. 

Then I got REAL serious. 

"How am I going to do this 4 more times?" 

Runners were complaining and talking about defeat before we even made it into the second loop. 

TIME: 36:06

LOOP 2. WEIGHING MY OPTIONS.

By mile 2, that is just 3 miles into this madness my ankles were suffering. The unsteady footing had me kicking my ankles with my spikes. They felt like they were rubbed raw and possibly bleeding.

There was NO denying the blister that was rubbing on the arch of my left foot. 

"I can't do this for 15 miles..." I did my best to land flat footed but I kept kicking myself. It hurt. 

"Everyone's complaining, I wouldn't be the only one..." I began to justify the idea of dropping down to the 15K. I had so many good arguments. It just didn't make sense to suffer this much and possible hinder my future training.  

I DECIDED to drop my Pace, give up any goals that I had other than just FINISHING. 

TIME: 35:58

LOOP 3. THE LITTLE ENGINE WHO COULD.
I changed my stinking thinking. I was going to finish no matter how bad it hurt. If I had to walk across that finish line I was NOT going to QUIT. I decided I would find a steady pace and run it all the way in.
The temperatures dropped and so did a lot of runners. I would catch up to a runner than pace off them until they fell back. The right hand side of the trail was the best place to get ANY type of traction. I put some music in to motivate me and even grabbed a peanut butter cracker at an aid station. I needed the calories but discovered very quickly I couldn't chew it. I had a salty peanut butter paste that just sat in my mouth. My face was frozen and I couldn't chew and swallow. It took a MILE to get that cookie out of a gooey paste and down my throat.
Every so often I would pass a runners, walker and do my best to encourage them. They were excited because they were finished, 15k is only 3 loops. I actually hung with a couple guys and chatted for a bit. It was nice, it was getting lonely out there. 
"Just get to the next loop..."
TIME: 36:18

LOOP 4. SOLO RUN. 
Most runners gave up the ghost and quit at loop 3. This made loop 4 really lonely. I had no one in front of me and no one behind me. My music froze up in the cold. You could see my breath like old man winter blowing not so sweet kisses at me.
Because the temperatures were in the teens this actually condensed the snow, that and a few hundred runners. I was able to maintain my pace. I NEVER looked at my watch. My goal was to run steady and FINISH.
My temperature was warm. I knew if I stopped I would get very cold and probably not recover. My toes were all burning from blisters. My body was NUMB. I couldn't even feel my worst ailment.
Coming around the last mile of this loop I heard Kris. I looked closer in the dark and she was walking with a tall guy. Without stopping I yell,  "HEY KRIS! How are you doing?" She sounded great and was moving forward. I was so happy she was still going.
TIME: 34:47

LOOP 5. GET ME TO THE FINISH. 
That tall guy told Kris he was going to jump in with me. He was running really strong. He was run/walking. It was actually funny how he  did it. He would run REALLY fast then walk as I just caught up to him and then go again. I just tucked in behind him. We played this cat and mouse game for miles. It was so nice to have someone to run with. I discovered I knew him when he shared his first name with me, STU.  Together we made it to the final mile and a half. I could make out a shadow in front of us. I knew right away it was CHRIS. He was walking, he had started cramping. I tried to gather him up to run the last bit in with me but he joined up with Stu and I was finishing alone.
With about 2/10 of a mile to go I see another runner. I came up on her quick. I knew she was finishing with me. I encouraged her and hoped she would pick up the pace. I hated passing her so close to the Finish Line. She kindly wished me well giving me grace to move ahead.
I could hear the Music blindly blaring through the trails encouraging me to pick up my pace. After 4 loops I still had a smile to share in the Finishing CHUTE!
TIME 34:24

BIGGEST SHOCKER OF THE NIGHT, I TOOK 3RD PLACE OVERALL FEMALE!! HOW'S THAT FOR THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. God was listening to those prayers! 

RUNDOWN: My pace surprisingly got faster the last 2 loops. The colder weather made the terrain better.

STU, me and Kris, all trying to stay warm waiting for the rest of our gang. 

After getting rid of my stinking thinking, I reminded myself that the only thing that mattered was doing WHAT you SET out to DO. Readjusting your Goals, embracing your relationship with GOD, A LOT OF PRAYING! And reminding yourself we don't sign up for these things because they are easy.

THE NUMBERS: 
5K=342 runners
15K=136 runners
25k= 63 runners
*** out of those 63 runners:
17dropped down
*2 dropped down to 4 laps
*11 dropped down to 3 laps
*2 dropped down to 2 laps
*1 dropped down to 1 lap

Congrats to some local runners we saw out there. It is always good share encouragement with each other. Great Job Christina and Antonio.

Anita!

Consistency.

Consistency. 

"If you are persistent you will get it, if you are consistent you will keep it."

January Miles= 207.75

Last weeks miles=45.75

My miles were down but I was hitting almost all my weekly goals. 

Only one week, last week I didn't hit my goal, "To maintain my miles". I lost 5 miles with the weather. 

That's OK. On a good note, I had strong runs last week. There really is proof in dropping your miles and getting stronger runs. 

Knowing I was behind the gun in my mileage I made my runs count. I did speed work, ran faster and ran harder. OH..AND survived. 

I have always trained where about every 6-7 WEEKS I bring my miles down and let my body recover.

Last week, I took a couple naps, I got a massage and I brought my miles down. 

This allowed my SUNDAY Runday with Lacey to be quite victorious. 

SUNDAY RUNDAY: Lacey and I went out to Stoney Creek. This is where all the elites train and half of Oakland County. It was thick with runners. 

45' temperatures was the ultimate invitation to come train at the park. 

Stoney Creek is a 6 mile loop.

We set the car up as an aid station, it was perfect, water, gu's, granola bars and the best Smokey Almonds from my sister in law, Leeanne. 

Rundown: 

Distance: 18miles

Time: 2:48

Pace: 9:22/mi

Loop 1. 57min. Ran it all the way through

Loop 2. 56min Added walk breaks

Loop 3. 54min. Ran in opposite direction, continued with walk breaks and aimed to maintain our fastest loop. 

I am so thankful for Lacey. I kept pushing the pace. "ANITA! Do you see where I am? This is where you need to be, bring it down." 

Lacey knows how I run. I feel good and want to GO, then I don't feel good and tucker out at the end. At mile 17, Lacey was tired of reining me in and picked up the pace, a sub 9 minute mile. "LACEY! What the heck..." I huffed. 

"This is what you get....." She laughed, making me speed up and keep our 8:20min/mi. Then to make me suffer more, she ran in EVERY puddle splashing me. 

Good friends make good friends suffer with smiles. 

I was doing the HAPPY DANCE when we finished.I think having so many runners made it easier to run stronger. 

It was a run of NEW Equipment.

1. New Balance Vest: LOVE. Poshmark
2. Oiselle Running Pants: LOVE. Poshmark
3. HOKAS: Didn't LOVE in 18 miles of pavement but will try them out on the trails. OUCH. 18 miles in most new shoes was not the most brilliant idea. Typical Anita.

The Training Tip: CONSISTENCY!

Make sure not to increase your weekly training load by more that 10% at a time. Also make sure that your high intensity training is no more than 20% of your total work load. 

Staying consistent and disciplined will help prevent you from injury.

This Weeks GOAL: ADD miles. More Core. More Calories. More Sleep. Stay Positive.   
More Cookies, My mother in law made me cookies, they are like Mana from Heaven. 

 *Anita