Listening to others...

I have a ton to write about, but I first wanted to touch on an amazing article that was written about me in Beyond Limits Magazine. I am honestly at a loss for words for how thankful I am to Bill Murphy and his entire crew at Beyond Limits Magazine. Please check out the link below.... http://beyondlimitsmagazine.com/punching-back-an-interview-with-keira-henninger

It's funny because in the last four months I have met more people that have inspired me far more than I ever thought I could imagine existed, and I hope with all my heart this article will help inspire someone out there trying to get there life together or just pick up the pieces if things have fallen apart. My life is in such an incredible place right now, and it all stems from hard work. I fully believe hard work, determination, and drive coupled with an extreme positive attitude can move mountains. I live life to the fullest, and just refuse to believe you ever have to stay in a place if it does not make you 100% happy! The only limitations we have are the ones we set on our own self. Period.

Ok so this weekend I have been instructed to not run the Bandit 50k...UGH!!! I am feeling incredible, and in tip top shape, but my coach tells me it's just not quite time to race yet. My itband is 100% better, and he still wants me to focus on my core strength, and pool swimming, and biking. All I want to do is race...I am super competitive, and thrive off racing. I literally have no fear, but this is also one of my biggest faults. I race to much, and tend to over train, and slowly but surely we are changing that. I feel like I am getting friggin stronger than ever, and my legs are just solid muscle right now. I hate that I have not raced yet in 2011, but am going to listen to my peeps, and be smart. Mesquite Canyon will just have to be my first race for 2011. I still plan on going up to bandit tomorrow and helping out!! Would not miss a day with all my Ultra family no matter what!! Plus I wanna see my dear friend Chris Price rip the shit out of that course....word!!!

Yesterday I spent the day crewing my CoyoteSauce *Jimmy Dean Freeman* while he attempted to run the entire length of the Backbone Trail(68 miles). He has done this before, but this time was joined by a whole gang of different peeps from the So-Cal Ultra Scene. I was stoked to be there bitch fo' the day...lol!! It was an awesome day full of tons of awesomeness(not even sure if thats an actual word??) but unfortunately had to be cut a few miles short due to the weather. Seriously a crazy ass storm came in, and between three inches of rain started hammering on the runners. At mile 50 I had to force Jimmy Dean in the car. He did not want to stop(crazy ass??), but once in the warm car he was all smiles. It was also great to see some other friends along the way stopping by to help out~love ya Jayme Burtis!! A whole crew of us went out to dinner later, and had a super fun night ;)

Some great people that joined the run were Pam and T, and the hilarious Coury brothers from Tempe, AZ. These guys are just the best, and my peeps no doubt!! Jamil and Nick Coury are not only EXTREMELY talented Ultra Runners(hello Hard Rock finishers!!) they are also Race Directors. They put on a whole slew of amazing Ultra and Trail races throughout AZ in places like Wadell, Ash Fork, and Fountain Hills. All of there races are absolutely top notch, and they are all ran on trails. They range in all different distances so please check them out! http://www.aravaiparunning.com/aravaiparunning/page.php?5
I will be out there in March running there 50k Mesquite Canyon! Love me some Coury Brothers!! Below he is sporting one of my favorite Inknburn shirts that says run or die(www.inknburn.com)

Leona Divide is right around the corner so if you have not signed up please do so!! Don't forget we have added a 50k and 30k to the distances, and these are all run on beautiful Southern California Trails. Check out:
http://leonadivide5050.com

Have an amazing rest of the weekend and week everyone!!! Life is just a blast right now hope you are enjoying it also!! AWESOME SAUCE!!!

LONG PS.....
Ok so today(Sunday) I cruised up to the Bandit 50k/30k/15k Trail Races in Simi Valley. I did not race as I explained earlier(wanted to almost ready!!), but I wanted to give a few shouts out to the race, and some people I hung with. First off this race is done up great. The start/finish line was awesome, and honestly overall it was a great event. I will definitely go back next year fo' sure and run it. I drove my dear friend Carmella up to run her first 30k and she did amazing!! So proud of this girl!

Next I got to see my dear friend Chris Price not only win the Bandit 50k, but he friggin smoked the course in 4:12. This course is wicked technical, and NOT easy. My lord this guy is on fire. He ran his first 50mile at my Leona Divide last year, then he won my Los Pinos 50k back in November, and I cannot wait to see him race my Leona Divide 50mile in April...hmmm...I dunno Chris maybe I should just come to all your races cause I seem to kind of be your good luck charm! LOL! Pic is him at the finish below. I was so bummed his amazing(she does Tri's) wife Elissa couldn't be there but she will definitely be at Leona! Yippie!!

I also spent the better part of the afternoon hanging with John Medina. He is an amazing guy, and the founder of the very cool Trail Running group the Santa Monica Mountain Goats!! Please check them out at http://mountaingoats.org I am definitely looking forward to having his Mtn. Goats help me out at my newest race I am putting together the "Ray Miller 50mile/50k". Please keep your eyes out for the website coming soon!! This race is gonna be just wicked awesome, and touch some of the most remote parts of the Santa Monica Mountains!! Race date is Saturday February 25th, 2012. Below is a pic of me and John, and some other friends at the Bandit Race.

Ok gotta jam the week is off the hook packed!!! I am traveling all over the place in the next 6 weeks...AZ twice, NY, San Fran, maybe Washington...whoo hoo!! On, on, on with life everyone!!

Leona Valley Trail Races!!!

Just wanted to do a quick post that my "Leona Valley Trail Races" website is officially up and rolling, and registration is now open!! Please go to: http://leonavalleytrailraces.com for all the info. Gonna be a great race!!! Whats cool is it has a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k, & 5k!! Looking forward to having Andy Noises great group the BDP's out in full force helping, and some other amazing groups as well!! Please keep your eyes open also for two other INCREDIBLE trail races I will be breaking out this Summer also. WORD!!!!

I decided to not go up to Montana De Oro this weekend. I really wanted to hang with all my friends, but just had some stuff come up, and am super focused on Bandit 50k in Simi Valley next weekend, and Mesquite Canyon 50k in March out near Phoenix/Tempe March 12th. I needed to train today and yesterday and really focus on putting that first. Since I wasn't quite ready to race yet I will just save it for next weekend.

Yesterday I had an amazing weekend with all my friends running almost 7 hours in the Santa Monica Mtns. I just don't know to many people that can run on trails, and have views of the ocean while running on beautiful single track trails...unreal!!! I love my friggin life!!!! I got home and swam for 90mins, and then saw my son off to Winter Formal. So fun!!

Ok everyone have an amazing week, and enjoy life to the absolute fullest!!!! Life is just awesome sauce!!

Yo!!!

As always life has just been nuts for me(but nuts in a good way!!!) I have been running, cycling, swimming, and hiking a ton! Enjoying life to the fullest, but *SLAMMED*!! I have now taken on another race that will be to date one of my biggest events yet I will put on. I have to keep all the details under wraps for just a little while longer, but very, very soon I will get all the info out.

Today something very funny happened...someone in my life has talked me into doing a full Iron Man. Honestly I have no idea how this even happened...but since he is gonna do it with me I am like what the hell why not. I absolutely LOVE to cycle, and swim, and we have been doing it a ton together so I am gonna give it a shot. He is going to make me do a half distance first though sometime this Summer cause the Iron Man that he is doing is in November in AZ. He is gonna check and see if it is sold out so hopefully I can join him there! It's weird because yesterday I ran for a few hours on the trails with my brother Wicky, then swam for 90mins, and then went and lifted. Tomorrow I will do an early 10miler on the trails, then a 60mile ride. This is just normal stuff for me. I am always Trail running, cycling, and swimming. It's just what I do. I happen to just love to run Ultra's, and used to be super afraid of riding on the road. I am definitely over that fear, and have been killin' it on the bike...killin' it!! My strength is actually swimming. I ocean swim at least once a week if not twice, and it just comes naturally to me. My coach watched me get in the pool on Monday, and was like...hmmm..you are in the wrong sport sweetheart! LOL! To bad my favorite sport is Ultra running!!! Definitely sticking with Ultra's, but it's all great fun, and I don't care what i am doing as long as I am out enjoying life!

I am super excited to head up to Montana De Oro this weekend and hang with my crew. I am not running the 50k though, and plan on dropping down to the 30k. I have Bandit Trail Run 50k the weekend after, and refuse to let Chris Price beat me by more than 30mins. Seriously this is a heated rival, and he is not a Lakers Fan(which pisses me). To bad Hone won't be racing Bandit Trail run either...man those boys are such trash talkers!! Word! Next month I am so super pumped to head out to AZ for the Mesquite Trail run 50k. It's not far from Phoenix, and I plan on tearing the crap up out of that course. It's tough, rugged, and totally my type of course. Going to this race with my game face on fo' sure! I am then supposed to zip up to Washington the weekend after to Krissy Moehl's race Chuckanut 50k, and super excited about that! Two weeks after that I have Lake Sonoma 50mile! Word! Cannot wait to go up to that race cause my entire Sauce crew will be there in full force! Yippie!! I look forward to getting my ass handed to me by the very top in my sport. Devon will be showered, fed, and eating by the time I cross the finish line...lol! Love you Devon!!

I also wanted to touch quickly on some great shoes I have been killing the trails in. I have posted a few times on some shoes I love(tons of great ones out there), but I am lovin' me some TrekSta Trail Evolutions(http://www.trekstausa.com/p-24-womens-evolution-with-nestfit.aspx). These shoes are so incredible, and comfy, and just solid for gripping technical trails. I also love the Kobra's that they make. These are more suited for icy, technical, and slick Trails. Both shoes are made with this incredible Icelock/Hyper Grip Sole, and are just an amazing shoe on the Trails. They both have great ankle support, and incredible traction. I am super stoked to be working with them, and if you have not tried a pair of there shoes do so cause they are friggin rad!!

Also wanted to quickly touch base on another company called Soleus. They make incredible watches, and have something very cool in the works in the way of a watch made specifically for Ultra Runners. SOOOO excited about this, and everything about this company. I am super excited to be working with them also, and people you are gonna die when you see this new watch they have come up with. Keep your eyes on my blog for tons more to come out about this!! (http://www.soleusrunning.com)

Ok everyone have an incredible week and weekend!! Dont forget the next training run for Leona Divide is Sunday February 27th. Gonna be so much fun!! All info can be found on the website~http://leonadivide5050.com Race is fillin up so if you have not yet registered do so! Don't forget the addition of the 30k distance. Last, but not least one of my other new races Leona Valley Trail races will be open soon for registration on IAmAthlete. Please go to http://leonavalleytrailraces.com for registration info!

Get out and enjoy life people!! Don't ever take one single moment for granted as it is a gift, and meant to be lived to the fullest!!

My Shanny!!!

Life has been just amazing the last week, but I wanted to touch just a bit on a few things. I always like to give some *shout outs* to people that I love, and are great in my life. Life is all about who you surround yourself with, and I absolutely adore my friends~they are my family. One of those great people is my dear friend Shannon. She is an amazing mom, athlete, but most importantly part of my sauce crew!! She can howl louder than Jimmy Dean(yep just laid that down), and give most men a run for there money on the trails. Last night we went to da' Lake show...damn those friggin Spurs..stop it Chris Price cause I can hear you...

My dear friend Greg's brother was able to get us the tickets at the last minute, and we just had a blast. I have somehow ended up at more Lakers game this season than ever before, and we had so much fun!! If I could have it my way I would be at every Lakers home game there is! Word!

Shannon and I have just a ton of fun together, and I cannot imagine my life without such a person in it...below is another pic of us out hiking on the Los Pinos Trail! Love me some hiking in the mountains!!

Last but not least I wanted to touch on an incredible product that if your not taking you should be. It's made by a company called Wicked Fast sports Nutrition, and is a product called Recover Ease(wickedfastsportsnutrition.com). Myself and my dear friend Michelle Barton have been taking this product for years, and to put it best it works!! Go on there website, and check the stuff out cause its AMAZING!! We are excited to now be the new faces of this company, and looking forward to a great 2011 with them! Incredible recovery product people try it!!!!

Ok have a great weekend all!! Superbowl yippie!!!! Life is just friggin awesome sauce!!! I am looking forward to hanging with my girls next weekend up at Montana De oro! I am not sure if I am going to race it, but either way I cannot wait for the weekend away with the Coyote girls! Get out on the trails and get dirty peeps cause its the best medicine there is!!

Adjusting...

Life has been incredible for me the last week, and I am hands down probably the happiest I have been in a long time. I am seeing my life come together more than I could have ever imagined, and everything I could have ever imagined possible to happen in my life is happening!!! Be careful what ya wish for cause someday ya might just get it all!! WORD! Loving my friends more than ever, and a few other *special* people also.

Ok on to something that has kind of thrown me for a loop today, and I am working on recovering from it. Shed some tears, but understand 100% the race director's position. Unfortunately I cannot apply to run Badwater this Summer. One of the requirements is that you HAVE to have completed at the minimum three 100 mile races on your Ultra Resume. Period. No exceptions. I have only finished two. The only other option would be if I had ran and finished the Brazil 135 which of course I have not. My heart was so set on running this race. Many people have asked me why I want to run Badwater so bad, and unless you have been there or experienced crewing it's hard to make one understand. I will say this though...Badwater is the only place in the world that makes you be completely present in the moment. You are not thinking about your problems you have, bills you have to pay, marriage problems, or any of that shit. You are reduced to survival. Reduced to a crew and a runner, and you become the strongest unit of family there is. You work on getting through the days mile by mile, and feed of each others energy, and the beauty of the desert. Some of the strongest bonds and friendships I have ever had have come from my Badwater experience. It has taught me I have/want to share my life with an endurance athlete. I have to share my life with someone who fully understands that materialistic things and all that bullshit don't matter. Who gives a flying shit what some fucking movie star wears to the Oscars..seriously who cares. What does matter is the bond of friends, family, and people you can connect with on a higher level than most understand. It's so important for your life partner to be that kind of person or it just will never work. I really learned this out in Badwater this last Summer crewing for Jimmy. It was an amazing experience, and myself, and Wick, Jimmy, and Pam are like my second family. Badwater is life changing, and if you are lucky enough to experience this with close friends it will change your life forever.

So with all that said where does this leave me...Fo' sure Badwater is on the list for 2012. No doubt. Everything happens for a reason, and I guess I have a score now to settle with Angeles Crest 100. I had commited to being Jimmy Deans Crew chief for AC, but I am sure he will understand as he is my Coyotesauce!!! Everyone kept telling me that I need to go back and do what I do best....run in the mountains. So Angeles Crest you are getting what ya want. Bring it...bring it. It will be an interesting day for me with this news, and the flood of my sponsors, and all that blah,blah,blah. It is what it is, and cannot be changed. My heart is with Badwater, but I just don't quite meet the qualification standards yet. I will in 2012, and be even more ready then to go and do well. Word!!

I am excited to announce I think myself and Brooklin have found an amazing crew to make my Leona Divide(http://leonadivide5050.com) documentary happen. He is a friend of someone I used to kind of know, and was hesitant at first but my Brooksauce assured me it was the right direction. All good, and totally meant to be. Tons of stuff so great has happened in my life just the last two days...my lord it's overwhelming...thank god I have a the right people working for me, and helping me with it all. On, on, on with this awesome thing we call life!!! Someone pinch me please cause I feel like I am in a dream!!!