Friday, October 28, 2011

Wow life has flown by!!

My Jesse being goofy

I wasn't really even sure where to begin with this post. Since my last blog write up so much has been going on I just can't even wrap my head around everything. I barely have time to breathe let alone do a write up on life, but I definitely know it's key to keep this thing rolling. I love to write and share my life experiences with you all, and life is just so rad I can't help but fill everyone with my joy & passion through writing. The above shot is of my Jesse in the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon Race day tech shirt. Notice he is also wearing some cool shorts. We have just launched these from INKnBURN, and before long will have an entire line of mens shorts meant to run for hours on end in. Jesse will not run in anything else, and we are honored over here at INKnBURN to now have the amazing & sweet Chris Price as another face for our endurance apparel. We make the coolest stuff on earth, and it's tested day in and day out by all of us. It's comfortable, high quality, and hand made right here in Lake Forest. Please keep your eyes out for a full line of compression leg sleeves, women's running camisole tanks,  and tons of other stuff we will be launching in early January. SO RAD!!! Below are some pics of a few new designs we have going on including the Griffith Park mens shorts, and the Sakura line that Michelle Barton is pictured in is my absolute favorite. So cute!! 

Something really amazing that happened in September was my dearest friends Eric Wickland & Faye got married!! I cannot put into words how much these two mean to me, and the coolest part of all is they live like a mile down the street from me & Jesse! Pam & T live close to so we all run together so much, and just have so much fun!! There wedding was on the cliffs in Malibu, and just beautiful. There was a small select group of friends and family that were there. It was an amazing day, and besides me & Jesse I don't know of two other people that are more compatible or meant for each other! Those that play together and share there lives together stay happy and together for ever!! Below are some great pics of us at the wedding....good times!!




Ok so after the wedding I put on the inaugural Leona Valley Trail Races!! What a great little event this was, and I am so excited to watch this grow! I could have never imagined in the first year I would end up with 170 runners. It was such an epic event, and the coolest part of all is it's the only trail marathon in Southern Ca that runs on the Pacific Crest Trail. This race will no doubt sell out next year as my runners were just blown away by the high quality of the event. Just awesome! Below are some fun pics of the day. Please take note of the official race day mascot: Spirit Freeman. ;o)


Then after that my son had homecoming. He is gonna kill me for putting up this pic, but he is just so dang handsome at 6'4 I cannot help it!! I am the luckiest mama in the world!! He is just the sweetest kid on earth, and such an incredible athlete, and human being. Jesse always ask if he can have some of the water that Tyler drinks!! LOL...

In between all of this we have been running a ton, and I am definitely coming back stronger than ever. I am taking my time, and in no hurry, and I like that. I refuse to push myself more than necessary, and I am just super focused on getting strength back in my hip, and coming back when I am ready. I have a few races I am sneaking in this month, and next, but only 50k's. Jesse does enough racing for the both of us, and I just have so much fun supporting and helping him!! We are hilarious as we are running partners, and the best of friends. I am so lucky to have him to share my entire life with. He is the love of my life, and my backbone. His patience and spirit for life is the glue that holds us together. He swears it's all my cooking and baking(I LOVE TO COOK!!), But I think it's him...hehe.We balance each other so well, and like many of our running couple friends(ok more like family!! Kate&Jimmy,Wick&Faye,Pam&T,Chris&Elissa,George&Anne luv u guys) we just have the best life together. 

This past weekend was Los Pinos 50k. This is an extremely tuff and rugged trail race that I put on in the Saddleback mountains, and I truly believe it's the toughest 50k around. This was the last year for it though as I have so many incredible things happening in my life with other races & events I just had to figure out what was most important right now. I am also in the process of creating a few more super amazing shorter distance trail races, and unfortunately Los Pinos just wasn't in the best interest for me now. It's an incredible amount of work as water has to be hauled in, and hours of trail work every year just to make the Los Pinos trail manageable. Its so tuff many are afraid to sign up, and I was happy to end this race this year on a decent weather day. I have such high standars for the organizational side of my events, and protecting my reputation with my events that at this point I have no desire to hand it over to anybody else. You would have to be one hell of a race director for me to even consider it, but probably not in the cards. Here are some links to people who ran in the race, and they are both great reads!! The bottom link is to Chris Prices race report. He is my dear friend, and won the race. Yes he beat my Jesse, but we still love ya Chris! So excited to have you on board with INKnBURN!! Yay!! 
and

Also below are just some fun pics of race day & stuff. LOVE my Ultra family so much!!! 





The best part of LOs Pinos though?? Marking the entire course with my baby brother Eric Wickland and his wife Faye Love the pic below...yes he is gonna kill me for posting it. Hey us *wolfpackers* stick together....;o)

It's been a whirlwind since Los Pinos though! With all the rad stuff going on at INKnBURN, Griffith Park Half Marathon right around the corner, and making time to play on the trails it's just been nutso! All good though...alll good. I keep saying someone needs to pinch me or something! Tomorrow I get to spend the entire day with the crew runninn 30 miles on the AC100 course....and all I can do is think about how much fun we are gonna have. Hopefully Chris Prices leg won't fall off!! Tomorrow night I get to make homemade lasagna for my son and all his friends and have a gathering at the house. I love it! Sunday we are running with Sean O'Brien and crew in the Santa Monica's, and I am looking forward to hitting one of my favorite trail the Backbone Trail. Yippie!! 

Once Griffith Park is over Jesse and I have a few weekend get away trips planned, and we cannot wait. We are taking Tyler up to San Francisco the first weekend in December, and of course we will fill the entire weekend with tons of trail running and hiking!! Cannot wait.

I am getting so excited for the Holidays...I love to cook, and just cannot wait to fill the days ahead with tons of fun parties and long runs in the mountains. My lord life just rocks!! I am also super excited to announce my Rudy Project Ultra Running team. We are starting small at first for 2012, and I am excited to manage this team and watch it grow. Welcome to the team:
JORGE PACHECO
MICHELLE BARTON
ANGELEA SHARTEL

I look forward to adding more to the team as we grow, and more than likely the next person on that list will be Jesse Haynes. Not only is he one of the most talented runners I know, but he is so amazing, and full of life, and represents everything I want for this team. I cannot wait to start racing again, and am just chomping at the bits to do so!! 
ON, ON, ON WITH LIFE MY FRIENDS! SPEND EVERY MOMENT DOING IT WITH PASSION, LOVE, AND WITH PEOPLE THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY AND FILL YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!