Thursday, June 21, 2012

Loving the Mountains!

In Life you have two choices-
1. Bet on your dreams
2. Play it safe
I have chosen the first option despite the massive risk of failure. I just didn't want to have regrets later on in life and wonder "what might have been" 
                  


Right now I consider myself to be in "100 mile training survival mode". It's this really ridiculous place of running way to many miles, way to many days in a row, doing everything I can to recover and sleep, and spending endless hours of repeating this process until the wonderful joys of tapering are reached.  Some might consider it masochism. I consider it awesomeness. I also prefer to spend endless hours on end playing in the mountains with my free time. I love seeing the sunrise over the mountain tops, and I am someone who needs to be outside everyday. If I am not running then I will hop on bike, or go for a walk. I need sunshine, and I enjoy being with my friends on trails. I love getting dirty. The other day I was running with my friend Michelle Barton on an early morning, and I fell pretty hard. My legs were tired, and she knew that. She quickly came to my side, helped me up, and rinsed my busted open hand with water. We have such a bond, and I love the bond I share with my friends on the trails. We always help each other no matter what-through thick and thin, and I am so very blessed to have all I have. It does take it's toll though, and yesterday I ran with the boys at Mt.Baldy, and I was the weakest link. My body is just exhausted still from running across the USA, and the boys I run with are just not slow. They were all so patient with me, waited, and did nothing but encourage me. Once again I finished my run being thankful for the wonderful people in my life. Life happens so fast, and everyday just zips by. I really appreciate all the kind people that bless my life daily. I am so blessed. God always has a funny way of weeding out all the bad people naturally. It just seems to be how it is. Thank you Lord for that. Below are a bunch of fun pics from runs I have been doing up in the mountains all over Southern Ca. I still have a couple more weeks of solid mountain training I will be doing, and then it will be a nice long two and a half week rest for me until the big day. I am super excited for AC this year. The competition is great, and I am really excited about that. It will be so much fun! 







I opted not to run Holcomb 33 mile the other weekend, and take the time to rest, recover, and crew Jesse and Jorge with Mari. We had a blast all day, and the boys took home first and second place overall at the race, and ran two of the fastest times ever @ Holcomb 33 mile. We had such an awesome weekend up at Big Bear, and then this last weekend up at our Cabin In Idyllwild. Chandra and  Prizzle came up and visited, and it was great. This weekend will be filled with just a ton of big mileage, and lots of fun BBQ's! Loving that Summer has arrived. The other day my son and I got home from Idyllwild, and we walked down to the beach(yes we live within a 5 min walk to Doheney State Beach). The water was freezing...but we jumped in for such an awesome swim. I promised myself that once I start tapering I will jump in the ocean with him at least three days a week. We had so much fun! Jesse and I are also counting the hours..no seconds until the Tour starts. We are obsessed with NBC sports and watching all the bike tours. Thank god for TiVo!! Loved Tour of California. So impressed with Peter Sagan. That kid is amazing..ok totally off on a rant.


Also for many of you that have not heard I have a new little awesome Trail Race in Griffith Park. Its a Trail 10k, and part of the "Hollywood Rockstar Trails Challenge". Here is the website link: http://GRIFFITHPARKTRAIL10k.com and yep it's the very next day after the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon.  So if you are up for a super fun little challenge you can run both races in the same weekend, get an awesome shirt and medal for doing both, and of course enjoy two spectacular events. Or just run one of the events and still get a great race day shirt and medal! I LOVE Griffith Park so much, and it just has such a special place in my heart. So excited to be making these events happen! 


http://GRIFFITHPARKTRAIL10K.COM

Last I wanted to give a nice little shout out to my dear friend Rob Faris over at Outdoor Television Network. He is doing this really amazing 50 mile ride to raise money for cancer, and I promised him I would post the donations page so anyone who can help please do so. Here is a note directly from him: 

 On July 28th, I will be participating in the CT Challenge bike event. It's a bike event on the surface-I am dedicated to riding 50 miles, but the reality is it symbolizes much more. My core mission is to raise money for the 1st ever Clinic for Cancer Survivorship in the state of CT.  Cancer is a disease that has affected all of us directly one way or another. We all have family, friends, & loved ones who have been stricken with some form of the dreaded disease-hopefully the people you know are now Cancer Survivors. In 2012 there were 12 million people who are Cancer Survivors in the US- that number is rapidly growing to 20 Million..These people still need care, treatment and other forms of therapy that far outlive the medical insurance coverage most get. That’s why Jeff Keith’s dedication to building the Center for Cancer Survivorship is so important.    
I consider myself fortunate to have met Jeff Keith.  He has inspired me to do more, be a better person, and ultimately help this cause. He is the co-founder of the event, he is a cancer survivor himself and now a philanthropist. I felt so compelled by his own struggle, we highlighted him in a segment on Outside Television to tell more about his story.  Below is my personal fundraising link. Any amount you can afford will certainly help-no donation is too small. I am extremely grateful for the support. Together we will make a difference!


On,on,on with life my friends!! 


Friday, June 8, 2012

"All In"

"Everyone is in such a rush all the time. Such a rush to get to the next place, the next event, the next big thing in life. Why are we all in such a hurry to die? Eventually we are all going to the same place. Why are we in such a rush to get there?"
-Kevin Bracy-somewhere in the middle of the night along route 66- One of the top motivational speakers in the world




Dave,Kate,Ray,Jimmy,Erika,Me,Sim,&Jas

I wasn't even sure where to begin with this post. My thoughts have been all over the map the last week since I have been back from running across the United States with Run It Forward, and I am still trying to digest everything I saw and experienced into my brain. I am forever changed. Forever impacted, and so grateful to Erika Small and Jason Harper for including me on there incredible journey. What most people don't quite understand that along with running the entire length of route 66 we also made many stops at schools where part of our crew gave motivational talks(Jason, Erika, Jimmy, & Kevin), and we did incredibly awesome things like staging small little races and ran laps with the kids, gave out ribbons and bracelets, groceries, and free dental care. It was such an incredible feat that Jason Harper, & Erika Small managed to make happen, and all the while we all accomplished running all 2448 miles in 18 days! Day after day, hour after hour, and non stop most of the time we relayed our way across the united states until we hit the Santa Monica Pier! We each averaged about a marathon a day in miles, some days we ran through the night, in the heat of the hottest days I have ever ran in, faced 40mph headwinds, and at times were even in real danger of our lives. Our family of 18 crew members was made up of runners, Mom's(my Jenny Jenny 2 fast!), Physical Therapists(Love you Big Daddy Balla and Sara Sara Bad Ass), and many others that all devoted there time to helping the runners crew, pace, run some miles, and do whatever it took to get to the finish. My life became a mantra of run, shower, eat, sleep, recover, and repeat...it was just nuts!!! Below is a great link to a small video clip of some of what we did...it's only the beginning my friends for what future plans are for Run It Forward. I am honored to now call all of these people my second family, and looking forward to an amazing future with them!! This video was done by the amazing and very talented Bryson Roach! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdcEe3SJ1og&feature=player_embedded


Towards the end of the trip Jimmy Dean , James Bonnet, and Jesse planned a master surprise on me and Jesse showed up in the middle of Flagstaff. The boys totally disguised Jesse as James, and up until the split second Jesse ran into Flagstaff with Jimmy Dean I actually thought he was James! He even put a bandana on his head just like James does and from a far I thought it was him. I have never been so surprised in my life!! Jimmy captured the picture below the exact moment I realized it was my baby!! I leaped up on Jesse and gave him the biggest hug ever!

I picked some of my favorite pictures below of me running along Route 66 at various times during the trip, and a few other cool photos and just compiled them below... and yes I lived in nothing but my INKnBURN running clothes!! 







So my crazy & busy my life has resumed back to its awesomeness pretty fast, and one thing that has most definitely come out of this is my legs are a little faster. My turn over is just plain faster. I am so stoked! I feel awesome, and this weekend Jesse and I are heading up to Big Bear to race Holcomb Valley 33 mile. Also while I was gone Jesse bought me a new bike!! It's a Giant brand frame, and the rest of the bike was custom built by his friend Vess. I took it out for a spin yesterday, and I LOVE it! Our plan is to do a 70 mile ride through Three Rivers this Summer, camp, and then do a 42 mile training run up there. He might race White River 50 mile, I am definitely racing AC100, and then we are going up to Oregon so he can race Waldo 100k. He is toying with the idea of racing Bear 100 mile, but it will be his first 100 miler, and I won't be able to be there as it's the same weekend as Leona Valley Trail Races. He kind of has his heart set on it though as James Bonnet is also racing it, and our friend  Scott Jaime's dad could help crew Jesse since I can't be there. I am also racing Wasatch 100 mile in September so it just is gonna be nuts the next few months!! The next few weekends after this one will be spent up at our cabin in Idyllwild. We love it up there, and so does my son! Tons, and tons of high altitude high mileage training is all I am about right now. I am so dang lucky my man shares the same passions I do. He is the best training partner ever!!

So after everything I have been through in the last two years this Summer is somewhat bitter sweet for me. Sort of a two year renunion to pulling my head outta my ass, and starting my life over for the better. Not settling, and going after exactly what I wanted outta life. I am happier than I ever could have imagined, doing exactly what I want to be doing with my career, and all the while sharing it with the man of my dreams . I heard a song the other day, and it just grasps where I have come from in my life. I have landed stronger than I ever could have imagined, and I am living my life by my rules, the way I wanna live it, and am 100% "All In"...(that one was for you my *Suga' Suga' Bad Ass*)!! Below are the words to such an amazing song, and I am screaming it out loud rght now!!! Amen to celebrating life-and just being wide awake and fully in it! On, on, on with life my friends...GO AFTER YOUR HAPPINESS!! 

"Wide Awake"
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake
Yeah, I was in the dark
I was falling hard
With an open heart
I'm wide awake
How did I read the stars so wrong

I'm wide awake
And now it's clear to me
That everything you see
Ain't always what it seems
I'm wide awake
Yeah, I was dreaming for so long

I wish I knew then
What I know now
Wouldn't dive in
Wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts
You made it so sweet
Till I woke up on
On the concrete

Falling from cloud 9
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight
(Yeah I'm) Falling from cloud 9

I'm wide awake
Not losing any sleep
Picked up every piece
And landed on my feet
I'm wide awake
Need nothing to complete myself - nooohooo

I'm wide awake
Yeah, I am born again
Outta the lion's den
I don't have to pretend
And it's too late
The story's over now, the end

I wish I knew then
What I know now
Wouldn't dive in
Wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts
You made it so sweet
Till I woke up on
On the concrete

Falling from cloud 9
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting go)
I'm Falling from cloud 9

Thunder rumbling
Castles crumbling
I am trying to hold on
God knows that I tried
Seeing the bright side
But I'm not blind anymore...
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake

Yeah, I'm Falling from cloud 9
Crashing from the high
You know I'm letting go tonight
I'm Falling from cloud 9

I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake