It Seems that I miss Suffering

This is a crazy time we are living in. I am just as busy, runners need to run. As a run coach being there for my clients is my job, one I do not take lightly. This is a very uncertain time for so many and falling back on something that is a cornerstone is imperative.

We are finding ways to be creative while being confined to our homes or a small radius near our homes. Trails and parks are being closed leaving us without the release we have relied on. I have given challenges to clients that have made them think about their surroundings in new ways.

No matter if you are home with your kids helping them virtual learn, laid off, or still working we all still need something. Something that is ours to tie us back to the life we had just 2 months ago. Without a doubt life is going to be different. The way we interact with others, our gatherings, races: a new normal.

In talking with a client today about a virtual race option to spark his training, something occurred to me. There are so many of us, myself included that are still running, still training, but something is missing. We know races are out for the foreseeable future and almost everyone and their mother has a virtual option. But, if you are like me a virtual race seems like a waste of time. That isn't why we race to begin with. However, in being a small business owner I can empathize with the race directors that are trying to make it, trying to keep things similar, trying to raise money. Just trying. So, with a new race that has a virtual option this year, it seemed that maybe that's what I needed.

In going along with David Goggins and needing to re establish his badass. I realized I need to suffer. Our minds are taking over and giving us permission to quit, to take more rest days, to not work as hard. As an ultrarunner masochism comes with the territory. Suffering is a part of the journey. Without races we aren't putting our suffering and what we are made of to the test. The little voice inside is winning.

Not only am I going to do this virtual option of 100 miles, I am going to try to structure it so there is ample opportunity to suffer. Also an opportunity to come out with a fire, and problem solving skills in a time of desperation. I am encouraging my clients to do the same.

In thinking back to these cycles that seem to now be my life of a few good days followed by a few shitty days:repeat. I miss a hard training block with a hard ass goal at the end, I feel lost. I know I am not alone in this. This virtual run is going to be my spark as well. I am going to train like my 100 miler in late September is happening and I am going to show up in fantastic shape.

In a time of solitude

In a time where solitude was once sought, it seems that's all we have. We are told that we are to stay in or near our homes, 6ft away from another person who isn't in your household, and most of the country is shut down. In this space, I am fortunate that the hobby/sport/livelihood I have is running. It is one of the more normal things we can try to maintain.



Within this stay home order I am seeing more and more people outside than normally would be at this time of year. It can be frustrating seeing people who are in "your" space. Even though I run outside on public paths and roads, I still feel slightly territorial. I understand why these other people are out. They are now working from home, have kids home from school, and need the fresh air and the outlet. Still. It is silly on my part to think that I can own a part of the outside. I needed to recenter.

I decided yesterday after a hard fast run that I was going to go back to where it began. So, this morning I drove out to where I used to live, where I learned I loved to run. I picked a route that I knew by heart and headed out on one of my favorite 15 mile routes. I cannot explain how much joy I had. It was misty and all the miles I had run on these country roads came flooding back to me like slideshow. The miles in the sun and rain, the feelings I had as I passed certain landmarks, the every changing landscape. So many birds of all kinds were out. I didn't see a single person. I wrote the directions on my hand like I used to before I had a GPS watch(not that I needed them, my feet knew the way). Those miles were effortless, as if I was floating.

At many points, and even now as I am thinking back on it, I am crying. These tears are so full of true happiness. They are also full of grief and longing. I miss those roads, they made me fall in love. I haven't run on those roads in at least 3 years, when I was a different person in a different place.


It's not uncommon to be all alone on those runs, so today didn't seem that out of place. It was normal, those roads were all mine. i didn't realize how much I needed that, until I was out there. Honestly, I don't think I was ready until now either.


All I can say. If you are feeling like you need a reset and you can get to a road/trail (where you can be 6ft away from another human) that fills you with joy. Don't hesitate.

Kindness

It's a week before Christmas, we have no snow and the temps are mild. A good number of us are trying to do it all; run groups, cookie exchanges, office parties, gift swaps, Christmas shopping, trying to get to bed early, not eat too much junk, the list is endless.
We are all one small thing away from a total meltdown.

I melted yesterday like a snowman in the desert. To say that my stress levels have been high is an understatement, but I'm trying to roll with it knowing it won't last forever. After waking up at 5a.m. to make gingerbread cookies for a run and a cookie exchange, then paired with figuring out how to get to work with said cookies and no vehicle as my daughter was planning to take it to school.

Long story short, when she went to leave for school the car was gone from our designated underground parking spot that I pay for. I had a loaner car because my car still needed some cosmetic work from my accident in August. I had emailed the apartment complex manager stating I had a loaner for a few days and it would be in my spot, I joked with the maintenance man about how long this process has been.

The car had been towed....at 1 a.m. And will cost $300 to get it back.

It was now in Sun Prairie, my daughter needed to get to school, I needed to get to work. I was a mess.  I hate being late and letting people down. The combination of the circumstances with the building stress from work, life, parenting became too much. Thankfully I am no stranger to being in difficult situations and doing what it takes to get out on the right side. This time however I couldn't just bring my daughter where I needed to, she was aware and involved, and not a young child.

So, we ubered to Sun Prairie while I sat silently crying and discussing how we would maneuver the next few steps. As we pull up our uber driver who I hadn't spoken to the whole ride, hands us $20 saying how sorry he was that this happened and how wrong it was and wanted to help. I can tell you that I couldn't even say thank you through my tears, Amelia did it for me.

Amelia drove me home to take car of the dog before I ubered to work and she went to school.
The day went on and I was aware of the amount of people who care.

The most upsetting thing about this situation. The majority of my apartment building is zoned for section 42, which is low income housing. Most people would not have been able to afford to get their vehicle back, much less a week away from Christmas. I have been in that spot before, panicking, knowing I wouldn't be able to finish Christmas shopping or pay the heat bill.
There was no complaint, no one "reported" the car in my spot. They came on purpose. It feels predatory.
Amelia asked where all that money went, why it cost so much: Into their pockets, it went in their pockets.

Maybe my reaction wouldn't have been so heartfelt if I wasn't so stressed, maybe I would have been able to roll with it easier, but the fact remains that this felt targeted, not necessarily at me exactly but to the less fortunate in a time where kindness should be key.

To that Uber driver who out of the kindness of his heart truly understood that something small can truly make a difference.

Mountain Lakes 100 recap

I am now a week since the race. I am still having a hard time putting together the words.
I've been in a writing slump all summer, I didn't do a race recap of Titletown Ultra 8 hr, or Standhope Ultra 60K in Idaho.
The first race I din't think there was much to write about as I went into it as a training run. The second however was a whirlwind, and I may just have to go back and write a little something about my first major win and a cross country road trip with my dog.
Until then you get my latest 100 miler.

This trip was different. I have three clients who live in Corvallis, OR which is definitely close enough for them to crew and pace me. I am not sure if I actually even asked them if they would. I was excited to visit Oregon and run the trails that I hear them talk about.
I was excited to run Mountain Lakes 100, it was the only lottery out of 4 I got into this year and I wanted my Western States ticket. I heard alot of good things from said clients about this race organization (Go Beyond Racing) and the types of races they put on.
My chiropractor also knows the RD Todd and they used to run together when he lived in Oregon, and he knew most of the area I would be running. Having a little inside info was helpful.

I went into this race not as trained as I'd hoped. I had the miles under my belt but very little time on the trails. I knew that the race wasn't going to be very technical and there wasn't a ton of vert. I figured my Midwest miles would suffice.

I also had the main goal of sub 22 hours, with plan B being under 24. I told my crew that if it all went to hell in a hand basket I just needed to cross that line before the cutoff.

We headed to the airport on Wednesday morning. Our flight was delayed due to weather in Minneapolis and we had to fly south over Nebraska to miss the storm. We then had to literally run through the airport to catch our connecting flight to Portland. We made it with 5 minutes. Ah, yes who is this WE that I speak of. Well, myself and my beau Nick. This race would be his first real crewing experience. He was worried he'd mess it up, but I was tremendously confident in the team I had surrounding me.

After arriving in Portland my client Val picked us up in the rental car which was filled with all the camping gear and delicious snacks. A little grocery shopping and some lunch before we headed on the road. We were about to head to cell service dead zone for the next 5 days and limited amenity options.

Put me in a car and I turn into a baby, as in I fall asleep. It's the best. Apparently I missed some beautiful scenery.

The reason for the early arrival was two fold. I knew that our best option to being as close to the start as possible was to camp at Olallie Lake Resort and all the sites are first come first serve. Second, i wanted to have some relaxing time with my friends and enjoy the unplugged time.

When we get to camp we spend some time deciding which site we wanted as we would end up having three tents on the same site. #13 it was, come to find out apparently it's the best one. I do have to say though, I was kind of a B when we got there. It was misting and raining and overcast, which I hear is typical. I wasn't having it. I knew in that moment I could never live there, also if race day was like that, I'd be pissed.

When we woke the next morning we got our first view of Mt. Jefferson. We then drove to Detroit, we needed gas something terrible and we needed to communicate with the other people in our party as to where we were set up at camp. A nice burger at the local cafe and we were headed back to camp. I would also like to note that I slept there and back. It was about an hour and twenty minute drive. Also worth noting, the road into Olallie Lake is gravel and full of potholes, some deep and makes for slow going. You definitely need to add on an extra 30 minutes to your drive time in and out of there.

Val and i went on a run from the campsite on a section of the course, while Nick maintained the fire. We took the PCT north towards Upper Lake. I was beautiful and the trail was buttery. It was good to test out what i thought I would be wearing on race day, as it was about 55-60 with the rain and the wind. Another down side of having no cell service was the inability to check the weather.
We made it to Upper Lake and then turned around. I got stung by a bee and we got high fived by some through hikers!


The rest of our crew showed up that evening while we had soup ready for them. It was really exciting to meet Biz in real life. Her ad I were going to get to know each other real well over the next few days as she would be pacing me for the last 30 miles.
We get tents set up and Nick and i call it an early night. I was tired of being damp and cold.


Here we are on Friday, the day before race day. Eggs and bacon for breakfast. i then took some time to lay out my gear and drop bags. i had a mini crew meeting with Ben(crew chief) and Nick while the ladies ran into Detroit. We talked about skipping the first crew accessible aid station since it was only 12 miles in. We talked about what i want where and how no sappy frou frou talk was allowed.

i then took the most glorious 2 hour nap. I laid in the tent with the back open and the sun shone in like a warm hug. Usually the day before a race i tend to sleep most of the day, races usually start before the sun is up and then being on your feet for anywhere from 20-30 hours, you need the sleep. This race was different because it had an 8 am start. So I could actually be up with my crew.

I woke up not feeling so hot. Then.. with all the crew back i see the best sight on the table. Salted Nut Rolls! I have been craving them for months and couldn't find them, Val found them for me and it was such a high spot, knowing that during the race they will be clutch.

We had pesto gnocchi and i had a salmon steak for dinner, and then it was bed time.

Race Morning: What a beautiful morning, sun shinning and no clouds. We could see Jeff. We made coffee and oatmeal for me. I have a pretty iron stomach and can eat right before running, so the plan was to take the oatmeal with me on the walk to the start. Everyone was in good spirits, I was feeling good and ready to run. The sun was finally out!

The race started five minutes late after going over all the course markings, details, and last minute crew recaps. A kiss of good luck from Nick and it was go time.

The course ran past the campsite and onto the single track to start heading around the lake. i decided to wear my short sleeve Sunnto jersey, full zip hooded houdini, Oiselle mac rogas, cotton gloves, baseball hat, balega socks, and my Salomon SLab3 trail shoes.

i was feeling great. the trail was perfect. I knew that the first 26 miles were going to be the hardest of the course. the steepest climb and the most technical terrain. So I knew to take it easy. We had a pretty nice downhill for about 5 miles that was steady and on a fire road. it was glorious and a spot to run some 8 minute miles.

We then had some rolling hills and the creek bed that we had to climb. This section was very reminiscent of some of the trails here in Wisconsin. At some point i remember being close the Ollalie lake and the trail looked so familiar. Low and behold it was the trail that Val and I had run on Thursday. I was confused though. I thought we ran on that at the end of the race, clearly I had it all backwards.

Coming into the Ollalie lake aid station at 26 miles was on the road. i was looking forward to seeing my crew. i was already over the trail butter and wasn't sure what I was going to eat. I knew i was a little under goal time but not much. I sat and wiped my face off. not sure what i ate, but I knew i would see them in another 4.8 miles.

That next section was great. downhill and rolling and non technical. All i remember thinking was how that was going to suck on the way back so close to the end.

Coming into the aid station Nick made me eat mashed potatoes, a Noka packet, more fruit, I'm not sure what else, but it was alot. i left there knowing I wouldn't see them for another 25 miles. They shoved tinfoil packets of baby roasted potatoes in my pack and sent me off.

These next miles were fucking amazing! I felt so good, I have never felt this good in a 100 miler before. The packets of potatoes were A fucking plus. i kept repeating that in my mind to make sure that i would remember to tell my crew. i flew through this. The uphills felt easy, my power-hiking was on point, I was using the downhills. I was passing people. I was in and out of aid stations quickly. I ate alot of fruit, oranges, grapes, watermelon. 

As i was about a half a mile from Clackamas I threw up. It was black and I thought it was from the fig newton i had eaten. I pulled my headlamp out but I didn't want to turn it on, I wanted to come into the aid station with it still light. In my mind that meant I was on schedule. I knew that the next section could be fast for Val and I. I was excited to be running with someone from here on out.

I was feeling low, i was in a calorie deficit. I got cold. i was worried that this section that was supposed to be fast would be slow going. i threw up a couple times, but my legs felt good. She did a good job at keeping me in good spirits. I remember the stars and turning off our headlamps to see them fully. I made her promise to make sure Nick and Ben saw them later. 
The cycle of not eating and running happened until we got back to Clakamas. I used a porta potty for the first time, ate a mix of broth and mashed potatoes. Well Nick fed them to me as I got my warm layers ready. Biz was ready for the task at hand. My legs were starting to feel the deficit so downhills were a little rough.

When we left Clackamas for the last time, I was cold. I warmed quickly though as I knew we had a climb ahead of us. This section is a bit of a blur and all i remember was trying to keep moving quickly while dry heaving and or puking. It was still black and i remember Biz asking if I wanted to see the medics. I said no, lets go a little further as most of the rest of my body was ok. Fun fact: I dry heaved so hard that i peed my pants a little.

I was able to eat the last of the bolied potatoes I had with me and the mashed ones we brought. More broth and I was drinking the maurten drink mix. I was so over it, but I could drink and i was getting calories. At one point about 83ish miles I told Biz i would need some caffeine soon, preferably coffee.

We made it the next couple miles in what seemed like a dream state. i never have a problem with being tired during the night in 100's, but with the calorie deficit, this was different. I knew i needed to try to eat something. They had a plain crepe at the aid station and i basically dunked it in a 1/4 cup of coffee to make it soggy enough to try and swallow. my throat would not let me physically swallow more than liquids a this point. i managed to choke it down and get the coffee as well.  That helped tremendously. Biz even said she could tell my mood was uplifted and I was in a better place. I felt like i was moving faster, maybe i was.

We were then able to pass the time by laughing about or high school style, Halloween costumes and boys. Before I knew it we were climbing to last big ascent before we went down into the Olallie Meadow aid station. We had about 10-12 miles to go. I was getting worried about making it under the 24 hour cutoff. My sub 22 hour goal was gone. I knew that was our the window by mile 60. Without the throwing up I could have made it.

The sun was just making the sky light up and we were hauling down that trail. It seemed to go on forever. I kept looking behind me and at my watch. I finally realized how close we were tot he aid station. I told Biz that I would drop my pack and carry water. I knew i probably wouldn't drink it, but i knew i should have it. I also had been surviving on ginger chews for the last 12 hours, so I of course took an extra one. Ben told me I could make it, i was so full of doubt. I knew that the 4.8 miles back was going to be a climb because on the way into it at the beginning I was flying downhill into it. I was so sure i couldn't climb almost 5 miles in an hour and 11 minutes. I remember looking at Nick with tears in my eyes, "I don't think i can climb that fast."
I turned around and saw that it was actually only 3.8 to the finish and we left, some how Biz knew what needed to be done. i put my pain aside and we ran the inclines and a girl who I had been leapfrogging with came into the aid station as I was leaving. i remember saying to Biz that we would let her pass, as it was me against the clock at this point. Usually my ultra competitiveness would make sure she didn't pass me. 
I knew we were close when we started seeing people walking towards us on the trail. One guy said it was about a mile to go. We had 34 minutes to get under 24 hours. We walked that next incline.

I was starting believe we would make it. As we crest the last little incline my crew must have seen Biz and myself as I heard them cheer. We came down that hill and onto the road, not entirely sure where i should go. Nick and Val joined Biz and I. They were talking and happy, i have no idea what they were saying. Next thing I know, I'm running through the finishing arch so relieved to see the time on the clock read 23:42:17. I finally let my emotion take hold and cried as I was given my buckle and glass from Todd. When Nick embraced me I probably had the ugliest cry of all and then Renee was crying and we hugged. Hugs all around to the rest of the crew and more tears. How do you thank these people?! I remember telling Ben when i hugged him that I pushed so hard because I didn't want to disappoint him. 

I sat in the warming tent and drank my after race magnesium to help my legs settle down. As i walked up to Todd to tell him hello from my chiro, he told me I had won the 30-39 AG. With how shitty i felt at the end of that race, I was shocked.

There is still so much more to this story that I can't bring myself to get out and it's already kinda lengthy. But the crew hung around and got breakfast while i went and wet wipe showered and napped. We took down camp and parted ways. Ben, Biz, and Val back to Corvallis and Nick and I back to Portland where we would stay for the next two nights.

We had the best time staying in the cutest renovated house into a hotel, eating, and moving slow. It had been 14 months since I last raced a 100 miler and I forgot how much i need it. 
When we got home I asked the whole crew to write their experience of the days before the race and during. I wanted to hear what it was like from their point of view. And to be able to remember some of things I had forgotten.

~First race where multiple clients paced me
~First race where I had stomach issues. it was due to the amount acid in my stomach from all the fruit I was eating.
~First 100 miler where my "tender foot" wasn't an issue, at all.
~First 100 miler where I was not only going for a specific pace, but also wanted to be in the top 10. Ok, let's be real top 5. 7th isn't shabby.

100% recommend this race. My heart is full and my legs are not yet recovered. i don't have a race on the calendar for the fall/winter yet. But I have some unfinished business with Run Across Wisconsin...

MadCity 100K Recap

This race each year turns out to be the litmus test of my winter fitness, or I like to think that's how it is going to be.

Last year I went into the race with zero expectations and still pulled out a decent performance with a nasty cold and limited training, so this year in all aspects should be better.

This year I had a decent amount of anxiety that coincided with the build up to the race. I was in the healthiest in a long time, if not ever relationship and to have it end before the race, but in an honest and open way, was actual very cathartic. A conversation between two adults who knew what they wanted and had enough respect for each other to say so. A relationship that I thought could have had some long term potential but had just ended very maturely and without incident, oddly enough put me into a really great position for the race. I think this was the calmest and most focused race I've gone into in awhile. It was the period before the race where the anxiety lay.

I didn't look at the weather because on Monday it was 70, and then we had snow, rain, and crazy wind mid-week. I know better by living in Wisconsin that the only weather you can pay attention to is the day itself. 

Before: Picked up my packet and got to meet some fellow 100K'ers, all from out of town. I went to dinner with my girl Hannah and her son Uriah for fish. That is almost always my night before race food. I packed my drop bags and my after the race bag. I then spent time researching the competition. Being a competitive person I wanted to see the women that I would be running against and the reality of my performance in comparison.

Race Morning: I wake up at 4:30am, let the dog out and make my coffee. I take one last look at the weather and decide what I am going to wear. As I pack up my breakfast, gear, and coffee I start to think about what goals I want to achieve. I set some light goals knowing that I wasn't fully recovered from my Run Across WI yet, and really don't know where I'm at. Set a new PR, and come in in at least the top 3.

I arrive at the race start about 5:30am, grab my back tag and meet some of the other 100K runners.
Do all the pre-race things, get my bibs on, place my fuel at the designated area, and meet up with my friend Allison. She came to the start to see if I needed any help getting situated.

Weather wasn't too bad, I believe 30ish at the start. I wore shorts knowing it would get warmer over the next 8 hours. A long sleeve wool base layer, my Suunto long sleeve singlet and my Patagonia Houdini jacket for a wind-block. Also hat and gloves.

Start: Its very jovial, we are all commenting on the weather and how some people are from down south and not ready for the cold snap. Timo gives us a nice countdown and we are off! For the first 10K loop Caroline and Ryan and I run together talking about where we are from, what we do, etc. I give them a little course info since they have never seen it or run it before. As we finish the first loop, I stop at my aid to grab sunglasses and eat. They take off. I knew the pace was faster than I wanted to hold right out of the gate and decided to hold back a bit and groove it out for awhile.

The next few loops sort of blur together. I take off my outer layer as its warming up now that the sun is shining. I decide not to carry water or food. I have food at both aid stations and they are about 3 miles apart, so taking in food and water there seems like the logical choice rather than to carry it.

It was such a nice boost to see friends at the start/finish area willing to help and give me encouraging words and hugs! There is a 50K relay that happens during the 100K, so it was perfect for friends to do both! My friend Hannah came with her son Uriah, and that was definitely a highlight in the middle loops. But, honestly I don't mind running alone.

As loop 7 comes, I feel good. My legs have been heavy the whole day and that hasn't changed. I start to walk some of the hills and I have come to the conclusion that I'll place second. I had accepted it and kept my even pace going.

At the end of the 8th loop, I was told by the officials that "she" was right ahead of me. What does that mean? How far? Close enough to catch? What shape is she in? At this point my brother shows up and I have to use the porta potty, bad! In and out and ready to tackle the loop. I pass a 100k guy with about a mile to go, he didn't look in the best shape, but I continued on.

At the beginning of the 9th loop the same guy comes out of nowhere, I make the comment of "well you rallied well." We stayed together until the aid station inside the arb. We both ate, but I was ready to go while he sat down and as I left I made the comment "Come catch me."

Coming into the start/finish to begin my bell lap, I try to eat as much as I can, because I don't want to stop again. I knew I'd be close to a PR and I wanted it. I had no idea how far back third was. Here though, I was told that "she" was only 7 minutes ahead. It's now or never. I thought about this, 7 minutes over 6.2 miles is a lot of time to make up after already running 58 miles. On the other hand, I told myself that I needed to push this race and see what I could do, I know I'd never forgive myself if I just settled. So I went for it. I pushed to catch her. Low and behold I stop at the midway aid station for some nutter butters and water and Francis blows by me, stating "You told me to catch you." You can guarantee that I left that aid station in a hurry to catch him, I didn't end up catching him, but it gave me an extra fire.

About 2 miles left I round a corner and I see her, her bright pink shirt and I start to choke up. Holy, shit I could win this?! I can't believe I am going to catch her! Then I start to think: What shape is she in? Is she bonking, and if she is when I pass her now will she be able to keep up? Is she just cruising and dogging it waiting for me to catch her? So do I wait and hold back a little so our sprint is shorter? Do I come up now and try to get the lead and see what happens?

I decide to go for it, just as I am coming up on her at the 1 mile to go mark, my friend Kristen is on her bike and shouts some words of encouragement, she sees this take place. I pass her on the right and say good job, I kick it up a little more and wouldn't you know it, she sticks to my left shoulder. Fuck. Here we go.

We stay neck and neck almost all the way, until about 300 yards til the finish and she just had more in her at the time. Mind you I pushed the last 5 miles to catch her. That last mile was the fastest of the day. 20 sec she beat me by. 20 sec and I could have been a National Champ. She broke the tape right in front of me. Am I upset I didn't break the tape, sure. But, I'm not mad. I did what I set out to do. I placed higher, I PR'd, I ran with all I had.

When we both finished the excitement from the officials was so awesome! I was fatigued, but not trashed in that 100 mile waddle way. They said they could see us across the lake, saw when I caught her and the battle that was happening, very rarely in a 100K road race do you see a sprint finish. It was pretty cool, even though I didn't get the W.

I have to give special thanks to all of those who came to cheer and support me: Wisconsin Volee, Kelly Terrell, Allison Gallipeau, Dani Grothus, Jessa Victor, Kristin Korvec, Kally Bishop, my brother Stan Grimm, Hannah and Uriah, and the countless others who cheered and shouted words of encouragement.

To my sponsors Suunto, Kanberra Sport, Nuun, SaltStick, Oofos, 

Run Across WI

Part I: The Why.
One of the most asked questions over the past few days has been: "How did you choose to run across WI?" There isn't a concrete answer for that, it really was as simple as, no one had done that before in the way I wanted and during the time of year I was going to. So, why not?
I have realized that many of the the things that I say yes to have that connotation of "Why not." I mean, really think about the reason you do the extraordinary things you do, yes we want to achieve our goal. But what is the reason that you started thinking about it in the first place? Or the things that you have thought about but haven't done yet. Life is short and opportunities get less and less, so Why Not choose to say yes?!

While growing up, both sides of my family had things we didn't talk about and people who were no longer with us for one reason or another. Something as a child you don't understand. As I grew older those secrets came to light and it was quite clear the struggles that plagued our family were not unique to us. But as I was in the midst of forming my own adult life with a small child, I thought I had escaped this fate that seemed to loom over each of us. I took so much pride that I was able to keep my shit together and always keep moving forward.

Until the spring. It was a year since my mom passed, 6 months since my friend died. My dog got hit by a car, I found a lump. The relationship with my daughter was strained, my training was lacking. I was alone. Now, the feeling of being overwhelmed was an understatement, having many things to deal with on my plate is not new to me. This time everything was different. This thing that I didn't know I was waiting for with anxious curiosity finally came around the corner and snuck up on me. I was deep in the abyss before I even knew what hit me. As I climbed out of the deep end after trying to swim for a few months, did I realize what was weighing me down. Fuck man, I was depressed.

2018 was a big year for me in terms of personal growth. Acknowleging, accepting, and moving forward.
When fall approached I was beginning to entertain the idea of running across WI. This would be about 75 more miles than I have run at one time. On the roads. In February, in one of the worst winters we have had in some time. But none of that mattered, it was about the cause and people that I could help by doing this. My grandmothers charity Riverway Communities of Hope, was already doing grand things but I knew we could do better.

Part II: The Run

At the start in Kenosha with the light of the moon

Thursday: Packing for 175 miles in the winter on the road seemed to take up much less space than a 100 miler across the country in the summer. Cody, my dear friend and training partner was my crew chief. How I actually got him to say yes to this is a mystery. We left Madison about 7:40pm heading to Kenosha and our starting area. A couple stops for water and some last minute first aid "just in case" items and we were there.


10pm and it's go time. The original start was midnight, but we decided that we would be up anyway and why prolong the inevitable, so we moved it up a couple hours. This course was pretty straight forward and flat to start. Basically once I started heading west, I just kept going. Cody drove ahead to each turn as I made my way through Kenosha ensuring I wouldn't get lost. The plan was to go about an hour ahead or about 6 miles and I would meet him to eat and drink so that way I wouldn't have to carry anything. Also for the first 35 miles I would be solo through the night, so this way it would break up any monotony.

Salt is important even in cold
and when you cant feel your hands

Friday 2:20am: This is the first time I sit down and take more than a minute or two break. I was over 25 miles in and I was really cold. Unbeknownst to me, it had gotten down to 8F when I was dressed for 20F. I was having a hard time keeping my hands warm, even with my tried and true gloves. Neither Cody or I knew it was going to be that cold, but the wind was at my back so that was a plus.

Jackson: Pacer #1

I change my shoes, apply the lube Kanberra to my toes which has menthol in it making it very soothing. Eat some more food, take in some salt and stash a bit of food in my jacket. Also, my first pacer is a bit early so the plan was to meet him in the next 6 miles. All in all this stop took me about 10 minutes. My headlamp had died twice from the cold, so we swapped out for Cody's rechargable one.

Insert Jackson my first pacer, whew I was glad to see him. I was enjoying the solo miles, but I knew the sun would be coming up in a few hours and he had just ran Black Canyon 60K and I was excited to hear about his race and just listen for a bit. At some point in the first hour and half together Cody comes up behind us informing us that we had missed a turn to head west. With a little navigation we were able to head west at the next intersection. Which meant down the road I would need to head north to hit the road I was supposed to be on to head west from there. Thankfully this was the only wrong turn throughout the entire thing. In the end, it added an extra 8 miles. Jackson stayed with me for about 3 hours and left just as the sun was coming up. I would be alone for the next 7 miles until I hit Walworth to pick up Kate.

Friday's sunrise

Friday 7amish and over 50 miles in. I take some tylenol, eat a bunch and pick up Kate. I was starting to feel my pace and the lack of walking. For the first 25 miles it was flat and therefore I didn't walk. With Jackson there was a little bit of rolling hills, but still not much to "make" me want to powerhike. So once I grabbed Kate I told her that we should do some run/walk intervals from light pole to light pole. If you have never been to this part of the state, let me paint a picture for you. A flat country road as far as you can see and pasture or fields flanking you on both sides with a view all the way to the horizon. This is it's own right is beautiful and can offer a certain type of solace. This was not one of those times, it was a little daunting and boring. The run/walk intervals were fairing decently enough, but the walking was hurting more than the running. The bottoms of my feet were starting to get the "tender foot" that I was dreading. We opted then to run the rest.

Picking up Kate in Walworth

After the next 7 mile stretch with Kate, it was time for me to change shoes again and tackle the next few hours until I got into Clinton to pick up Adam.


That next stretch was probably the best I felt the entire run. The sun was out, the temps were mid 30's and I had a smile on my face. I felt like I was flying. It was about mile 70. I knew that when I got to Clinton I had a welcome wagon. A husband and wife who were the parents of a person who reached out on instagram, were there to offer aid. Ultra running is truly remarkable in that way where it brings strangers together. After fueling with homemade breakfast sandwiches and fruit, changing my base layers and tending to chafing on my armpits, I was ready.

Eating is so important

Friday 10am: As Adam and I work our way into Beloit the hills are starting to make their way into the route. Adam and I are no strangers to running long distances, even together. We met in November during the Worlds Longest Turkey Trot, where we ran from Milwaukee, WI to Chicago, IL totaling just over 100 miles.
One stop along the way where I took a little time to change shoes, take some ibuprofen, eat and lube up.

Once we got to Beloit about noon at over 88 miles in I picked up another pacer, Todd. It was 18 miles to the next big aid station where I would be picking up my night pacers. At the beginning of Todd and I's journey together we found ourselves on hwy 81 which was fairly busy and basically downhill. When I changed shoes last I had put on my Hokas which helped to curb the tender foot issue, but was causing some knee pain. That factored in with all the downhill was quite frustrating. I knew by the time that Todd was done I would hit my 100 mile mark and I was going to crush my previous time. Todd ran the next 10 miles with me getting me to the 100 mile mark and providing some light-hearted conversation keeping my mind off of my knees.

Thanks Todd

I came into 100 miles at 17:25:20 besting my previous time by 3 hours and 44 minutes. That next mile was excruciating though. This was some cruel joke that my body wanted to play on me. Literally mile 101 and my knees said no more. For the next 8 miles I walked rolling hills, shuffling trying to run. I called my daughter and told her I passed 100 miles and she asked if I was done. When I said I had 75 more miles, she asked if I could do it since I had never run that far before. With the way my knees were feeling, I wasn't so sure.

First real break 100+ miles in

During that walk, I updated twitter, hit up social media, and checked in with a few important people. I also ate Papa Johns pizza and chugged some coffee. ok, I even snapchatted a bit. I knew when I got to the next stop that I needed to change shoes again, back to the original ones and take a small break. A couple miles to the meeting point my next pacer showed up, Tara. I have never met her and she is from Indiana, she is a friend of my client/friend Mary and wanted to be a apart of this journey. We walked it in to the meeting spot where I laid in the back of Cody's car with the Normatec boots on and asked for a 6 min nap, I couldn't fall asleep so I asked for another 6 min. No luck. So, same story. Eat, Change shoes, lube, drink, take pain relievers. Off I left with Jessa and Dan about 5pm.

Dan stuck with us for about 2 miles and then headed back to the car. Jessa and I were slotted to spend the next 25 miles together. This is where things all mash together, it got dark quick and we entered the land of small and short rolling hills. My knees were getting worse and the wind was picking up. We did however run with our headlamps off when the moon was out and talked about how small and insignificant we felt amongst all those stars. A dog came up behind us and decided it was going to run with us, very friendly and happy. We witnessed this dog not 50 yards ahead of us get fully sprayed by a skunk. If you have never smelled fresh skunk, it will make you puke. This dog stayed with us for the next 8 miles, all the while us trying not to touch it. The police finally came and picked him up, only after we almost witnessed him getting hit by car right in front of us.

Dan, Tara, Jessa ready to get me to the next stop

My knees were getting to the point where I had to walk the downhills backwards, walk the flat, but I could decently power up the uphill, but that then put the strain on my feet=tender foot. Closing in on 11:30pm, Jessa had to bail and changing of the crew guard was coming up. I was in need of a rest. I took a 45 min sleep in the back of the car, resting my knees. When I woke, my brother was there, I had to go to the bathroom, and my new pacer and crew had arrived.

I was so overwhelmed by my pace and how long the next 50 miles was going to take, but I made a rule. I didn't want to know what time of day it was or how long it took to go from point to point. We also decided that Kelly and James would go ahead 4 miles, that seemed more manageable with the way my knees were feeling. Running with Angela was just what I needed. She has seen me in this state before. She was my pacer for the Leadville 100(my first 100 miler), running the last 50 miles with me. I feel I fueled well and was actually able to run the flats and didn't need to run backwards down the downhill. Until it started to sleet and hail. The road conditions were getting worse. James would ride his fatbike up to us asking what I needed, so that way by the time we got to the car, Kelly would have it ready for me. What a system!

Angela and I made it 12 miles together before the weather became too much. I was ready to stick it out, I knew I would feel even better once it got light. We were under a severe winter weather advisory with ice building .25 inch each hour with no temp increase or relief in sight. For the safety of the crew vehicle, my pacer, and myself we made a collective decision to pull the plug at 4:21am Saturday.

As much as I wanted to get all the way there, having someone get hurt in that endeavor would have been awful. I am at peace with my decision. I ran further than I ever have, I set a new 100 mile PR, I met some amazing people, we raised money, we brought light to a hard often overlooked issue.

Home. Safe and sound. Thanks Kelly and James!

Thank you so much to my sponsors and people making this possible: Suunto for believing in me and having me be a part of your team, 608threads for providing the last minute cold weather gear, SaltStick for keeping me in check even in the coldest of temps, The Gearwell for always coming in clutch with my late in the race food container options, Dermatone for keeping my face protected from sun, wind, and cold, PickyBars: I ate so much Picky oats on this run, Rumpl for keeping me warm and cozy in a crazy situation, Smartwool for providing wool sock and baselayers that kept me dry and comfortable.

To all who sent kind words of encouragement along the way!
To everyone who donated to the cause.
To the people who showed up physically: Cody, Jackson, Kate, Adam, Bob & Ginny, Jessa, Dan, Tara, Jenn, Jay, Kelly, James, Angela, Stan and Abbie.

A bittersweet beginning

As I sit here almost a week after my 35th birthday, I can't help but to smile. In doing so I almost feel guilty. There is no secret that last year was a rough go for me in many aspects of my life. I was challenged mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Within those challenges I found myself. I found who I wanted to be and what I wanted to accomplish. I set boundaries. It wasn't easy and it didn't come without work.

I fostered new relationships. I hung with my ladies. I rekindled old friendships that had been lost for years. My racing was stellar even though it was few and far between, I surprised myself setting new PR's across the board with minimal training. I ran on a contract for the first time and became a part of a team.

I came into the last few months of 2018 with a fire burning inside. A switch was flipped and I finally felt like I was ready to work again. I race planned I made decisions that would be long lasting.

I decided that I would finally put my dream of running for my grandmothers charity to the forefront and make it happen. A little larger scale than originally planned though. I am running across Wisconsin to raise awareness and money for Riverway Communities of Hope. 175 miles of rural roads in the southern most part of the state, in February.

I am going into this run knowing full well that it will be hard. But, I think about the reason behind it all. This charity and the work my grandma is doing to help our youth can't go unnoticed. Mental Health and Addiction is a real part of many peoples lives either directly and indirectly. My family is no exception. If we could give someone the opportunity to better their odds when the deck is stacked against them, why wouldn't we? If something like this was around when I was growing up, maybe things wouldn't have been as challenging. Maybe I wouldn't be the person I am today.



So many people help shape you into the person you become. We lost one of those people a few weeks into the new year. A man, that if you were lucky to know, touched your life even with a single interaction. My maternal grandfather. He was the kindest, most gentle man. This man who married my Nonna with five small daughters and no hesitation. This man who was always teaching the people around him. This is the man who developed dementia a few years ago and was fading fast, the man we once knew was now slipping way.

His actual death happened very quickly. Within a few days aunts, cousins, siblings, and friends had now congregated in the midwest from all over the country to witness the recounting of an extraordinary man. Not only were we gathering to celebrate a brilliant man, we were also experiencing the re-opening of a wound of another. Just 20 months previous we were all gathered in the same place to say goodbye to my mother.

There is a certain level of comfort being with your family in a time like this that you cannot replicate anywhere. You all have certain memories of the same person but in so many different ways. You are all connected in this deep way that you cannot explain. And yet, all families have stuff. All families have traits and things that make them unique. I come from a family of very strong women. We don't quit, we move forward, we find a way, there is no other choice. In doing so, we found a way to compartmentalize our lives. I've said it before, I excel in this area. I believe that is what makes me a good ultrarunner.

I found myself reflecting as I was getting prepared for what laid ahead. Why is it that getting ready for a funeral service is so strangely similar to getting ready for a date or a wedding? I mean, why?
Is it because its a celebration of the person who you are now going forward in your life without? Is it because you know you will see people you haven't seen in years maybe decades? I've really been thinking about that contradiction and I still have no answer.

So here I sit almost a month into 2019 trying to reflect on how 2018 changed me. I remember those few months of difficulty with so much clarity. But, there was so much good, so many laughs, so, so much self discovery. Here in the new year I carry the fire that I built in late 2018 for my personal athletic goals. This new year started with a death, followed by an anniversary of another death of a great man in the family. A milestone birthday and a forgotten anniversary that once meant everything, to Roubaix turning six and a polar vortex.

As each year passes I understand more and more why I gravitated to ultra running. It makes so much sense to me. The rawness, the pushing beyond limits that were just an illusion to start with. The pain. It really is just an extension of everyday life compressed and magnified.

"Blowups are never fun, but it's impossible to know your true potential if you're not willing to risk pushing too far from time to time."

~Tommy Rivers