Trail Race Report!

By today, THursday, I finally feel recovered from the 15k trail race I did last Sunday.  I took this picture from Ann run-dmz.blogspot.com who is celebrating her 7th year of blogging!  How horrible am I?  Stealing a photograph from the bloggy birthday girl!?  Thanks, Ann.  I just couldn't find a photograph that captured the arrival of SPRING out on the trails.  Yours was perfect!  Speaking of her bloggy birthday,  I must admit that Ann's blog was one of the first I'd read and when I found out we lived near each other,  it was even more fun to read about her adventures on the trails and with our track club.  Ann is one sweet, stable and focused writer, runner, woman and blogger.  Thanks for your dedication, Ann!




Anyway,  my quads, calves and booty were put to the test on Sunday.  When I had done this race three years ago, I had been at the end of my Boston training and my legs were ready for Heartbreak Hill.  On Sunday,  my legs were completely SHOCKED and FURIOUS with me. My marathon was a little over a month ago and I thought that my two weekends of hill running would be enough to both recover and get ready for the Black Mountain hills.  I was a little disillusioned, confused and dazed to face these hills once again.  They were steep, they were ever present and they were LONG.  Blech.


My goal for this race was to beat my time from three years ago AND stay mentally tough on the hills.  Unfortunately,  these goals weren't met.  I was three minutes slower and my tough brain melted into a squishy marshmallow PEEP brain after the first hill.  Some how,  I managed to place 5th female and 1st in age.  Being the TOUGH chick that I am,  tough on myself anyway,  I admit that the placings didn't make me smile as much as the run itself.  The flat sections were flanked with artichoke bushes,  long green grasses and bright yellow mustard plants.  In SO CAL, this means SPRING.  So,  I continue to move forward towards my next goal this spring, the sub 20 5k in May.  


O'side 70. 3 TRI is this weekend!  Let's not forget the Carlsbad 5000 on Sunday!  There will plenty of PRO ATHLETE STALKING for BS and I this Sat. and Sun.  FUN FUN FUN!  Good luck J.U.  No pressure :).
xoxo
meg

You Have NOT Been Forgotten...

Thank you, precious friend, for the **heartfelt** email that rocketed me back to blogging!  Truthfully?  I've been reading blogs galore but not commenting...your stories and lives inspire but my REAL life calls me back to reality and I just have too much to do sometimes!  Most times!

Since January, you have all had your share of successes, changes and LIFE and me too!  I have not quite hit the big 47 years old but until then,  I'm racing my heart out, training and still have BIG GOALS and plans.  I've decided that I'm just a big-goal-kind-of-girl and I don't like anything holding me back...especially myself!  Since January,  I've managed to...

**drum roll**  Run a  personal best marathon in Arizona, a 3:25.  This was BIG.  I know it's a flat course, yadda-yadda, but I'm just going to say that MENTALLY and PHYSICALLY, this raced rocked. I felt strong and could have done MORE but a wise *coach* made me stick to the plan and it worked.  There's nothing like finishing a marathon with confidence.

--Still teaching kindergarten to some crazy kids.  We just finished a week of OLD WEST studies; ponies, cactus, paper cowboy hats...enough said.

--Still loving that AWESOME hunk of maleness in my life.  We celebrated 26 years of marriage this last week and it was bliss....by the way, I have him to thank for that 3:25 marathon.

--Still grand mothering on Tuesdays after school and every second in between!  Yes, I love it.  Sparkle Pants has now been renamed, Stinker Pants.  With potty training and "the mid two's" in progress, I thought it was a perfect reference.

--Still thinking that my daughter made the BEST choice for her life and the life of her son and his dad.  Choices and decisions are never easy.  I respect her.  I never COULD or WOULD have been able to be that strong at twenty-two.  BRAVERY.

--Still training!  I have an X-Terra Trail Race tomorrow and my mental plan is in the works.  The hill training is in progress,  the miles on the books...just more steps in the right direction!  Tomorrow will be F  U  N  !!

I have not forgotten those of you who are SUCH POSITIVE, TRANSPARENT inspirations in this WORLD of runners and bloggers!  Thanks for always being so honest and for sharing your sweet successes as well as your struggles,  I continue to learn from you and appreciate your efforts and steps forward!  I think I'm back to this... bar any new "endeavors" which may present themselves between today or tomorrow!

RUN ON, STAY TOUGH, SO GRATEFUL to be able to be inspired by you...
meg