I run happy.

Monday, April 8, 2013

MY HUGSBAND is SO Skinny and ANOTHER TRAIL RACE REPORT

Yes, I did say hugs-band.  The poor skinny guy.  Ultra training is taking it's toll.   He picked me up at the Carlsbad Airport this morning and I hardly recognized him.  5 days away and the cat didn't play, he just RAN and Ran and ran...some more.  Twice yesterday.  Thank goodness he fueled after his twenty miler with some nutritious, vitamin-laden treats from Whole Foods.  Not.  He hit up Oggies pizza and invited "friend" over to watch the basketball game and then they devoured the entire order:




Hugsband's Ultra is about a month away.  I have visions of fattening him up before the big day but honestly, I'm not sure it's possible.  Two a days have a way of burning up every single vitamin, mineral, fat cell and calorie within minutes of finishing.  Ah, the trails of an ultra widow....with a husband both thinner and lighter than she.

The joke is that I'm not really an ultra widow.  I've been spinning my own web of fun and headed out to visit my BIF(bad influence friend) for fun, adventures and trail racing in Colorado Springs.  BIF is also known as  the founder of ...RAWHIDE.  A mix of princess, diamonds, moxie and toughness.  In elementary school,  BIF was a playground enigma. She held her own, a princess always ready for a fight.  Not a mean girl, no, just a gal that carried her head high.    I worshipped her from afar.  In junior high, we had some tough classes together; she never studied, I studied my brains out.  In high school,  she drove her mother to drink and we walked "the edge" more times than I can count. At the age of 18, she MADE me call my now-hugsband and ask him out!   In college,  we sealed the deal and became close friends.  College, marriages, babies, deaths of family members, surgeries, family drama,  another marriage...today at almost 48,  she is still my BIF and we practice "RAWHIDE...the noun" as much as possible.  On Sunday, that meant ME heading to Colorado Springs to do some mountain trail running at 6000 feet with NO, NO, NO elevation training and having taken a week of tapering(non-voluntary)before the trip.  Mind you,  I live AT SEA LEVEL, basically 3/4 mile from the beach.




Beautiful things unfold when Rawhide happens.  BIF ran her first trail 5k, mostly cheering for every single person she saw and crossed the finished line pain free.  Her plantar facitis was obsolete.  I ran the trail 12k and pr'd by 3 minutes.  The course was TOUGH, steep and in the MOUNTAINS,  so I ran relaxed, happy and free.  Sure, I had a pounding headache that finally ended once my plane landed back in San Diego, but RAWHIDE sees you through the tough times.  My legs felt strong, my cardio was spot on and heck,  we all know how affective a good six day taper can be to a 48 year old!

So,  life back here in San Diego goes on.  I celebrate my win in Colorado within...I felt so happy to have finished a challenge and a goal that was out of the ordinary.  The trail run the following day(pictures above)was my medal...my gift...my reward.

 I've found myself needing some new adventures this year and I've had a burning desire to set some new, higher goals for myself in running this year.  I'm not sure what that means just yet but I have signed up for a fall marathon with my HUGSBAND and once he recovers from sheer skinniness,  I'll have him out there training and "RAWHIDING" with me(the verb)once again.

Just wondering,  do any of you have a BIF?  Isn't it fun?!?  Do tell...

Keep on 'movin, 'movin, 'movin forward and happy running,
meg