Category: Goals

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Antelope Canyon and finding your Why

I want to be successful at every race. I want to execute my plan and cross the finish line. I want to train correctly for each race. 

However, for Antelope Canyon I didn’t run on sand or in similar conditions. I executed my nutrition strategy but after 15 miles my legs were dead. Mentally I was done.  I continued to the next aid station and walked back to the start. 20 miles completed. Not 50.

I felt so different in the race compared to the 55K in December. I never got to the point of dead legs. Perhaps because I ran on similar terrain leading up to the race and I knew the course a little bit better.  Maybe I was a bit dehydrated from traveling and didn’t drink enough electrolytes. 

I do know I need to do more strength training. 

I do know I need to practice mental strength. 

At dinner after the race Mary, Kassandra, Stoddard and I talked about our “why”. What makes you keep going when you don’t want to? Mary suggested anger at people can help you get to the finish. I said my why is “it’s what I do”. But I don’t think that is going to work anymore. 

Here’s what I think my WHY needs to be right now:  

I want to run and finish races in places I’ve never been as a way to see the world. I want to have a smile on my face during most of the race. I want to be fit. I want to have a goal that I’m working towards every day. 

My goal for Antelope Canyon was to finish. And I didn’t. Sometimes it takes me two tries to finish a race on a new course. I’d like to think that this year is my year to cross the Leadville finish line (second attempt).

I have some work to do. 

The race weekend was fun despite not finishing. I met three friends in the desert and we shared stories and laughed. We caught up on what is going on in our lives and ate good food in Page, Arizona. The weather was fantastic: sunny blue skies all day long. I drove through beautiful northern Arizona with canyons and juniper trees and prickly pears. It was a great weekend of seeing new places, running in the slot canyons, seeing friends and being amazed at the world. I can’t wait to do it again.

Antelope Canyons, the second slot canyon on the course.
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Two weeks to the Big Day

Today is an 18 mile run. I was supposed to do it yesterday but Monday was a big day at the mountain. And I got to ski for a bit since I hadn’t skied in weeks. Conditions were amazing and I got 8 runs in. It is always great to get out there and talk to people on the lifts. I always say I have the best job in the world and yesterday proves it, to me at least. 

Tiger Steeps, my favorite trail

But today and a big run. 

It is the first big run since getting sick and I have two weeks until the 50 miler. I looked back at my  training for my first 50 in 2019 and I had two 30 mile training runs before that race. I think that will be telling for my results this year. So many things are different so it’s tough to do a true comparison but I just want to get to Arizona, hang out with friends, and run on the Navajo land to experience the magic. 

Then once I get back it’s all about building more mileage, getting strong, skiing a bunch, winter hiking and being the mountain girl that I am.

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Training Update – It’s Cold

It was a good week.

The weather was cold, snowy and windy. But I did every training session:

All Green

All Green! Total Miles: 54

Next week is even harder. 61 miles. Monday and Tuesday back to back long runs and the weather looks terrible. 

The weather this week in Concord.

Despite this I feel positive: I’m healthy, not injured and I feel good. 

5 weeks to Antelope Canyon 50 Mile.

12 week to White Lake Ultra.

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Training Update – It’s Going to be a Big Week

This week is big miles. 

It’s starting out pretty decent:

Total miles this week: 54. 

Monday’s run was half trail and half pavement. It was pure joy running on packed snow in the woods and not seeing a soul. 

Somehow I managed to run 21 miles on Monday and wake up to run 15 miles today. This morning I wanted to go back to bed about an hour before needing to leave for the run. So I napped until just minutes before heading out the door. It seemed to work. I started out feeling pretty good. It was a mental training run the entire time.

I feel pretty good right now, on my sofa with my feet up. I’m looking forward to not running tomorrow. Plus it is going to be COLD tomorrow and there is a storm coming in a few days. I dread the treadmill so I’m hoping to get miles in when it warms up.

One thing that kept me running both days was remembering a motivational sign I saw at my gym. 

Rest don’t quit. Good advice.

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Leadville Training Update

I’m signed up for the Leadville series: marathon, 50M and 100M, and training is going pretty well: 

Red=Bad
Yellow = Not Bad/Not Good
Green=Good

Not 100% green but I will take it for a win.

It’s been cold and I had a few sessions on the treadmill. I just dread the treadmill. Coach says watch a movie or listen to a book. I’m not sure those options are possible but I do have to learn to make the best of it. Similar to the 24 hour race in April when I have to run 3 mile loops for 24 hours, mental prep is on the ticket this week, and probably for the next 6 weeks. I’m not looking forward to the treadmill or 3 mile loops. But then again, who actually looks forward to running 100 miles. Ha. 

I haven’t been hiking in the mountains yet this winter and I’m hopeful that I figure out a 4,000 footer next week. This week is a training rest week. The plan is to get every mile in and stay relaxed. Next week miles will go up and I’m excited. I can’t see the schedule yet on Training Peaks and that might be a good thing.