Motivation Monday, Running to Podcasts

Today I ran 8 miles listening to several Growth Equation podcasts. This is the first time that I’ve ever run to a podcast. I really felt like I needed music. Listening to Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness made me think about so many things that got my mind off running, yet I was listening about other people’s “Why”. Why do they push their bodies when they could just work out for an hour? Why do people continue to compete when they aren’t winning anything? Listening to their podcasts make me feel like I’m on the right path. 

https://thegrowtheq.com/podcast142/

But also, the best news is my ankle is 90% better and I ran without pain. 

I think November is going to be my favorite month in Tennessee. I love that the forest is wide open now. When I hiked on Saturday with Melani on the Laurel Falls Trail I saw the landscape that just a month ago was a green mountainside of trees. The actual falls lacked a bit of water due very little rain lately but it was a great trail.

Laurel Falls photo by Melani

I read last week that the Laurel Fall Trail is closed during the week, however I just checked the park website and it’s not listed as closed

Happy Monday. It’s going to be a good week. Thanks for reading.

The biggest leaf I’ve ever seen.

Clean Slate Monday

Despite Monday and Tuesday being my weekend and when I complete my long runs, today’s Training Peak Calendar shows a clean slate: A full 7 days of running aheads and 11 hours of it.

Last week I missed one day but I’m happy with the training I did but alas, today is a new week, a blank slate to do everything I want to do. New this week will be swimming and signing up for lanes with the hope that being on the waitlist materializes. Also new, weight training. And possibly new is completed a second run on the days that are optional.

Training Stats for January:

I’m staying healthy and not getting injured so these are very good signs. I’m eating well and decided to cancel my Hello Fresh subscription. While I liked the different meals I don’t think they were necessarily super healthy options. I want to eat more local, fresh food instead of wherever the food came from with the subscription (I think California).

Let’s get to it.

Recovery Week, 100 Mile Training

This week is a recovery week – thank goodness!

There are 10 weeks left of this training plan and then I run Umstead 100. This means that this week is a recovery week with 36 total miles. Last week was a disappointing training week; I didn’t do everything I was supposed to do. 

I found my Leadville Training log from last year and compared where I am today. 

Last year:  Planned was 65 miles. Actual was 23.6 miles.
This year:  Planned was 65 miles. Actual was 40.5 miles.

This year I’m doing much better but I really need to do the miles the training plan states.

Other things different this year: weights and core are making me more tired and grumpy every day. I also recorded hiking miles as total miles last year which I’m not doing this year.

Since I write these posts mainly for myself, because just writing and posting to the world is cathartic, I know what I need to do to be successful at a 100 mile race. I know I need to do the work every day. But here’s the thing: I don’t really enjoy race day all that much.
I love the process.
I love the daily goal attainment.
I love the planning.
I love the travel to places I’ve never been.
I love the people I meet along the way. 
These are the things I love about being an endurance athlete.

The races and adventures I sign up for keep me motivated to have an amazing life, every day. While today is a super low, unmotivated, feeling sorry for myself kind of day, I know that a few words I read or listen to will turn it around in a heartbeat. I look at my new tri bike still in pieces in the other room and I know as soon as it’s put together, and we have a warm day, I am going to be so happy to be riding it. I look at my race calendar of seemingly impossible races, all too close together, and I still know that I can do it all. I was told last week that I’m absurdly confident. Yep. That’s me. 

Here’s my next four weeks. Just writing this post and reading it often will make me do it all. I’ll report back at the end of it.

Come on Monday.!

52 Marathons in a Year

I subscribe to Semi-Rad’s newsletter and today I read his post about how he finished 52 marathons in a year. OMG – I love that goal.

My last post I wrote that my only goal in 2020 is to finish a 100 Mile race. But ….. I read Semi Rad’s post and feel like that might be a thing. I have a few days to decide. What I like about his plan in 2019 is that he just ran it on his own, most weeks. He did some organized races, which I could do, too, but mainly just ran 26.2 at one time, 52 times in one year. Now that is a commitment.

Okay, I don’t need to think about it. I’m doing it.

New Goal: 52 marathons in 2020.

If you don’t know Semi Rad, Brendon Leonard, you should. This is my favorite graduation speech that I just love, love, love and posted about before.

People may call you stubborn—that’s OK.
Stubborn is just a dirty word for driven, and driven people get things done.