Sometimes I laugh when I ask someone how’s it going and they say “livin’ the dream”. And think, are you really? Is that cynical or sarcastic? Or do they genuinely mean it?
What if they were to answer: “oh my gosh, I’m so lucky to have this life and I’m so grateful?”
Perhaps not as socially acceptable.
That is my answer today, if asked, maybe, at the right time, in the right place.
Seriously. Today. My Life. I don’t want to sound too happy or too ….. I don’t know, because there are so many things not to my liking right now (not being at race weight, my dogs eating my comforter, gas prices, a pandemic, anything in the news, not running according to the plan).
But here are the things that have made me happy this week and I want to remember them:
Despite carrying my shoes to the sofa, this dog is pretty awesome. I get to ski as part of my job. I feel really good about this. Lucky. Wear a helmet. This is all this means. Seriously, this is where I work. I biked outside this week. This truly makes me happy. This doesn’t really make me happy but it’s reminder that Goldie needs more exercise. I’m going to run with her more.
It is 5:30am and it light outside. I love spring. I’m so excited to take the dogs on the trail and go for a run this morning; even after a few hard days of training I’m excited to run!
The last two days were amazing and hard – it’s back to endurance training. I guess I need to call it that because I’m simultaneously training for Ironman and a 50 Miler. I’ve never successfully done this so it’s going to be interesting.
Swim: I still can’t get a “convenient” lane at the pool. I sign up, I’m waitlisted. When a session opens it’s usually 45 minutes before and I miss the email. Or I sign up and get a lane and I have a meeting or something that prevents me from getting there. Then I deregister. Come On!
Bike: The weather is perfect for biking now. I biked on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s hard not being in bike shape. As I rode I thought about how much I truly love biking. I love it more than any other sport. I refuse to bike indoors during the cold months because I truly believe it will make me hate biking. Like all the years before, I suck at biking for the first week or so then get stronger and stronger. This spring I will be equally tri-biking and mountain biking. We will see if it makes a difference.
Run: I didn’t run much these last two days because the bike kicked my arse. My legs were. fatigued and my back sore. I ran after the first bike ride because I really needed to run. But alas, three miles doesn’t really cut it. It’s okay: I’m back on track and will run this morning.
Weights/Core: Back to the gym for Week 2. I really like the circuit workout I do. All of a sudden I look up and an hour has gone by. I love sweating and just feeling strong. And wearing a mask while working out isn’t that big of a deal.
Everything is Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated. This outdoor life is good. The training life is good.
Training has been lackluster these last two weeks. My last blog post about training was so hopeful and promising, Clean Slate. However, since that post everything got a bit crazy. I’m now two weeks behind and have lost quite a bit of fitness.
Nevertheless, I will persist.
This week is looking up:
And, I got into a swim lane for tonight. Things are looking up.
My race schedule up until June, as it stands right now looks like this:
Also on a positive note: out of the blue, my friend Vickie from the Leadville training group texted me. She is running the Vermont 100 this year (if it happens) and her training isn’t going as planned either. She gave me hope. We have been in this place before and have still accomplished our goals.
I think we just know that regardless, we are lifers. Lifers in the sense that if we don’t finish a 100 miler, or 50 miler, we will next year. But we are going to try our damndest to fit everything into our lives. We do it because it just makes sense to us. We cannot not do it. So thanks for the text Vickie.
On Tuesday Vicky agreed to meet for a hike. We both had peaks to bag in January but we agreed on Whiteface Passaconaway. We didn’t discuss route or anything significant other than I wanted to run/hike. Vicky wanted clarification on shoe/boot type. We both wore boots and spikes. While I had visions of a bit of running it – ha – wishful thinking as always: it was a hike.
However, in the parking lot I told her I wanted to do the counterclockwise route since the granite ledges on the approach to Whiteface on Blueberry Ledge induces anxiety for me going up. Last year I did the loop counter clockwise and it was so much better going down the ledges than going up. I wanted to repeat what worked. Vicky is the most laid back, open for anything hiker friend I know. She didn’t care what route – she needed a long hike. Although I will note that three hikers who passed near the real summit of Whiteface as we headed to the ledges seemed worried for us.
But let’s start from the beginning.
Great weather, clear skies and no wind. Dicey’s Mill to Passaconaway has a bunch of steep parts but doable. Spikes were clearly the best choice. We get to the “boring” summit (sorry but it is), but the views between trees showed us Mount Washington in its glory.
Back to Rollins Trail and the ridge.
It is on this amazing ridge where I realized that I was gridding. Where I knew I was In. I am gridding. I knew these trails. I knew where I was going. I knew this ridge. I knew where the true summit was.
This may be the heart of why we want to know things so intimately. We know the familiarity that brings clarity. In the wilderness, things can change on a dime but yet we know trail junctions (and celebrate them) and can anticipate ledges or difficult river crossings. You know this place so well; and that is why I’m gridding because I love knowing a trail or route because I figured it out. I looked at the map and I hiked/ran/walked it over and over. I figured it out. I got oriented to this place.
Now, I know, I’m so gridding it. Every 4,000 footer in New Hampshire, in every month. Hells Ya. I say.
This Passaconaway-Whiteface Loop is glorious. We saw two cute dogs; the one with a bell that warned us of his presence and number two had the cutest ears. Spikes were the wrong choice when we got to the ridge; soft snow. We should’ve brought our snowshoes.
While we wished for our snowshoes but wondered: would we have put them on if we had them since it was “yeah spikes” more then “we wished we had snowshoes”. I know – it’s a dilemma. So much energy to put them on.
Vicky
We got to the place on Whiteface where I knew it was going to be tough. Vicky is fearless. She is taking in the views of the Presidentials and grabbing photos. I’m like, “Hey Vicky, I’m going to keep going.” I start the “bad part” and it isn’t really bad, yet. And I can’t remember which is the very hard part because I think there are three sections that are hard.
“Is this the bad part?” I ask Vicky.
“No, it’s coming up,” she said.
We go past the crevasse and it’s okay.
“Was this the bad part?” I ask Vicky.
“No, it’s coming up,” she said.
We get to a part where I butt slide a bit and jump; but it’s not super hard.
“Is this the bad part?” I ask VIcky.
“Yes, that was it,” she said.
“Wow, that was easy,” I said.
And just like that, the bad part is over. I estimate it’s about 1% of the hike. Blueberry Ledge Trail was perfection.
I’m gridding it. I have the best hiking partners. That is all.
Whiteface looking south. Can you see Gunstock in the distance?
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).
