Excited about TGC :)

With being just a little over 2 weeks before my first race of the season I'm filled with excitement and nervousness. 

I've ran TransGranCanaria twice now and both times it has been completely different. In 2012 we started in Maspalomas and ran to Las Palamas. In 2013 we started in Agaete and ran to Las Palamas. This year they have changed the course once again just to keep us on our toes! The 2014 course has us running from Agaete to Maspalomas which seems to be a very scenic and tough route.

Even though I've raced this race in the past the unknown still scares me a bit. I have always felt that I'm not as prepared for this race because it is early in the season but at least this year I've been able to train better with the milder winter conditions we've had. I also still have a bad case of Plantar Faciiatis in my left foot but I've been really trying to do all I can to speed up the healing process. I'm using KT tape, wearing a night brace, using a tennis ball and icing. The only thing that seems to really be helping is taking my daily dose of Vitamin I (a term I learned from my friend Trail Plodder for Ibphrofen). Hopefully, I will be better soon!

All in all, I cannot wait for this race and hope that I perform to the best of my ability! I'm also looking forward to meeting up with some running friends and meeting new ones. 

Keep running strong, eating well and loving life!

Today was a good day but I did get a little lost. I took the train out to Kaiserslautern in hopes to run the trails along the ridge line back home but instead I just ended up running all around the Palatinate forest. I ran on some great trails and saw beautiful scenery but before I realized I was going the opposite direction of home, I was already about 3.5 hours into the run. You might wonder how someone who is running with GPS and with an iPhone can get lost…but really it is quite easy. First, the Garmin Back to Start feature is great if you want to go back to the start…which I wasn't trying to do, that is, until I realized I was just running in circles in the woods. And the iPhone…well, that works great when you have connectivity but I was out in places that had no service. The good news is, I ran exactly 24 miles on trails in 4 hours and 8 mins and felt great.

I did this in my new Hokas and my feet felt surprisingly good even towards the end. This has not been the case in the past with other shoes….so I really think that I'm now a Hoka believer! I also didn't take any gels…I ran the whole way fueling with Tailwind in my hydration pack and two Carbboom powder packs that I put in two handhelds. That was it, and it seemed to be enough!

I did take time to take a couple quick pics along the way…it was too pretty not to!

Life's Choices and Moving Forward One Step at a Time

If there is one thing I've learned from running ultras, it is to never give up.  Just keep moving forward, especially when things aren't going well along the course and remember that in the end, all the struggle is over when you cross the finish line. And, it is at this time that you are filled with happiness and self achievement.  In Ultras, you have to battle weather, your nutrition, the distance and the difficulties of the course. If you focus on the things you can control like nutrition, your mental state and learn to adjust to the things you cannot change such as weather, it will seem more of a positive challenge and less of a negative struggle. This is also true with life.

We all have things we have to take care of, work, paying bills and dealing with relationships but if you focus on what is important to you and make it priority then everything else seems to work itself out. Life doesn't happen exactly the way we planned, things change along the way, but if you are brave and try to make positive changes and learn to accept things that cannot be changed, happiness will be achieved. Sometimes we take chances that have the possibility to end poorly but it is the hope and belief for a victorious outcome that keep us trying, taking these risks. If you never take a chance, you will never know that it IS possible. I will take chances in all aspects of my life!

I want to live my life to the fullest. I believe we all have a need and a right to be happy and it is up to us to ensure we achieve this. For me, it is having people in my life that I can trust and rely on, that are there for me and love me completely. Happiness is running and adventuring, trying new things and not being afraid of new challenges. I wouldn't be who I am today without running and the people in my life who have been there for me in different capacities along the way. So, with that said...I would like to focus this next year on my running, with it being at the forefront of my priorities. I love being out on the trails and I love competition. I love pushing my body and mind to new limits.

This year will end with me being a very different person. My personal life has changed but I'm grateful for the memories and the experiences. I hope that when 2013 closes, 2014 will open into a new and promising adventure that will bring with it new challenges and achievements. But most of all, I will love and be happy.

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year filled with HAPPINESS :)