#runfar

[mubal4]

Kindness Can Be Easy

There isn’t a deep, profound message I need to include with this video. I would encourage however, to take the 2 minutes and 26 seconds to view it. I don’t think I would ever consider myself a “runner.” It is what I do and brings me much satisfaction and fulfillment. Ironically, I’ve never done an actual marathon but completed countless trail ultra-marathons, so this content spoke to my heart, and my soul. I also wouldn’t consider myself a “seasoned” ultra-marathon runner, but I do enjoy deeply, and the culture draws you back, each time. Not competing in an actual road marathon, I don’t want to speak for their culture but judging by this video, and others that I’ve seen throughout the years, I believe it is a “running culture and community” that is so alive and incredibly welcoming.

 It feels like we are constantly racing against time and in many cases, we miss these special, unique moments. These moments where selflessness, kindness, and compassion are at center stage but are passed over for “a better story.” Well, this video is the story and what our world must be about – love, compassion, kindness, selflessness – helping each other take that next step. Doing these races for the last several years, I’ve gotten to experience both sides of this story. Being somewhere, out in the middle of a trail, by myself, not wanting to move another step and having that kind soul say and do that one thing that gets you headed forward again. I’ve also helped others that needed that specific word, another gulp of water, or just someone to take that next step with them. Time didn’t matter – these moments surface and the only time that matters is right now.

 Sure, this content shares a bit about running but it is a metaphor for life. We all have the same amount of time each day, how do we want to use it? When we experience the feeling of serving others, it is very difficult to argue that kindness is difficult.

[oediex]

tagged by @blarrghe, thank you!! 💚

last song: my current song-on-repeat-to-deal-with-depression is The Age of Believing by Aron Wright, which is brand-new! It's very sentimental but I need the age of believing in my current mental state to get through the day. "hope is like a ledge you're holding on to / you can pull yourself up if you want to" "love is like a tiger on a landmine / you're scared but want to save it at the same time". Heard it on Station 19. Just want to find a way to pull myself up to that ledge. Want to save the tiger.

favourite colour: RED ❤️

currently watching: House, haha. It's entertaining.

sweet/savoury/spicy: savoury yes, spicy yes, sweet no unless it's literally a piece of fruit, like you know the sweetness of a perfectly ripe nectarine? divine

relationship status: it's me

current obsession: mass effect trilogy, @blarrghe's writing and Taren and Dorian, Dragon Age stuff, veganism (always), giftedness, books forever and ever, ...

last thing you googled: well I don't use google, but I last ecosia'd(?) stuff related to sewing machines because I was talking to my oldest sister about it because I want to get one and she's been sewing for years!

tagging @dirtyhecker @thatveganwhiterose @runfast-runfar @dimitribelikxv and anyone who ehm identifies with the tags because if you're into the same stuff I am then I want to know more about you!

Empty one under the cut for easy copying:

last song:

favourite colour:

currently watching:

sweet/savoury/spicy:

relationship status:

current obsession:

last thing you googled:

[mailenego]

It's been an incredible journey to finally take on the challenege of running 21km for the first time. It's amazing how much your body can do for you. Now I know what it means when somebody said, DREAM BIG. All it takes is courage to start, faith in yourself and a lot of discipline to get you to what you want.

[dr3w-g-blog]

First run of the new year #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runfar #runforlife #runnerlife #igrunners #runlasvegas #runningcommunity #nikerunning #runforprs #strava #stravarun #bebetter (at Las Vegas Nevada) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsKVCvNhG8G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wtpq6jno0zpt

[red-headed-runner]

I’m incredibly lucky to have fabulous running friends and training partners. Although I tend to run alone with N dog the majority of the time, it’s so great to have people to debrief with and analyze progress with. Honestly-if you don’t have someone-get one, it helps.

I have one training partner and friend in particular who is a legend in his own right. Countless marathons and ultras under his belt including a 100 miler, he knows his shit-big time and I’m lucky enough to have him behind me every step of the way. I’ve been trying to co ordinate life and long runs for the next few weeks and between us we’ve come up with a plan!

I love plans, I’m a freak for plans. I love analyzing, creating, modifying and ticking off each workout as it’s completed. Anyone who wants to talk plans-I’m your girl ;)

T-93 days 💪🏻

[mycurlsandme]

4 STEADY MILES: today's weather was amazing. Cooler with cloud cover and a bit of cool wind. Oddly enough, telling myself to get my legs to turnover faster meant my pace was in the 7:XXs. #runhappy #runchat #womensrunningcommunity #runtoinspire #runnerscommunity #runningcommunity #running #runners #inspiringwomenrunners #girlrunner #ukrunchat #runningcommunity #blackgirlsruntoo #blackgirlmagic #ukrunner #runchat #runhard #runfar #runfast #bostonmarathon #boston2018 #bostonbound #run4prs #runallthemiles #marathontraining #instalife #stronger #howbaddoyouwantit #instarunners #igrunners #recovery #summerrunning (at London, United Kingdom)

[noneisreal]

If I ever meet myself, I’ll hit myself so hard I won’t know what’s hit me.

Kodak Tmax400, 35mm

[ultra-kel]

Had a good run. Didn’t look at my watch. Just kept the pace nice and easy. Kelly dropped me off in Altamonte and 2hrs later, she picked me up along the roadside in Lake Mary. I used #heed #gels and #Recoverite at the end. Think this was my last run in my #duos They have way too many miles on them (close to 1,000) but luckily I have another pair ready to go. #run #runfar #altra #zerolimits #runallthemiles #runflorida #howihammer #hammerfamily #caterpylaces #teamcaterpy #bestnutrition #bestrunningshoes ##notielaces #i4eyesore #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #getoitside (at I4 Eye Sore)

[glenny-dee-i-run-far]

Who's with me? 😌 #runfar https://www.instagram.com/p/CCY3KY_nMI5/?igshid=1t5y2xzz01zbr

[maslife]

We were about 4 miles out from the finish line with about 45 minutes to spare in order for me to finish under 21 hours at the 2017 Javelina Jundred. I was in a dark place. John, my husband and pacer, was trying to pull me out of it.

“Dig deep, Maria,” he said. “Your well of reserves is bottomless. Keep pulling from it.”

Ms. Cranky-Pants wasn’t really feeling the guru session.

“I’m at mile 96 of a 100 mile race. I AM digging deep,” I pouted. I might as well have stomped my feet, but at that point, I was feeling too beat to take the extra effort, so I just kept shuffling instead.

It was not my finest moment.

But, wait, I’m getting waaaaayyyyyy too far ahead – I mean there’s 96 miles before this moment when I had a choice to make: go for it – or give in.

I know it’s been said elsewhere, but running 100 miles is very much like living a lifetime in one day. You can learn so much about life and who you are by running 100 miles.

The day before the race at packet pickup, from left to right: John, my husband, me, our friend Eric, who was also running the race.

The Sun Comes Up

Sunrise in the desert is a magical time. At first, the rays peak cautiously over the shadowy mountain tops, until the sun spills everywhere over the sandy bottom.

When I signed up for Javelina this year, I remembered the sunrise moment from the first time I did the race back in 2015. I was looking forward to this moment, to staying present, to looking around at the unique beauty that is the Sonoran desert, and to soaking in the experience as it happened.

And so it goes with life. We are so frequently waiting for the “next thing” to happen, or what we need to do later, tomorrow, or next month. In chasing the future, we miss the moment we are in as it spills over us. More so than any other distance I’ve done, running 100 miles slows my focus, despite a life that is otherwise jam-packed with busy-ness.

John took this video the day before the race. It gives a good sense of the beauty of the desert as the morning sun wakes up.

Cycles & Loops

I lived some amazing moments during Javelina Jundred, where I felt like I could run forever. Then, there were times when I thought I would never get to the finish line, and thus be forced to run forever.

Coming in from the 2nd loop. The thin-lipped smile is a dead giveaway: I’ve felt better.

Then, I would cycle back to amazing joy.

And, then, again, bottomless misery.

And so on until the finish line, which of course, equals joy.

I felt my worst during the second loop of the race, which is roughly miles 22-40–in particular miles 30-40 were rough and ragged. The sun was high. The heat was on. My stomach had heat-induced yuckiness. And, my legs felt sore…already. My revel in the early morning rising sun was now a battle not to curse its fiery existence.

How was I going to make it to the end?

As I passed through Javelina Jeadquarters to start out on the third loop, John said: “Okay, keep yourself cool, this will be the hottest loop.”

Ugh. Seriously? I was already SO HOT.

I trotted off with ice in my handkerchiefs. In my hat. In my hands. In my camelback. In my shirt. In my…all-the-places.

The strange and wonderful thing about this distance is that it is so long. So, if you just stick with the effort, 9 times out of 10, you WILL actually feel better. Case in point: that third loop was not worse than the second one. I felt better.

Signs to help you keep your head straight for direction direction to run in the washing-machine style loop course.

And I felt better still on the fourth loop. I clocked some of my fastest miles between 70 and 80 miles!

I sailed into Javelina Jeadquarters at the end of the 4th loop, feeling fresh! It seems unbelievable – but that’s how it happens.

Life cycles up and down too. I’ve experienced heartbreaking misery, stings of sadness so sharp they felt like they cut me open. Yet, in pushing through these moments, giving time to pass through the misery, I have had times of intense joy, extraordinary blessings and deep emotional connection.

We just can’t cycle through the beauty, without rounding a bit through the shit.

Coming in to the end of the fourth loop. I had managed to catch up with our friend Eric, and we ran some of those last miles together. What was I saying to John here? Its a mystery… but he seems to think I was saying, “Hey sexy stud, let’s get our run on!” It’s likely…

Don’t stop believing.

I know. This is a lesson I’ve spoken of so many times before. But, really: Don’t. Stop. Believing. Ever.

When I came in from the 4th loop, I picked up John as my pacer for the final 20 miles. At this point, I had miles and miles of listening only to the voices in my head, which are fine, but after 80 miles, a real voice is also cool. I was ready to chat it up. I had stories to tell about the coyote calls, the crazy costumes, the way I felt throughout the day.

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  The first half of the final loop went well. But, I was hungry. At some point during the 4th loop, I started eating grilled cheese squares at some of the aid stations, and storing them in my camelbak pockets to eat as I went along. (Side note: When we came home, and I cleaned out my gear, there was actually little pieces of cold and very old sammiches in there. Flavor savers!)

The first aid station we came to didn’t have any grilled cheese, but they did have cheese quesadillas. SOLD to the hungry lady running 100 miles! More flavor savers in my pockets.

Then, we made our way to the next aid station, which was about 6 miles further – and at the halfway-ish point of the loop (Jackass Junction, see video below). They did not have grilled cheese or quesadillas or anything that made me want to eat it – despite a variety of choices.

I was on Team: Grilled cheese or die.

Regrettably, I made a bad choice at this point to choose death. Okay, maybe not death, but calorie-deficiency.

I’ll be fine with my clif bars and tailwind until the next station, I thought.

And, off we went, skipping into the night, at this point, with about 10 miles left to go. I bit into my clif bar.

Uh, no. Apparently, there was a limit on how many of those I could manage to sneak by my taste buds in a day, and I had just exceeded that limit. It was a no go. My stomach was fine. My mouth just refused to make saliva to process a bar that seemed to be made of talcum powder and chalk dust.

The funny thing is that maybe 2 hour prior to starting on the grilled cheese and quesadillas, this bar tasted like magic. Cycles, indeed.

Above is video (not taken by us) from Jackass Junction which was the mid-way aid station. It’s pretty funny to see all this life and drunkenness in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night when you come stumbling through. This video was taken in 2016, but the scene in 2017 (and 2015) was exactly the same. 

  So, I kept sipping on my tailwind, which was maybe going to get me about 100 calories an hour. Not enough. My stomach growled, and then the hangries set in.

And now, I bring you back to the beginning of this blog post, when the depths of my caloric-deficit were their sharpest, and my hangries were the hangriest they had been. Ms. Cranky Pants was in full effect at mile 96ish.

John was dealing with a petulant child who just wanted her grilled cheese. (Those who have crewed me in the past will tell you: DO NOT TOUCH MARIA’S GRILLED CHEESE.)

Our magic toolbox of calories makes crewing so much easier – especially for point to point courses where you need to pack in to aid stations. The secret: a toolbox! Sadly, there was no talking me in to any of these calories in the wee hours. I wanted GRILLED CHEESE!

In that moment, I didn’t necessarily recognize what I was feeling as the need for calories, but that’s what it was in hindsight. The crankiness really should have tipped me off.

I felt tired. My legs hurt. I felt my super-secret goal slipping away from me. Wah. Wah. Wah. Wah. Somebody call the waaaahhhhmbulance; this girl is a goner.

After we passed through the final aid station on the loop, we had roughly 3.7 miles left to go, with 45 minutes to make the super secret goal happen. I had slowed so disappointingly between mile 90 and that point. My sub-21 hour “cushion” was threadbare, crushing my dream that I might actually crush the super secret goal.

I needed to run about a 12 minute mile at this point to finish under 21 hours. Earlier in the day, this was easily accomplished – even with stops at aid stations, bathroom breaks, etc.

Now, a 12 minute mile seemed akin to a 6 minute mile.

John cajoled me. He ran a little bit ahead of me, trying to convince me to keep up. (Side note: If you want to poke the grizzly bear, just run ahead of her.) He spoke inspirational mantras, to which I replied with nasty rejoinders (in hindsight, most of which were pretty funny). He gave me gels, which I choked down.

And, through all of this, we ran. Each step, feeling like 1,000 hot pin-pricks through my legs, butt and hips.

I wanted to walk. I wanted to slow down. I wanted to stop. Those final 4 miles felt like the longest of the entire day.

But I didn’t walk. I didn’t slow down. I did not stop.

Each step was a conscious choice that I was not giving up on my super-secret goal. Each step was a conscious choice that I would not give in – I would get on. Anything worth having should not come easy. This challenge, this moment – this is exactly what I signed up for.

It was time to dig from my bottomless well. So, I got out the shovel.

We played a game in which I would surge for about 20-30 seconds, then go back to my trot. Those surges, over about a mile or so, brought some life back into my tattered legs. Those surges made the difference. I didn’t want to do them, but I’m glad I chose the hard option. I’m glad John helped me make that choice.

When we got within a mile of the finish line, we could hear the music thumping from Javelina Jeadquarters. That place is a full-blown PAR-TAY in the night time.

“Do you hear that, Maria? That’s the finish!” John’s face was excited, yet pleading. “You can still do this!”

While I had my doubts, I forced myself to hold on to the “speed” from the surges, and we were running just a tick faster, then a tick more.

  The buckle shot.

When you come into the Jeadquarters after each loop, you run a roughly 400-meter loop around the make-shift village. When we came in to the loop, John looked to his left, and could see the clock. I had about 2 minutes to make the finish under 21 hours.

“Maria: we have to go NOW. You can do this.”

And, that’s the story of how a finished a 100 mile race with a hardest sustainable 400 meter sprint – in 20 hours 59 minutes and 31 seconds. I was the 6th female across the finish line, and the 39th overall finisher. I set a 32 minute PR for the 100 mile distance.

I was hurting. I was hungry. But, I lived a good lifetime in this one day, so I was happy.

Dig From the Bottomless Well: 2017 Javelina Jundred Race Report We were about 4 miles out from the finish line with about 45 minutes to spare in order for me to finish under 21 hours at the…

[deepdrearn]

Disrespected the training schedule again. Increased the mileage of the longest Long Run. 22 miles to finish peak weak. Definitely feeling much more confident about the full marathon distance now. I did crash a bit in the final 3 miles but pulled through really well. So apparently, from now on it’ll be tapering. Feels like way to early.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

[dr3w-g-blog]

“Success isn't always about 'Greatness', it's about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” Dwayne Johnson #runner #runnersofinstagram #igrunners #runforlife #runfar #runforweightloss #run #running #runlasvegas #runjunkee #fitness #cardio #cardioworkout #greatnessisinyou #greatness #trainharder #training #youcandoit #youwannadoit #marathoner #distancerunner #rawkusrunning #nikerunning #bebetter

[mycurlsandme]

WORKOUT #1 COMPLETE! Personal Training taster session with Perfect Balance which started with a body scan than showed I have 16% body fat but a metabolic age of 18 years old! Yay! 🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿 (swipe to See!) On the other hand, my left leg is 0.5kg lighter than my left! Injuries at the ankle and hip may be the cause. Gotta get that side stronger again. Off to #lululemonsweatlife festival now! #runhappy #runchat #womensrunningcommunity #runtoinspire #runnerscommunity #runningcommunity #running #runners #inspiringwomenrunners #girlrunner #ukrunchat #runningcommunity #blackgirlsruntoo #blackgirlmagic #ukrunner #runchat #runhard #runfar #runfast #bostonmarathon #boston2018 #bostonbound #run4prs #runallthemiles #marathontraining #instalife #stronger #howbaddoyouwantit #saturday

[jessejamesjamnikhealthandfitness]

Before every amazing sunrise, there is a dark night.........Now translate that to your life 😳🤔👊🏻 #musclesandmiles #ultrarunner #trailrunner #runner #running #run #runfar #runningman #runnerslife #runningcommunity #runnersworld #life #lifeisbeautiful #lifeisgood #explore #positivevibes #beyou #nevergiveup #neverquit #teamisagenix #athlete #entrepreneur #mindset #yeswecan #fitfam #healthcoach #lifecoach #fitnessmotivation #instafit #sunrise

[ardeejagt]

It’s #gapseason for our @lopersclub and it was a perfect #summermorning to get in a few miles. It was great to meet another @procompression #ambassador in our club. We found ourselves being #matchymatchy with our socks. But the surprise of the morning was Dexter’s #oldschool @inknburn design. #runfar #morningrun #lopersclub #inknburnambassador #crockpotrunner (at Loma Linda University Drayson Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoKLythPus/?igshid=h4cc93pfednd

[glenny-dee-i-run-far]

June was a great month for road miles I smashed 100 miles for the challenge. 😃 Cheers for the medal #runfar this month is getting a hiding as well but more on trails I think 🤷🏻‍♂️⛰️ #runfarmedal #100milechallenge #alldaylong https://www.instagram.com/p/CCS0VCIn-nP/?igshid=1medxhhh3zjgz