Friday, August 28, 2009

On the Eve of Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run

Here I sit, a bundle of nerves. I've been going crazy from anxiety and nerves all week. trying to rest and pack, get lots of sleep. Now it is finally here.
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go," not standing at the door quite yet, few more hours to wait. Now the questions just nag and persist. Will my ankle braces cause me grief, just how bad will the blisters be? Will be fast enough up the climbs. Actually, the running and climbing questions I know I can do, It's the other things I wonder about.
The training is in, the playlist is downloaded, the checklist is checked off.
The praying has begun at full strength, please pray for me too. These are my requests: Strength, Endurance, energy, positive attitude, staying awake through sleep deprivation, keep moving through the aches and pains in my feet and muscles, safety and FUN!
Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate all of them and all of you. Hopefully a race report will be published on Monday or early next week. God bless you.
Grace and peace to you.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Taper Time Ramblings

As I approach the week and a half left to go mark, I am beginning to get excited and nervous. Do I have enough gels, extra socks, etc to make it to the finish? What's the weather going to do? All these questions. Did I train enough? Will I be fast enough on the climbs? I rest in the knowledge that I listened to seasoned runners and followed their coaching advice (thank you Rob, Eric and Steve as well as many others out there).
As I begin to make little piles of clothing and gear, trying to decided which bag for which aid station I want my crew to have this or that ready for me, I am thankful for all the help i have been given to even get to this point, the ready to toe the starting line point. Who would have ever thought I'd run 100 miles? I just ran my first marathon about 3 years ago. "What a long strange trip it's been." Albeit a great trip. I can't wait to find out all the things I have learned about myself over the last 9 months. Yes it has been a 9 month journey from the first time I felt called to even consider running Cascade. It has been along journey that my loving husband blessed and has endured. Many weekends with the kids while I was out training in the mountains or up at 4am and back at 9pm and he got all the kid duties...baseball games and swim lessons etc... Thank you Hun. I know I have grown as a person, stronger mentally, physically and spiritually through this journey. Next Saturday, the 29th it all comes to fruition. And as I look back after on the adventures I have had in getting there and in tackling the 100 miler, the lessons will begin to emerge and I'll know then who I am after 100 miles and why I was called to run the Cascade Crest 100 mile endurance run.
Until then, Grace and peace to you and a prayer request for me for peace, endurance, strength, health, and good weather!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Plain Painful Adventures

I know I'll post my version of the story, but until then, please read Eric's version as it is so close to mine!

Grace and Peace to you!