Just rambling on

Today started early with a nice run with Karen and my brother, Wally. After the run, I went to the gym and did some pull-ups and some upper body weight work. I just love the way it makes my body feel. I am surprised at how empowering getting strong is.

Matt and I went to his Mom's house for a late afternoon lunch with several of his family. We went to see their friends Alpaca farm and was promptly spit on by a mad Alpaca. The smell of her spit was just gross and of course everyone their just thought that was the funniest thing!

I got an email for The Coastal Challenge today updating me on the race. It is really exciting to read all the new information. Apparently there will be people competing from at least 8 different countries and I am sure it is going to be a total blast. I want to be as prepared as I can, so if anyone has any ideas on how I can be ready, please don't hesitate to contact me. I have never been to Costa Rica and I have never done a stage race so I am quite a rookie as you can see. My friends Florencia, Leslie and Suzanna will be training for the Hurt 100 in January so I will have plenty of opportunities to train during the early winter months.

Tomorrow I am up at the butt crack for an early start at the Hospital. It's best if I hit the hay early. Did I mention that we got a new bed? Y E A H !!!!!!!! You can bounce a bowling ball on it, but so far we love it. It is looking mighty comfortable right about now, so I will end this boring post. I hope you all have a nice start to the week. See you on the flip side.

Winter's a coming; get out there and MOVE

Today, Tamara, Suzanna and I had lunch at a great Italian restaurant in Sonoma. Tamara and I both had Lasagna and Suz had something I can't pronounce. It was so delicious! I will need to run really hard tomorrow to burn off all of that food! We had a great time talking about running, runners, adventures we want to do, weird people, and did I mention running? I followed up my lunch with an upper body workout at the gym. It feels really good to work your arms and upper body. All this work better pay off!! I love doing it anyway, so I'm just kidding. I learned a new exercise the other day. I think it is called negatives and you jump up to the chin-up bar and do a chin-up and then you S L O W L Y lower yourself down. It is really hard to do after a few of them. Something this hard has got to be good for me. You can use a step or something to help you jump up and reach the bar if necessary. So anyway, happy trails to you all this weekend. Winter's coming so get out there while the gettin's good.

A few of us are planning a climb up Mt. Whitney running the trails that are not used by the usual hikers. It is about a 45 mile trek. We are going to apply for a permit for a run there in May or June. Should be fun.

Do these sunglasses make me look FAST?

I have great news!! I have been selected to represent Aruba sunglasses. They are real eyewear for real athletes. Their sunglasses are intended for running, cycling, water sports, golf, and tennis. They are lightweight and very sturdy. Most importantly...they work. They work well on low lighted trails and they are very comfortable. Please check out their website and see for yourself.

In the pictures I am wearing the Wave 2 and the Wave. The Wave 2 comes with interchangeable lenses and they don't fog up. All of the sunglasses come in cool colors and different colored lenses. But most importantly....Do these sunglasses make me look FAST?

"Call Andy Jones, we've got a leaner"

Untitled from Lynn Hesseltine on Vimeo.

Here is a video of Dan Williams finishing AC 100 two weeks ago. Suzanna Bon paced him. Dan is an amazing runner and just a great guy. Dan and Suzanna are two of my most special friends. Dan struggled this year at AC despite getting in some great training. His back started doing "the lean thing", and it was quite a struggle trying to run like that. I am so proud of him for a job well done. Many people would have thrown in the towel, but not Dan. He kept his head high and finished with a smile on his face. He is a true ultra runner. A little stubborn, and a lot tough.

Thanks Lynn Hesseltine for the video of Dan's emotional finish.

Team Diablo rocks at AC

Last weekend I had the honor of pacing Tamara Johnson at the AC 100. The race starts in Wrightwood, California and ends in Pasadena. The race is run through the San Gabriel Mts. AC is a hard 100. There is 21,610 ft. of climbing and 26, 700 ft. of descent. The course is as beautiful as it is tough. It is well run and course markings are everywhere. I would say that if you are looking for a challenging 100, AC is for you.

Suz, Jeff, Ken, and I crewed and paced during the race. Crewing and pacing are almost more tiring than running the thing! We had a great time and Team Diablo kicked butt! Of the 7 Team Diablo runners, all 7 finished strong. Troy Howard came in 2nd with a screaming time of 19:25:04. Tamara Johnson wanted to finish under 28 hours but she is happy with a finishing time of 28:28:28! It was an honor to crew and pace for Team Diablo. They are not only amazing runners, but great people too. Thankyou Team Diablo for welcoming me into your group. Congrats to Dan, Wally, Tamara, Dennis, Dave, Mac, and Troy for a job well done. You all ran strong, despite some tough issues that some of you faced. You are all winners in my book.

I paced 42 miles wearing Drymax socks on steep technical trails with no blisters! I love my new socks!

Pacing at AC 100

Tomorrow morning Suzanna, Jeff and I will drive down to Southern California where we will pace our friends at Angeles Crest 100. Suzanna is pacing Dan, Jeff is pacing Wally and I am pacing Tamara. We will all run approximately 45 miles with our runners. It will be a fun weekend. I really like to pace in 100 milers. One of the best pacing jobs I had was pacing my friend Stephen at Hardrock 100 in 2006. It was one of those experiences that I will never forget. I am so appreciative to Stephen for giving me the opportunity to pace him and for his faith in me. Believe it or not, I still think about that race and how amazing that experience was. Thanks, Stephen!

Suzanna and I ran today for about 8 miles. We hadn't run together in awhile and it was fun to catch up. Our conversations are so scattered. We both have so much to say and we try and fit everything in between heavy breathing. We talk about everything except politics. We have different views but we value each other enough not to let that interfere with our friendship.

I am still going at it with my upper body conditioning. I really am not seeing much change. It bums me out but I am getting stronger. Can I change my body at 50? I believe that I can. So.....I will just keep on keeping on.

I found a recipe for a green smoothie. They seem to be the rage in some of the blogs that I read. I will try one and let you know how they taste. More importantly, they are suppose to be really good for you. Since I can't cook worth beans, maybe I can blend a smoothie.(I really can cook, but I just choose not to.) I am so done with cooking!! I have got to get motivated to commit to cooking at least 3 times a week. Think of all the money and calories we would save. Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Run far, run farther in Drymax socks

I am excited to announce that I have joined the Drymax family and will be running exclusively in Drymax socks. My friend Olga Varlamova gave me a pair and I have been addicted ever since. If you are looking for a great sock that is tough enough to last a tough 100 miler, and then more, all without the distraction of blisters, look no further. Please check out their blog to see what all the Drymax athletes are up to. I am excited to be running in such a great sock that has proved itself time and time again in all kinds of conditions. Thank you, Drymax socks!

Running long and feeling strong

I have really been a blog slacker lately. I really don't have much to say these days. It's hard to come up with something that you all might find interesting. Oh well, here is the recap of my week.

Karen and I have made it out to Armstrong Woods to run 3 times in the last week and a half. It is an awesome park with lot's of ups and downs and lot's of technical trails. The park is in a very remote area and there is a lot of pigs and other wildlife to be seen there. Our runs have been slow but they have been really good. We've run two 14 milers and a 18 miler out there. It was HOT each time and I kept thinking how heat trained I was, and then it occurred to me, heat trained for what? I have no races coming up that will require me to be heat trained. Bummer. Kind of like "all dressed up and no where to go."
I also ran an 18 miler with Leslie last weekend at Mt. Burdell. She was getting ready to pace Beth Vitalis at Wasatch which was this weekend. Beth DNF'd due to some medical issues. My friend Chris Garcia finished and I am anxious to hear his account on that monster of a race! Definitely a butt kicker!

Next weekend Suzanna and I are driving down to AC 100 with our friend Jeff. The three of us are all pacing friends at the race. It should be fun. Suzanna won the womens race last year and holds the course record there.

Matt and I had a nice weekend of eating, eating, and more eating. We enjoyed walking around Sausalito yesterday and had a wonderful dinner in Healdsburg. We used a gift certificate for the restaurant that I got from winning a race. It was really enjoyable knowing that I could order ANYTHING. We came home to a yard full of Turkeys and several turkeys on our roof. Our area has more turkeys then china has tea, so it is common to have to wait at busy intersections while a flock of turkeys (20 or 30) cross the street. Today we went to John and Lisa's Harvest Party and enjoyed their lovely home and gardens. The food was fabulous and we enjoyed visiting with many of our running friends.

I bought a 24 gallon "action packer" at REI this weekend too. It is the required container that The Coastal Challenge wants us to have to put all our race stuff in. It's exciting to think that it is quickly approaching. Suzanna, Leslie, and Florencia will be training for the HURT 100 in January so we all can train together at the same time. The Coastal Challenge starts on Feb. 1st.

I hope you all were not too bored with my mundane writing. The long runs have made me feel more conditioned and my bad ankle is feeling better. Even my PF is better. I hope everyone has a good week at work or at home and that you are making health a priority in your life. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Make today count.

Examine what you believe to be impossible, and then change your beliefs. Dr. Wayne Dyer