Lake Sonoma 50 mile

As I sit here at the computer, trying to put together some kind of race report, I am constantly sipping on some horrible concoction as a prep for a colonoscopy tomorrow. Yuck!! My Doctor is graciously squeezing me in for an EGD and a colonoscopy in the morning so I can git er done!! I've had a lot of stomach and upper GI problems for a long time and they are just getting worse all the time. I'm happy to be getting the first of many things checked off my list. As I said in my last post, I just haven't been feeling very good and it's time for a checkup.

Lake Sonoma 50 mile was on Saturday and I drove there not completely convinced that I was going to run the race. My head and stomach hurt and my energy level was flat. I decided that I would start the race and if I was not feeling good enough to put some effort into it, I would slow down and run easy and use the run as a long slow training run.
I enjoyed seeing Meredith, a old Montrail teammate, and several other friends before the start. When the RD said, "Go", we were off and running. I put on my ipod and tried to stay focused on the task at hand. I had my splits from last year to follow if I felt strong enough. As the race progressed and I was ahead of my 2009 splits I decided to just go out there and run comfortable. I was surprised to feel okay as I ran along this tough course. I concentrated on eating and drinking frequently. I felt surprisingly good as I made my way from aid station to aid station. My legs felt good and I felt comfortable just cruising along.

Two thirty mile runs are the longest runs I have run leading up to LS 50. So of course, at about 30 miles, my legs starting rebelling and my legs no longer wanted to cruise, but rather park. That can be a real problem with 20 miles to go, but go I went. At about 2 miles from the finish, Darla, who had been behind me in 4th place passed me. I was okay at letting her pass. She is a strong runner and she was definitely feeling stronger than I was right then. I finished 19th overall. 4th female in 9:08, and I was happy to receive a HUGE bottle of wine for being first old lady.

It was a beautiful day for a race with the weather at 72 degrees and sunny. The race is done well and very organized. What a great day to spend out in the woods!

Please pass the energy!

It has been so long since my last post! I think I am going through a bit of blogging burnout. I have not felt very creative lately, and that makes blogging very difficult. With the weather change and summer sun approaching, I can't help but feel more energized!

My training was going well. Last time I posted I talked about getting my mojo back. Well, the mojo thing kind of came and went. I have struggled the last couple of weeks and am not really feeling all that good. My legs hurt and feel heavy. My energy level is nil. I am not sure what is going on but I do think it is time for a Lupus checkup. Lake Sonoma 50 is this Saturday, and I am not feeling good about it. I will just use this race as a training run for Big Horn and see how it goes. I just recently had some cortisone injected into my toe that was operated on and it doesn't seem to have helped. That is getting me down too. But..... then, as usual, I think about how lucky I am to be who I am and I think to myself, "Thank you , God" for creating me. I am almost embarrassed to even have written the above complaint. My problems are nothing compared to many.

I just read a great book called, REVERSE HEART DISEASE NOW, by Stephen Sinatra. It is written by two cardiologists, ( one is a runner), who tell you how to combine the benefits of modern medicine, over the counter vitamins and supplements, and simple lifestyle changes to have a healthy heart, whether you have acute or chronic disease or just want to prevent cardiovascular disease from developing. It's a great read. I went down and immediately bought and started on some new supplements and I am hoping to feel a difference!

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver