Run Eat Tri Yogi

The scary and frustrating aspect of racing is that it can be unpredictable.  You can follow the training program to the letter, stick to your rest days, fit in strength training and have your nutrition on point. But on race day, your body can say "Not Today" BTS I've had enough of those race days that I don't like to talk about my goals - time or distance- before I race so as not to jinx it.  And I've hardly had much luck at this race. The first year, my feet got so swollen I could hardly put my shoes on. I called it once I reached 40M - short of 10 miles. Another year, I had to stop at 14 hours because my hip went out.... This year, it was my ITB. To be completely transparent, I had woken up with neck pain a few weeks prior. It would go away and come back - on repeat. Setting up my home base for the next 24 hours In the back of my mind, I had a goal of 100K. Something I've been attempting for a few years unsuccessfully. And then to run as much...

My friend Billy wanted to do a 50M. And not just any 50M; one of the hardest 50M (56M) races.  I was still riding the post-Ironbaby high (that time I did an indoor 140.6 by myself) so I happily agreed to join him in GA in May. Never mind that I don't have many hills where I live. To get a nice hike in, it's about an hour drive. And that state park is closed for most of the training months since it's winter in Wisconsin.  My training consisted of hill running with snowshoes on whenever I had the chance, hill repeats in general and lots of stair climbing, mixed with high-incline runs and fast walks.  The entire training period, I had a lot of doubts. I had days when I knew I was going to crush it and those training days when I thought the race will crush me and I'll end up as the sherpa. And for a time, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do this race due to health issues. I think that was what I needed to fuel that fire. Every athlete knows that...

I witnessed a race bandit for the first time yesterday and hopefully the last. There was a man and a woman in front of me. It was made obvious that he was slowing down for her (he also had an Ice Age buff on so he's not new to long distance racing). Once we hit Wales, WI (not yet halfway on course), another woman came up to the 2 ahead of me. I first took her as a friend there to cheer her on but then noticed she had a hydration pack on and started running w her (no bib). I was in shock for the most part, but ultimately decided not to make a big deal about it. Until the next aid station. As I headed to the porta potty, I noticed she was about to do the same thing. I rushed to beat her there (f*@& that, I paid to use that) and came out to both of them waiting. That's when I got pissed off. Had I stayed behind them, I would be waiting for someone who didn't pay for the convenience of a porta potty along the run. As I continued to run, I debated this situatio...