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Showing posts with the label inspiration

Healing can suck. (But it's worth it)

  Healing sucks. It’s painful, emotionally draining and just plain exhausting. Negative thoughts run through my head constantly - am I really experiencing this XX or am I being paranoid/sensitive/angry for an underlying issue from my past?  Every one of those thoughts and emotions is dissected and redirected into something rational and hopefully, something positive. I had been dealing with low self-esteem and feelings of not being wanted, being excluded from groups and gatherings of my peers for the past few months. Some of those people avoiding me when they see me. I didn’t know why. I never cared to fit in with cliques and I’m known to not kiss ass to be welcomed or liked. So why does it bug me so much now? I never fit in. I was bi-racial in a country that was so racist, that in the 90s people would refuse to sit in my seat when I gave it up to an elder (literally anyone older than me). I was never invited to anyone’s house. New neighbors didn’t bring over rice cake pe...

How to run an ultramarathon

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Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The North Face Endurance Challenge Wisconsin as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! If you're looking for a training plan, this is not it. There are tons of resources out there from pros to help you with that. If you want to know a way to mentally make it through an ultra, I can possibly help. Here's a quick answer: Food. And I'm your girl. Hi, my name is Dye and I'm motivated by food. Running 50k and up may seem daunting. 31 miles? 50 miles?! "That's bullsh*t..." followed by "How??" It's pretty simple. You run 3-6 miles (sometimes less, if you're running a well-organized race like The North Face Endurance Challenge), hit up the food aid station and repeat until you reach your destination. If you're not familiar with ultra aid stations... Here's a typical spread...

Faith in humanity restored ~ Madison Mini Marathon 2017

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Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Madison Mini Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!" If you've been following along on this race weekend, you know how the race ended. And we'll definitely get to that! And if you've been following me (and paying attention at all), you know that I am NOT a road runner. I pretty much gave that up once I discovered ultras and trail running. So let me fill you in on the fun before and during the race. As my disclaimer states, I did receive a free entry to this race. I had originally planned on doing another triathlon that same weekend but I decided to go with Madison Mini Marathon instead. And thank goodness I did! Not only would I not be ready for another tri with my ankle issues (open swim, no pull buoy) but I would have missed out on some great memories. I drove down to Madison late afternoon and...

Chafing the Dream

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Judging by the way I've been feeling and moving around (slooowly), one would assume I had one helluva rager weekend. And in a way, it was. But this one included camping, running and one sharp medal (literally).  It was the Ragnar Northwoods. It was everything that I thought it would be -- no sleep and madness. Alright, maybe it was due to lack of sleep that made it seem like madness.   I drove in and dropped my gear off before driving up another 3 miles ahead to park my car in a field.  Once I took the shuttle back, I met up with my teammates (who were awesome enough to carry my gear to the campsite!).  I only knew our captain but I have to admit, he did a great job of recruiting  a    wonderful group of runners.   After we cheered on our first runner, I decided to grab some dinner.  I was the last runner and wanted to get those last minute carbs in before my leg started. I wandered around the village and got lost amongst...

Happy birthday!

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"If you empower women, you can change the world." -- Oprah Nicole DeBoom comes to mind when I hear that quote.  Nicole won 2004 Ironman Wisconsin wearing the first prototype of a running skirt. For those who aren't familiar with the distances in a full ironman, you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run 26.2 miles.  Are you exhausted and sore just reading that?  My heart starts pumping harder every time I think of those distances.    That was 12 years ago on this date. 3 days after winning, she founded Skirt Sports. You can read more about her story   here  . Before I start, I have to get the legalities out of the way. So bear with me!  I'm a proud Skirt Sports ambassador. It doesn't mean I get paid for mentioning them in any of my blogs or social media posts nor do I profit from any sales made with my discount code (DMR20, by the way). I do receive discounts and various perks as an ambassador. Let's move on to the good stuff! ...