Run Eat Tri Yogi

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...

The last few days have been a blur. Mostly due to lack of sleep and my body wondering WTF just happened. But I will never forget the moment I listened to my voicemail when I woke up. “Dye, happy Monday. It’s Mike Reilly…” My heart just stopped. In my groggy state, I wasn’t sure I heard that right, so I started it over as I read the transcript along with it. “I heard you did it all indoors...to do something like that it’s mind over matter...So from me to you, as I love to do, DYE..YOU ARE AN IRONMAN...” As I listen to it again, I’m in tears. It feels like a dream. The last few weeks have been full of ups and downs but what a tremendous lesson I’ve learned. How much I really wanted this. Not the title or being able to say I did an Ironman distance. But to know I could do it. All of the training and preparation wasn’t for nothing. And the fantastic support I have in my life. I am in a state of gratefulness. (PS That phone call from Mike Reilly was facilitated by my friend, Billy. You ma...

"Depression hit me hard today," I thought to myself as I was heading off to bed. It was a reminder that what I'm feeling and thinking aren't "normal". I'm extra sensitive to people's expressions, words and my own negative thoughts during days like these. Imagine a flatline on the heart monitor and then a jolt of energy showing up. Except that jolt is the complete opposite of energy. It completely saps me of mine and I feel like I'm in a tar pit, trying to make my way out. I made a mental note to just let it all pass - sometimes it only lasts a day and hoped the next day would be lighter. Day 2... I wake up even more tired and immediately feel anxious. But I don't know why. I make my way to the bathroom and feel this cloud of dread over me. I just want to cradle my head in my hands and cry in the dark bathroom. I try to get a handle on this situation before it gets worse. What is it about today? What happened last night that may have spill...

I have written this post 3 times now, deleting 2 and starting over in one sitting alone. The reasons always changed to this question. It can change from morning to afternoon. And to be completely honest, I haven't wanted to really run this past month. The flu really set me back, and then I lost all motivation. The question of why I run would plague me during the runs if/when I finally did force myself to lace up and run/jog/walk. I welcomed any and all "reasons" to not train every day - which is not the easiest to do when your job is at the gym! WI winter may have something to do with it... I really questioned why I keep doing it. Not just running but the training itself. It put me in a dark place where I felt I had no business posting on social media, showing my "just barely getting it done" training posts and trying to be supportive of others. With the right group of people, running 50M is actually fun! Met this crew along the course: Ann, Mandy,...

Indoor marathon. 95 laps around a track. No personal music allowed. Sounds enticing, doesn't it? I ran this last year with friends and said I'll never do it again. It's not the track so much as I'd done two 12 hour races on a high school track before - and overnight, no less. But most, if not all, ultra runners will agree that marathons have a different atmosphere than ultras. That's another post in itself! And I hate being subjected to other people's music (they play music from runners' requests). But after so many months of freezing temps, snow and ice keeping me from decent long runs here in Wisconsin, I gave in. My desire to get in a long run without slipping, twisting my already-fragile ankle or losing feeling in my fingers due to the extreme cold took over. I want to point out that the race is very well-organized. The race director and the entire team are phenomenal. I got updated emails and the packet pick-up and race day instructions were...