What's Your Dream?

Last year I had many setbacks, not only in running but in my life. I never thought after the year that I had that I would even consider signing up for another ultra distance race, yet, here I am. All signed up for two more ultra races! Not only am I signed up, I am more excited about them than I ever have been with a race.  The North Face Endurance Challenge California 50k in November! Then the Black Canyon 100k in February!  One of the things that I have learned through running is that is ok to fail, it's how you get back up that matters. That isn't just about running. That is with all things. My favorite quote right now is from Star Trek, The Next Generation. Jean-Luc Picard "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."  Even if you are not a Star Trek fan I highly encourage you to watch this short video. This resinates perfectly for so many different things.  The next several months are going to be...

Sitting in the airport bar, listening to the soft conversation and the Ratpack being played in the background, sipping on my vodka seven reflecting on where my life has lead me. There has been a constant roller coaster of ups and downs in my near 30 years on this planet, the ups severally outweighing the downs. Although, the downs have not been too dissimilar to the following 300 scene:  I have had many careers already! I have been an office assistant , safe ride driver, a secretary for Northwest Missouri State University's Upward Bound Math and Science program, a  Sam's Club cashier, an accounting office assistant at Missouri State University , a cashier at Family Video , a security officer at T-Mobile and SNBL through Gaurdsmark, a Control Room Technician/Security Manager (also through Gaurdsmark ), an Executive Assistant at Amazon with Amazon Logistics Last Mile , and Executive Assistant at Intentional Futures and now I am working at  Ragnar Relay...

So, here I am once again in Missouri. The place I never thought I would live again. Have to give life that, it is so unexpected and you just can't control it. I have had a very rocky 2017. So much has happened this year in a negative way that it is almost unbelievable. I left Amazon because they wanted me to work more, I was already pulling 60-70 hour weeks (in office, not including work I did from home). Then I moved on to Intentional Futures and the job was ok but it wasn't challenging enough for me and it was just not quite the right fit, so I left them. I have been unemployed now for three months. I have applied to hundreds of jobs and so far, nothing. It isn't from the lack of interviews. I have interviewed at least two dozen companies, mostly phone screens, but I am still in the rut. Hopefully the right role will come along soon. As far as my running goes, I have talked about my IT band injury from July. I received a steroid shot in my knee which I had several r...

At this point in time, other than injury (knock on wood) the only thing that will keep me from finishing Mountain Lakes 100 is not having the correct gear. So I thought I would share why I am concerned and that all I am still needing. I am sure this list won't be complete either.  (UPDATED as of 8/8/17 6:22 PM PDT) Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta 9L Hydration Vest - Women's Obsidian, M/L Black Diamond Distance Z Z-Poles, Carbon, 110cm - Borrowing!   SaltStick Caps, Electrolyte Replacement Capsules, 100 count bottle  - Gifted!!! Tailwind Nutrition - 7 Stickpack Set by Tailwind Nutrition Huma Chia Energy Gel, Variety Pack, 24 Gels - Premier Sports Nutrition for Endurance Exercise Shock Absorber Women's Active D+ Classc Support Sports Bra, White, 34E UK  - Gifted!!! Altra Trail Gaiter Protective Shoe Covers, Orchid, S Regular US - Borrowing!  Petzl - NAO 575 Lumens - Borrowing! A running puffy jacket  Second pair of Altra shoes   - ...

Remember how I tried to run Sun Mountain 50k with a stomach bug? Try pacing a marathon with a migraine. Here's a tip, don't try to do that.  I was asked several months back to pace the  Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon , which of course I am always happy to do. I love pacing! The race was on Sunday and Saturday morning I woke up with a bad headache which quickly escalated to a migraine. I had it all day long. I stayed in bed, locked up on my dark quiet apartment. I messaged my pace team to let them know I wasn't feeling well and that I was going to do my best the next day. I woke up Sunday feeling a bit better, I was able to move around at least. I got ready and headed to the midway exchange point for the race. Still feeling blah but willing to give the pacing my best shot we started out and I was ok for the first couple of miles then I realized was working 10x harder than I should have been, I let my pace partner know that I was starting to really work hard to run. I start...

I was feeling really low after my DNF at Sun Mountain . I didn't want to run at all. I was thinking of going to Echo Valley with my friend Mary and was basically set to hit "buy" when my other friend Liz pinged me.  That's how I ended up at the Beacon Rock 25k .  I didn't know what to expect from this race, I hadn't been practicing a lot of elevation gain and this race has almost 4,000 ft in the 25k. So I planned to just hike/run it. This race had a very generous time cutoff, so I wasn't really worried at all. I took my trekking poles with and used them on all of the uphills. I couldn't believe how great my legs felt after! I wasn't sore much at all, just my shoulders from the poles.  I was getting ready the morning of the race and found Emily and Sean hanging out under their nice dry tent. So I joined them for a while before the race, just hanging out and having a good time not knowing that Emily was about the same pace as me and that Sea...

Like a tornado she swept into my life, turning it sideways and filling it with adventure. I had no idea that in such a short time someone could influence me and my life so much. Her name is Anne Danczyk. I met her on her first day at Amazon. She had just joined my Executive Assistant team; we were at Key Arena for the Amazon Seattle All-Hands, even in a stadium of 30,000 people Anne still stood out. She is a powerhouse of confidence, capturing her audience, not just by her beauty but her passion. She stormed in a few minutes late, literally running from campus due to a slight misunderstanding in the meeting location. Instead of stressing about it, she just laughed and was really happy about making it before the start of the presentations. That just who Anne is, bubbly, silly and carefree.  Anne's life is that of fairy tales, to say that she is a go getter is an understatement of a lifetime. Anne's first job as a young girl was working with horses. She trained to be on the ...

  Are you preparing to make the leap to an ultramarathon? Throughout this interview series, top ultra bloggers have shared their personal experiences and advice to help you accomplish your first ultramarathon. They have covered the most difficult aspects of running an ultra , debunked the common myths and misconceptions , and are now sharing their real, personal accounts of their first ultra. When asked “what do you wish you had known before running your first ultra?”, they each learned unique lessons during that first ultra experience. What You Should Know Before Running Your First Ultra Once you’ve gone to your other runner friends and have searched extensively through Google, you may still be left with some questions and surprises on race day. To help you have a better idea of what to prepare for and expect, we asked these top bloggers what they wish they had known before running their first ultramarathon. Each had unique experiences that stemmed into lessons learned: ...

  Are you considering running an ultramarathon? We’ve interviewed several of the top ultra distance running bloggers to collect real and applicable advice to help you accomplish your first ultra. No matter which distance you’re making the leap from, these experts have shared gems of knowledge that can help you cross the ultra finish line. In the first part of the series, the bloggers discussed what they felt was the most challenging aspect of your first ultramarathon . In this section, we asked them to unmask the misconceptions that are commonly believed about ultrarunning. Ultrarunning Myths Debunked By The Experts THE RUNNERS “I think one of the most common misconceptions about ultrarunning is that it's only for the superhuman types. Sure, you have to have mental strength and you have to train, but it isn’t an impossible feat. At the end of the day, running for a long distance on trails is a pretty basic activity. You put one foot in front of the other, stay tuned in to ...

Have you been considering running an ultramarathon? We’ve been working with a number of long distance runners to compile real world advice when it comes to accomplishing your first ultra. The knowledge they’ve shared with us has been separated into 3 distinct parts of an interview series. Within this first part, the bloggers offer their thoughts and experience on what they felt was the most challenging aspect of preparing for or running an ultra. Whether you’re making the step from a half marathon, or deciding to push past the 26.2 miles race, give a lending ear to these experts below. They have conquered some of the toughest running challenges and have shared what’s needed to know before making the big leap into the ultra-distance running world. The Most Challenging Aspects of Your First Ultramarathon It’s obvious that running 42k+ is going to come with difficulties. But if you haven’t ever gone the ultra distance before, how will you know what to expect? You’re left wonder...