Blackbeards Revenge 100 miler, 100k and 100 mile Relay are held on the Outer Banks, NC.

This was my first 100k , would be my longest road race and my first point to point race. I was very fortunate to be chosen as an Ambassador for this race. I enjoyed the benefit of an included training plan and group support .

The race was held on March 26, 2022. The 100 mile race started at 5am in Corolla NC. The 100k race started at 9:30am on Jeanette’s Pier Kill Devil Hills. All runners finished at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Cape Hatteras. The 100 had a 32 hr cut off and the 100k had a 27.5 hr cut off. This generous time is great for a first time 100 or 100k.

The Athlete Guide was detailed . It included the Aid Station guide which was full of info. It listed the mile mark , what each AS would have and crew parking spot. This was an easy race for crew to navigate and parking wasn’t difficult.

The race course was an open course . Some sections, the shoulder of the road were very narrow . There were sidewalks on the west side of road for a few sections in populated areas. I stayed on the east side of the road running facing traffic for safety. During the night portion, I highly suggest having a lot of lights. The RD has minimum requirements but more lights the better. There are quite a few sections that are pitch black . I wore a bright headlamp , a Kogalla waist light and Nox gear on flashing mode. The cars were able to see me and moved away from the shoulder. Signage was adequate during the daytime hours but has darkness fell , it was apparent that more signage was needed and it needed to be highly reflective due to the dark areas. Not being familiar with the area , I got nervous not seeing confidence markers for a very long time .

Aid Stations were placed a good distance apart . The race guide was really accurate with this . Most crew spots had ample parking and if a runner had an issue , there were plenty of spots that an impromptu stop could be made . I had decided ahead of time to meet the hubs about every 13-15 miles for the first 2 meets and then shorten the time as needed based on what what going on with me . Aid Stations were adequate with supplies , there could have been a better variety of salty and sweet . One AS only had sweet cookie type items . There were unmanned “water only ” stops and we knew this ahead of time . If I had been running without crew , I would have probably carried more salty items to prepare myself .

I wore my bright green Orange Mud pack with 2 , 20 oz flasks , and carried some gels / snacks and salt tablets. I carried my phone , turned off during the beginning portion of the day . I applied sunscreen since it was a full sun course and wore a ball cap . My Saucony Ride shoes worked very well and I did not need to change shoes or socks the entire race . I wore shorts , a bright yellow tank (visibility ) and calf sleeves.

The temperature was a cool at the start but became warmer at the day went on . The warmer temps were offset by the wind gusts . The gusts got up to 40mph and it was a headwind which was difficult to push into . It got a bit exhausting at times and often the gusts pushed me into the roadway if I wasnt paying attention .

Overall , I really enjoyed the race and beat my expected time of finish and was at 14:53:42. I got the 2nd place female Masters Runner Award for the 100k .

My road to a 100 miles has been a long , fighting for every mile , journey . I could have quit a 1000 times over the last 2 years but I chose to press on to the goal of an Official finish of a 100 mile race.

It was fitting that I finished my first Official 100 at Crooked Creek 100 . This race was similar to my first attempt in many ways : Course set Up of 8 loops and similar relentless elevation plus many of the same people who have watched me struggle and have heartbreak over previous DNFs . I had so many demons to slay at this race .

This race was put on Central KY Race Management . Great RDs Jeff Proctor and Greg Milby . They care about every runner and provide a great experience. The swag is always great !! There are 4 distance options for Crooked Creek – Half Marathon, Marathon, 50 miler and 100 miler.

The trails are at Camp Crooked Creek Boy Scout Camp . Well kept single track trails . The course is absolutely beautiful yet brutal in some spots. The elevation and technical nature of the trail will keep you busy . Trail conditions were great . 2021 the weather was perfect. Sunshine and daytime temps , high 40s low 50s .

There was a main aid station at the start . The 100 & 50 mile runners could set up tents in this area for crew . There was a water stop a few miles after this . The second fully stocked Aid Station was at the 8 mile mark . You could put a drop bag here or your crew could meet you .

There is a 36 hr cut off for the 100 miler . Its generous but you should still be diligent about your loop times. I had fine tuned my nutrition for this race . It served me well until the last loop and I wasn’t really able to take in solids . This was much better than in previous races. I stayed on top of hydration by using flasks . My Crew Hubs watched how much liquid I was drinking. I had prepared a check list for each loop for him to follow. As long as I kept the planned loop pace , everything would work . The longest 2 stops were after Loop 3 & 7 . After loop 3 , I changed shoes due to rocks and added clothes , lights for overnight. After loop 7 , I changed a shirt and picked up my pacer. I was dealing with back pain at this point so it was nice to have a pacer to keep me moving. Ally other stops were Nascar Style as the hubs had everything ready for me to grab

I am definitely heading back to this race .2022 will be the 50 miler . I want to work on my speed on trails and get better at navigation on technical trails.

I have to note that 2020 and my 2 DNFs’ , Breaks & Falls 100 , taught me so much about my training and myself as a runner. In the moments of those races , I didn’t know the lessons I would learn and how important was it for me to learn them. No one wants to DNF a race that they felt ready for and I definitely did on the physical training . Mental training I wasn’t ready to finish those races BUT I had not noticed that . I now know that I pushed a lot of feelings and thoughts down without addressing them .

December 15th 2020 , not 10 days after my 2nd DNF attempt on 100 miles , I booked a hotel in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio . I had not signed up for Burning River but knew it was a possibility . A rebound from the DNF . I looked at the race photos , the course map and the previous years’ guide several times . I joined the FB group and posted a question about the course and got tons of feedback . By chance I was able to connect with runners from Louisville who had run this race . It took less than a week and I was signed up for the 100 mile race.

I had also signed up for another 100 mile race for December 2021 . Similar loop format with the same elevation as my previous 100 DNFS. This gave me 2 chances to complete 100 miles . This meant that for both races , I would have to get past the last cut off time at the last aid station in order to finish the 100 miles . Daunting YES .. Possible YES .. Up for the challenge YES .. My husband Armin was supportive of both decisions. I am sure he was not looking forward to being crew for both but he did not say anything.

January rolls in and I get this last minute urge to run 52 miles for my 52nd bday . DNF rebound move again . I needed to feel like I could accomplishment something and was trained to do it . I told a few people because I don’t like an audience and I really think I wasn’t confident I could do it . It was dumb cold day and some good friends joined my for miles here and there . I chose a local park that was pancake flat and I could have easy access to my car aid station . It was fun , not fun , fun and then difficult but I finished in 12.5 hrs . I had no idea how wiped out I would be after that long run . Yes I was trained but coming off the Falls DNF at mile 77 in December and then this 52 miles , really took a toll . I was tired .

This month I had also chosen a word for myself . It was part of a challenge from a FB group I belong to , Mind over Miles . I chose ” Confident ” because I really needed to get that for myself . I was constantly comparing myself to others while on Social Media, during races , during training runs . This was something that plagued me for a very long time . It was time for me to just focus on me . I left many social media groups that were more of a hinderance to me as a runner and decided to avoid those awkward group runs that were supposed to be fun but full of gossip , trash talking and bad vibes I did not need in my life.

February was toe injury month . That just was a blow to my new training cycle which I had just planned . Really not an injury but Osteoarthritis issue / Hallux Rigidus and it will be with me forever. I had to figure out how to manage the foot pain if I wanted to run . My PF blew up too. Running was quite painful but I did as much as I could . This month I decided it was time to go back to Hot yoga and focus on strength training more . (2020 was all mileage as the gyms were shut down so my overall strength had decreased )

March and April were really great . I was focused on distance over elevation . Elevation just angered my foot so I had to plan that accordingly. I was able to keep up with doing a marathon distance or greater every other weekend . I ran Horse Capital Marathon, only my 3rd official marathon, and then got a PR on Big Turtle 50k just a couple weeks after. I was feeling great and not quite peaking . Running solo or with close friends that I trusted was all I did . I continued to stay away from the social media and posted very few things . My confidence in myself continued to build . I started the planning for Burning River even though I knew I had time .

May was sprained ankle month . Enough said on that .. low miles and more PT to give both ankles more mobility .

June , I was looking forward to . War Hammer 50k was going to be a supported long training run . Well that was a bust and I added a DNF to my list . Heat exhaustion , blood pressure and low sugar took its toll on me . Got my first ambulance ride back to the start and felt like total crap for not finishing such a small distance. Once I recovered from the heat exhaustion , I ramped up mileage the best I could . Looked for another long distance , supported training race and found RUTS .

July , RUTS on July 3rd was just what I needed. It was 1/2 mile horse track loop for 12hrs overnight . I could run as little or as much as I wanted on a flat surface . I managed 50 miles and felt really good about it and I REALLY needed that boost of confidence heading into Burning River 100. The rest of this month had a goal of NO ankle sprains , No injury period . I kept it to cross county runs , less technical trail and road .

Burning River Week rolled around . I had everything packed and ready to go . All the aid station bags for Armin , shoes , gear , food , drinks etc. It was GO TIME !!

July 24 , 2021 4am , light drizzle starting but that was OK . I dont mind running in the rain . Wore road shoes due to course being so varied between trail , tow path and asphalt. I can handle mud in my road shoes from light rain . Well drizzle turned to 3 hr storm that dumped so much rain , the trails went go to bad FAST. It was all I could do to stay upright but I did . I had to make it 20 miles before I would see Armin , that was the plan , and I could change shoes . I stayed on track with pace and nutrition despite the rain and mud . I was going strong on my own . Oak Hill aid station , mile 23 , quick change the shoes and grabbed poles b/c I wasnt sure what was ahead of me . I got extra fluids and gels and food . Off I went and it would be another 15 miles before I saw Armin . I would pass through several aid stations with full support. The BR aid stations are amazing !! Got rid of the poles and switched shoes again b/c I knew I was heading into the 10 mile road section shortly & I definitely could not do road in my trail shoes . It was getting HOT and I was really feeling not so good with the temps rising . Had to rest a few times and put ice in the sports bra to cool myself off . I continued eating as much as I could while my stomach was still doing really well. I knew that at some point , I would not be able to take in enough calories . Met Armin again at Mile 50 , i was still moving really well and made the halfway point under 14 hrs so I knew I was solid on the turn around. Ate , sat for 10 minutes and switched to a fresh shirt ,& new packed dry vest. I got my headlamp this time but knew I wouldnt get my Kogalla light until dark . I wasnt wanting to carry anything extra and I would be find with the headlamp until mile 65. I cant say how much I appreciated all the aid stations . They had just about everything I needed. Though I did find out that I do not like Vegan broth or Ramen or HEED . Hey , you try everything once . Once I hit mile 65 , Pine Hollow , just needed my waist light and more fluids and food . I was still eating really well and managed to be in a pack of men for quite some time . Once I turned on the light , I was the lead . We spent the overnight hours navigating in the dark and the 2nd thunderstorm . The lightening was brilliant overnight . It was a sloppy sloppy mess from then on . I was still doing really well but slowing up once I got past mile 70 . It was getting rough . I started drinking Mountain Dew , Coke and Ginger Ale at the aid stations . I kept pushing forward with that goal to finish this race . I was Armin at mile 77 Oak Hill aid station and he saw how rough I was getting but he did not show much expression . He just did as I told him to do , filled my fluids and replenished food / gels. I told him to meet me at all the rest of the aid stations . I needed him there to push me to the end though I did not have to say that to him . He knew . We discussed it over the summer . Off I went but it wasn’t much longer at around mile 80 that I knew my feet were starting to blister . I was really tight on the time to finish under 30 hrs and I was pushing as hard as I could . Food was getting really hard to take in so I did as much as I could. I carried crackers and grapes in a dixie cup I could only take in half a gel at a time and salt tabs were really not going down to well. I continued drinking the electrolyte liquids and that helped . Mile 85 , My feet hurt so bad but I did not say much about it . I could have changed shoes but knew if the shoes came off , the feet might swell too much . My window of time was closing faster and faster and I was getting slower and slower . Told Armin to go to the next aid station , mile 90 and I would be there . At this point , plenty of folks had dropped / stopped . It was really apparent that time was slipping away . The aid station workers were so sweet they just kept saying , ” You can make it just push , just push” . Then they would look at Armin and say ,” Make her keep moving .” At mile 90 , I knew I was not making the 30 hr cut off . I had maybe 2 hrs to go over 10 miles . In my condition , a 12mm was not happening and definitely not uphill . Told Armin to make sure the course markers were staying up , tell the RD I was coming and go to the last Aid Station . I got to mile 95 just around the 30 hour mark and I cried that ugly cry . Mad at myself for not pushing hard enough when I was feeling good , mad at myself for not eating enough , just mad and angry . The Aid Station was just being pulled down but they offered me what they had left. Armin , expressionless , walked me to the edge of the parking lot and pointed me to the direction I had to go . He said ” see you at the finish ” and walked away . I think had we made eye contact , we would have both lost it . I sucked in those tears and moved on slowly up those last hills . It was painful and I had to stop several times . I was leaning hard to the left , some of the passerby’s asked if I was OK . I just waved them on . Those were the longest miles of my life and I thought I would never finish . BUT I did finish the course and got the Buckle for course completion .

Its still a DNF . One more to add to my list . I am proud I stuck it out and finished because I could have just stopped . I am also disappointed that its still a DNF. I am still going back and forth in my head about being a “True 100 mile runner ” . What does that mean ? I havent quite figured it out . I have been congratulated for finishing but I have also been told that is was really a DNF . My ultimate goal was 100 miles and I did that so does it really matter that I didnt do it under the cut off ???

Its been a long Spring and Summer , COVID 19 has changed how we as runners act and move forward with our fitness journey . Its been an eye opener for me, I honestly did not think that I would become a better solo runner and I believe that many runners have felt the same way. I have covered over 800 solo miles solo since March .

Its not been easy and I did have minor panic moments in the beginning when coming upon groups of others who were not social distanced in the parks and my regular running areas. I quickly changed up when I was running and where based on the weather . Rainy days soon became long run days and shorter run days were the nicer days .

I spent many hours not speaking to anyone . I do not listen to podcasts or music when I run so it was a lot of self talking and planning out loud . Certainly I was getting many weird looks from groups that happened up me when I was talking to myself . I became more aware of my surroundings and who came too close in my personal space . I did find that I announced myself much sooner , to other runners/ walkers , than I used to which is definitely more polite . I have joined one group run now that restrictions are getting looser , I ended up running alone due to the amount of mileage I needed and I just didnt feel the need to socialize. Other friends missed the group runs tremendously and I am glad they can finally meet with a few friends and run socially.

Running in the rainy weather is certainly a good race preparation . Typically runners avoid the crappy weather days because quite honestly running even an hour in the rain is awful at times. I learned which gear was best to run in on these inclement weather days . I have since cleaned out some gear that just is not working and all these miles helped me figure that out . Shopping online for more gear has become more frequent . I think I am hoping that all this new gear will bring back the racing .

Self supported virtual racing has become a mainstay for 2020 . I had several races cancelled or postponed to a different date . I am still having cancellations and then I must make the decision to defer to 2021 or run virtually . I certainly have learned how to do a successful self supported 50k . Its been stressful to make the decision to run virtually . Honestly , if I could predict that 2021 would be a “normal ” year , I would have deferred many of my races . I also used these virtual races as a way to continue training in hopes that my fall or winter goal races would be still on the schedule . I just could not continue training and then pull a 45 miler or 100 miler out without out putting in the work . My pace has slowed and I dont even know if my legs remember what ” race pace ” feels like . I guess I will find out soon enough when racing resumes . However , I have figured out that comfortable pace to maintain during a 20 mile run which will be quite handy if my fall and winter race happen .

When racing resumes , its going to look different . I think the smaller races will be fine adapting to changes but I can not see the larger scale races with 1000 plus runners resuming as quickly. The typical aid stations at Ultras will be different and I wonder if we will need to self support some of the shorter Ultra distances . ( must buy a bigger pack ) I am sure beginning of race festivities, packet pickups , end of race celebrations will all look different . I am excited yet apprehensive about starting back with racing .

Its been 4 months since my DNF at the Falls 100 due to injury. I have done so much soul searching and self talk during these last months that I am sick of listening to myself . ( yea , I laughed when I typed that ). I still have negative self talk but if you don’t want to hear it , don’t ask about the race. Its emotionally painful to look at pictures from last year so I don’t . I am looking forward and taking what I learned and hope to do better this time around. I did ( at the suggestion of Susan Donnelly , pretty well know ultra marathoner ) write down my play by play of each loop. This would give me some feedback on what to change this year.

I had a full year 2020 of races and most were going to be races that are really training runs. I have found that if I sprinkle fun races with some challenges , I stay focused. Now with our global pandemic , COVID -19 , everything is up in the air as far as racing . My 2 big goal races , the Breaks in Sept and the Falls 100 – 100 miler in Dec , are both pretty difficult courses . One course I know quiet well and the other just scares me . Honestly , they both scare me quite a bit for different reasons .

The Breaks is a 45ish mile race that runs through Breaks Interstate Park . It boasts some wicked elevation and potential high river crossings that will test me beyond my comfort zone. I signed up for this right at the end of my training last year for Falls . Needless to say , I was feeling pretty confident at that point with training and my nutrition . I do question my decision now that I have not finished a 100 mile race but its a little late now . What I do know is that I will need to work on my climbing speed and my recovery from the steep relentless climbs . I need to be able to pull my heart rate back down to a tolerable level so I can start running . I will be faced with some cut -off times that , right now , I am not sure I could make with my current speed on the hills and trails.

The Falls just scares me because I am heading back . I know the course and how it felt each lap . I remember the darkness and cold and that was rough . I get to that 6th lap and I remember every painful mile . I have that weird feeling of letting people down if I dont finish . Pretty sure that is my lack of confidence right now . That will be hard to get past but I am optimistic that different training will help me with that . I will have my husband Armin at the end of each loop as my crew but right now I am not planning on a pacer . Quite honestly I have had some offers but it is too soon to say that I want one . I have this deep feeling that I want to do this alone but time will tell if I change my mind . I might want to try to go it solo .

For now , I have enlisted the help of a running coach to guide me to a better plan of attack . I felt pretty good last year but obviously I made mistakes that cost me my race . I am hoping I can get my mental edge back too . I will need this edge for both big races , assuming racing season resumes , as they both will challenge me differently. I am also working with a nutrition coach for accountability and guidance on nutrition . I feel the need to check all the boxes and do everything I can to be my best self for this year .

I am hopeful we will have some races in 2020 but this is such a tumultuous year. I will continue to stay the course with training as if I am racing all of my races that are in the fall .

Falls 100 is a rugged trail race is hosted by Central Kentucky Race Management . It is set across the forest in Falls Of Rough , KY . This was my second year at the race . Last year , my first 50 miler . That was a grueling day of rain , flooding and relentless mud . I finished that race in just under 21 hours . I felt proud of that accomplishment with my husband by my side as Crew . 9 days after this race , I had the idea that I would attempt 100 miles . The same race just do it twice . Was I up to the challenge ? At the time , I was only confident that I could make it 50 miles . I signed up and then almost threw up . Runners remorse … we have all been there.

I found a plan from Ultra Ladies as a guide to where I needed to be and what point . I had also read Relentless Forward Progress and Running Into the Dark . What did I learn ? I am a novice runner and a plan is a suggestion because not one plan fits all . I learned that I have more to learn about this sport .

My nutrition was going to be a huge factor in this training . I had just finished a Nutrition Challenge , the #800g Challenge ( fruits and veggies ) , at my Crossfit box and won a 3 month Nutrition coaching program . Double WIN in my books as this was what I needed to keep me on track and fine tune those little things. My focus was water , protein and tracking my sleep . What did I learn ? That I need guidance on nutrition all year long . I fell off the wagon a few times and noticed right away in my performance.

I had taken May off as a recovery month which many thought was nuts but I needed to reset myself for the long haul. Everyone has their own way of resetting their body and their mind. I ran minimally in May and signed up for some fun 5K’s . Once June 1st rolled around , I was ready to hit the dirt and pavement . I had several races sprinkled throughout the next 6 months to keep me motivated . I used road races for speed work and ultimately had some PR’s along the way which was surprising . What did I learn ? This break was very good for me . I needed it and will do it again in 2020.

The weather was super HOT this summer and it was a find balance between hydration and not dying on a run . I would start as early as possible to beat the heat and in summer with the sun coming up so soon that meant SUPER early start times. I starting meeting up with Ashley my training buddy , she was signed up for the 100 , and we would run together a couple times a month . The plan was that once we got into August , we would run as much together as possible . During our runs we would talk about every possible race topic from food to socks to shoes to battery life on headlamps . We were determined to try to predict every possible weather scenario too.

I trained hard and incorporated crossfit / strength training into every week . I did not run as much as a typical training plan during the weekdays due to time constraints but I did ALL the accessory strength work. I did some speed work but I knew that speed running was not going to get me to the finish . I needed the long endurance and the relentless climbing. My left hip injury ( from my 50 miler ) flared up in August and that was a blow to the confidence . I needed to focus on the basics and injury prevention . I dialed back the speed and concentrated on the distance of my back to back runs. It was difficult as I was not as strong as Ashley and I fell behind quite a bit . I felt like I was holding her back so many times but I did not say anything . I kept quite a bit of my inner negative brain to myself.

I did all of the weekday running at a local park or near my house on the roads. I just didn’t have the time after work at 5pm to haul myself to the forest . I ran during the weekdays alone which was how I have trained in the past . What did I learn from this ? I needed more dirt time and I dont know how I can remedy that . Road running is fine but only to a certain distance and then I have lost that loving feeling . Running alone in the dark near my house is fine but there are certain areas that are not safe for anyone to be alone in the dark. This will be a challenge for the 2020 season .

The weekends , Saturday and Sunday , were dirt time . I rotated my runs between Turkey Run , a local trail that is gently rolling and JMF which is NOT gently rolling . I liked the rotating between easy and hard trails to keep me from getting bored . I do not like running the same routes over and over and over again . What did I learn ? I need more hard trails and more relentless climbing in the dark . I need to do those hill repeats on the hills that I curse every single time I see them . I need to run alone on the long distances . I am not guaranteed a pacer next year for my 2nd attempt at 100 miles . I have to be able to do the entire thing alone with only my husband crewing me at the aid stations.

My DNF was at mile 76 . My left ankle and knee started swelling more than the right side . I was worried I had a stress fracture or torn something during running , sliding or tripping . The later 2 I did frequently in the dark . There were several occasions were I said ” Oh , thats gonna hurt ” . I had spent 8 miles trying to change things up with my gait , stretching different muscles out and eating calories to see if that would help . Nothing was helping and I had to pep talk myself at each hill because the swelling was painful. Once I hit the pavement after the last big downhill , I knew that it was not good because even on level ground I could not run . I still had less than a mile to make that decision and fought my inner self . I could suck it up and go back out for the last 10 1/2 hours or stop . I chose to stop and regretted my decision . I failed . I kept a brave face but the entire time I was crying inside . Ashley was heading back out to finish and I gave her a hug and walked away devastated .

What have I learned ? I am not ok with failure . I spent this whole year trying to show myself some grace and I cannot for this . I am fearful of not finishing yet I signed up to try the Falls 100 in 2020 . I had a thought of doing another 100 miler but I don’t think that would be as satisfying . I will train just as hard for this next race and maybe a little harder . I need to attack this race like its the last race I will ever do . Hold nothing back !

Nutrition is huge !! It was a year into my fitness journey ( 2016) that I realized I needed to change my eating habits or I would not be able to continue to progress. I had started running and was eating the typical ” what I thought was good ” runner diet of carbs and more carbs . I had no formal instructions on what to eat or when to eat . I frequently rewarded myself with food items for a workout or run well done . ( hindsight .. not the best reward ) .

I did my first nutrition challenge in 2016 at Four Barrel Crossfit and did OK eating more veggies and good proteins but didn’t really apply to my everyday life once the challenge was completed. During the challenge , I quit Ice Cream cold turkey . It was my worst go-to reward and I had to take it out forever and this was the only good take-a -way from the challenge. I went back to my old ways and carb loading . I struggled with the scale and THAT number . I have always struggled with the scale and I never liked myself at any weight. I weighed less than 140 lbs at 5ft 10 1/2in at the time . I was running beyond 5 miles , increasing mileage and continued to work out 5 days a week. I would hit that wall of exhaustion quickly and what I was eating ( or now figured out , lack of eating ) didnt work.

I started reading up on what I should be doing and not doing . The thought of gaining weight was daunting but I was gaining muscle mass from weightlifting . I gained 10lbs but I started to have definition. It wasn’t until 2018 that I did my 3rd Nutrition challenge and tried Whole 30 . That was the same year I decided to run KDF Marathon . I was not able to do Whole 30 and train for a marathon at the same time . My body was running into a severe nutrition deficit and I lost 6 lbs during marathon training. I was eating all the time but it wasn’t enough of the right foods to sustain my body. I started hitting that wall sooner and sooner during runs and workouts . I I liked the concepts of Whole 30 and it taught me quite a bit about reading labels and eating more whole foods and less processed. I still apply many of the principals today and I drink green juice . That was a rough one because I do not like green foods.

After KDF , I worked to add more protein into my nutrition . I became more diligent about drinking 80 – 100 oz of water a day . That was in addition to any other liquids I took in over the course of a day. There were days that I felt like a fish swimming in an ocean , surrounded by water . Just the addition of the extra water helped stave off some of the exhaustion and helped my dry skin at the same time . I knew that I would have to step up the nutrition because I had signed up to do a 50 miler on Dec 7th . Physically I knew I could finish with the right nutrition on board . I continued to read labels and eat foods with less ingredients. My Go – To breakfast became Kale and random veggies in a skilled with chicken sausage . I started eating a healthy protein at each meal which was very difficult for me at first . The biggest thing I did to help me was to write it all down . A food journal is the best tool to observe your daily intake. I was meticulous about the amount , type and the time . I did this for 2 weeks to make some new habits and it stuck .

The school year started in August and some of my nutrition went ‘ out the door” . I went back to quick eating in a short amount of time or no eating for the entire day if it was super busy . I was drinking more coffee than water and then the exhaustion hit full time . It was deep into my 50 miler training , October , that I had to reign it all back in and I am glad I dug deep because that race would have sucked more if I wasnt physically ready to tackle it .

After the 50 miler , Nutrition Challenge # 4 for me started . I gave it a good try but didnt do as well as I should at making new habits . The one take-a-way from that challenge was I started drinking a protein shake ( just powder and water ) everyday . I had no idea what I was missing until I started drinking those. Now it did take me about 2 wks to stop feeling like I was going to die drinking it but I still drink that everyday. I am up 15 lbs from 3 years ago and its STILL a struggle when I get on that scale . Its my nemesis and I try to not stress . I know all the nutrition and working out are improvements over my previous self . I do a much better job at planning meals and prepping ahead so that I dont fall into that quick grab and go eating .

My next challenge was the 800 gram challenge . By far , this was my favorite for many reasons. I got to track everything which I like to do in a very meticulous way . I measured every fruit and veggie I ate and added every night . It also had me go outside my normal comfort zone on veg and fruit choices . I confirmed some ” not like” fruits like blackberries and raspberries . This challenge also validated my choices prior b/c I estimated that I already take in about 600-650 grams fruits and veg on a regual basis. I won this challenge at 4B east and the prize was 8 wks of Nutrition Counseling with a coach . Its all about building healthy habits for the long term . Habits that can be maintained without feeling like a chore.

Each year I get better at the nutrition game . Each year I have more to work on but I am willing to challenge myself and go outside the comfort zone . Now I am working to keep nutrition going for my 100 miler . I need all the help I can get to finish that race .

March 23, 2019 , an inaugural half marathon in Owensboro , KY
https://wendellfoster.org

I arrived Friday afternoon after a short drive from Louisville . I checked into the hotel which was adjacent to the Convention Center , packet pick up area . It is a small community centered expo with different booths to visit . I picked up my packet and it was full of swag . I was definitely impressed ! Long sleeve Tech Shirt , headband , hat , 13. 1 sticker , restaurant discount card ( which I happily used for dinner ) among attraction and city info inserts . If you have kids in tow , Smothers Park has a spectacular play area to keep them occupied. Its adjacent to the river and the view is beautiful.

Race morning I only had to walk down a block to the start / finish line at Smothers Park. Ample porta-potty stations for the racers , no lines which is definitely a bonus right before a race. Race started promptly at 7:30am CT . The course was fast and flat through downtown Owensboro and the adjacent neighborhoods. The course support was SUPER and lots of cheering folks the entire route . There were aid stations , water & Gatorade , every mile or so . I did not carry my own water and only carried some food / fuel . The volunteers were amazing and helpful for this event. Intersections were manned by local law enforcement and kept runners safe from traffic. Some of the course was closed to traffic and some sections had side lanes with cones & signage for runners . The side lanes were a little snug , maybe 2 runners wide so did have to go around cones to pass on a few occasions. There were large mile markers every mile and they were spot on with my Garmin . The bling was huge and beautiful , one of a kind . I can’t wait to hang it on my wall at work. The finish line had plenty of volunteers to assist you. There was water , Gatorade , milk , bananas and pizza for the runners .

This is a very runner friendly half marathon . If you had to pick a first half marathon , this would be a good one in my opinion . I really appreciated the race supporting the local Wendell Foster organization which provides services to persons with disabilities. The RD , John Gleason , and all the volunteers did a fantastic job on this event .

I walked into Four Barrel Crossfit in November of 2015 after sitting in the parking lot for 10 minutes convincing myself that I needed to get out of the car. Immediately I was met inside the door by the smiling face of Kristi Eramo . ( google her – she is a Crossfit Games superstar ) She was amazing and took 20 minutes to talk to me , get to know me and ask about my goals . My goals included heavy weightlifting. Lindy Barber ( google her too ) was doing deadlifts just a few feet from me and I was awestruck .. that girl could lift .

I started On – Ramp at Four Barrel Crossfit in December 2015 . Lifting weights wasn’t new to me because I had done a little bit in a bootcamp that I had previously attended. Lifting weights safely and correctly was NEW and I came to realization very quickly that I wasn’t as strong or mobile as I thought I was . I became fast friends with the 5 ft PVC pipe and the 20lb trainer bar. I struggled with so many movements and felt defeated on many days . I had to write workouts on my calendar and went 5 days a week . I could have easily quit but what kept me coming back was the Support and Community at Four Barrel . Its plain and simple , we are a Community . We grind out the workouts together , cheer each other on , provide support in so many ways …

It has been a long long journey in Crossfit for me and I have made huge gains physically and mentally. I owe it to the community support that I have received . I certainly could not grind out the workouts ,especially those mental toughness days , by myself in a local gym. I have changed my eating habits for the better and gained 14 lbs since starting at Four Barrel . The added muscle has enabled me to lift heavier and reach weightlifting milestones. I can backsquat more than my body weight and do a deadlift more than 200# without struggling . I have climbed a rope , learned how to do a handstand and other gymnastic movements. The mental toughness I have gained enables me to set bigger goals for myself .. I would have never signed up for my first half marathon or Spartan race if it wasnt for my morning workout crew ( Hannah, Elizabeth and Lizz ) or my many coaches ( Mallory , Connie , Gabby and Zach ) . I would never have dreamed that I would be attempting to do a 100 mile trail race this year . Crossfit has given me the confidence to believe in myself and the mental and physical strength to accomplish the goals I set .

This is the beginning of my journey to my first 100 miler . Today Ashley and I ran our first of many miles together . We decided in December 2018, after our epic mud filled 50 miler at the Falls 100 , that we wanted to attack the 100 miler in 2019. Pretty sure we still had runners high from the 50 and pretty sure we felt confident enough that we could guide each other to a finish . I mean how else does one get the courage to sign up for a 100 mile race but do it with the person you just met after 13 miles of 50 in a race that was the worst possible conditions you had ever seen.

Today was just an easy 10 road miles at Turkey Run . I am working to heal a bad hip strain so I am significantly slower than Ashley . We just did some intervals all the while talking about what our plan of attack should be for this year . Since both of us have a long distance trail races at the end of April , we need to clock miles now . This is the perfect time for us to get to know each other since we will be spending so much time training together .

Topics today included shoes, watch battery life , crew support , nutrition timing , pace for a 100 miler ( which is a work in progress & hard math to follow ) , hydration and training plans . There is so much information out in the great world of 100 milers , I feel we will pull from many sources and come up with our own plan. This is our ” Road to 100″