I finally finished the video for the Leona Divide 50 miler! I cannot believe it took me a month to put it together. When is someone going to start paying me to do these videos so I can prioritize them over my real work? It was really fun to watch over all the footage and re-live the race. There may not be stripey knee socks like my last race video, but there are still some sweet dance moves on display! Other bonuses: sexy rockstar wigs, creepy dolls along the trail, and I discover the next big running superfood. Check it out.
In other news, I’m getting really excited about Shadow of the Giants this weekend. I finally booked our hotel room (procrastinator much?) and our weekend plans are set. Word is that the race was almost cancelled because of impassable trails due to snow and fallen trees, but Big Baz found a way. I’m hoping to shoot video during the race (you know, so I can edit it together by August) but it looks like it might be pretty rainy, so I’m going to have to play it by ear. See you on the other side!
This year’s Leona Divide was possibly the best race of my life. I say this not because my time was great (it wasn’t—it was 30 minutes longer than my previous 50-mile time, and hours behind the race winners) and not because I felt amazing during the whole race (I didn’t—hello, crash at mile 43.) But something about this race changed the way I think of myself, and my limits, and my abilities, and I finished with a euphoric feeling that has stayed with me these past few weeks. This same feeling is making it really difficult to write a coherent race report, though, so bear with me.
Myfirst 50 mile race! If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be running 50 miles, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been a slow but natural progression, from running a lap around the park to running 3 miles to running 6 miles to training for my first marathon to doing my first 50k. I stayed with 50ks for five years, and never much felt the urge to venture beyond. Marathon to 50k isn’t a huge jump, but 50k to 50 mile felt enormous. When I finally did get the courage to register for my first 50-miler in 2008, I got injured a few months prior and had to pull out of the race. So although I registered for the Rocky Road 50 miler just a few weeks before the race, it was really a distance in the making for the past few years.
Putting the “rock” in Rocky Road
For all the slow buildup leading to this race, there wasn’t any anxiety or drama associated with running a new, scary distance. It’s funny, but I had a really peaceful feeling about this race. No nerves, no doubts. Maybe because I’d been racing so much this spring, or maybe I was just older and wiser and knew that I was ready for it. Whatever the reason, I just accepted the distance and didn’t stress. I even slept like a baby the night before! (That NEVER happens.) The race was in a gated community in Orange County, so I was up at 4 am to drive down for the 7am start. The course was not physically challenging, but it was tough mentally: a hard 5-mile loop on singletrack, then 3 out-and-back sections of 15 miles each to make the 50 mile total.
I finally finished the video for the Leona Divide 50 miler! I cannot believe it took me a month to put it together. When is someone going to start paying me to do these videos so I can prioritize them over my real work? It was really fun to watch over all the footage and re-live the race. There may not be stripey knee socks like my last race video, but there are still some sweet dance moves on display! Other bonuses: sexy rockstar wigs, creepy dolls along the trail, and I discover the next big running superfood. Check it out.
In other news, I’m getting really excited about Shadow of the Giants this weekend. I finally booked our hotel room (procrastinator much?) and our weekend plans are set. Word is that the race was almost cancelled because of impassable trails due to snow and fallen trees, but Big Baz found a way. I’m hoping to shoot video during the race (you know, so I can edit it together by August) but it looks like it might be pretty rainy, so I’m going to have to play it by ear. See you on the other side!
This year’s Leona Divide was possibly the best race of my life. I say this not because my time was great (it wasn’t—it was 30 minutes longer than my previous 50-mile time, and hours behind the race winners) and not because I felt amazing during the whole race (I didn’t—hello, crash at mile 43.) But something about this race changed the way I think of myself, and my limits, and my abilities, and I finished with a euphoric feeling that has stayed with me these past few weeks. This same feeling is making it really difficult to write a coherent race report, though, so bear with me.
Myfirst 50 mile race! If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be running 50 miles, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been a slow but natural progression, from running a lap around the park to running 3 miles to running 6 miles to training for my first marathon to doing my first 50k. I stayed with 50ks for five years, and never much felt the urge to venture beyond. Marathon to 50k isn’t a huge jump, but 50k to 50 mile felt enormous. When I finally did get the courage to register for my first 50-miler in 2008, I got injured a few months prior and had to pull out of the race. So although I registered for the Rocky Road 50 miler just a few weeks before the race, it was really a distance in the making for the past few years.
Putting the “rock” in Rocky Road
For all the slow buildup leading to this race, there wasn’t any anxiety or drama associated with running a new, scary distance. It’s funny, but I had a really peaceful feeling about this race. No nerves, no doubts. Maybe because I’d been racing so much this spring, or maybe I was just older and wiser and knew that I was ready for it. Whatever the reason, I just accepted the distance and didn’t stress. I even slept like a baby the night before! (That NEVER happens.) The race was in a gated community in Orange County, so I was up at 4 am to drive down for the 7am start. The course was not physically challenging, but it was tough mentally: a hard 5-mile loop on singletrack, then 3 out-and-back sections of 15 miles each to make the 50 mile total.
