6 weeks and counting……

June 10, 2018vtrunnermom 2 Comments

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

~Maya Angelou

I just want to start by thanking all of you who have donated to our Vermont 100 Sponsor Board. We think of you often on our training runs and hope you know that you are on this journey with us. The money raised is going to such a worthy cause. We are so close to our goal of $2500 for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, we couldn’t have done this without you…many thanks! It’s so exciting to see the board filling up…. its almost go time! Our board will come with us to all the aid stations, reminding us WHO is motivating us on our journey and who WE are ALL helping on our adventure together…..Let’s do this!!!!!!!

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve sat down and typed, it’s always so freeing to let the fingers do the talking. I’ve been really concentrating on my mind and soul these past months. My friend Amanda, owner of Forest Trail Retreats introduced me back to yoga in late April. She is very soothing in the way she teaches and how she guides you through your Yoga, I’m looking forward to continuing classes with her. She will be up at the VT100 conducting yogas classes for you and your family!!! How cool is that?! Emily, my running buddy, also nudged me into coming to some classes with her at Mighty Yoga, where the studio is heated. I loved the connection of my breath to my body, to my mind, and to my soul. Not to mention it’s a kick A$$ workout or if you slow it down, it’s a great practice to do after a long hard run, stretches out those hammies 😉 …..Looking forward to continue my Yoga practices with these ladies. A particular quote I love is “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” I kind of feel my running is the same way, it’s taught me abundant lessons in life. Running has taught me a ton about myself, we are all evolving and adapting everyday, these two seem to compliment each other greatly. This is now in my list of tools that can help relax me……

Circa 2011….Guy’s first VT100….my oh my have the kids grown! Mile 99!!

Another practice I’ve been doing is meditation. I never thought I’d be the type to try it, but after the Runamuck 50k this past April, I was a MESS. Why? I really have no idea. I train, I’m a competent runner, I eat healthy, I’m not competitive (as my hubs and I call ourselves the “blue-collar runners…we are not fast!”) I have an incredible family life, but I do have a TON of anxiety. Growing up, I just thought, hey..everyone is like this…..and I’m finding out as the stigma goes away, there are a lot of people who battle with anxiety! You’re not alone!! I put a ton of pressure on myself, always have, it’s in my genes, I have a family full of perfectionists and people pleasers. Not a bad thing, but it can cripple you if you let it. The thing with ultra-running and most things in life, is things never go as planned…..you have to learn to adapt to any situation thrown at you. In my running it may be the weather, or certain people who heighten my anxiety, questions, like… do I belong here, did I train enough …at the start of the race, these are all things out of my control, so there is no need to create angst from them. My anxiety rears its ugly head in the first 10 miles of a race, sometimes it’s the first mile, sometimes the eighth. My hands get numb, my palms sweat and become tingly, I’m one big nerve and I now am realizing that these are mini panic attacks (I’ve had huge full-blown ones after my accident, these are smaller, but you feel the nausea, the worry, the bang, bang, of the your chest, like you are losing control over your body) My adrenaline is pumping through my body so fast and in the first few miles, even at a slow pace mind you, my heart rate is hitting 180+…..it’s frustrating, but I’m learning new tricks and I’m beginning to lose the fear of the evil monster. So the second tool in my box of tricks is meditation, I’ve been meditating for the past 3 months, on and off, but mostly on. I feel so much better when I have taken the 10 minutes to shut down from the outside world. The app I use is Headspace It’s a free app that guides you through your mediation (his voice is super soothing and British, a win-win), whether your starting from scratch or if you’ve been practicing forever…. I love it, it reminds me to be in the moment, which I feel most of us in the modern world forget to do as well as work on my breathing……..I can’t say enough about it.

Atop of Ascutney……take it all in..be in the moment, just BE

I’m excited to see what the next four weeks bring in our peak training. This is a race I look forward to every year and this year is the 30th Anniversary!!!!!!!! I’m so excited to be part of the race committee, we have some special things planned for you all. It’s like my friend Astrid and I always say…”It’s Christmas in July!” Can’t wait to meet new friends and see my old best pals at Silver Hill……….See you there!

vttrailgirl and I at the Chesterfield Gorge 100k! What a HOT day…..but we survived!

Happy training, happy mindfulness and happy life……..See you on the trails…..

Krista xoxoxoxo

BE Mindful….

VT100……29 hours, 5 minutes, nine seconds….

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017vtrunnermom Leave a comment

“Keep your dream in front of you. Never let it go regardless of how farfetched it might seem.”

~Hal Higdon

The VT100 and what it means to me….

Family, friendship, heart, horses, team, Vermont Adaptive, never give up, hope, hills, running for those who can’t, willpower, strength, mental toughness, Song, beauty, selflessness, positivity, feet, RunFar, guts, blisters, nausea, tailwind, ginger, memories, happiness, suffering, highs, lows, mantras, finish, happiness

Reflection……. It’s been ten days since I crossed the finish line and I still get choked up about the day. When I reflect back on my VT100 journey……..I will sum it up in two words…..the first…..HARD. This was the most difficult thing (besides being severely kicked by a crazy horse and the three surgeries that followed that accident) I’ve done in my life. As I ran in, I remember yelling out “One and DONE!!!” As the days rolled by, the mind and body forget all that you endured to get to the finish line. I totally equate it to childbirth. The second word to describe my day was, JOY…..my heart was full sharing this experience with the people I love. Learning even more about myself with every mile, inspiring my kiddos to reach for their dreams. It wasn’t just about finishing a 100 miles, it was about feeling whole again after my accident………crazy how time can heal wounds…..

The day for me was made up of many struggles, gratitude, thrills, nausea, highs, lows, family, friends, hills with killer names, volunteers, horses, breathtaking scenery, hope, faith, resilience, owls hooting, darkness (which woke me up after 12am), meandering trails, digging deep, sunsets, sunrises x2, moving one foot in front of the other to finish something I started. I couldn’t have done this adventure without the help of my amazing friends and family (You know who you are…I love you and can’t thank you enough)….They pushed me forward when I thought all was lost, they clapped and gave high fives to raise my spirits, they sent messages with mantras and tidbits to motivate me, they lugged my stuff around from aid station to aid station. All with a huge smile on their faces………It still warms my heart today…

This hug from my son Justin will always have a special place in my heart and mind… It was taken by my pacer Jasmine at mile 99.75. To me, it embodies raw emotion, elation, gratitude, love between a mother and son, hope, determination, and the strength of the human spirit. Justin and his brother, Jase crewed their Dad and I all day and into the evening with their aunties, and they still couldn’t wait to run up the trail to meet me with a quarter of a mile left. The feelings when I saw them came gushing out. They’ve seen me through struggles after my accident two and half years ago. I’ve always been honest with them, and they know that if they set their mind to something, it’s achievable. Thank you Justin and Jase for making your mom so very happy…. i love you xoxoxoxo

Besides the crazy trash in my pack (so many broth cups)…..hehehe…this photo was captured by my best friend Julie at the finish. This is another hug I will cherish for eternity. Separating at mile 40 was extremely hard for us, but I was suffering from nausea for most of the race and was having anxiety about holding him back. He was going after his 500 mile buckle at VT this year, and there was no way I was going to hold him back. We separated with tears in our eyes, with the hope of reuniting at the finish. I am so Damn proud of you Guy for finishing this race 5 times!!!! Such an amazing feat! Guy….. you are my hero, my life, my everything…..I couldn’t ask for a better partner in life and a better dad to our incredible boys. Love you always and forever……xoxoxoxo

Even with nausea I mustered a smile…. because we are so lucky to be able to do something we love….I’m thankful for that…..

Sound of Music….Running with your best friend is the most amazing feeling in the world……….Gosh VT is so beautiful…

Guy and his fearless pacer and sister Elaine at mile 95!! WOW!! They look like they’ve gone a mile!

Hope you enjoy the memories of our 100……I’m blessed to have ridden it on my beloved horses and to have run it on my own two feet…two unbeliveable ways to experience the VT100!!!

All I can say is Dream Big, Dream often, and go find your adventure…….

Happy Trails……..

Krista xoxoxoxoxo

Learning Patience….and a few other tricks in life..

January 30, 2017January 30, 2017vtrunnermom 4 Comments

pa·tience

noun

1. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Patience…Do you have it? I don’t, especially when it comes to myself. If I have things to do, I want to check it off my list pronto! If I have things scheduled, I want to do them…NOW. I’m not a fan of waiting and I don’t like to have people waiting on me. Ask my mom and dad 😉 I guess at times I have a bit of a type A personality…but then at other times I can be really relaxed and calm. I do have anxiety, especially heightened after my accident, but I’m not ashamed of it anymore. I think more people struggle with anxiety than we think. It’s important to get help and have a great support system, people who you can talk with. My hubs is my rock and I’ve turned to him a ton over the past 25 years together, we can talk about anything and I can be truly myself around him. Also working with a therapist and learning tricks to cope with anxiety has helped me when certain situations arise that may cause my heart to really “pitter patter”. Deep breathing exercises are one of the best helpers for me, also a little yoga mat time never hurts.

My great friend, Astrid @ Vttrailgirl shared a beautiful and touching post about what goes on in her head during a run. I loved how she said her head is a “bad neighborhood” at times when she’s alone. (Please check it out, it’s a wonderful post) This hit home, because so many times I feel this as well. Not just on runs but with everyday life…. “You can’t do this” “Your injury won’t heal in time for the 100” “You don’t fit in” etc.. but I try and let them roll by like a cloud in the sky. I see them, and set them free. I have had my share of negative thoughts creep back in after my little setback with my tendon/ankle. Negative thoughts can really rule the mind if you let them, or you can choose to let Happy thoughts trump the negative ones. You can choose to wallow in the self pity or you can see the positives all around you. I’m now seeing my setback as a positive, because I’m certain those shoes would have caused problems down the road when my mileage really started to crank up. I’d rather have the injury in January rather than May. I’ve also learned, don’t fix things that aren’t broken. This can be a life lesson for sure.

Patience. Do you struggle with it? In a world where we have to wait very little for anything, I feel it’s important to practice good patience. If you want to watch a movie, you download it, a song..boom, it’s in your iTunes, a gift or toilet paper, viola Amazon is there. I was not blessed with the patience gene, haha, we know having patience isn’t something you’re born with, but I still lack it at times. I’m a fixer, I want answers quick so I can fix whatever the problem is. Like my ankle/tendon, I want it fixed now! My chiropractor told me I have to rest, pure and simple if I want to heal this. So, I’m practicing patience. Living in the moment, is a great start to learning patience. Being present and not letting your mind wander to the what ifs. I also feel the guilt settle in when I’m sitting with cranberries on my ankle doing nothing, but what I do see as well, is a family that pitches in and helps one another. From doing dishes to laundry, shoveling donkey manure, or snow, we make it work. We make it work, because we love and support one another. We support each others hopes and dreams, from being a golfer on the PGA, to lighting it up in the NBA, to running ultra 100 mile races, we are all there to allow those dreams to grow. So I’m making a conscience effort to be patient, especially with myself. I’m also learning to love myself, for who I am, not for anyone else, but for me. I’m gonna cut myself a little slack and know in the end, it’ll all work out. Because I surround myself with people I love, who love me back for who I am, always.

I’m feeling much better. It’s been 19 days since I did damage to my tendon, but each day I see improvement, walking is much better! We all gotta have a little faith that everything will be ok, right? If anyone out there struggles with patience, anxiety, etc, let me know what your tricks are to help soothe your soul………..cheers xoxo