Tag: National Parks

adventures IN RUNNING

On By Sunsets and PuffysIn Adventures, National Parks, Running, Shop, Uncategorized3 Comments

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So…this past weekend was THE hardest run I’ve ever done in my life, ok that’s only a true statement if I exclude Speedgoat 2015 but anyways REALLY hard! Emotions grow strong the more miles you pound out during the day. My goal 34 miles, piece of cake right?! I had already run 42 miles and felt great a few weeks ago! At one point during the last 10 miles of my run, I sat on a rock and cried. I wanted to jump in the creek and meander my way downstream to Jenny’s Lake so I wouldn’t have to take another step.

I continued on because I had to. No one was going to come rescue me and my poor knee. I had to put one foot in front of the other. I did NOT get a sense of accomplishment as I ran across the bridge at String Lake. But what I did feel was gratitude. I can do hard things. I mentally can do hard things. I realize most people are not as stupid as me and sign up for a 100-mile trail run but really, we can push ourselves a lot further than what we think we can.

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My dad was waiting there for me and I was never so happy to see someone. I’m blessed to have many people behind me, encouraging me to continue on and reach my goal. I’m slow. Really, SLOW. But I put one foot in front of the other and know my mom would have loved to be on top of Hurricane Pass that day and that’s what keeps me going.

Don’t give up. Challenges make us better human beings. Some of us sign up for races bringing on those struggles ourselves, but most people have challenges without asking or wanting them in their lives. Keep going, one foot in front of the other. I know I can do it and so can you. As Babe Ruth said: ‘It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.’

 

Teton Crest Trail | Grand Teton National Park | Trail Running 

Shoes | Insoles | Food | Sunscreen | Keep Running | Shorts 

 

moments ALONG the WAY

On By Sunsets and PuffysIn Adventures, National Parks, RunningLeave a comment

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Most people ask me why I sign up for super long crazy ultra trail running races, and I always say, because what else am I going to do with my time? But really the reason I signed up for my first 5K to my first 100 mile race was because of the experience to the finish line. The training, the tears, the worry I won’t make the cut-off times, the struggles to continue on during a training run at mile six when you’re exhausted and dying but you have 20 more to go, the people I meet along the trail and their cheers, ‘You go girl!’, the accomplishment at the end and most of all, I do it for those who love me and are cheering me into the finish line.

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It’s a lot like life. It has it’s ups and downs, accomplishments and failures but at the end we have someone giving us a hug and saying, ‘you did the best you could.’ Whether you won the race or came in last, we accomplished something for ourselves. We’re all doing the best we can. It’s the little things that matter. The effort and dedication we put into crossing the finish line, to those who support us through the good and the bad, the rain, sunshine and snow. To the constant cheerleaders in my life, I say THANK YOU!

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Stop and enjoy that moment right now, because you’ll never get it back. I always stop and take a picture. Ya, it slows me down and I always like to stop, smell the flowers and enjoy that exact moment in time because it will be forever engrained in my memory, captured in a photo most of the time. That’s what gets us to the finish line of any race or life. Moments along the way. HAPPY RUNNING!

Wasatch 100 | Speedgoat | Coal Creek | Granite Canyon | Grand Teton National Park | Moose Lake | Lake Solitude | Cascade Canyon | String Lake