What does Picasso have to do with it?!?

 There is a lot to get twisted up about right now:

Things look a bit different. 

  • multiple course changes, more out-and-backs
  • single serve everything at aide stations
  • fewer aide stations
  • crew restrictions, will only see them every 18 miles 
  • saying goodbye to high fives and hugs along course
  • smaller crew, fewer pacers
  • anxiety about flying and breathing in recycled air
  • no before and after parties
  • masks at aide stations  
  • lots of hand sanitizer (ok, this one is probably a good idea in any year)
  • plus all the normal anxiety provokers at this point: the dreaded taper, final decisions and packing. 

This 100 miler is like a Picasso painting.  It's all mixed up with hard angles and twisted perspectives but just like a Picasso, it is going to be beautiful in its own way.  The RD sent us all t-shirts with "We're All In This Together" about a month ago.  The passion for this race is impossible not to see.  No one would jump through so many hoops to make an event happen if they didn't love it.  

So yeah, this training block has been extra challenging and the world is bat sh*t crazy right now but what are we going to do, quit??? HELLZ NO.  

A Picasso 100 is better than no 100.  Time to, Buckle Up! 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Yeti 100 Endurance Trail Run Race Report

Image
If I fall asleep right now, I will get 4 hours of sleep... Yeah, those nights never work out well.  I tried to will myself to sleep with every trick there is but nothing worked.  I ended up just getting out of bed to eat my nut butter bagel.  Then thankfully fell asleep for an hour and a half.  You would think it would have been difficult to wake up considering I only had 90 minutes of sleep but nope.  When the alarm went off, my eyes popped open.  I laid there a minute listening to the rain.   Michelle and Kirsten drove me to the start.  There was an amusing incident on the way involving my fairly new headlamp, turning around and then turning around again but I will save that for another time.   I stepped out into the rain in a calm.  Felt so surreal.  How was this finally race day after all this time?!?  Last minute picture before stepping out of the car. "Every one here has worked so f*cking hard to be here.   It takes a lot of guts just to stand here!    This is your day. F*ck
Read more

DFL

Image
Bringing up the rear. Lucky Last. DFL. The Red Lantern Award. However you put it, I was the last person to cross the finish line on Saturday.  This was my first time  being chased by cutoffs and to be honest, it is NOT a good feeling.  What WAS a good feeling?  Crossing that finish line was pretty f***ing fantastic. Bears Ears Ultra 54k by Mad Moose Events. Like most industries, COVID has not been kind to the running world.  COVID reared its ugly head at the start of our usual season shutting down all of our events.  When I saw the post that Utah gave MadMoose permission (with many restrictions) to put on the inaugural Bears Ears 54k and 30k, I got super excited.  I was desperate for a real, in-person event.  I signed up almost immediately. I usually choose my big events meticulously by making comparison charts and taking my time with the decision.  Now here is the funny part.  If you know me, you know I like trail running a lot and I LOVE downhill running.  Uphill? not s
Read more

Valkyrie 50k Race Report

Image
The Valkyrie Trail Race offered lots of different distances utilizing various loops in Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  It has been on my Race Bucket List for years but the elevation gain always intimidated me.  Well after I finished the Rattler 50k in April, I thought why not?! So, I signed up for the Valkyrie 50k on May 20th.  I also signed up because there was a chance I would get a puppy after school got out and I would be off of distance running for a while.  Why not squeeze in one more challenge before summer vacation? The 50k course was big loop, little loop (soon to be known as the mud loop), big loop, little loop and little loop again.  They were very smart with their aide station placements because where they put the aide station in the big loop actually allowed runners to see it twice while out there.  Runners then ran to the aide station near the start/finish line and headed out on the little loop.                  The race trailhead is only 10 minutes from my sister's ho
Read more