I would not trade this ultra marathon training experience for anything, but there have been sacrifices because of the time it takes to properly train for a 100-mile race.  It has been tricky trying to fit it all in these days.  I sleep, work out, eat, hang a little with my family and friends, do a little work, and then the day starts all over again. I am not complaining...it is what it is. Lately, though, I have been feeling a little guilty. I know I have been missing time with some of my treasured friends because if they are not running with me, they have been seeing a little less of me than usual. One of my besties moved away this week, I haven't seen most of my Ironman team in weeks, and my friend Kay and I are like two ships in the night lately with little chance of sailing together anywhere in our future.

So this week I decided to take matters into my own hands.  For weeks I have been telling my 100-Mile Hero teammate Debbie Jett that I wanted to meet her in person and do some of my training miles in her neck of the woods--San Diego. It just so happened that Kay was doing her very first International-length triathlon today down in San Diego, so I made plans with Debbie to get our 8 miles in as we supported Kay with her race.  

It was important to me to be there for Kay, because we have experienced so much together over the last few years.  Kay was was my biggest supporter for my Ironman training even while she was battling Stage III rectal cancer.  She would pull herself out of bed and run with us, even when she wasn't feeling 100%.  She ran my very first Olympic-length triathlon with me.  We swam in her community pool and we rode our bike and ran around a minor-league baseball stadium near her home.  In addition, we also had our biggest laugh during this training session. Kay was in the middle of her chemo sessions, so her head was not always clear during this time period.  As for me, I am not sure what my excuse was.  Basically we had just finished biking and were running along a path and Kay kept shooting me funny looks. After about a quarter-mile she just burst out laughing.  I had forgotten to take off my bike helmet and in her chemo-fog it took her awhile to figure out why I looked so funny.  She knew something wasn't right, but she couldn't figure it out right away. We still laugh about that to this day.

Debbie was game to help me support Kay, because, being a colon cancer survivor herself, she might know a thing or two about cancer and the courage it takes to come back from a fight for your life. We parked far enough away so that we could get a mile in before meeting Kay.  She was surprised and happy to see us, and we were able to stay long enough to watch her swim off, like a mermaid, with her wave.  

Then Debbie and I took off to get some more of our eight miles in. The weather was perfect and we were so thankful for the mild temperatures so Kay and the other racers didn't have that obstacle to contend with. We decided to move along the San Diego Bay were we could watch some of the competitors on their run leg (the final leg).  We were fortunate enough to see the elite racers and cheer them on as we continued on our miles, and we also ran into and cheered on some of the slower contenders as well.  

As we walked back toward our car, we decided to attempt to see Kay on the bike leg of her triathlon.  We found a spot at the bottom of a hill where we could motivate the bikers as they headed toward their run transition area.  It was an exciting spot because the bikers had to make a sharp turn before heading off to the final stretch--some of the bikers seemed to go a little fast for the turn but would pull it all together at the last minute just in time to keep their bikes upright.  We didn't see Kay, but as we walked back to our car she came up behind us and rode off to take on her 10K run.  She looked so happy and appeared to be really enjoying every minute of the experience. Like Debbie often shares, she "lived some amazing LIFE" today!

Today I am content!  I got my training in, but I was also able to spend a little time and support a friend who has given so much to me over the years.  She supports me, she challenges me, and most importantly she reminds me to be be positive and never take life for granted. Thank you Kay for constantly inspiring us all to take life by the horns and enjoy every minute of the experience.  Happy sigh!

The 6th Law of Running Injuries:
Treat the cause not the effect: Because each running injury has a cause, it follows that the injury can never be cured until the causative factors are eliminated.--Tim Noakes, MD, The Lore of Running

The above quote was taken from my new summer reading book Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. You might be wondering why I would decide to tackle such a stimulating topic such as feet, and I only have one answer for you--BLISTERS THE SIZE OF TEXAS! I can't take credit for this hyperbole, but I can tell you that I can take credit for feeling this way about my feet during my Nanny Goat 24-hour race. Blisters have now become my obsession.

Let me take you back a bit to even before the Nanny Goat event. I trained for many factors I would encounter during this race: hydration, nutrition, endurance, chaffing, dressing for the weather, finding ways to distract myself (music and Audible books), training for early and late hours, training for heat and cold, but I never once thought about blisters. In my seven years of running, I had encountered one "almost" blister, but having never actually experienced a full on blister, I wasn't worried. My friend Stephanie made me buy blister pads, but they were thrown in at the last minute and only because Stephanie wouldn't stop bothering me about them. Famous last words, "Why would I need to buy those Stephanie...I NEVER get blisters!" She was right as usual!

I now know that blisters are almost inevitable in long-mile races, especially if you don't have a plan for preventing them in the first place.  So here I sit relaxing by the pool reading my foot book and making sure that I have a blister prevention plan and a blister treatment plan--just in case.

First, just what is a blister anyway?  A blister is a collection of fluid just under the top layer of skin. Running blisters are usually caused by moisture, heat, and friction between the foot and your sock or shoe.  Our best defense is to stop the blisters from popping up at all.  I am hoping that these suggestions will help me and anyone else who reads this blog to avoid the kind of pain I felt during the race and for weeks after:

1. Shoes: Make sure that you purchase shoes that fit your feet properly.  I buy my running shoes one size larger than my everyday shoes because with the miles I put in, my feet swell.  Also, wear them in a bit before racing or doing long miles in them.
   
2. Socks: Cotton is Rotten is one of the first phrases I learned in running--look for breathable and sweat-wicking fabrics. I love my Balega socks and I just found a pair that they advertise as blister resistant. They have two layers and are made of mohair.  They feel great--I will update in a future blog how they actually work to prevent the blisters. People also swear by Wright socks (double layer) and Injini toe socks.  Try several kinds and see what works for you. Also, I suggest that you bring several pairs of socks to the race because when socks get too sweaty, they can become an environment for blisters to begin to pop up.
3. Lubricants: This was my big mistake at Nanny Goat.  I had good socks and shoes but did not put anything extra on my feet to prevent the friction from happening. People use products such as Glide and TriSlide (my favorite to prevent chaffing), but I learned from various runners that Desitin and A&D ointment work just as well and cost much less.  I have found that A&D works for me and does not leave the white residue that Desitin does. So far no blisters, even on my longer runs--keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to be effective. If lubricants don't work, you can also try powders.
4. Hydration: This is one factor that had not occurred to me until Coach Ed mentioned it to me.  This article explains the reasoning behind hydration's effect on your feet better than I could, so here it is: How to Avoid Blisters on a Run
5. Taping: Some people swear by taping for blister prevention. This keeps your skin itself from actually rubbing against your socks and shoes. I noticed a lot of runners using duct tape at Nanny Goat, but I would suggest you try these things before a big race so you can see how they affect you personally.
6. Gaiters: Before Nanny Goat I had no idea what gaiters were.  When I saw them on the list I skipped right over them because I figured they must not be important because no one had ever mentioned them to me.  The second I stepped onto Nanny Goats dusty course, I knew right away that I had made a huge mistake.  For those of you that like me have no clue what these are, I must share that they are basically covers you wear over your ankles to cover the opening at the tops of your shoes to prevent debris from getting into your shoes and causing problems like blisters.  Not only did I not lubricate my feet, but all the dust and sand that accumulated in my shoes during that race made blisters almost inevitable.  So if you are doing a race where you will be on a trail, gaiters are a must!

A quick summary of what John Vonhof shares as the first and second lines of defense against blisters (taken from Fixing Your Feet):

• First line of defense: socks, lubricants, and powders
• Second line of defense--including a few additional suggestions: Frequent sock and shoe changes, nutrition and hydration, gaiters, taping, skin tougheners and adherents, foot antiperspirants, orthotics, and lacing (link to Vonhof's shoe lacing tips).

The unfortunate thing is that no matter how much you plan to prevent the blisters, if you put large numbers of miles on your feet those blisters may still rear up on you. And what works for one person might not work for another, so experimenting before a big event is crucial to protecting your feet.  In a future blog I will share what I have learned about how to treat your feet once those pesky blisters appear.  Below find some additional resources on blister prevention:
The Runner's Guide to Treat and Prevent Blisters
Three Simple Steps to Blister Prevention for Runners

"When you don't take care of your feet during a long run or race, each step becomes a reminder of your ignorance."  
                                             Dave Scott 

When I was training for Ironman, one suggestion was that I find some song or words that I could repeat over and over that would help me to get through the tough times during the race--the pain, the long lonely miles on the run, the times when I wanted to give up. My song of choice for my Ironman was Muse's Uprising. And during the rough spots at Vineman I would chant these words, "They will not force us. They will stop degrading us. They will not control us. We will be victorious," and it would remind me not to give up on myself, not to listen to the negative voices in my head, and not to stop moving forward until I crossed that finish line. I had worked hard. I had done the grueling training. I deserved to be an Ironwoman!

This week I was listening to my Nanny Goat playlist (I resisted my Bruno Mars loop of songs) and I found the song that I think will be my fight song for the EC100. In fact, it might be one that all of the 0 to 100 Mile Hero team find inspiring. I am interested to see what they all think:

Hall of Fame by The Script

Yeah, You could be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You could beat the world
You could beat the war
You could talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up
You can beat the clock
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don't wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
'Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

You could go the distance
You could run 100 mile
You could walk straight through hell with a smile

You could be the hero
You could get the gold
Breaking all the records that thought, never could be broke

Do it for your people
Do it for your pride
How you ever gonna know if you never even try?

Do it for your country
Do it for you name
'Cause there's gonna be a day

When your, standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
'Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Be a champion, be a champion, be a champion, be a champion

On the walls of the hall of fame

Be students, be teachers
Be politicians, be preachers

Be believers, be leaders
Be astronauts Be champions
Be true seekers

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
'Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame!

Okay, so maybe we will only count this triumph in our own personal Hall of Fame, but I know this experience will be in my top 5 amazing accomplishments for sure. The whole experience has been surreal for me. Training for a 100-mile race on my own caused me to have my first DNF in a race, kept me off running for weeks due to severe knee pain, and caused me to come close to giving up on myself. Yet here I am three month later doing 50+ miles a week as if it was no big deal (well, not really no big deal, but you know what I mean, right?)

According to the dictionary a champion is, "A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, especially in sport." But what about that person who "defeats or surpasses" anything they thought they could ever accomplish? What about that person that defeats all their negative self-talk to push on and accomplish their goal?  What about the person that hits a wall so big it seems insurmountable, but they climb over it anyway? To me, being a champion doesn't mean winning the race. It doesn't mean hitting some arbitrary time that I think will define my race. Being a champion means doing the training to the best of my ability no matter how hard it is to fit it into my schedule. It means pushing through adversity no matter how hard it gets during that 100-mile race. It means cheering other people on--even those I don't know at the start of the race. It means being gracious to all, being a polite and considerate competitor/teammate, and not stoping until I have the 100 miles under my belt! I believe that ALL this will make me a 100-mile champion and I "burn with the brightest flame" because I will have once again proved to myself that I am capable of BIG things when I put my mind to it!

My mind is quiet, which is a new experience for me.  I am used to the thoughts running through my head like a stampede of elephants fighting to climb out and be a part of my weekly blog. But for the last two weeks I feel a little like I am hearing crickets--there is noise, but I can't seem to focus anything enough to create a cohesive blog. The weird part is that I can't gauge whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Can I not pull things together because I am at a good place and this peace causes the lack of motivation to write? Or am I exhausted from the planning of not one but two 50th birthday surprise celebrations for my husband last weekend, the end of a really busy school year, and two months of intense ultra marathon training? Could it be because in three days I will be 48 years-old putting me one step closer to being half a century old? I know this sounds odd, but I really can't pinpoint why my blog is not flowing lately so I am just going to post the odd, random thoughts that I was able to catch long enough to write about.

• When I was in high school, which seems forever ago, I used to drive my mom crazy by playing the same songs over and over again and singing the lyrics in my off-key voice at the top of my lungs. While my favorite band at the time was Oingo Boingo, I tended to choose ballads for these before-their-time karaoke sessions.  My favorites included Foreigner's Juke Box Hero and Waiting for a Girl Like You and Journey's Don't Stop Belevin'. My bedroom was not attached to the house, but instead was built off the garage, so I would blast my music for the whole neighborhood to enjoy as well. At the time I was an angst-filled teenager, but truly, I have always had a deep-seeded desire that if I could magically attain one gift it would be that I would have a beautiful singing voice. Music has always soothed me at my most stressful times, so I do not know what to make of my obsession with Bruno Mars music these days.  I confess that over the last month I have been playing six of Bruno's songs over and over on a loop and belting out the lyrics as loud as can be as I drive around in my car going from school to school during my work day. When I Was Your Man and The Lazy Song seem to be my particular favorites, but not sure why this is the music that is defining me right now.  Random, I know, but this is what is rattling in my head these days.
• Along those same lyrical lines I am also noticing that my runs have gone particularly quiet on the music front these days.  I usually cannot complete my runs without my tunes in the background.  Even when I run with my buddies I tended to still keep one earbud tuned to my music at all times.  It may be that on some level I am aware that for a 100-mile race my phone battery will not last long enough to sustain music throughout, but not sure why my music is no longer needed. It may be because the last race playlist I created was for Nanny Goat.  Now that Nanny Goat is over, maybe I need a new playlist to motivate me. I love this website for finding good music based on the pace you are hoping to run. jog.fm
• Weight has always been an issue for me, but not so lately. My laser-focus on the scale has been a problem throughout my life, but I have noticed lately that the scale does not define me.  I am heavier than I was last summer, but every time I look at myself in the mirror all I can see is how much stronger I look these days.  Does this wisdom come with age?  Does this insight come from focussing on what really matters--being healthy? I am not sure, but this is another thought that keeps floating through my head.
• One thing is for certain, I am looking forward to my summer break and the ability to actually get some sleep. I will admit, I am a bit sleep deprived these days, which is not good for the healing and recovery process. I have been burning the candle at both ends and in the middle as well these days, but I do what I have to do to get the necessary training in. I am up by 4 am every day, out training by 4:30am, and on my way to a full day of work by 7:30am. I am headed home by 4 or 5pm to be a mommy and a wife before heading to bed by 9pm at the latest...and then the schedule starts all over again the next day.  I am hoping that during the summer I will be able to catch a few extra Zzzzzzzzs!

On Wednesday I turn the BIG 48 and despite the fact that my blog is not flowing as it usually does, I find that I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life.  I have an amazingly supportive husband, three beautiful children, and a career that brings me rewards on a daily basis because I have the privilege of molding the lives of children each and every day. I have amazing friends that surround me with love, support, and encouragement on a regular basis.  I live in a place where I can play in the hills, at the beach, or on the streets, which makes my training for this crazy 100-mile a gift rather than a chore.  The best gift I have given myself over the last six years is my health, and I am never going back to the old me.  Look at me--48 and completely FLABULOUS!