ultrarunningmom

Tomorrow I will be sitting at the starting line for my third one hundred mile run. I’ve done all my training and am going into this race well rested and injury free.

Well rested and injury free at the starting line were goals of mine. They seem like no brainers right? But that’s not how I’ve done my last two hundreds.

2013 Pony Express 100 was my first attempt at the one hundred mile distance. My training was going beautifully. My long runs were difficult at times but doable. Long runs are supposed to be difficult after all. Five weeks before the race, I rolled my right ankle. I had rolled my ankle before so at the time I didn’t really think much of it and continued on my run. But this time was different. I had a high ankle sprain and fifty-five miles to run the next weekend with my relay team. There was no way I was going to let my team down. So I sucked it up and ran the fifty-five miles. I knew when I chose to run with my team that I may not be able to finish the 100, but my team run was the most important. So I made it to mile 72 and had to drop out of the race. I wasn’t willing to cause more damage and potentially be out of running for six months or more.

My dad was on my race crew for Pony Express and even though I didn’t finish, he got me the award you see in the picture above. It sits on a shelf in my living room, totally out of place with the rest of the décor. It reminds me of my struggle and determination. Sometimes it’s not our time to finish or reach our goal because there are other lessons out there for us to learn. We have to remain determined. Without the possibility of failure, is it truly worth the pursuit.

2014 Salt Flats 100. I was determined to finish Salt Flats 100 no matter how ugly it got and I did. I was one of three women who finished the race. Two-thirds of the runners dropped out or didn’t show up at the starting line. Forty-five mile an hour winds and 16 hours of rain made me ask myself, how bad do you really want this belt buckle? There was one point in the race when I really considered quitting, but my crew stepped it up and got me back out on the road.

I will finish Pony Express this year.