For all who serve, for all who support, for all who work so that I am free to do the things I love; Thank you!
For my dearly missed Daddy, my husband, my BILs, my FIL, my friends and their families;
We appreciate your service!
LBM starting his day the right way
This week has been full of hard day's nights. Sore legs, sick kids, twisted need to run and sick me all culminated last night at 3 o'clock in the morning in a sweaty shivering heap on the bathroom floor.
I had a lot of time to think about things.
I thought about how after putting in my fastest two 50ks in the spring, I am still recovering from putting in my second slowest 50k last weekend. Knowing the Stone Mill start line continues to plod ever closer, I thought about how nervous I am about my ability to even make it to the start line due to how beat down I felt in the days after Fire on the Mountain. And then I remembered looking at my blog and noticing the photos from some previous races. Go ahead take a look. While you are looking notice the caption under the photo for the Skyline Challenge. I'll wait.
.....
Glad you're back.
Did you see it? Yeah. I put "Best Trail Race Ever!"
Even though I got lost repeatedly, it was raining, muddy, rocky, mountainous, flat out kick-you-in-the-a## hard!
But if asked I would have said that the Fire on the Mountain was my favorite.
Then I realized that I thought the two hardest races I have ever ran are the best races I've ever ran.
Even though they now hold my two slowest times.
As I lay on the bathroom floor worrying about how this illness would effect my performance at Stone Mill in 8 more sleeps, I realized that it does not matter. It does not matter as long as I am defining performance as my ability to enjoy the adventure and beauty of 50 miles in the woods.
I giggled to myself in the wee hours of the morning while huddled on that bathroom floor wandering the trails of my mind as I thought how a simple mom of three will go from this sickly mess in the elapsed time of 7 days to being a blissful force moving through the woods...
for 50 miles.
Sometimes it's the hardest challenges that are the most rewarding. I'm sure you'll be ready to let it rip it eight days! Rest up.
ReplyDeleteSending good vibes your way. I hope you keep on giggling while on the trail. I'll be thinking about you.
ReplyDeleteOh geesh, Shelly! There is a big part of me who was laughing thinking of you sick on the floor and yet dreaming/worrying about running. And there is big part of me who feels TERRIBLE that you feel TERRIBLE. Oh, mommyhood is glorious. You are such an inspiration...even laying on the ground sick. :) Keep us posted. Rest (so that means only a 2-mile run today). Lots of fluids and some good ol' soup! Protein, protein, protein! THinking of you my friend!
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself Shelly! I know that you are going to do great at that race, but maybe keep your miles down this week. I have to tell you I have a bug too (fever, cough, body aches) and it is really wearing me down!
ReplyDeleteOh Shelly, take care of yourself. Rest up and drink tons of fluids and take some vitamin C! All will be good!
ReplyDeleteBTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRL.
ReplyDeleteTake caer and yes, the things that are the hardest are indeed the most rewarding!
ReplyDeleteSorry, take care.....oh my!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling all better by now! You are a trooper, I know you'll pull through it!
ReplyDeleteI am so sad to hear your were so sick and yet I love your thinking about how we forget how much we enjoy races - thank goodness for the blog, right?
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