How to Reach Your Max

INGREDIENTS

 

3 people suffering from colds

25 hours clean sweep cleaning a house

2 family Thanksgivings

1 church luncheon

57.9 miles run

Return to Insanity

Start of HHBC

13 Hours of driving

1 Dead mouse

1 crying little boy

 

Mix all ingredients over a six day period. 

 

That was the recipe I used to end up in bed this morning until 9 o'clock feeling like a bus had run over me.  I had pushed myself to my max and finally my body told me that was it.  It was done.  It needed some rest.  So this morning when that little boy was crying again I snuggled in bed with him.  The super secret spy would handle taking S'ghetti girl to school.  I had already packed lunches so back to bed I went without a second thought.

 

I didn't dream about missing an early morning run.  I didn't dream about all that cleaning.  I didn't dream about that mouse.  I didn't dream about Shawn T.  Well, I might have a little.  And when I woke 2 1/2 hours later, I didn't have a single regret for having fallen asleep.  LBM needed the comfort of mommy with him and my body had hit it's Max.  It was time to pause.

 

I'll still run later today but maybe a shorter distance at a gentle pace.  I'll probably still do Insanity thanks to taking a little extra time this morning to allow my body to rest.  And if I don't I may lose all use of my arms by tomorrow. 

 

While I wouldn't recommend this recipe to others and I hope to not use it again any time soon.  But it did allow me to quickly see how everything in life can add up.  The past 6 days helped remind me that it's okay to push myself even when life gets hectic and it's also just as okay to allow myself a little extra rest.

 

What does it take for you to reach your max?

As the Nose Runs

With a training race coming up this Saturday you may have thought it was planned to not complete my "wake up" miles on Monday and again today.  However you'd be wrong.  I had every intention of getting those few miles in to help prepare myself to interaction sociably with other grownups but that didn't happen.  It's seems that the success rate may be directly linked to the pile of tissues beside my bed because LBM is often still in my bed! 

I knew that the super secret spy and I like to teach our children by example but in this case I completely wish he would have not shared his cold with the rest of the family.  Also thanks to the super secret spy being under the weather this past weekend, I missed out on a little kid-free time that helps to refill the patience reservoirs within me.  Even with a sick kiddo I have to admit that at times, say 3 o'clock in the morning after being woke up three previous nights repeatedly, that it can be an effort to not get worn out myself. 

So in the hopes of avoiding actually getting sick myself I have cut a few miles off the lead up to the Hashawha Hill 50k.  I have also mentally made the decision to keep the pace and effort in check since Seneca is the next Saturday and that course hold my 50k PR.  If any thought is going to be given to a PR attempt that will more than likely be the race so being healthy is a must.

I think we are turning a corner this morning when LBM woke up early and happy.  And since he was still to questionable to plop in the jogging stroller and not at all interested in the entertaining pastime of watching mommy run on the treadmill, we spent the morning reading and re-reading

I think those minutes will be replayed as I weave my way through the woods this Saturday in my own version of the story maybe more aptedly named,

Good Run Sun.

In the great green woods

there is a trail
And a red blaze
And a view of--

The runners jumping over the stream

and there were three little frogs, sitting on logs...

come back tomorrow to read the rest.

Monday Mishmash

This weekend I did all the right things...

I ate too much icing.

I played with fire.

We threw ball...in the house. 

We played outside in our pjs.

I tried to sweat my cold out.

And then Monday morning came when I read this G.

G posted about her experience at the Richmond Marathon this weekend.

I won't be a spoiler so click over there and read it first.

After I read it all I could think was (in an "it's all about me" way) what if I can not kick this cold/flu bug and end up in the middle of "you-have-to-walk-out-because-they-can't-come-in-a-get-you-ville" at mile 20, 32 or 44 and pass out. 

Ugh 

That can't possibly happen, right?  I mean how long can a cold last.

A Hard Day's Night

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.