1:30 am. Glass of red wine in hand. Crumbles of cheese and airplane snacks lingering on the coffee table. I have bags under my eyes, a persistent pulsing around my temples and stress-induced breakouts. The word "spent" doesn't even begin to describe my entire being. The last few weeks of my life were spent traveling … Continue reading Setbacks, New Beginnings and Building Mental Resilience
This morning, Timehop announced that today marks the 2-year anniversary of The Ultra Life! And what better way to commemorate the anniversary of this blog than (duh) a blog post? First of all, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who's read my stuff, supported my training efforts and races, tried some of … Continue reading Happy 2-year anniversary!
Most mornings, before I head out the door to run or go to the gym, I have my cup or two of coffee but don’t eat anything until after I get back. Most people don’t require a pre-run meal if their run is less than 90 minutes. However, sometimes your body desires a little something — just … Continue reading Maple Oatmeal Energy Cookies
It's currently 12:36 pm, and I'm debating whether I want to go for my 4th cup of coffee. I'm not totally dysfunctional, but I'm definitely tired, and I have baggies under my eyes. This morning, my alarm went off at 3:45 (so naturally, I stumbled out of bed 45 minutes later at 4:30). I put … Continue reading Top Tips for Staying Motivated in the Winter
Happy belated holidays! Time off with family and friends is always wonderful, but I'm always a little relieved when it comes time to get back to my normal routine. After Halloween and Thanksgiving, December was filled with my birthday celebrations, my boyfriend's birthday and his graduation, Christmas, numerous holiday parties and a last-minute vacation (which … Continue reading Quick 2015 Recap and a Sneak Peek into 2016
For years, I've been doing a mix of running, strength training and cross training. I feel strong for the most part, and slim, but my biggest challenge is keeping muscle on. So lately, I've been using the app My Fitness Pal to see where I might be going wrong with nutrition, and it's pretty clear that … Continue reading Advice wanted: How to run ultras and build muscle
It's been four weeks since my Colorado adventure and the Bear Chase 100k-turned-50-miler, and while the break has been blissful, I feel myself getting antsy again. I need to have some kind of goal I'm working towards, some purpose to my workouts, something I can focus on every day -- because that's just the kind … Continue reading Post-Race Blues and Looking Ahead
Happy Friday all! So one of the little things I look forward to every week is browsing my favorite blogs and reading their "Friday Favorites." So I thought maybe I could give you all a little something to look forward to (as if the weekend weren't enough) with my own running version of "Friday Favorites." … Continue reading Friday Favorites: Runners Version
I limped across the finish line, crusted in salty sweat, caked in dirt and depleted of morale. I see my boyfriend Curtis waiting for me by my drop bag, and the moment I collapse in his arms, I burst into uncontrollable tears. He holds me tight for a long moment before helping me to into … Continue reading Running 50 Miles: Failure, Courage and the Beauty of Pain
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