10 Reasons I Can Run 100 Miles: Reason #5

Ehm.... Drumroll.... (this one is rather inspiring)
tut-tut-tut-tut-tut...

Reason #5: It's All Downhill

And when it's not downhill, it's because it will be downhill once I get to the top.

Yep, I'm just that good at lying to myself. The ability to convince myself of something I know is a lie is a talent; something perfected through years of running misery, passed down from generation to generation of ultra-runners, who have lovingly shared the sacred art of lying.

The people who say they've never regretted a run, they're lying to themselves. Or maybe they're practicing their talents. Who's to say? The next aid station is always a mile away.... They won't let me drop at this aid station better get to the next one.... That was fast! It must've been an 8 min mile, I bet my garmin has it wrong and it was 8 minutes not 24...

They're only lies once I realize they're not true.

So, I'll promise myself repeatedly I only need to run 6 more miles, and really, what's a 10k anyways? Especially when it's all downhill.

so, while I'm at it, I might add I'm not the least bit terrified of toeing the line. Nope, not one bit.

Comments

that WEIGHTY issue

It's been said to us climbers that what we do is dangerous, and irresponsible. How could we risk our lives like this? And distance trail running, if it compromises our health why do it? How dare we take that time away from our families? And yet, to even make mention about a different lifestyle, one of weight, obesity, and all of the very dangerous and risky components it involves is socially disgraceful, insensitive, and cruel. I bring this up only to show how much weight, in general, is not "ok" to talk about. It's a sensitive subject, even, no, especially, for those of us already at a healthy weight who use our bodies to their fullest daily...

Now, this blog is about running, ain't it? Yep. So while there's a lot of "weight" we could cover in this "weighty" area, we'll just go over one. Running.
Running and weight are intertwined. I'd like to say that this post is primarily for the ladies, because we typically store more weight t…

my children in wilderness; my partners in adventure

kids. it's one subject that everyone seems to avoid in the back-country. I daresay it's even more controversial than bolts/chopping bolts, the purpose of 200 mile slogs, or the benefits/costs of lake powell.

why is it so unpopular? most of us have kids, and we all were kids once. still, most outdoor peeps love a crag dog and will "oooh" and "aah" over an obnoxious pup getting tangled in their gear, but will groan when they see a few kids at a climbing crag. even in utah, other peoples children are generally viewed as distasteful as the little bags of dog poop the poop fairy forgot to come back and pick up off of the trail.

fortunately, kids are nearly as common.

"kid krushers"
"mini me's"
"the backcountry parent"
"badass babes"
"#nochildleftinside"
"free range parenting"
"little training partners"

the titles we use are amusing and endless...

I have two kids. I'm a single mom. I l…

Millwood 100 M "race" report

The most difficult “race reports” to write are the ones that are the most meaningful. With Millwood 100, it is both meaningful and not a real race, so it is twice as hard to capture the experience as words on paper. But I shall try.
First off, what is the Millwood 100 Mile? Millwood is (and yet another) Jared Campbell line in the Wasatch. (More and more my life is becoming a WWJD event… except more of WWJDS—What Would Jared Do Slower.) Millwood highlights the entirety of the Wasatch—along it’s 100 mile route it takes you through several 10,000-11,000+ summits, ridges, lower/over-populated flat trails, beaver ponds, exposed foothills, places where trails no longer exists or bushwacks where the never were trails, scrambles, rarely visited forks and passes, etc. The bad, good, and incredible aspects of the wasatch are all highlighted in Millwood. The vertical gain is somewhere between 40-45,000 ft of ascent… with the same amount of descent. Prior to my Millwood finish there were 3 Millwoo…

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