Dying in the Desert

    Ok, so - haha! Apparently, I was SO dead, I completely forgot to tell the story of DEATH in the desert. Thanks to CK for telling me I had NO WORDS here, haha. Here's the words:

About a year ago, I was supposed to race with some friends - but for various reasons, I couldn't. Well, the day of one of those races, I was gonna show someone I could do it - so I did a 10 mile run in the desert about a year ago. Well, fast forward to me finding some new friends who enjoy all the things, and we thought it a good idea to go hiking!

I couldn't remember where I'd been before, but I remembered it was a there-and-back, so I shared the approximate location to the best of my recollections and KN found, what we thought was, the path. The review on All Trails https://www.alltrails.com/ had said it wasn't shady and there were a lot of people..and, it was 14 miles.

See, here's the thing - I can't say I've EVER done 14 miles...not STRAIGHT!!!!  I've collected that, plus some, over about 14 hours - so I was starting to get nervous the night before...I text KN and she said not to fret, it was for fun. PHEW!

When we pulled to the trailhead, it didn't look right - so - THANKFULLY, I log my activities using Strava and/or Runkeeper (yes, I run them simultaneously to make sure there's a system of checks and balances.) SO - because of this, I was able to go back in my history to last July and find the pin! Success. For future reference, it's this:

A bit of backstory - my friend...and I...we're not from these parts. We knew there was a "heat advisory" and figured, hey - we wake up early enough, we'll beat the heat! We calculated when to wake up and were on the road by 5:05 AM.  We miiiiight have taken a wrong turn/missed an exit that isn't actually there going northbound on the 202 on the east side of the valley...so we didn't arrive at our said place and start hiking until just before 6:00AM.

The thing about there-and-backs...you just go THERE and you can go THERE as long as you want to go - at about 4.47 miles, we looked at each other with some fierce determination that we were going to do 10 miles today, so - that we did, we ventured forth until HER keeper said 5 miles because...well, my trusty plan? I forgot to click on my Runkeeper annnnd....Strava took a small vacation in the middle. Apparently, it's been having some issues and if you were tracking us, it looks like we went diagonally across the desert in a perfectly straight line. There was no perfection about our hike and it was NOT straight ;p

Along the way, we spied some amazing cacti - had some great conversations about...well, life! The best part of hiking, right?

After we kicked some 5 mile dust, we took a break - at this point, I realized how brilliant my mate is - she had a pair of socks to change into! This is when I started typing things into my phone, oh - and, when we started to notice - hmm, it's starting to feel a bit toasty. Thank goodness we were on THIS trail that offered a respite of shade from a mountain on the way THERE.

After eating my FAVORITE Honey Stinger Waffle and some jelly things from my last race https://www.honeystinger.com/ that were SO scrumdidliumptious, we decided it was now time for the BACK portion. 5 miles, we got this.

Well - ever been in AZ...the HOT doesn't happen until midday - hence the reason behind waking up early and heading to the desert. Well - PSA here...at this moment of the hike, about 8am...it was about 97 degrees....and it clicked....hmm...a HEAT advisory means issss gonna be hot EARLY and y'all can't escape the Crock-Pottiness of this AMAZINGLY freakishly living convection oven that is called Mesa, AZ on a map.

Breaks started getting more frequent as KN wasn't doing so well and that energy from the most perfectly made waffle in the world (though it crumbles under the pressure - Honey Stinger, if you're reading this - ya gotta work on the crumb-ility of your product if you're gonna market to us racers who put these things in pockets and crevices to keep the with us for our times of need.)

It doesn't really matter how much water you have when the sun is eating you like a kid eats Oreo ice cream...there came a time where I got the chills...and the headache above my ears...and I knew, things were looking grave. My pack? I got this for my longer races, I LOVE it - there's room to store snacks and such - maybe not a bajillion things, but enough. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LLO83WA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Me n KN took a break under a patch of shade - you become SUPER grateful for ANY shade in this crockpot, I think we stopped beneath a mesquite tree...I was ready to take a nap (red flag, btw...don't take naps in the desert when it's 100+ degrees)...when the timer went off after our break, she heard a car and said she'd LITERALLY prayed for someone to come give us a ride...I prayed if it was His will, we'd get a ride - or, no ride if we were supposed to learn something.

Well, they slowed down enough for us to ask for a ride - but they were going "far out there" and couldn't turn around - and two more cars followed. Well, poo. Then, like it was the movies - a whole JEEP club pulls up! Miracle of miracles - this whole time, we're checking in with each other to make sure we're ok getting into some complete stranger's car - as long as she wasn't alone and I wasn't alone - I was game.  So, KN walks over to the lead Jeep...tells them our story, asks them to have mercy upon our ever withering and perishing souls, please have grace and pity and drive us the last mile...

"Sorry, we don't have room. It's less than a mile, you'll be fine." Maybe those weren't the exact words, but that was that.  10 cars had come...and we were a going BACK and it was apparent to me in this, our time of ever so much need, the Lord had a lesson for us.  I'm still not sure what that lesson was - but I'm sure it'll hit me in the head like a 2x4 someday.

We took breaks about every..heck, I don't even know - but by this time, we're past 9:00 AM. Those of y'all thinking, "It was only 9, suck it up buttercups!" The PRACTICAL lesson we learned? When it says HEAT ADVISORY - just don't. Stay home, go swimming, reverse what it's like to live in a snowy blizzard fest of Central and Northwest Ohio (my home) and stay in, well - at least where air conditioning is plentiful, water is cold, and if you take a nap, the vultures won't wake you by picking at your eyeballs...assuming you wake.

I knew with every fiber of my being, BECAUSE Father had sent so many vehicles, His message was loud and clear - YOU will do this and you CAN. So, I knew because of that that day wouldn't be on the right hand of my dash. It didn't make it less difficult. I still had the phantom goose bumps from heat exhaustion.

But - yes. You've guessed it - maybe because I'm writing this, maybe because you read my other post that came after this, maybe because you have faith that could swallow up a mustard seed - I'm not sure. BUT, KN and I - we conquered. We prevailed. We did HARD things.  She shared with me that until that day, the hardest thing she'd done was Flat Iron. She wants to go on Ebay or something and get a medal and make a design over the top of it and create a finisher medal for our 10 miles of death. I told her I wanted in on that.

We learned - doesn't matter how early you wake up on crock-pot days - it's already too late. Pack a change of socks cuz that'd be a nice refreshing thing. Place the bladder of your pack spout up halfway filled with water the night before to have cold water and coldness on your back while you're hiking...pack an apple, beef jerky (maybe we were craving salt?), hat, sunglasses, put a cold water bottle (frozen) in a cooler to be waiting in the car for you (It'll be melted and sweaty, but will be perfect and you'll welcome it's embrace), electrolytes, a squirt bottle, a small fan ON the squirt bottle, an umbrella (it's a thing! Those people aren't crazy walking around shielding themselves from the downpour of sunshine, they're GENIUSES!), hydrate DAYS before and fuel properly, TP, and a wipe (no story behind it, just security.)

It never dawned on me - der, Amanda - umm, you start hydrating the Wednesday before a Saturday race. I had one ick race with my buddy when it was the hottest day of the year thus far - and, of course, it went down the next day for what seemed like another month - so, I learned...but, my point - I KNEW I was going to hike that Saturday, but I didn't prepare.  Now, that wouldn't have alleviated the heat or anything, but I'm sure it would have helped :D

That's the story of dying in the desert folks. I don't recommend it, but if you're like me and are an experiential learner, well....remember:

You can do hard things, too. Just make sure it's not with a heat advisory.

Sparkle on!

Post Ragnar Spiritual Reflections

Before the race, we had to guesstimate our pace...I reported my pace. My captain calculated my exchanges a minutes LESS! I text her, especially after the accident (I wasn't able to train as intensely as I had planned) that I was almost positive I was going to be slower.. . I text her sometime before we started and said I felt my first leg was going to be longer.. By, like..30 minutes! She had confidence I'd be fine, even suggested I'd go faster.

Leg 1, very hard, 550 elevation, 8.7 miles.... Finished EXACTLY when she predicted, 19 seconds/mile under the pace SHE listed...1:19/mile less than what *I* listed.

Leg 2, easy, 4.4 miles, finished early, 1:10/mile less than what she listed, 2:10/mile less than what I thought I could so.

Leg 3, moderate, 4.3 miles, 1 mile left, (just after we'd exchanged texts) had to call and clarify where to go..my map wouldn't load..i lost a few minutes there...and my right knee decided it was done... it's the one that got hit in the accident....I limped my last mile.....I paused, half knelt, cried, and said a prayer out loud.I stood up and hobbled the last .8ish miles. I finished..I'd just finished my ENTIRE contribution, though the worst I'd done the whole time cuz of my dumb knee....

I cried..I looked at my time....0:16/mile seconds UNDER my predicted time.

Overall, my average pace was 0:35 seconds LESS than my captain put... And 1:35 less than what I put.

Sometimes we need the push in the right direction because we underestimate ourselves. Sometimes, it seems impossible. The challenge isn't something we would desire or even consider doing in our WILDEST dreams (do i LIKE running!?!?!?) sometimes we need to get uncomfortable to see what we're made of... So WE can know we're capable of more. Of doing better. It might be downright scary. It might seem downright impossible. Through people believing in us, we don't lower the bar on ourselves and achieve *our* impossible. 17.52 miles under a 13 minute pace... Even the Celestial Kingdom. 

Don't sell yourself short. You can do hard things when you run with Christ.

A ps to my testimony: leave who you are at the start line so you can finish as you are to become.

Sparkle on.

2020 Ragnar Del Sol THE RACE

So - if you don't know what the Ragnar is - it's basically a million hour relay race. Not really - I exaggerate, though it feels like a million hours in the moment. For us - we ran from Wickenberg, AZ to Mesa, AZ. About 200ish miles.  We had 2 vans of 6 and would take turns sleeping, eating, etc. and we ran varying distances and such. One of the cool things you get to do is decorate your van! We had chosen a camo theme, so we made the windows match - though...we decorated at night and questioned if anyone else along our route knew what it was supposed to be...we knew, we loved it!  OH! I forgot - so, each of the 12 of us had 3 legs to run, so as we finished our leg, we would mark off our square. It seemed nearly impossible at the beginning, but when that last box got the "x" it was a feeling of accomplishment I'd never had for a race.

 So - I was the first runner. My first run was 8.7 miles, and was "very hard" per the people who determine difficulty. I was so nervous! A few nights before, my buddy hooked me up with some tunes so I could run to music - so with our 7am start, I was all dressed up in this gear I'd never run in - it was crazy. Once we started, I clicked my tunes on which were on SUPER high speed. My buddy and his wife assured me I would want more music that I thought  - who wants to be running and have their playlist start over!? Ugh...well, I was so glad because for whatever reason, my music player was running stuff at 1.5+ speed! Imaging Dance Monkey faster...I messed with it for the first mile or so, but I gave up after some time and resigned myself to the fact I was gonna have to listen to my tunes like Alvin and the Chipmunks speed.

I survived some crazy hills that never seemed to end. Right when I would want to be giving up - my beautiful team was there cheering me on! These women were my angels along the way - truly! The first time I saw them, I nearly cried. It was something that I needed right when I needed it.  They were there a few times along this first leg, all at the perfect times when I was questioning what I was doing.  Random side - I ran 2 minutes walked 1 most of the way (that's how I survived, figured you'd wanna know how this ordinary girl did this ;-)) When I finished my leg, after I handed off my bracelet, I cried. It was INSANE! I DID SOMETHING INSANE! This  - I hate running, you couldn't pay me to run - girl just went the furthest and fastest she'd ever had (minus 3 half marathons and a trail run...but those were a long time ago) It was AMAZING!...haha, but then I was so sore for an hour or so!

My second leg - it happened at night and was cool.  ALL 3 of my legs were considered "night runs" so I had to wear my stuffs the whole time. I didn't care, though. I LOVE running at night - in the stillness of everything.

Starting my second leg was so confusing - the transition was at a school but I didn't know where to go - it was crazy, but I figured it out. On this run, I saw a few dogs and a few kids gave me high fives, it was funny. It dawned on me after the fact, I was running right by my niece's - I text her dad when I figured it out and he said they saw people running while they were grocery shopping!

After my second leg -  we were so worried about the next runner, and by this time we'd established we'd text the other 5 in our van when we were at the 1 mile marker (MY FAVORITE SITE THIS RACE)...so, after we'd hobbled to the transition a few minutes after we got her text...we were waiting - we knew she was hurting, but were so confused when she wasn't there...got really concerned! The phone rings - she asks where we are...we're like....at the transition - where are you!? She responds at the transition....umm, what!?  AHH! WE WERE AT THE WRONG ONE!  Ugh - so everyone runs back to the van - I go as fast as I can....and then we ZOOM over to get her and drop off the next runner....yikes, it was crazy - but we got there and it all worked out...

Poor thing gets cramps - and I'd mentioned I forgot my pickles....so when she got leg cramps, I was wishing I had my pickles - it was this race when I realized us in the Spartan world do weird things that people in the running world don't do...mustard, yes - pickle juice? Apparently, that's a Spartan thing..bahaha.

Leg 3! Wahoo!  The whole time we were worried about stalkers, wildlife, and I forget the rest - having to go to the bathroom along the course....I got out of 2 of them...

A family of wild javelinas...I kid you not...they are there!

I wasn't feeling amazing at this point - we'd gotten a text to tell Runner 1 to be mindful of  the mile marker - and when I got there, my phone had no service, so I called my captain - who was also the next runner. I was making pretty good time - then I stopped....and my knee FREAKED out - I could hardly walk - I was so stoked because it was going to be my best leg, and I literally had to limp to "my" finish. We were in last place...and I felt awful...but - the women on my team were SO supportive and gave me nothing but love!

 This was the last transition - van one was DONE!!!  Being the first runner was a HUGE  blessing for the night runs, but it was so hard to wait for the birthday girl as our 12th runner cuz it seemed like forever!  This is an amazing group of women. I love them.

Because of the accident, my goal was to cross the finish line, and that I did!

 My favorite sign the whole time!

 I earned this baby!

 Together, we do amazing things.

Sparkle on.

PS - we had some amazingly strong runners - we didn't finish last :D

2020 Ragnar del Sol Background (part 1)

Ok - so...if you know me in the slightest, you probably had to do a double take on the title of this entry! Bahahahahahahaha! Amanda? RUN!? She HATES running! I was that girl in middle school that the PE teacher didn't like cuz she'd WALK the mile. I'm that girl on the OCR course that's walking and has NO problem with a long time cuz...I HATE running. Well, let's be real for a second - why does anyone ever actually detest anything?  I'm GOOD at drinking chocolate milk and eating Oreos...is that something I detest or enjoy? If you guessed enjoy - you nailed it!

So - here's how it went down...I had this friend who did the Ragnar trail races and said I could do the 2019 race with him if I "proved my worthiness" - well, through a sequence of unfortunate things, I didn't get to race ...k, I'm about being open and honest, so here's the gosh honest truth...I was carrying around a bit of bitterness and happened to be asked by a dear friend if I wanted to do this race with her. WITHOUT hesitation - YES! I would love to! Ba Bam, I just committed to doing the thing I least like doing on a consistent basis.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE racing - the feeling of accomplishment, bragging rights, perhaps inspiring someone who didn't think they could do it into even just contemplating trying something new and outside of their comfort zone - and the t-shirts and cool medals. As a "non-athlete" who always wanted to go out for sports but wasn't ever allowed, now in my 40s (gag) it's FINALLY my time to be able to do these things.  Starting new habits, though, is hard. No matter who you feel you have something to prove to or whatever - the main person you should prove ANYTHING to is yourself. Self? You never thought you'd be doing a road race, running even, let's see what you're made of!

So - the invitation was around Thanksgiving...so, I ran here and there...but nothing consistent. By the time Christmas was rolling around, I KNEW I had to get my act together because it wasn't the solo Spartan or mudrun I've done in the past - this time, I had a TEAM that I was running with. That was motivation enough for me...I think that's my biggest motivation: if someone is depending upon me to do something, I'll be the LAST person to let them down. So - I put together a training plan.

Ugh...I don't like the next part of what I'm about to say - so up to this point, I was running 2-3 times a week...throw in some crossfit here and there....well, New Year's Eve I had something happen by way of an accident which put me back on my training.  I wanted to run that day because it was a running day - but I was advised not to.  I'm glad, looking back - the adrenaline was still pumping through me, so I might have done more harm.

I was so bummed - at this point, my goal for my first Spartan this year (Chino) was just to finish - given my physical state, etc..hence why I wasn't super disappointed by the 4:30 finish time. (That's hours).

I text my team captain and told her what happened...I couldn't have been with a better group of ladies - honest!

So, I think I ran a couple short runs before the race ...so I was grateful for my training during the previous months, even though it was off and on - it really helped me!

Sparkle on.

Spartan Chino, CA

So, I'm about two hundred weeks behind on this race report!

This was the first Spartan of the season for me!  I was stoked to be able to take my racing season on the road and nervous at the same time! I'd only raced one venue up until this time - and that was AZ! I had NO idea what to expect.

 Along the course, I found a great duo of friends who where there running their first Spartan!  We chatted along the course and had a blast. I promised them I would stick with them the whole time, and I did.  We came upon an obstacle I hadn't seen before - a slip wall! Big aluminum thing...maybe a 45 degree angle with a rope to help you up. Well, it was ..awesome...not! I tried to get up the wall and at the top, I sliiiid down.  I decided to do what I tend to do - watch. So, I noted technique, etc....tried again. I slid down AGAIN! But, this time, I felt some heat in my hands.  I didn't think anything of it until I looked down - and then I saw the 4 tears/rips...OUCH!  I think my hands went into shock for a moment because I couldn't feel anything - at this point, I was repenting for any time I'd made fun of people for having gloves on the course.  I'd always been "Be tough - gotta do the course nekkid" - UNTIL my hands hurt so much I couldn't grasp things I took for granted....yeeeeooowzers!

When I looked forward to monkey bars because the coolness of the bars...you knew something was wrong!

 Regardless of my crazy, slow pace - one of my course mates actually got taken away by a medic, and a lovely Italian lady had some serious cramping towards the end of the course and all I understood was "pickle juice." K - side note - pickle juice is a real thing! Though my other racing non-Spartan friends thought it was nuts - I'm at home with my fellow Spartans and they totally get it.  It's a funky taste, and no - it's not green, but still vinegar-y and salty - and supposedly helps with the cramping. Never turn down a shot of pickle juice on the course!

I actually had a PR on the monkey bars! I usually drop after the first or second bar, this time I make it between the 6/7...or 5/6, I don't remember!

I think I finished this one in 4:30 ...so, it was slower than my first Super (which was my first Spartan ever  - back in 2018), but I took it easy and enjoyed the time.  I also had many many penalties to pay - I wasn't confident with doing burpees, so because I'm trying to make this year my best and progress - I did squats, sit ups, lunges - I think that was it this time.

I LOVE chocolate milk.  I have run the Cap City half marathon in Columbus, Ohio three times - the organic chocolate milk at the end of the course - AHH! BEST. EVER!

Sparkle on, my people, sparkle on!

Ft. McDowell, AZ Spartan

Greetings! I'm SOOO behind in reporting my journey, but I promise I've thought about this every day! Nothing like a Sunday afternoon to play catch-up.  I'm going to go in reverse order with my race reports!

Back on 15 Feb, it was time for Spartan, AZ.  I got to meet up with one of my friends who came down from Colorado!  She's stinking amazing! I partially blame her for signing up for as many races as I have this year. I remembered her racing agenda from last year and got caught up in the excitement..and found myself signed up for (or having paid for! 9 races - ack! Haha. But I'm grateful for my awesome racing buddy :D)

I get nervous before each race, and this one was no different. I get the nervous tummy, make sure I go to the bathroom right before I head into the chute and when we take off - it's no turning back!

I was SO proud of us - we jogged MOST of the way.  It's been about 5 weeks now, so I don't remember ALL of the details - Mt. Olympus - it can be done when you have some beautiful friends that support you and you become professional piggy back ride givers!  The rule with that obstacle? DON'T touch the ground!

There's an obstacle called the Z wall that's pretty simple - in theory! However, after attempting it 3-4 times - having not ever failed it before, I fell prey to the penalty area.  I have NO IDEA what happened, but I moved on.

The rope - still kicked my butt - BUT - FOR THE FIRST TIME, I completed the bender.  You're gonna have to do some crazy Googling for some of these - but this one I've NEVER done before. One of the crazy things about these OCRs - kind of like right now, you use whatever you can to get what you're aiming to accomplish, accomplished. I got to the top...and I got STUCK! Haha, nothing like making it up and not knowing how to let go, fearing falling, and trying to break your leg free and wrap your body, as it's woven in and out of metal bars a million feet up (ok, not a million, maybe 20!) Somehow, I wiggled and wriggled and my left leg out and flipped it over the top!
 (Not my photo, courtesy of the Google)

Another personal win was when I did something called the Beater - it starts with monkey bars, then goes into this weird twisting sort of thing...I'll leave you to your Googling with that one - but I was so excited because I actually made it to the first part of the twisting handle-things!

Close to the end was my demise - well, the part that I was fearing the WHOLE race - the aluminum slip wall that ripped apart my hands in California....I approached it with some trepidation, but for whatever reason!? it wasn't as slippery as it was in Chino?! And - up I went! I think when I got to the top I freaked out so I flopped and my racing friend helped me over - but I was STOKED cuz my hands were in tact!

Overall, it took us 3:16, so I knocked off an hour of my race time. We really wanted to do it under 3, but things happen. I'm SUPER proud of this time because it's my best super ever. EEEEHHHVEEER!

Sparkle on, my people. Sparkle on!