Panic- Pan-ik
a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior.
6 days and 18hrs until Lost Souls 100 mile ultra. I haven't felt well for the last week or so and I am sure my body is in a panic mode. Bolt Supply House is sponsoring my race so I should be in less of a panic, I was going to be running alone with no support crew but then John McCann president of Bolt Supply House offered his help, I was thrilled when John emailed me, I started working part time last month and I was a bit stressed about the expense of going to Lethbridge> is only few hours away but I have to book a room at the local hotel for 3 days plus meals and gas, and you get the picture, I told my kids I was clairvoyant, I could see tuna sandwiches for supper for the next few weeks. In few short emails he put me in contact with Brent West.
Brent had a lot of questions, "what exactly is the crew suppose to do?" Well,I am sure he is still scratching his head after he read my email. The crew's main responsability is to make sure I am safe and I don't end up being disqualified for loosing more than 7% of my body weight at any time. I will be weighted few times during the race before being allowed to continued. If I end up sick again, I can end up with dehydration, dehydration means loosing weight and that could lead to being pulled out of the race. I also told Brent that if it looks like I am dying but my eyes aren't rolling backwards, I am OK, I just need more electrolytes.
I will proudly be wearing Bolt Supply House logo, I am sure if John had asked me I would have run the whole race as Top Nut, their mascot, I almost canceled the race because I didn't think was smart to spend that much on a race specially after paying for school supplies for my kids and their after school activities this month, thanks to John I don't have to.
Lost Souls ultra race course is a lop of 53.7k, I am hopping a sub-29hr finish but 30hrs is not hard to see as a final result. my feeling is that I will do great for the first 18hrs then go downhill fast, my brother Carlos who lives in Mexico mention this when we talked after the Canadian Death Race, I usually get in trouble around the exact same time, at the 18hr mark.
I think for time I am predicting I will do 7hrs on the first loop, 10hrs on the second loop and 13 on the last loop for a 30hrs finish, since it starts Friday at 8am, I should be crossing the finish line on Saturday around 1pm. I couldn't find a pacer for my last loop so I will be running it alone.
“Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be” Ashleigh Brilliant
Send you good vibes next weekend, I am nervous and its only because it means so much to me, I love that I still get butterflies before a race even though I have been running a race a month for the last 7 months, the best part of all, after Lost Souls I get to get ready for Sahara 250k Race, all of a sudden,my friends an acquaintances are all thinking, being a single struggling parent ain't so bad after all.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Decide to be happy- Author unknow
I believe-that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe-that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe-that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I believe-that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe-that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe-that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe-that you can keep going, long after you can't.
I believe-that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe-that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe-that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I believe-that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe-that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe-that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe-that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe-that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe-that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe-that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe-that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe-that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I believe-that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe-that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe-that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you you will find the strength to help.
I believe-that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe-that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I found this passage at The Bolt Supply House newsletter, I remember reading about it long time ago, is good to revisit once in a while. Now for my contribution ( feel free to add yours too) I will add that... I believe-that while I can't change THE world, I can change MY world.
I believe-that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe-that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I believe-that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe-that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe-that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe-that you can keep going, long after you can't.
I believe-that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe-that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe-that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I believe-that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe-that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe-that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe-that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe-that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe-that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe-that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe-that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe-that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I believe-that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe-that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe-that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you you will find the strength to help.
I believe-that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe-that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I found this passage at The Bolt Supply House newsletter, I remember reading about it long time ago, is good to revisit once in a while. Now for my contribution ( feel free to add yours too) I will add that... I believe-that while I can't change THE world, I can change MY world.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Everything I need to know I learned watching the Olympics
1. Winning has more meaning to some
Korea's baseball medal meant a lot more than gold and pride to their country to the Korean mens baseball team, it also meant they where exempt of two years in the military. Sometimes you can see that an individual is obviously better but there are times where the skills are so close it takes mental edge to win, aligning yourself with strong reasons of why you want to be the best will mean the extra kick you need to win.
2. When is meant to be, is meant to be
This was apparent watching Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, their medals where no accidents, better put the time training; you can't fake greatness
3. When is not meant to be is not meant to be
It was painful to see Deena Kastor, Marie Helene Premont,DNF and Mike Brown fail to get a medal by finishing 4th by a 100th of a second. You can give it your best and still come short, there is no shame, is just part of the allure of competing, you can train, give it all and still come short.
4. Everybody deserves a second chance
From cocaine addict to Olympic gold medalist. Eric Lamaze made his Olympic debut at age 40 after failing to make it to the 2000 and 2004 Olympic after testing positive for cocaine, Eric who grew up with no father and with a mother in jail for drug trafficking he proves that sometimes we need to give ourselves a break.
5. Loosing is part of life so get over it
Adam Van Koeverden was the favourite to win the K1 1000, instead we all watched him finish 8th or second last. Adam was crushed, devastated and confused, Adam was not use to loosing. The next day Adam came back to race the K1 500 and won silver for Canada. Canada's men's eight also won gold after a dissapointing finish in Athens, it proves that to win some, you have to be prepare to loose some. Loosing is part of life, learn from it, then get over it.
6. It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.
This is a quote by Muhammed Ali, I don't think he was referring about being told that at age 40 he was to old to compete, but that is exactly what happen to David Ford the Canadian Kayaker who was dropped by his sponsors for being too old, he had to fund his way to Beijing, he finished and impressive 6th, not bad for an old guy. Sometimes crossing the finish line isn't the biggest challenge we will face, it's the obstacles we have to clear to get there that are the most difficult.
7. Be ready even if the odds are stacked against you
Imagine you are Matthew Mitcham and you are competing in the diving 10 meter plataform. The hosting country has colected gold medals in 7 out of the 8 events that they have competed against. I can only imagine the trememdous mental focus he went through to tell himself he had a chance at gold, it was the most amazing feeling watching him being awarded Gold.
8. Sometimes greatness doesn't finish at the podium
Natalie Du Toit from South Africa didn't finish first, second or even tenth, she finished 16th, yet still the world around watched in awe as she swimed the women's marathon 10K. Natalie lost her leg at a scooter accident, she finished more than a minute behind gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko of Russia yet in our eyes she won more than a gold medal, she won our admiration and respect.
9. Never lose sight of your goal
Watching the last 10 minutes of the triathlon it was hard not to feel sorry for Simon Whitfield when he fell back from the lead group to 4th. He eventually fought his way to a silver medal for Canada, Simon himself was quoted saying that he had to fight the thoughts of in his head that keep telling him, that 4th place wasn't bad, it took focus and determination to fight his way back to the lead group and eventually meant a medal for him.
10. Sports transcend nationality or religion
Watching performances by such amazing athletes like Michael Phelps, Samuel Kamau Wansiru,Usain Bolt,Guo Jingjing,Carol Huynh, I couldn't help but to cheer no matter their skin color. Of course I wanted Canada to do well but watching at an athlete perform to his or her potential, had my respect no matter their nationality.
Korea's baseball medal meant a lot more than gold and pride to their country to the Korean mens baseball team, it also meant they where exempt of two years in the military. Sometimes you can see that an individual is obviously better but there are times where the skills are so close it takes mental edge to win, aligning yourself with strong reasons of why you want to be the best will mean the extra kick you need to win.
2. When is meant to be, is meant to be
This was apparent watching Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, their medals where no accidents, better put the time training; you can't fake greatness
3. When is not meant to be is not meant to be
It was painful to see Deena Kastor, Marie Helene Premont,DNF and Mike Brown fail to get a medal by finishing 4th by a 100th of a second. You can give it your best and still come short, there is no shame, is just part of the allure of competing, you can train, give it all and still come short.
4. Everybody deserves a second chance
From cocaine addict to Olympic gold medalist. Eric Lamaze made his Olympic debut at age 40 after failing to make it to the 2000 and 2004 Olympic after testing positive for cocaine, Eric who grew up with no father and with a mother in jail for drug trafficking he proves that sometimes we need to give ourselves a break.
5. Loosing is part of life so get over it
Adam Van Koeverden was the favourite to win the K1 1000, instead we all watched him finish 8th or second last. Adam was crushed, devastated and confused, Adam was not use to loosing. The next day Adam came back to race the K1 500 and won silver for Canada. Canada's men's eight also won gold after a dissapointing finish in Athens, it proves that to win some, you have to be prepare to loose some. Loosing is part of life, learn from it, then get over it.
6. It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.
This is a quote by Muhammed Ali, I don't think he was referring about being told that at age 40 he was to old to compete, but that is exactly what happen to David Ford the Canadian Kayaker who was dropped by his sponsors for being too old, he had to fund his way to Beijing, he finished and impressive 6th, not bad for an old guy. Sometimes crossing the finish line isn't the biggest challenge we will face, it's the obstacles we have to clear to get there that are the most difficult.
7. Be ready even if the odds are stacked against you
Imagine you are Matthew Mitcham and you are competing in the diving 10 meter plataform. The hosting country has colected gold medals in 7 out of the 8 events that they have competed against. I can only imagine the trememdous mental focus he went through to tell himself he had a chance at gold, it was the most amazing feeling watching him being awarded Gold.
8. Sometimes greatness doesn't finish at the podium
Natalie Du Toit from South Africa didn't finish first, second or even tenth, she finished 16th, yet still the world around watched in awe as she swimed the women's marathon 10K. Natalie lost her leg at a scooter accident, she finished more than a minute behind gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko of Russia yet in our eyes she won more than a gold medal, she won our admiration and respect.
9. Never lose sight of your goal
Watching the last 10 minutes of the triathlon it was hard not to feel sorry for Simon Whitfield when he fell back from the lead group to 4th. He eventually fought his way to a silver medal for Canada, Simon himself was quoted saying that he had to fight the thoughts of in his head that keep telling him, that 4th place wasn't bad, it took focus and determination to fight his way back to the lead group and eventually meant a medal for him.
10. Sports transcend nationality or religion
Watching performances by such amazing athletes like Michael Phelps, Samuel Kamau Wansiru,Usain Bolt,Guo Jingjing,Carol Huynh, I couldn't help but to cheer no matter their skin color. Of course I wanted Canada to do well but watching at an athlete perform to his or her potential, had my respect no matter their nationality.
Monday, August 11, 2008
“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”Helen Keller
I am back training for my first 100 miler, I am feeling a bit tired but my legs are not hurting any more. Also because of the Sahara Race, I am also doing weights especially upper body since I will be running 250K with a 22lb backpack.
Two amazing ultrarunners are breaking speed records this week. Karl Meltzer is trying to run the entire length of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail in less than 47 days.
Here is his latest post.
"When your back is stiff and your legs feel like lead; when and your knees ache and amputation seems like the only way to separate yourself from the throbbing pain in your toe; when you’ve been hiking as fast as you can possibly hike for 45+ miles on some of the most difficult trail you’ve ever traveled (and you’ve traveled some difficult trail); when you’ve been going for more than 15 hours and you’ve climbed nearly 14,000 feet of vertical; when lightning is slicing the rain around you and thunder is yelling at you to get out of its way; when you’ve been outside in the pouring rain and the swallowing mud for days on end and you can only bet on days more of the same ahead; when its dark and you can’t see the trail in front of you or your friend beside you; when you’re hungry, so hungry, and tired, so tired; when your dad is at the trailhead worried and waiting for you anxiously because you’re 2.5 hours behind schedule; when you really just want to be done for the day but to be done you have to keep moving – then you just might be Karl Meltzer."
For the full story click here
Peter Lubbers in four days will be attempting to break Tahoe Rim Trail" current speed record 48 hrs 58 min. If you want to check his progress click here
“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves.”
André Gide:
In other news I am currently the female leader at the Alberta Ultra Series and second over all behind Neil Runnions, the awards ceremony will be held after the Lost Souls 100 mile race, I am 230 points ahead the closest female, even if I don't finish Lost Souls I still have the lead. This has been the most amazing 6 months, I am running because I love the positive influence it has in my life, winning top female of the series will be just the icing on the cake.
The only drawback... ultrarunning is addictive, I am already working on my 2010 schedule!
Two amazing ultrarunners are breaking speed records this week. Karl Meltzer is trying to run the entire length of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail in less than 47 days.
Here is his latest post.
"When your back is stiff and your legs feel like lead; when and your knees ache and amputation seems like the only way to separate yourself from the throbbing pain in your toe; when you’ve been hiking as fast as you can possibly hike for 45+ miles on some of the most difficult trail you’ve ever traveled (and you’ve traveled some difficult trail); when you’ve been going for more than 15 hours and you’ve climbed nearly 14,000 feet of vertical; when lightning is slicing the rain around you and thunder is yelling at you to get out of its way; when you’ve been outside in the pouring rain and the swallowing mud for days on end and you can only bet on days more of the same ahead; when its dark and you can’t see the trail in front of you or your friend beside you; when you’re hungry, so hungry, and tired, so tired; when your dad is at the trailhead worried and waiting for you anxiously because you’re 2.5 hours behind schedule; when you really just want to be done for the day but to be done you have to keep moving – then you just might be Karl Meltzer."
For the full story click here
Peter Lubbers in four days will be attempting to break Tahoe Rim Trail" current speed record 48 hrs 58 min. If you want to check his progress click here
“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves.”
André Gide:
In other news I am currently the female leader at the Alberta Ultra Series and second over all behind Neil Runnions, the awards ceremony will be held after the Lost Souls 100 mile race, I am 230 points ahead the closest female, even if I don't finish Lost Souls I still have the lead. This has been the most amazing 6 months, I am running because I love the positive influence it has in my life, winning top female of the series will be just the icing on the cake.
The only drawback... ultrarunning is addictive, I am already working on my 2010 schedule!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Canadian Death Race 2008
The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. ~Ivy Baker Priest
I am back from the Canadian Death Race 2008, I joined 223 soloist and 182 teams for what it turn out to be the hardest race I have done. To downplay the race to seem modest is a disrespect to the 81 soloist that finished me included and also to all the racers who tried but had to drop out of the race because of injuries or missing cutout times.
Of the 223 soloist only 81 finished, and out of the 81 only 8 where female. Jack Cook from Edmonton smoked the course again, he is the course record holder and he finished first overall at 13:56:13, the fastest female was Diane Van Deren from Sedalia USA, her finish time was 17:16:22. To my surprise I finished 30th overall, 4th female and first on my age group at 20:44:14 even though it was posted I was third on my age group, I was awarded 1st at the awards ceremony to my delight.
I was nervous coming into the race, after all this is the race that started it all, exactly one year ago I came home from Grand Cache sore, beaten, but in love with ultrarunning and trail running. Last year I didn't finished, but I went a lot farther I had ever gone before.
When I signed for the race last year, I didn't know about ultrarunning. It had been a year after Karl was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy and I was devastated,it's a hereditary condition so it has to run in families, when the doctor asked about my family history all I could think was that my grandfather had been blind, different condition but who knows that was Mexico 40 years ago. The following week I started running, I remember wanting to run until my skin came off. In less than a year I had a son who was diagnosed with an incurable condition, I had lost my job, and I was single and heartbroken. There at home unable to sleep I tried to find a race for the summer, I started running with my best friend Nadia to qualify for Boston, something I did accomplished but Boston was longways away, I needed something to do for the summer. I found the Death Race, doing some research about ultras, I came upon an article about ultrarunner Mimi Anderson of the UK, she was part of a small group of female ultrarunners that the media calls "Brave Girls" feeling vulnerable at that moment,is exactly what I wanted to be,brave to face the challenges that lay ahead.
After just one more year I am please to tell you that things have changed significantly, while there is still no cure for cone dystrophy, I just saw an article about medication being use for macular degeneration, is in the same family of disease so I am very hopeful. I have a great job where everybody is very supportive, my family and best friend are there for me and of course I met the most amazing man in the world, Brett Wilson, before you go an google him let me do a shameless promotion of his TV show, he is the new Dragon on CBC's Dragons Den
I have know of Brett for quite sometime, and in Calgary who doesn't, I was apprehensive about going out with him after sparks flew when we finally met in person at his Garden Party, after all he is the Canadian version of Richard Branson, I have always admire his charisma and how brilliant he is in business and at marketing but I am more private about my life ( except now I guess is rubbing off)but the Brett I fell for was the one who took me to the children's hospital to visit Eugene, a friend of his son Russell. Eugene is battling cancer, Brett himself being a prostate cancer survivor wanted to stop by and see him and his mom, there in the hospital, talking about soccer with this bald teenage and making him smile, I watched his mom's face relax for a second, I could see the exhaustion on her face, but she was at that moment delighted to see her son smile and talked about something he loved, sports. when we left the hospital my doubts where gone, sure I might see him on the paper jumping off an hot air balloon wearing a wedding gown in protest of domestic violence but that is part of who he is and I love it.
Brett also emailed John Bobenic CEO of Maxim Power, he contacted the local power plant in Grand Cache Milner Power and before long I had a support crew
Alta Ball of Milner Power turned out to be amazing, she was through and meticulous. I drove with my nieces Karla and Brenda who are visiting from Mexico and by the time I arrived in Grand Cache 7 hrs later she had everything organized for me. We met after picking up my race package to go over the details, basically told her to treat me like a spoil child who won't eat her veggies, to prevent hypothermia I needed her to make sure she fed me well during transitions. As it turned out we had a lot in common, she had been a runner but because of arthritis she had to quit running, her ex husband also happen to be legally blind with the same condition as my son, well, I know my sister Muneca is going to have a field day with this one, even I can't just write it off as a mere coincidence. WE had a heart to heart talk, she worries about her kids who don't have any symptoms but since is a disorder that is pass down on the genes they are all aware of the risks. I was glad to tell her that even if her kids would be OK, with the support of friends, family, the community and associations such as the CNIB kids like Karl have the same opportunities as fully sighted kids. Harder? sure but not impossible.
Race day I stood there at the start line, chatting with Neil Runnions, Logan Beaulieu, Jack Cook, John Postoluk, I was part of the group, the tough guys knew me and accepted me. Then out of nowhere strangers started approaching me to wish me good luck, they all referred to me as the Mexican running wild, they told me they where fans of my blog. It was a bit overwhelming and humbling.
At 8am the gun went off, the first leg was an easy 19k with amazing and breath taking scenery, it was a relatively cool day so running felt great.
Leg 2 was a lot trickier, 27K of very technical and very slippery.I spent more time on my butt trying not to break my legs than I did running, by now it started to rain so it got more and more complicated as it when along.
Leg 3 is the easiest, since is the flattest of all the legs, this is where I tried to make most of my time, I am terrible at climbing but decent at running downhill.
Leg 4 is what nightmares are made off, the net elevation is well over 6,500 feet. This is where Neil Runinion caught up to me, we have a friendly competition since he is better than I am at climbing so it depends on the design and elevation of the course he might or might not finished ahead of my, last Saturday was his lucky day, he managed to finished at 19:08;28.I loved it when the next morning over breakfast he told me he had run scared the last leg, he was worry I was going to eventually catch up to him. At leg 4 my spirits where still high but I was feeling exhausted, I came into the last transition area before the finish line at 12 midnight, Alta, her kids and my nieces where there to cheer me on, Brett tried calling from Nashville but coverage was sporadic. Last year I was pulled out of the race because of hypothermia just before transition 5, I was very tired but I only had 25K to go, piece of cake, right?
I never expected leg 5 to be as hard as it was, I thought after leg 4 we where going to be treated to an easy jog into town to roll in with some dignity, instead I stared over and over again to yet an other climb "How many mountains and hills Grand Cache has anyways?'
I took me over 4 and half hours to finished leg 5, quitting never crossed my mind but I wanted to be done badly, I kept straining my eyes to find a light, any light something that might resembled town lights, instead except for a few team racers that passed me it was complete darkness.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tough at it was, I loved the race,the whole town of Grand Cache came to cheer us, most of the ultras I go to, might be a couple hundred of racers and their families only, here people came to cheer on complete strangers. I greatly recomend this race, specially if you are a female. I heard that the tough girls club was looking for more members...
I came home with a silver Death Race coin and a small plaque engraved with my name, time and place, this is the only thing I displayed openly in my house, on top of the mantel piece there are numerous awards my kids have received but mine are tucked away in my bedroom.
This award doesn't just mean I finished a 125K, that itself is amazing, but what it really means is that the human spirit is amazing about coping with adversity if you overcome your fears and keep placing one foot in front of the other until you will eventually reach the finish line. Quit to soon and you might never know how far you are truly capable of going.
I am back from the Canadian Death Race 2008, I joined 223 soloist and 182 teams for what it turn out to be the hardest race I have done. To downplay the race to seem modest is a disrespect to the 81 soloist that finished me included and also to all the racers who tried but had to drop out of the race because of injuries or missing cutout times.
Of the 223 soloist only 81 finished, and out of the 81 only 8 where female. Jack Cook from Edmonton smoked the course again, he is the course record holder and he finished first overall at 13:56:13, the fastest female was Diane Van Deren from Sedalia USA, her finish time was 17:16:22. To my surprise I finished 30th overall, 4th female and first on my age group at 20:44:14 even though it was posted I was third on my age group, I was awarded 1st at the awards ceremony to my delight.
I was nervous coming into the race, after all this is the race that started it all, exactly one year ago I came home from Grand Cache sore, beaten, but in love with ultrarunning and trail running. Last year I didn't finished, but I went a lot farther I had ever gone before.
When I signed for the race last year, I didn't know about ultrarunning. It had been a year after Karl was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy and I was devastated,it's a hereditary condition so it has to run in families, when the doctor asked about my family history all I could think was that my grandfather had been blind, different condition but who knows that was Mexico 40 years ago. The following week I started running, I remember wanting to run until my skin came off. In less than a year I had a son who was diagnosed with an incurable condition, I had lost my job, and I was single and heartbroken. There at home unable to sleep I tried to find a race for the summer, I started running with my best friend Nadia to qualify for Boston, something I did accomplished but Boston was longways away, I needed something to do for the summer. I found the Death Race, doing some research about ultras, I came upon an article about ultrarunner Mimi Anderson of the UK, she was part of a small group of female ultrarunners that the media calls "Brave Girls" feeling vulnerable at that moment,is exactly what I wanted to be,brave to face the challenges that lay ahead.
After just one more year I am please to tell you that things have changed significantly, while there is still no cure for cone dystrophy, I just saw an article about medication being use for macular degeneration, is in the same family of disease so I am very hopeful. I have a great job where everybody is very supportive, my family and best friend are there for me and of course I met the most amazing man in the world, Brett Wilson, before you go an google him let me do a shameless promotion of his TV show, he is the new Dragon on CBC's Dragons Den
I have know of Brett for quite sometime, and in Calgary who doesn't, I was apprehensive about going out with him after sparks flew when we finally met in person at his Garden Party, after all he is the Canadian version of Richard Branson, I have always admire his charisma and how brilliant he is in business and at marketing but I am more private about my life ( except now I guess is rubbing off)but the Brett I fell for was the one who took me to the children's hospital to visit Eugene, a friend of his son Russell. Eugene is battling cancer, Brett himself being a prostate cancer survivor wanted to stop by and see him and his mom, there in the hospital, talking about soccer with this bald teenage and making him smile, I watched his mom's face relax for a second, I could see the exhaustion on her face, but she was at that moment delighted to see her son smile and talked about something he loved, sports. when we left the hospital my doubts where gone, sure I might see him on the paper jumping off an hot air balloon wearing a wedding gown in protest of domestic violence but that is part of who he is and I love it.
Brett also emailed John Bobenic CEO of Maxim Power, he contacted the local power plant in Grand Cache Milner Power and before long I had a support crew
Alta Ball of Milner Power turned out to be amazing, she was through and meticulous. I drove with my nieces Karla and Brenda who are visiting from Mexico and by the time I arrived in Grand Cache 7 hrs later she had everything organized for me. We met after picking up my race package to go over the details, basically told her to treat me like a spoil child who won't eat her veggies, to prevent hypothermia I needed her to make sure she fed me well during transitions. As it turned out we had a lot in common, she had been a runner but because of arthritis she had to quit running, her ex husband also happen to be legally blind with the same condition as my son, well, I know my sister Muneca is going to have a field day with this one, even I can't just write it off as a mere coincidence. WE had a heart to heart talk, she worries about her kids who don't have any symptoms but since is a disorder that is pass down on the genes they are all aware of the risks. I was glad to tell her that even if her kids would be OK, with the support of friends, family, the community and associations such as the CNIB kids like Karl have the same opportunities as fully sighted kids. Harder? sure but not impossible.
Race day I stood there at the start line, chatting with Neil Runnions, Logan Beaulieu, Jack Cook, John Postoluk, I was part of the group, the tough guys knew me and accepted me. Then out of nowhere strangers started approaching me to wish me good luck, they all referred to me as the Mexican running wild, they told me they where fans of my blog. It was a bit overwhelming and humbling.
At 8am the gun went off, the first leg was an easy 19k with amazing and breath taking scenery, it was a relatively cool day so running felt great.
Leg 2 was a lot trickier, 27K of very technical and very slippery.I spent more time on my butt trying not to break my legs than I did running, by now it started to rain so it got more and more complicated as it when along.
Leg 3 is the easiest, since is the flattest of all the legs, this is where I tried to make most of my time, I am terrible at climbing but decent at running downhill.
Leg 4 is what nightmares are made off, the net elevation is well over 6,500 feet. This is where Neil Runinion caught up to me, we have a friendly competition since he is better than I am at climbing so it depends on the design and elevation of the course he might or might not finished ahead of my, last Saturday was his lucky day, he managed to finished at 19:08;28.I loved it when the next morning over breakfast he told me he had run scared the last leg, he was worry I was going to eventually catch up to him. At leg 4 my spirits where still high but I was feeling exhausted, I came into the last transition area before the finish line at 12 midnight, Alta, her kids and my nieces where there to cheer me on, Brett tried calling from Nashville but coverage was sporadic. Last year I was pulled out of the race because of hypothermia just before transition 5, I was very tired but I only had 25K to go, piece of cake, right?
I never expected leg 5 to be as hard as it was, I thought after leg 4 we where going to be treated to an easy jog into town to roll in with some dignity, instead I stared over and over again to yet an other climb "How many mountains and hills Grand Cache has anyways?'
I took me over 4 and half hours to finished leg 5, quitting never crossed my mind but I wanted to be done badly, I kept straining my eyes to find a light, any light something that might resembled town lights, instead except for a few team racers that passed me it was complete darkness.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tough at it was, I loved the race,the whole town of Grand Cache came to cheer us, most of the ultras I go to, might be a couple hundred of racers and their families only, here people came to cheer on complete strangers. I greatly recomend this race, specially if you are a female. I heard that the tough girls club was looking for more members...
I came home with a silver Death Race coin and a small plaque engraved with my name, time and place, this is the only thing I displayed openly in my house, on top of the mantel piece there are numerous awards my kids have received but mine are tucked away in my bedroom.
This award doesn't just mean I finished a 125K, that itself is amazing, but what it really means is that the human spirit is amazing about coping with adversity if you overcome your fears and keep placing one foot in front of the other until you will eventually reach the finish line. Quit to soon and you might never know how far you are truly capable of going.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Sinister 7 Ultra
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. Ambrose Redmoon
I am back from the Sinister 7 135K ultra, held in beautiful Crowsnest Pass. The race went better than I expected given that it was promoted as the thoughest ultra in the Alberta Ultra Series. The race did live it up to it's reputation, of the 52 soloist only 21 finished.
Rachel and Craig dropped me off at Blairmore for the start while they took my car to go mountain biking. At 9 am sharp we all started the first leg and easy 15k with only 740" of elevation. This is where I usually catch up with other runners, I stayed behind admiring the beautiful surroundings, it was hard for me to speed up because of the spectacular scenery.
Leg two was a grueling climb, the scenery at the top of Hastings Ridge was worth the effort,with a 457m of elevation gain and 607m of elevation loss, it made for a very fast run to the transition area. I am good at running downhill, I am more coordinated than most runners, I think is my dancing background. By the time I got to transition I was considerably ahead. I checked my watched and wondered how Nadia was doing, she was running Powderface half a very difficult and technical trail run, she was second female last year and she had trained very hard this year and was hopping for top female, what I would found out later is that she DNF because of an injury.
Leg three has the most elevation gain, at 838m I keep thinking I suck at climbing even though hardly anybody passed me, the leg crosses though the remains of the 2003 Lost Creek fire, by now my body was warm and I was making really good time though each leg I started to get faster and faster. Rachel and Craig met me at the end of leg 3, they wanted to say goodnight, they where tired from mountain biking and decided to go back to the hotel but would be back in the morning on time to greet me at the finish line. It was here too that they told me I was second female
Leg four is the longest leg at 31.5k, I ditched my poles in transition 3 ( a decision I would later regret) to be faster and put as much distance between Anne the female lead and I, we left transition at the same time and she was quickly falling behind. By the time I finish this leg I was in the lead, I came into transition and was greeted by a complete stranger holding a cup with mash potatoes " I heard you are here alone, I thought you might need this" the first thing that came out of my mouth was " marry me" he blushed and giggle a bit like a teenage girl. As I was leaving transition 4 I realize that leaving my hiking polls behind was not the best decision, at the rate I was going I was tracking for 22 hrs, which meant I would be running in the dark for the next 5 hours.
Well I know sometimes it's hard to see the light, Shinin' at the tunnel's end
And though the road just goes on and on for miles, Faith lives just around the bend. Keith Urban
leg 5 was the thoughest for sure, it was hard to run through creeks and mud without poles, I slipped and fell on a couple of creeks around 2am. For the next 3 hours my pace dropped significantly and I started to feel really cold, this leg has a hard climb and I had a hard time coordinating my legs. 3 runners passed me including Annie who would go on to finish top female and 4th over all at 22:23:21.Darren Froese was top male at 17:13:53. the fast Trax Team won top team at 12:26:38.
when I got to the top, the wind was howling,and I had a strong urged to lay down and sleep. Just 20 Minutes, that is what I though myself, I remember I had chocolate covered coffee beans and warming packs in my backpack. The warmers worked but not the coffee beans, I immediately started to throw up, and continued to do so for the next hour and a half . Walking in the dark was aerie but, I felt peaceful and focused. I could hear whistles everywhere from racers that needed help. Calling for help never crossed my mind. I realized I am both my best asset and worst enemy. I take some bad decisions, like leaving my poles behind knowing I would need them later, just to gain ground during the day, but there in the evening, I was remained calm, I knew all I needed to do at that moment was to reach transition safely, I was not going to be first, and I was OK with it, finishing was my next focus and that was still a very strong possibility. Just like with every race I get stronger physically, I also get stronger emotionally, I am also in the best place of my life currently and that helps me be less emotional and more rational. The sound of whistles where all around me but I didn't see anybody else for hours, later I heard somebody stole marking sings and a lot of people got lost, I did have to wait for other races to figure out where to turn several times because they would be no markings, at night it just got really though to figure out where to go.
I thought I was close to transitions after I started hallucinating, I was so sure I even heard laughter and the campfire and tents, walking for 10 minutes just to find it was just a glow stick. when I finally got to transition 5 I was in bad shape, shivering and a bit delirious, the meds did a good job of bringing me back to life, because I had stopped drinking their main priority after warming me up was fluids.
The race allowed a drop bag per leg, specially for soloist without help, the trick was to know where to send what. To my delight, I did have a change of shoes there for me,somebody gave me a dry t shirt and within 30 minutes, I was back in the game.
As soon as I started running I started to get sick again, and it was coming from everywhere, I remembered I had ginger chews and medication on my backpack, that helped and by the time I finished leg 6 the vomiting had stopped. I probably run an extra 2k en leg six running into the bushes. I was wearing my running skit but it wasn't exactly lady like.
Leg 7 was a brutal climb and equally challenging descent before turning into a beautiful and fast stretch to the finish line.
I reached the finish line at 24:43:09, 2nd female and 8th overall. As I crossed the line, Brian the race director put a medal around my neck then informed me Brett was calling to follow my progress, he got frustaded because the reeults of each leg where too late, I both blushed and cried at the same time when Brian told me. Knowing that there was somebody in Calgary awake thinking of me while I stubbornly pushed trough the night is really what gave me the will to not call for help and to suck it up.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Mahatma Gandhi
In ultrarunning, running is 50%, determination, endurance, thoughness, or just plain stubborness account for the rest. Kids have a natural tendency to follow though, just watch a child learning to walk, I have yet to meet grown up that crawls because it took him or her to long to learn to walk and just decided to quit. The Japanese have a proverb Nana korobi ya oki Fall Down Seven times Get up Eight.
I get asked often how can running such distance is possible, physically is easy with the right training, now, wanting to do it, that is the hard part. The wanting was the easy part for me, I just hope that my body can handle my dreams
I am back from the Sinister 7 135K ultra, held in beautiful Crowsnest Pass. The race went better than I expected given that it was promoted as the thoughest ultra in the Alberta Ultra Series. The race did live it up to it's reputation, of the 52 soloist only 21 finished.
Rachel and Craig dropped me off at Blairmore for the start while they took my car to go mountain biking. At 9 am sharp we all started the first leg and easy 15k with only 740" of elevation. This is where I usually catch up with other runners, I stayed behind admiring the beautiful surroundings, it was hard for me to speed up because of the spectacular scenery.
Leg two was a grueling climb, the scenery at the top of Hastings Ridge was worth the effort,with a 457m of elevation gain and 607m of elevation loss, it made for a very fast run to the transition area. I am good at running downhill, I am more coordinated than most runners, I think is my dancing background. By the time I got to transition I was considerably ahead. I checked my watched and wondered how Nadia was doing, she was running Powderface half a very difficult and technical trail run, she was second female last year and she had trained very hard this year and was hopping for top female, what I would found out later is that she DNF because of an injury.
Leg three has the most elevation gain, at 838m I keep thinking I suck at climbing even though hardly anybody passed me, the leg crosses though the remains of the 2003 Lost Creek fire, by now my body was warm and I was making really good time though each leg I started to get faster and faster. Rachel and Craig met me at the end of leg 3, they wanted to say goodnight, they where tired from mountain biking and decided to go back to the hotel but would be back in the morning on time to greet me at the finish line. It was here too that they told me I was second female
Leg four is the longest leg at 31.5k, I ditched my poles in transition 3 ( a decision I would later regret) to be faster and put as much distance between Anne the female lead and I, we left transition at the same time and she was quickly falling behind. By the time I finish this leg I was in the lead, I came into transition and was greeted by a complete stranger holding a cup with mash potatoes " I heard you are here alone, I thought you might need this" the first thing that came out of my mouth was " marry me" he blushed and giggle a bit like a teenage girl. As I was leaving transition 4 I realize that leaving my hiking polls behind was not the best decision, at the rate I was going I was tracking for 22 hrs, which meant I would be running in the dark for the next 5 hours.
Well I know sometimes it's hard to see the light, Shinin' at the tunnel's end
And though the road just goes on and on for miles, Faith lives just around the bend. Keith Urban
leg 5 was the thoughest for sure, it was hard to run through creeks and mud without poles, I slipped and fell on a couple of creeks around 2am. For the next 3 hours my pace dropped significantly and I started to feel really cold, this leg has a hard climb and I had a hard time coordinating my legs. 3 runners passed me including Annie who would go on to finish top female and 4th over all at 22:23:21.Darren Froese was top male at 17:13:53. the fast Trax Team won top team at 12:26:38.
when I got to the top, the wind was howling,and I had a strong urged to lay down and sleep. Just 20 Minutes, that is what I though myself, I remember I had chocolate covered coffee beans and warming packs in my backpack. The warmers worked but not the coffee beans, I immediately started to throw up, and continued to do so for the next hour and a half . Walking in the dark was aerie but, I felt peaceful and focused. I could hear whistles everywhere from racers that needed help. Calling for help never crossed my mind. I realized I am both my best asset and worst enemy. I take some bad decisions, like leaving my poles behind knowing I would need them later, just to gain ground during the day, but there in the evening, I was remained calm, I knew all I needed to do at that moment was to reach transition safely, I was not going to be first, and I was OK with it, finishing was my next focus and that was still a very strong possibility. Just like with every race I get stronger physically, I also get stronger emotionally, I am also in the best place of my life currently and that helps me be less emotional and more rational. The sound of whistles where all around me but I didn't see anybody else for hours, later I heard somebody stole marking sings and a lot of people got lost, I did have to wait for other races to figure out where to turn several times because they would be no markings, at night it just got really though to figure out where to go.
I thought I was close to transitions after I started hallucinating, I was so sure I even heard laughter and the campfire and tents, walking for 10 minutes just to find it was just a glow stick. when I finally got to transition 5 I was in bad shape, shivering and a bit delirious, the meds did a good job of bringing me back to life, because I had stopped drinking their main priority after warming me up was fluids.
The race allowed a drop bag per leg, specially for soloist without help, the trick was to know where to send what. To my delight, I did have a change of shoes there for me,somebody gave me a dry t shirt and within 30 minutes, I was back in the game.
As soon as I started running I started to get sick again, and it was coming from everywhere, I remembered I had ginger chews and medication on my backpack, that helped and by the time I finished leg 6 the vomiting had stopped. I probably run an extra 2k en leg six running into the bushes. I was wearing my running skit but it wasn't exactly lady like.
Leg 7 was a brutal climb and equally challenging descent before turning into a beautiful and fast stretch to the finish line.
I reached the finish line at 24:43:09, 2nd female and 8th overall. As I crossed the line, Brian the race director put a medal around my neck then informed me Brett was calling to follow my progress, he got frustaded because the reeults of each leg where too late, I both blushed and cried at the same time when Brian told me. Knowing that there was somebody in Calgary awake thinking of me while I stubbornly pushed trough the night is really what gave me the will to not call for help and to suck it up.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Mahatma Gandhi
In ultrarunning, running is 50%, determination, endurance, thoughness, or just plain stubborness account for the rest. Kids have a natural tendency to follow though, just watch a child learning to walk, I have yet to meet grown up that crawls because it took him or her to long to learn to walk and just decided to quit. The Japanese have a proverb Nana korobi ya oki Fall Down Seven times Get up Eight.
I get asked often how can running such distance is possible, physically is easy with the right training, now, wanting to do it, that is the hard part. The wanting was the easy part for me, I just hope that my body can handle my dreams
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Racing the Planet
“If you want to make something happen, you have to be outrageous. You have to go beyond what is acceptable. Unwillingness to do that is the biggest risk of all.” Mike Vance
As I am getting ready for the Sinister 7 I also found out I also will be competing at the Sahara Race October 26- Nov 1, which coincidentally is my birthday, Can't imagine a better way to spend my birthday than to run 250K.I am now talking to a few people about sponsorship since this is not a race I can just car camp,is looking promising but I am crossing my fingers just in case.
The race is a bit ahead of schedule, OK a lot, but this is how I am going to accomplish it.
I am going to keep running my usual mileage, 60-80 miles per week while adding hiking and power walking with a 22 lbs. backpack, and/ or biking for about an hour.This way I am increasing my endurance while avoiding injuries, I am already exercising about 4 hours a day. Good news, I am still feeling pretty good, bad news I still don't look like Madonna, even worse news, my house is a mess.
Why do it? besides raising awareness for the CNIB, I can't imagine living my life any other way. The thrill, the adventure, the adrenaline,the pain, they all remind me I am alive. I have found myself in these journey that when I go to bed at night I am excited for the next day to come.
The sacrifices are big but I am convince these next few years will bring inner peace and self acceptance that is only found when you are enlighten. Phew, kind of heavy, time to phone Oprah. With out kidding, is there ever been a time that you where so certain of something you forget your inhibitions and your perception of what is possible streches so far you can almost touch the sky? if not it might be time to do something that intimidates you.
Sinister 7 race is just around the corner, I will be running 135K and I think I will be finish it in around 25 1/5 hours giving the terrain. Rachel a co worker of mine and her boyfriend will be my support. They are hard core mountain bikers and they will just move my race bag from check point to check point while they bike in the nearby area. All I ask from them is a nice cup of coffee around 4am!. Rachel will be writing a mountain bike area report for me to post here. The race is located in Crossness Pass by Blairmore, a beautiful area and I am sure we will both have fantastic pictures to post too, because is Stampede in Calgary I might be running the race with a cowboy hat.
Until next week, now move away from the computer and go try something new.
As I am getting ready for the Sinister 7 I also found out I also will be competing at the Sahara Race October 26- Nov 1, which coincidentally is my birthday, Can't imagine a better way to spend my birthday than to run 250K.I am now talking to a few people about sponsorship since this is not a race I can just car camp,is looking promising but I am crossing my fingers just in case.
The race is a bit ahead of schedule, OK a lot, but this is how I am going to accomplish it.
I am going to keep running my usual mileage, 60-80 miles per week while adding hiking and power walking with a 22 lbs. backpack, and/ or biking for about an hour.This way I am increasing my endurance while avoiding injuries, I am already exercising about 4 hours a day. Good news, I am still feeling pretty good, bad news I still don't look like Madonna, even worse news, my house is a mess.
Why do it? besides raising awareness for the CNIB, I can't imagine living my life any other way. The thrill, the adventure, the adrenaline,the pain, they all remind me I am alive. I have found myself in these journey that when I go to bed at night I am excited for the next day to come.
The sacrifices are big but I am convince these next few years will bring inner peace and self acceptance that is only found when you are enlighten. Phew, kind of heavy, time to phone Oprah. With out kidding, is there ever been a time that you where so certain of something you forget your inhibitions and your perception of what is possible streches so far you can almost touch the sky? if not it might be time to do something that intimidates you.
Sinister 7 race is just around the corner, I will be running 135K and I think I will be finish it in around 25 1/5 hours giving the terrain. Rachel a co worker of mine and her boyfriend will be my support. They are hard core mountain bikers and they will just move my race bag from check point to check point while they bike in the nearby area. All I ask from them is a nice cup of coffee around 4am!. Rachel will be writing a mountain bike area report for me to post here. The race is located in Crossness Pass by Blairmore, a beautiful area and I am sure we will both have fantastic pictures to post too, because is Stampede in Calgary I might be running the race with a cowboy hat.
Until next week, now move away from the computer and go try something new.
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