Know your PLAN BEFOREHAND.... a reflection on my past 2 50ks...

Caumsett 50k...had a blast. Met alot of wonderful and talented runners. Went with three of my WR girls (I need pics girls!) as well as met up with my amazing friend and Montrail teammate Annette Bednosky who ROCKED and Phil McCarthy who is on the USA 24 hour team...who also ROCKED. Six Degrees of Separation and you know everyone...and the circle of friends in the Ultra world keeps getting smaller and smaller - amazing how we all keep running into each other!


I was very fortunate to have been able to do two 50k's back to back. These were two races that I was not setting my sites on as "A" races, but races that will help me accomplish my A race which is yet to come. The lessons that were learned are very valuable. It is the way I look at my life, my kids....when something goes not as planned...look at your options, critique with constructed criticism...try, try again.







In all races and all things we do in life, it is a lesson learned. It is an experiment, experiences that you will grow from and for most of us to relearn or even redo a mistake that wakes us up and get back to the drawing board - back to the basics.

So some of the basics for my racing I let go on two vitally important components for success...

My first 50k...rest. Didn't rest. Had no choice due to travel. That was an easy one to pinpoint.

The second 50k...well, I knew better. I went out waaay tooo fast. Out of control. I went in without a plan in my head - funny that I went out a minute faster for the first half this year and ran 6 minutes faster last year. I knew it when I was running and was just waiting for the bite...and it bit me hard! But I held on with a smile and noted that mistake "this will not happen again".





In all things lessons are learned, and I am glad I had those lessons learned. Never do I get down and out about a race. It is a joy and passion and I think it is a miracle that I even make it to the starting line (kids are healthy, plane arrived, I am healthy, etc etc...all the things that fall in to place to get me there...).





Hardly ever do we have a PERFECT race. There are those lulls that may happen even when all is going well, or fueling issues, or the others such as rest and controlled pace.....and that is why as in life...it is all a lesson learned and should look back with constructive criticism so that the next time to get out and try, try again. It is when you stop learning and stop challenging that the growth begins to stop. I am always learning.





So....I will fortunately take these lessons learned and use them to make me stronger and wiser and ready to keep growing and moving forward.





Bring on the next one, and the next, and the next......ready to rock and roll!








"Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful"


Joshua J. Marine