Ice Age Trail 50-mile Race
May 17, 2012
In May of 2009 when I wanted to give a 50-mile ultramarathon a try, I didn’t have to look far for an event. I quickly found out that Wisconsin is an ultra running mecca hosting many attractive ultra races right in my backyard. The closest up-coming race listed was a short 45-minute drive from home; the Ice Age 50-mile Trail Race.
Every day I would check the website and ponder the distance. I had never even run a marathon before and here I was actually considering registering for the race. I waited.
I continued my training but proceeded to wait, and I guess I waiting too long…the day that I thought was final registration day, I logged on the site to see a big flashing banner “Registration Closed”. My jaw dropped and my eyes filled with tears. Usually in the race world, if registration is closed, it’s closed. After a few minutes of consoling me (and likely considering how to check me in to the nearest psychiatric hospital) my dad suggested I just email the Race Director & ask if I could register. Though I doubted the outcome to be a positive one, I did just that. Less than an hour later I received a phone call back, “Hey no worries about registration, what’s your info? We definitely have room for you.”
Alas, welcome to the ultramarathon. Friendly. Accommodating. Accepting.
The memory of my race at the Ice Age 50 in May of 2009 is as fresh as yesterday. I toed the line nauseous & nervous, but in awe of the laughter & chatter going on around me. As I ran the course, everyone said “Hi” and cheered for each other. Some ran fast and some ran slow, but dare I say, no one cared? Everyone just seemed to want to enjoy the run. As I stood at the finish line just over 10 hours later, I tried to take the whole scene in: music, food, beer, laughing, clapping, cow bells, spectators, sweat, ice, and fun. “Who are these people?” I thought to myself. I clung to their energy as I hobbled to the car.
Three years later in the present day I finally had the opportunity to run the Ice Age 50-mile race again and I couldn’t wait to run the race & the course that had been the beginning of my love of the ultramarathon distance.
Last summer I officially joined the Lapham Peak Trail Runners (LPTR) group by joining the crew of area ultrarunners for a group run on Wednesday nights. With my official sticker in hand and awkward welcome speech given, I was in a running group. Over the course of the past year, these runners have become my running community, and my friends. We follow each other at races and cheer each other on. We email and Facebook and remember embarrassing situations to use as later laughter-ammo. We host events. We support events. We run and we laugh and we eat. Mostly we eat.
As I toed the line this time for the Ice Age Trail 50, I couldn’t help but feel excited about the full day ahead of running with my friends. I didn’t have to look far for inspiration; our group is cluttered with silent legends. Jeff Mallach hosts an amazing race that attracts elite runners from all over the world. On these these trails you’ll find Mary Goreski, a Badwater finisher, which, to me, it doesn’t get more legend-like then running 135-miles through Death Valley in July; Julie Trader & her fiancee Sam who helped her log nearly 1,000 race miles last year alone; the veteran lead guys, Rob, Kevin, & Joel who helped pioneer ultrarunning in the area; Mary Flaws, a superstar marathoner & ultimate cookie-maker; Cassie & Christine, two chicas who are usually running down 1st Place Female, and, quiet often getting it; Melinda & Steve, who completed their first 50-mile race; Aaron, who brought me out to the LPTR group last summer AND walked the hills with me as I got my legs & lungs conditioned to the trails; Marty & Brad, fighting off running nuisances but aiding us nonetheless.
I know my list is far from complete when it comes to highlighting the individuals in this ultra running community that I enjoy so much, but either way, I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with such an amazing group of people. They make ultra-running fun.
And, oh, how did the race go? Yeah, running 50-miles comes easy when friends are by your side and a cold beer greets you at the finish line.
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Think Of Me and Smile
May 10, 2012
I wonder sometimes about how personal to make my blog posts. MS Run the US, Inc. is a non-profit fundraising business, but I also feel there is an attractive quality in allowing our supporters in to the life of my family, and the life that I live. And really, anyone that follows my Twitter feed can see what I had for dinner, so what is personal anymore? Well, this topic is very personal, but I’ve written this blog in my head one to many times while running to not let it out.
In early January of this year, Andrew and I called off our wedding engagement. For the few that had been paying attention online & through social media the split-up was barely noticeable, but for everyone else it slipped through the cracks, mainly because I snuck out the back door and creep away slowly without trying to make any commotion.
As we went through the break-up, and all the emotions that go with it, I was reminded of a previous relationship I had in college. I was head-over-heels smitten by my boyfriend, thinking he felt the same; the painfulness & surprise of that break-up resonated with me for nearly 12 months and for a while I lived my life simply to prove to him that I was better off without him. The funny thing that eventually happened is that pretending to be better off without him actually caused my life to be better off without him.
With AD and I, time was something that I needed more of, but a luxury we just didn’t have.
As I learn more about love, I learn more about myself. Maybe I am a coward, impulsive, and centrally focused. But trusting honesty, Faith, and instinct can be the difference between elated happiness and nostalgic regret. Maybe I took the easy way out. Maybe I didn’t give him & I a try. Maybe I walked away with my head too high and my heart too light. Maybe it really could have worked. But…maybe. Maybe our lives are changed for the better. Maybe it was too hard. Maybe you can have it all. Maybe he’ll live to prove he is better off without me, to find one day that he is, in fact, better off without me. Maybe it’s time to move on.
A friend once told me, relationships happen for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. What Andrew & I had was a great season, and one that I’ll never forget; it’s one that has taught me many, many lessons. Each night in my prayers I think of him. I picture him standing on the sandy shores of Australia, gazing over the great blue water. In my vision he’ll think of me and smile; not because we know each other, but because we once did.
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Focus. Focus. Focus. Breath. Run.
May 8, 2012After months of day dreaming & training, The North Face Endurance Challenge – Bear Mountain event was finally here. The week leading up to my flight to New York I was anxious and hurried, but arriving at the event early Saturday morning (4AM to be exact) I felt a calm happiness as I walked to the big red arch illuminated by the surrounding festival spotlights.
It was here. Whatever was going to happen, would happen. And after my mental demise at Zumbro, I allowed myself the pre-race worry Get-Out-Off-Jail-Free card. I wasn’t going to mull over how fast I would run. I would just run & let the race happen.
I said my quick hellos to The North Face crew and took my place among the crowd of brave 50-mile runners ready to hit the trails. With a fresh warning from the RD, Nick Moore, I reminded myself to take the first miles easy. With a 5AM start, it was still dark, and a rainfall the day prior left the rocks slick & muddy. One wrong step early on could mean the end of the whole run.
The MC beaconed us to the start line with a count down, and some runners gave out cheers and claps as we headed under the arch and into the woods. Just as easy as that the 50-mile race through the woods of Bear Mountain had begun.
Like a good little ultra runner who learns a hard lesson, I took at easy pace through the first quarter of the race. Though I knew the race would thin out eventually, the congestion in the first 13 miles was a bit much for my liking…I couldn’t wait for the final 30 miles, when I would find myself alone, in the woods, breathing the mountain air while dancing across the rocks. Moments like those are true happiness and freedom.
Once the first 15 miles were behind me, it was time to really get running. I picked up the pace cautiously but steadily. I let my heart rate be my guide as I started to pass runners one by one. Up and over rocks and bounders, down steep mountain descents, I made my way through adventurous course set before me. The technical terrain was not something I could have functionally trained for in WI, but it didn’t take long for me to adjust to the footing. Again and again I refocused my eyes and kept my gaze 3-5 feet ahead of me. I told myself not to think about the dangerous downhill speed I found myself in at times. One tiny toe-touch on a jagged rock and I was going head first into a field of sharp stone. Instead, when this thought creep in, I refocused my eyes. Like a mantra, I told myself again and again…Focus. Focus. Focus. Breath. Run.
Placement wise I had no idea where I was in the race. I was passing other women, but for all I knew I could have been moving up from 20th place. And honestly, though placing in a race is always a blast, I reminded myself to have fun and run well. If there were other women out there kicking my ass, more power to them. As I entered the 27-mile Aid Station, I got my update…4th place Female. And with that I thought to myself, “Alright, Ash, you’re in this thing…let’s get it done!”
I took a quick break to get off my feet, change my socks, and to drink the most awesome meal replacement shake ever created. I realized I was famished, likely causing the fatigue I felt coming into the AS. It’s a miracle what some protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes can do for the body and mind as I left the AS feeling like a million bucks. I bounced down the trail and I pulled out my music; it was time to give these trails some tunes.
It wasn’t a few more miles when I passed the 3rd place female. She stepped aside on the trail as I gave her a genuine smile, and she returned to me a sincere wave and “Good Luck” as I headed down the trail.
Somewhere between miles 35-45 I lost my steam, and unknowingly, my place. For 10-miles I was running just trying to hold on, but as I entered the second to last AS at mile 45, the brightly dressed crew called out that I was the 4th female to enter the station. “What?” I said, “I was told I was 3rd?” The guy double-checked his clip board, “Uuuuh, nope, I have you as 4th”. I gave a smile as I left but I was frustrated with myself. Once I pass a female, I’d like to keep it that way no matter where I am in the race. My sulking didn’t last long as I entered a switchback and saw another female just a half mile behind me. “NO WAY I am getting re-passed twice!”, I thought to myself, so I took off with everything I had. I ran the hills and cruised down the descents. With one more AS just 2.8 miles to the finish I pre-decided to give my number to the crew as check-in and head on to the finish without stopping. If I were going to get passed again, she would have to earn it.
As I ran through the AS, I saw two females getting some refreshments. One of them could have been a 50-mile runner, or not…at this point all three races taking place on the course had converged, so they could have easily been 50k or marathon runners.
Either way I kept hauling it to the finish. For the last 20-miles, everything hurt. My arms and shoulders hurt. My legs and gluts hurt. My abs hurt. At this point, I had even concluded that my fat cells hurt. I could run fast and hurt, or I could run slow and hurt. The only relief I would find would be the finish, so it was easy to reason that I suck it up and get there as fast as possible.
As I emerged from the woods and down the finishing chute, I did the one thing I had been aching to do for practically three hours; I dropped to the ground and let my legs rest. Striped of everything but my clothes, I crawled to the nearby water cooler, opened the spout, and stuck my whole head underneath. I let the cool water rush over my head, as I tasted the salty sweat of my face flush past my lips.
Much later, after some technical equipment difficulties were sorted out, I found out that I finished 2nd Place Female Overall & 1st Place Female in my Age Group with a finishing time of 10 hours & 29 minutes. What I didn’t know is that I wasn’t done running yet. As I drifted off to sleep that night, preparing to run another 13.1 miles through the same treacherous terrain, the sudden movement of my legs pulled me from my sleep. In the light haze of my dreams, I realized what woke me. Though I was lying safely in bed, I was still running through the trails of Bear Mountain, up and over rocky mountain peaks and down steep trail descents, repeating my mantra: Focus. Focus. Focus. Breath. Run.
Posted in activity, Inspiration, Running, Training | Comments OffThe lessons of Zumbro
April 16, 2012
If I could paint a picture for my perfect 50-mile race it would consist of the following: I would feel well while running fast, and these two things would be reflected numerically with a good finishing time and high placement, both in gender and overall placement categories.
Ashley’s Definition Legend:
“Feel well while running fast” – Feel well is relative; so keeping a good pace with no excessive aches, pains, or stomach/digestive issues. Running fast is also relative; so finishing within 9-10 hours, give or take 45 minutes depending on the course is running fast for me.
“Good finishing time” – See above : )
“High placement” – Top 3-5 Female finisher depending the race/competition & Top 10-20 Overall, again depending on the race/competition.
Usually if I’m having a good race, I can check-mark each of these categories and feel pretty happy with myself for the day. When these races happen, I feel as though I will never run any other way…it’s my Runner’s High…and when you’re high, you can’t ever imagine being low again. But low does sneak up now and again, and this weekend at the Zumbro 50-mile trail race in Minnesota was a new low experience all together.
I registered for the race on an impromptu decision with running buddy, Aaron Schneider. He was contemplating the 100-mile race and I was all for hitching a ride 5-hours northwest to get a good 50-mile training race-run in before my adventure out east in New York for The North Face Endurance Challenge in 3 weeks. The thing with my training race-run mentality for Zumbro was I expected to run well, place well, and finish in under 10-hours.
I headed out to this race to also test out a strategy I had been curious to try out. In the past I practiced patience, just covering the first 15-20 miles of the race casually before turning it up and finishing the last 30-miles strong. This strategy works great for feeling well the whole race, but can put me just out of reach for the top female spots…no matter how great the last 30-miles feel, if the leading females have a 3-5 mile lead on you and they keep a decent pace, good luck in making up that distance before the finish. So, I wanted to try hitting the first miles faster, keeping a strong pace through the middle, and then work like hell to hold on before the finish. I had never run like this before, but I was willing to give it a try.
As the race started at 12:01AM on Saturday morning, 67 runners scooted off into the darkness illuminated only by the bobbing headlamps attached to our heads. Of course I felt great; this was lap one of three to be completed, I was surrounded by other runners excited to grab the night-running experience, and I had high expectations for how this race would go.
Throughout the first 10-miles I worked my way to the front where I played leap-frog through the Aid Stations with the top 10 runners. One runner in particular heeded warning to me three separate times about my early fast pace. This isn’t entirely uncommon to caution new ultra runners about killing the early miles fast, but according to my standards, I’m not new and this runner didn’t know me or my race plan. I kept my lips sealed, knowing very well that I could crash-n-burn just as easily as I could have a great race and kill it, but I made a personal mental note to NOT let this runner pass me before the finish; come hell or high water, I’d beat him for sure.
I checked in and out of the Start/Finish area as quickly as possible. Just over 16 miles done with 34 miles to go, and I was sure my second lap would be my fastest before I held on tight for lap three.
Out on the trail again I kept a strong pace for a few more miles, keeping my head up to spot another headlamp to pass. But near the front, as the runners thinned out, I found myself alone in the dark for far too long. I don’t want to be out here by myself, I thought, God, this sucks. Woah, negative thought numero uno and I was not ready for the attack. Where did that come from?, I asked myself. To shake it off, I decided to run faster. If I couldn’t prevent the negativity from creeping in, I’d run it down for sure.
Each depressing thought, I surged forward. Each hill I told myself I’d have a runner to pass at the top, but there was no one. Each root I tripped on, I stumbled back upright, feeling myself slowing down, worried that other runners were gaining on me. Just a few hours after my first negative thought attack, I felt I just couldn’t take it any more. I didn’t even know why I was out there in the dark to begin with.
Why am I even doing this? The long training hours are too much and all I’m doing is spending time alone. I don’t even like running this long. What am I trying to prove? I’m going to let so many people down when they realize I don’t even like being out here. How the hell am I going to run all those damn races I have lined up for this year? And that guy is going to pass me at any second and all I’m going to hear from him is, “I told you so.” And he was right. I’m not good enough to run that fast, and if I can’t run fast then I don’t want to run at all. I quit. Just get to this next Aid Station and then drop out. There’s no point.
Like a child who didn’t get their way, I was in full pout mode ready to give up. I felt so small that I sat down. Literally. I turned off my headlamp, sat down on the side of the trail, put my elbows on my knees, and buried my head in my hands.
Who am I? You’re a quitter, my mind said. If you quit this, what else are you going to quit?…Everything.
The only thing that got me up was the air. It was chilly and I left my jacket at the last Aid Station, so I got up and started jogging to the next stop, where I was planning on putting in my DNF. I was set on quitting.
As I came down the hill and the volunteers saw my headlamp, they started cheering and ringing the ever-common cowbells. Don’t cheer for me, I thought, I’m done. I approached the table, confused about what to say so I sat down instead. “What can we get you? What do you need?“, they asked. “I dunno”, I just said and hung my head, “I just…don’t feel…like running anymore.” “Oh, well that’s not an acceptable answer here! Let’s get you some soup! You want some soup? How about some ginger for your stomach? Here, eat this! Hey, let’s change up the music here too! How about some AC/DC?!? Thunderstruck is a great pump-up song! Let’s get you out there! Hey, if you don’t feel better and leave, at least you’ll get sick of us and leave! Let’s start a slow clap for her…come on everyone!” (Clap…clap…clap…Thunder!…clap…clap…clap…Ahhhahhhahhh THUNDER!…clap…clap…clap)
I was so embarrassed for myself, I left. They cheered loudly as I trudged down the trail, but as soon as I was into the darkness, I stopped and looked back. As I stared at the glow of the Aid Station, I wondered how I was ever going to go back to tell them I was done. What was I going to say? “Hey guys, great effort but this just sucks so I’m quitting.”
I stood there for a good 3-5 minutes, trying to summon up the courage to quit, when the guy that I promised myself I would beat, hell or high water, came down the trail. Great, here comes the nail in the coffin…
“Hey runner! Who goes there?!?!”
“Hey, it’s Ash…is this Matt?”
“Hey yeah, it’s Matt! How ya doing?”
“Eh”
“Man, you too? This sucks! Let’s keep moving through…hey, I’ve got tons of stories of this night time running stuff. We just gotta stick it out another hour; the sun will be coming up soon, and you’ll feel SO MUCH BETTER. Really, trust me! Come on. Let’s move. (I start following him) So, it’s like this, your brain really wants to sleep so it’ll tell you anything, ANYTHING, just to get you back into bed, but once the sun rises, man, you have to see it and feel it to believe it. Everything gets better. Trust me, come on…”
And I just listened. I realized in that moment how much I just needed the companionship of another runner for comfort. My negative thoughts told me I didn’t want to be alone, and it was true. I made a new promise to myself…no matter how fast or slow Matt ran, I was sticking with him.
It wasn’t but minutes later that I started to feel better. I got a good burp out and my stomach knot cleared up. I lifted my head to see that the sky really was getting just a little bit brighter. And I remembered why I feel in love with ultra running in the first place, not for the place or time, but for the nice people you meet out on the trails. Matt, the runner who heeded me warning, that I vowed to beat, my competition, became the person that held me together as I fell apart.
Matt & I ended up splitting up due to stomach issues he couldn’t shake, but I wouldn’t leave before giving him my sincerest gratitude for saving my run. I spent the next 7-hours running and thanking God for every step I took. Miles from the finish I threw my hands up and sang out loud as my favorite song came on, and in that moment I broke out into tears. I couldn’t reconcile how the girl that desperately wanted to quit had made it another 25-miles and was nearing the finish of the race; and to honest, I’m still not sure how to reconcile the two.
—
Each race is it’s own adventure and every time I toe-the-line, I learn something new about myself and the world I create around me. This time I was given exactly what I needed: a fast first lap, followed by negativity (from myself nonetheless!) the deepest desire to quit, aided by an opportunity to finish.
As this race becomes a memory, I hope to keep my hard lessons of Zumbro close to my heart. I am a competitive individual, so running competitively will always be a desire, but I have to also remember why I love ultra running & the community in the first place…we’re all out there running a lot of miles, tackling our own race (and sometimes our own demons), but it’s that community & companionship that holds us together, especially when we forget who we are…on and off the trails.
Posted in activity, Inspiration, Running, Training | Comments OffWARNING – 24 hour daily limit!
April 12, 2012
There seems to be a common reoccurring theme in my life recently so I can’t help but notice it cropping up. I often write, post, and update about setting no-limits for your life, reaching for the stars, going the distance, asking more of yourself, and so on. But no matter how much I push the impossible, there is just one limit that I, or anyone else for that matter, can’t get around.
It’s the limits of a day.
We have precisely 24-precious-hours to accomplish whatever it is we desire, and that’s it. What isn’t accomplished today, will just have to wait until tomorrow.
As I tick off an ever growing, and ever important, To-Do list, I find myself feeling anxious at times at the tasks I haven’t completed for the day, week, month, (or dare I say year?). Some days I find it difficult to step away from my computer, phone, clients, or errands because each task has it’s importance in my life and what I feel needs to be accomplished to achieve my personal version of success. I know if I feel this way at times, there have to be others that can relate. (Is this you?).
What I’ve come across recently are subtle reminders that the day is only so long, and that to a certain degree, no matter how many tasks I accomplish today, there will always be more to do tomorrow. My list will never end; and I don’t mean that in a daunting way, I mean that in a comforting, progressive way.
With the acknowledgement that I have to accept the limitations of today and be happy with the tasks I complete, I also have to remind myself not to let this reality grow into complacency; I’ve already experienced do-it-tomorrow thoughts when there was still plenty of time to do it today. I found that I am constantly seeking the fragile balance of achieving great success while stopping to smell the roses of my life; it’s an oxymoron that I am confident exists.
And if nothing else, I can trust that the balance of success and happiness is worth the endeavor. I know there will be days my anxious thoughts will be difficult to contain. I know there will always be days where I’m not completely satisfied with my accomplishments. But those days pale in comparison to the days when I look around and realize that slowly and progressively, a vision I cast for my life three years ago is emerging bit-by-bit every day.
I only hope the same satisfaction for you when you take the time to smell the roses of your life.
Posted in Inspiration | Comments OffThe MS Run 50K Fundraising Event
March 26, 2012“You should put on a 5k!!!”
You would be surprised (maybe not) how much I hear this phrase. Seems logical, doesn’t it, that a non-profit about fundraising and running would put on a running event to raise funds? But, seriously, there is so much that goes into putting on a running event that most people don’t even think twice about. The amount of time, energy, & effort for a fundraising running event in comparison to the dollars raised really makes it difficult to reason hosting one.
Alas, the time finally came for MS Run the US, Inc. to host a running event which took place this past weekend on Saturday, March 24th. Though I’d like to take credit for the event (because it was awesome!), I really can’t take any credit at all. This not-so-ordinary running event was organized by a recent addition to MS Run the US, Inc., Aaron Schneider.
Earlier this year as we organized the fundraising events calendar, Aaron suggested a loosely organized “group run” that would gather runners for a 50k while encouraging them to donate $1 for every mile they ran. Runners could complete the whole course, or not; they could donate, or not; and they could invite any and all friends to join with the understanding that this would not be an “official” event. It would be organized group run & it would provide aid stations along the way with water & snacks. I gave Aaron the thumbs up and away he went plotting the course, renting the shelter, configuring a map, and covering all logistics for food, water, & safety in order for the event to happen.
MS Run the US 50k Map
I won’t write about the time, energy, & effort that went into this event, because I honestly have no clue. All along while Aaron worked, I’ve been going about my merry way asking for periodic updates here and there leading up to the event.
This past Friday, the day before the event, I came into action, saving the event with my superhero cape blowing bravely in the wind. Okay…that didn’t happen at all; I literally just helped drawn bright orange arrows on the ground…
As the pieces of the event came to life while I helped Aaron pick up supplies & assemble the aid stations, I knew the runners and our MS Run supporters would be in for a great day at an awesome event. The aid stations were abundantly stocked with water, salty & sweet snacks, & bananas for fuel; volunteers were organized and confirmed on their commitments; course maps & detailed directions were printed & ready for distribution; and the post-race potluck table was being much-anticipated with a baking contest weeks underway. It was everything a distance runner could want and more.
Runners munching away at snacks 
The event began Saturday morning with the arrival of our first runner at 6am, an hour before we were to being the run. With this 50k being a group run, our guess was as good as any with respect to how many runners would show; there was literally no pre-run registration. But by the time 7am rolled around we had 43 runners ready to hit the trails. I gave a brief introduction about MS Run the US, Inc., Aaron gave some final course tips…ready, set…and we were off running!
From here I settled into a nice pace with a good friend and fellow MS fundraising buddy, Andy Scherwinski. Andy is an avid runner, cyclist, and athlete, who notable fund raises a significant amount of donation dollars for the MS Bike 150 every year in Wisconsin with his family. Eight miles with Andy through the Kettle Moraine forest and we both came into the first aid station drenched from head to toe with sweat.
It was at this first stop that I got to briefly visit & chat with client, friend, & MS Run Volunteer, Lisa Bonner. Lisa was a sight for sore eyes as she smiled and laughed easily at 8am standing randomly in the woods next to a table of M&M’s. After a few snacks, I told Lisa I’d see her on the way back, gave Andy a high-five, and headed down the trail. The 8-mile aid station was Andy’s turn around spot, and as I continued on the course towards the 15-mile turn-around I could feel the fast miles set into my hamstrings.
Over the next 7 miles my quiet times were spotted with other runners: Joel, who needed to head back early: new friend, Tim, who started at the wrong trail head; and other Lapham Peak Trail Runners out-and-about on their own running adventures. It’s always nice to see so many active and happy people on the trails in the early AM. I was also given a taste of trail medicine, as I was jolted out of a daydream by a tree root that sent me tumbling and sideways sliding downhill into a mud puddle. Ah yes, the occasional face-plant…there’s nothing more awakening.
I came out of the woods into the 15-mile aid station covered with mud and happy to see a rest stop. Aaron was patiently volunteering at this spot, as it was likely to be the area of lowest runner-traffic. Though the course was a 50k, many runners, like Andy, stopped out to support the non-profit but intended to run less than 31-miles. Given the opportunity, I might have just drove off in Aaron’s car; truth be told, at this point, I was ready to be done running. During the week I had already put in some big mileage trail-running days, and the unseasonably warm Midwest weather was causing me some fatigue, but Tim’s enthusiasm, Aaron’s encouragement, and my own expectations sent me back onto the trails for at least seven more miles.
Seeing the other runners on the way back was a blast and was just what I needed to get me through to Lisa’s aid station again, but by the time I arrived I had already checked out from running any further. Had I had more time, I would have laid down the miles and finished the MS Run 50k, but I was already 45-minutes behind schedule and I was booked to speak in De Pere at an MS Benefit that evening.
Tina & Amy...all smiles & great to run into!
Back at the start/finish area, I put down some food, threw on some warm clothes, and headed on my way before many of the other runners came in. Disappointingly I couldn’t be there for the post-run potluck, but I also felt it was equally important for me to be a part of the MS benefit I had committed to speak at.
From what I gather, everyone had a great time at the event…Aaron filled me in later on a few runners that completed their very first ultramarathon!, the food bake-off winners, the stories & laughs that were shared, and the generous amount of donations that poured in; as I calculated today, Aaron’s MS Run 50k event pulled in $1,750 in donations for the MS cause!!!
From me, I’ll openly admit that I got a little choked up on the trails. As I was running I was reflecting on the amount of support the event received, the individuals that made it possible, and the community that is steadily growing around MS Run the US, Inc. After just a few short years of MS Run being a labor of love, I feel & see it’s presence growing every day. There is nothing more humbling then to know that other people are willing to give their time, energy, and donations towards a non-profit and cause that is a direct inspiration from my mom – an individual whom I feel can and will inspire others to be more in this world.
A very big THANK YOU to all who made the MS Run the US 50k event a great success!
Posted in Inspiration, multiple sclerosis, Running | Comments Off
Earn the Quit
March 19, 2012It’s pretty well known that we live in an instant gratification culture. If we want something, or don’t want something, usually the results can get given to us in an instant. Personally, I even have to check and double check myself in terms of my patience; is 45 seconds really too long for a web page to load? The answer is, of course, is yes (hehe).
One of the reasons I’m so drawn to fitness and running is because they are not instant, and they continually test and check my dedication and patience for the results I desire.
Am I willing to give it what I’ve got today in order to (hopefully) see the results I want weeks from now?
And, as I was taught today, if I’m going to “quit”, am I willing to earn my “quit”?
Let me elaborate, because I know that last question can sound confusing. What do I mean by earn my “quit”? Well, with our instant gratification availabilities now, at times it can be easy to not finish the job. Instant. You don’t want to do something anymore, then you get to stop doing it right then. Instant relief, instant gratification.
Instant gratification rarely exists in ultra running, and that is one of the reasons, I found today, that I love this sport. I headed out this afternoon with the mindset of a 30-mile training day, but 30-miles was not what I got unfortunately. It’s not that I didn’t try and it’s not that I didn’t want it, but with the early Midwest heat and my lack of preparation, I found myself overheating and under-fueled as I stumbled down the Ice Age Trail. It took my second wave of nausea before I decided I had had my fill of miles for the day. But that wasn’t the end of it…
If I was going to quit before I reached 30-miles, well I’d still have to earn it…I was 5-miles from my car.
So as I slothed back to my vehicle with 20-miles under my feet, I began to think about all the times I had wanted to quit early, but was too far from relief to even consider not going on; or the times I wanted to quit all together, but I was just one Aid Station away from the Finish; or the times I thought I wanted to quit, only to find a few miles later I had hit a wall that I could eventually overcome just by continuing forward.
In ultra running, if you’re going to quit, usually you have to keep running for at least another hour or two (maybe more) before you’re actually done, so you’ll likely try everything else before even throwing in the towel.
Can you imagine if that’s the type of process that we all had to go through in order to quit before the job was done? Trudge through painful hours of work and self-analyzation before we were given relief.
I couldn’t be more grateful for the life lessons that fitness & ultra running gives me. Each and every time I lace up my shoes I know I’m in for an adventure. Sometimes the adventure is light and joyful. Sometimes the adventure is heavy and painful. But either way, I know that when I’ve stopped running my miles, I’m a better person then when I began; I know that I’ve earned whatever it is that each workout gives me…whether that be a great workout, or an early quit. Either way, I’ve earned it; and that’s something that I can’t help but directly relate to every area of my life.
Posted in Inspiration, Running, Training | Comments OffA wee little crappy disease
March 14, 2012It’s MS Awareness week, it’s already Wednesday, and I have yet to even blog about the cause!…Great advocate I make…(awkward).
Any who, it’s time I get on my newly installed Internet, in newly moved into apartment (read: excuse for not blogging about this yet), and enlighten you, as my fellow reader, a bit about a wee little crappy disease called multiple sclerosis (MS).
For me, I guess the first thing I like to touch on is that this is not a disease that you can see. The difference between my mom’s abilities and her MS peers is night and day at times. Some individuals are far worse off then her, while others (the rare & lucky) are trucking along just fine. And it’s the trucking-along-just-fine crew that can give the illusion that multiple sclerosis is not a disease that merits strong advocacy for a cure, when in fact, many, many symptoms of MS are painful, lasting, life-altering, and invisible.
Did you know that every hour someone is diagnosed with MS? Every hour!!! I know…sounds crazy and almost unrealistic considering that it doesn’t seem like there are many people with MS, but it’s true. Twenty-four (24) people a day…that’s 168 people per week…672 per month, diagnosed with the multiple sclerosis disease!
And don’t think you’re protected from it’s sudden attack; the MS disease plays fair, not discriminating on age, race, or gender. AND the usual length of time from the onset of the disease to diagnosis is 3-5 years…YEARS!
Can you even imagine why in the world it would take so long to figure out if someone is diagnosed with MS or not?!?!
The vary in diagnosis time comes from the location and type of symptoms that MS causes. The disease is a self-attack on the central nervous system (CNS), so the symptoms appear in any location that the body has nerves. Now, take just a minute and try and think of one place on your body that DOES NOT have nerves…(here’s a hint: as a healthy human being…there isn’t one!…)
So think of an MS attack as an unusual or painful sensation on any area of your body for no explained reason. Try explaining that to a doctor and see how long it takes them to play guinea pig on your body before they figure it out…or worse…send you home because they can’t pinpoint your ailment.
There are over 400,000 Americans diagnosed with MS, and with no known cure yet I feel it’s extremely important to raise nationwide community awareness about the multiple sclerosis disease, and promote opportunities for YOU to GET INVOLVED as much as possible as quickly as possible!
So…what can YOU do?!?!…
First, pass on this blog! Awareness of the severity of the MS cause will lead to more support and the eventual discovery of the cure!!!
Second, donate to an MS non-profit organization, such as MS Run the US, Inc. MS Run the US, Inc. is a government approved 501(c)3 that donates 100% of their donations to The National MS Society in support of their research programs to fund the cure to MS! If you donate $30 or more this week, you receive a MS Run the US – 2013 Relay t-shirt!
Third, get involved! MS Run the US, Inc. and other MS non-profit organizations are always looking for volunteers or Do It Yourself fundraising events! If you want to contribute to the MS cause via MS Run the US, Inc., contact me at msruntheus@live.com and I’ll be in touch about the quickest, easiest, and most simple ways for YOU to directly impact the affect we can have in your community and nationwide!
After all, it is MS Awareness Week… Pass. It. On.
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I alone create & re-create my life…
March 6, 2012The Power of Positive Thinking. The Law of Attraction. If you haven’t heard of these two things, or don’t fully understand what they mean, look them up. To some, it might seem a little hokey; think your way to success through positive thoughts.
Whatever, right? Just work hard and life is life, so whatever happens, happens.
Well, if that’s your view point, we likely won’t be chumming in the same circle because I know in my heart that a lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish has come from my will to think positively through adversity, in the desperate attempt to succeed in all areas of my life.
Today on my phone I was sent a picture from my brother. It was a picture of a laminated card that I’ve had with me since before I ran across America. I carried the card with me and read it often. It was stuck to the cupboard above the motor home sink as I made my way across America on foot, and it was kept safely beneath the glass on my desk at home once I finished so I could read it while I was working.
This weekend I moved from my parents house into my own apartment, and I distinctly remember grabbing the card to take with me to my new place. As fate would have it, later when I check my pocket, the laminated card was missing…only to be found by my brother in the driver side panel of his truck (of which I borrowed over the weekend to move). He was at the local gas station filling up the air in his tires when the allotted time on the pump ran out with just one tire left. As he searched his truck for a quarter, he found my laminated card and sent me a picture of it asking if it was mine.
Yes, it is mine, but it was also given to me years ago and it has served it’s purpose many times over in my life. Time to pass it on.
As I texted my brother to let him know he was the new, proud owner of my Law of Attraction card, I thought I’d pass it along to you as well. If you get even just a tenth of inspiration from this that I have, then you’ll be well on your way to making some powerfully positive changes in your life!
[I've underlined the part that is most powerful to me just so you know what I pull from when I need a dose of inspiration.]
—-
“I am filled with a magnetic power which is attracting wonderful opportunities and creating new possibilities in every area of my life. All that I desire I deserve and is flowing to me now from the infinite supply of the universe.
Positive forces are at work for me right now. I am always in the right place at the right time.
I accept full responsibility for every area in my life. I alone create and re-create my life with every thought I think in every moment of every day.
The world abounds with riches from an infinite supply, all the right ideas, people, and opportunities are being delivered to me now so I may enjoy a rich and abundant life for me.
I unconditionally give myself permission to succeed in all that I do.
I deserve to be a tremendous success and to experience the rich rewards of success in all areas of my life.
All the powers to succeed lie within me and I am harnessing that power now, to bring all the positive changes I deserve.”
~Ash
Posted in Inspiration | Comments OffWorth The Hurt
February 23, 2012I was asked to write a brief and personal bio for an endurance running campaign that I will be participating in this year. After writing and re-reading the bio, I thought, “Hey, that would make a great blog post!“. So here it is… : ) Enjoy!
~Ash
Worth The Hurt
As a life-long lover of fitness and running, it makes complete sense to me to use endurance running to raise awareness and funds for the multiple sclerosis cause, which is a disease my mother, Jill, has had since 1980. The idea to run across America for MS came to me as I was traveling the world as a Sports Supervisor with an international cruise ship company. At the time I hadn’t run more then 13.1 miles at any one time, but with blind confidence, I knew that I could run a marathon a day, six days a week, for six months fueled by my mother’s inspiration.
Growing up, myself and three siblings, along with my father and mother, had to endure the disabilities that the MS symptoms caused my mother. Since 1980, the MS disease has taken away my mom’s abilities to be active independently, to drive a car, to play the piano and a guitar, to write, to paint, and to provide her family with the care that any stay-at-home mom desires; just to name a few disabilities. MS is not an individual disease; the diagnosed, as well as the family and friends surrounding that individual have to live with the side-effects of the symptoms.
The most significant things about my mother, and the fuel to my passion to fund a cure, are her positive attitude and continued love for life and God despite her disabilities. It’s these qualities about my mom that propelled me to Found MS Run the US, Inc., and to run 3,200 miles across America in an effort to raise national disease awareness and funds to support research for a cure.
Training for the 122 marathon distances that I would have to cover in 6 months to run across America was a terrifying but exhilarating experience. With the story of my mother and my desire to fundraise for MS at the forefront of my thoughts at all times, I entered and completed my first 50-mile ultramarathon on May 9th, 2009. The training was painful, and scattered with many mistakes, but the end result was a sense that my body could endure any distance on any terrain if I set my heart and mind on a focused goal.
Two and a half years later from my first ultramarathon, I have completed my 3,200-mile run from California to New York for MS, and have endured many more ultramarathons of various distances. Knowing that our bodies are capable of great things, I set myself up for success in each of my events by tearing my body apart for weeks on end. I know that no amount of painful training can be more painful then knowing I could have given more of myself. And with my mom as an every day reminder, I am continually grateful for the ability to move and run for as far and as long as my legs will take me.
The same philosophy applies to my fundraising efforts for MS Run the US, Inc. I know that God has given each of us many talents and opportunities; one of mine is to inspire and motivate others to become more in their communities, and there is no greater inspiration then one of example; much as my mom has inspired me by living an inspiring life. The multiple sclerosis cause is one that directly and personally affects the ones that I love the deepest. It is one of my life goals to be a significant contributor to the cure of multiple sclerosis so that other children don’t have to grow up watching their parent lose the abilities that so many others take for granted on a daily basis.
My mom’s life makes endurance running for the multiple sclerosis cause Worth The Hurt.
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off ← Older posts
