I am waiting for the “New Normal” but nothing seems normal yet.
I know what I want:
Feel strong – able to train like I did in 2019/2020. RECERTIFY
Eliminate hip pain
Build community through gardening and music
Be consistent – training, reading, music
Become more knowledgeable to start my landscape ecology career
I know what I’ve accomplished:
Regularly playing with clarinet and woodwind trio – joining Hollis band after Maldives
Consistent at Crossfit to build strength, working hip PT
Improved my friends and activities with Amherst Garden Club
Supported my old teams by working with LG which also helped us do critical home improvements and added the big Indonesia scuba trip this year
Working put landscape ecology on hold – but I have signed up for classes in Oct/Nov 2025 at Native Plant Trust and designed/started my own native garden this year
I’ve been reflective on last six years and the good lessons learned:
Consistency in anything is key (music, training)
The daily hour work is more important than the long runs.
Running-walking is key to hip health
Always have spare headlamp battery
Lube up! I’ve been having issues with even 40″ runs without the right clothing to prevent chafing. And lube everywhere for long runs/races.
Poles are important for mountain work
Crossfit/leg strength is key – Russian split squats, lunges. I’ve been focused on this this year
Warmup/warmdown is important
I thought I had more LL than this!! Will have to come back and add more.
Issues still to solve:
Hips still hurt
Need to lose weight
Evaluating hormones and issues related to this as I have lost stamina. Last year, the daily one hour workouts crushed me for the rest of the day every day and I couldn’t keep it up.
Be more careful planning time away as we have been gone too much this year.
Got home from my Divemaster internship at Christmas and headed to a last minute trip to West Palm Beach diving. Cold but very fun! Great diving with goliath groupers and swarms of fish… We dove at the famous Blue Heron Bridge – very shallow but loved it! We also had a few days of boat dives – first day freezing with clouds and drizzle. Definitely happy I brought my boat coat! Last day beautiful with sunny skies.
On the way home, I drove up to Orlando to see Heidi and my brother Phil…
I was busy studying to be a landscape ecologist when I got a call about supporting an old team for two months. I’m busy working months of Feb and March – this is NOT the cat life but it is funding a month in Indonesia end of year!
One month into work I got an abnormal mammogram so am waiting biopsy results….after I got it taken, they were cleaning up telling me I was very clean…”hardly any blood.”
Never a dull moment! Enjoying working with former colleagues and realizing I still have it in me. Also ready to return to the challenge of my new life.
They announced my name for finishing my Divemaster Certification and one table started cheering “Laura…Laura…Laura”, then another and it was one of the best moments of my life! The table that started it included the people who were in my Front Yard Orientation dive briefing and dive. I also get the award for doing this “Test” in the absolute worst conditions possible – it was so murky that we aborted the dive over on Newman’s wall. I don’t think I could see all six of them and my instructor at the same time. One person told me my flashlight was the only thing they could see – getting a real introduction to the geography of the “front yard” was a pipedream that day.
That same night, one of the two young students I helped certify, Jackson, asked for a picture with me that just warmed my heart! I never realized how protective and worried you get about your students – he was my first I set free.
Because I am in charge of the weight room, I get to meet most of the guests that stay here and because I help out at the lockers/boats, I also socialize with all the scuba staff. I have loved it! What lovely people and it has been fun to be challenged and learn again.
The left pic above is after I was tested doing a boat dive briefing and dive which was for the “Mr Bud Wreck.” My instructor, AJ, and Boat DM and Captain are also shown (Selvin and Jorge) who supported me and helped me practice the dive briefing.
There have been a ton of challenges and a lot of work learning all the skills – truly a lesson in HUMILITY!
I had a brand new wetsuit and struggled with buoyancy the entire first week also because I learned you should be a little heavy to do skills. I added 6 lbs over my normal 10 lbs this week! The whole first week I was floating around like a mess doing skills – embarrassing.
Because Equipment Exchange test requires use of a weight belt and other skills require my normal integrated weight system, I was always switching between the two. One day I had been practicing putting my weight pockets in and out, then had breakfast and went out on a skills dive forgetting to put in the 4 lbs in the back so I was super light. During that skills dive, we were also practicing using a lift bag so we had to lug a heavy bag out there. I think I came up with 200 psi and really struggled!
I arrived DAY 1 to find out I had to do my remaining 2 swim tests that day and they couldn’t be repeated (800 yard snorkel and 100 yard tired diver tow). I had thought I had six weeks to practice….. I went off course in the seagrass during the snorkel and went more than 800 yards. I almost died during the tired diver tow using my snorkel. Went out too fast and barely finished. I ended up having to redo that and used my regulator for air (game changer) and left my weight pockets out – huge difference!
I spent several mornings before breakfast watching how to demo the basic scuba skills
I was waiting for breakfast and a bee climbed under my sandal strap and bit me about 5 times before I ripped off my shoe! Normal nooseums tortured me all the time 🙂
I walked around talking to myself practice dive briefings and the shoutout to the boat captain if you find an unresponsive diver “Captain, captain, unresponsive diver, please recall all divers, prepare emergency oxygen and contact EMS”. The day I did my boat dive briefing, I covered myself with wet sand and wrecked my notes 🙂
Tropical storm Sara flooded the place and all water activity was cancelled on Roatan for two days. Good thing this coincided with me getting a very bad cold/flu – spent one day in bed and several days congested. Now I truly understand what “sinus squeeze” is as it hit me at 15′ right in the middle of my forehead and I had to abort the dive.
I kept losing things – lost my mask twice, once during the unresponsive diver rescue when I gathered the equipment I was removing on my arm as I towed and once it fell off my head as we walked out. Excellent lesson to always keep it around your neck if not on your eyes! I gave this lesson to my orientation dive class and after the dive, Jimmy temporarily lost his mask because he didn’t do what I recommended 🙂 I also dropped my flashlight while carrying in items from a shore dive and had to go back in a big storm for a search and rescue mission for it!
Learning a simple knot (half hitch) then being unable to do it underwater the first time
Had to ask for help from instructor to put my weight pockets in and to help attach my air hose while pressurized – things a Divemaster should be able to do! Practiced and now I can.
The 2019 Strongest Man showed up, Martin Licis, although he blew off my carefully constructed photoshoot with the dive crew….boo!!
Relearned navigation and made a fun map of the Front Yard, held a snake and spent time catsitting a sweet boy! During the big storm, I was also responsible for two dogs including Roadie, the horn dog.
A few fun things happened as well:
FROGFISH BONANZA! All kinds of trash and sargassum was washed into the water next to the resort. The maintenance team was trained in finding frogfish and we had a big bucket full of them – usually very hard to find.
My DM partner, Gary and I left some slates attached to the safety stop and found graffiti and the culprit!
Gear exchange was supposed to be really tricky but it turned out to be fun and not so bad. Although I had practiced with another DM candidate, Gary, and we had it down, he left because of the storm, and I ultimately had to do it with my Instructor AJ with no practice. AJ also changed the order we do it in and we started in our own gear vs. in each others gear – I still got a 4/5.
Built up credibility with the boat crew by carrying tanks, changing out foot basins, working weights, and whatever else was needed. My husband was busy watching me on the webcam telling me to work harder…..
I’ve met a ton of great people! Shown below are just a few: Kathy Diemer- future DM intern, my musical friend Jimmy Brandmeier who is demonstrating proper way to wear a mask, my DM buddy Junior, and a sweet note from Margie Barr- who I dove with in the channel.
I have a new whale shark dive outfit I bought at Dockside Dive Center!
I learned a ton and feel much more competent with my own gear, buoyancy, and helping others.
I learned the Patty Grier DM rules: Her DMs do not rise sand at the bottom, her DMs do not kick at safety stops or pressure checks, and her DMS kick kick glide!
Maybe one of the most rewarding things that was unexpected was the pride I had in the students I helped get certified.
I helped Junior, another DM candidate, with his English.
I created my official Seahag photo and held a Boa Constrictor!
I also finally got a Monkey Lala the day I finished all my tests!
I was able to spend time at this beautiful place!
Out of the blue, I also received a note from a former colleague, John Mayle – all of these positive things are just heartwarming:
What a fantastic experience. It’s times like this when you realize you already have everything you are looking for.
22 Days until I fly down to Roatan, Honduras to start my scuba dive internship. I am not all worried about any of the test (exams or practical) except for the swim test, which includes a 50′ underwater swim and 400 yd timed swim.
I have a week by week plan of how I am preparing and joined the YMCA for November to practice swimming.
I remain “the cat” and finally had my first good night of sleep where I woke up feeling good and wasn’t crickety! I continue crossfit and working on overall health. I am sure six weeks in the warm Caribbean won’t hurt! Kenny joining me for two weeks after internship for our normal December vacation there.
I have taken the pressure off of myself for the rest of the year. I deferred Nobiz and cancelled my run coaching. I am allowing myself to pause, be reflective and just do the basics….building my community, going back to crossfit, eating healthier, running an hour (vs 4+), and enjoying my clarinet and piano. This post has a cat as the picture because for years, I have woken up and been envious of my cats’ lives as I headed out for some stressful day at work. Now I am the cat.
I worry that if I slow down, I may stop and never start up again.
Evidently, no one else is worried this will happen…. My body needs rest and is having issues with recovery – I need to stop pushing it so hard and be OK with building back a little slower (and with more fun!).
I’m super proud of what I’ve done to regenerate myself this year including:
Planned and executed an amazing Alta Via 1 family trip
Planned and orchestrated my and Kennys’ retirement (Rode the wave, the anxiety, the financials, the transition)
Supported KK and my mom for 4 weeks so far post retirement
Started training in March when I couldn’t run around the circle and ran a half marathon 4/20. Now I can do training blocks of 4+ hours.
Met Amherst garden club, made TV Good Morning America and got involved
Worked towards scuba DM certs doing Science of diving and Stress/Rescue training
Painted and redecorated our entry (still in progress)
Restarted piano and clarinet. This is a biggie and I don’t know how I got away from them. Formed a woodwind quintet!
So for the next two months, it’s back to the basics with trying to be consistent daily with crossfit, running, music and community building as I also finish my scuba skills prior to November divemaster training in Roatan. Back at crossfit today!
My friend sent me the book “I hate running and you can too” which also reminded me that goals can be whatever you want them to be. Faster does not make you happier (ie. the hedonistic treadmill of running) and it’s OK to just be active. Don’t give up. Get back up after setbacks. Treating myself with kindness.
Oh, and setbacks being things like the horrible jetlag we had after getting back from AV1 (maybe not having a job makes that worse?) or my terrible bittersweet induced rash over my body and the effects of prednisone for two weeks to fix it (suffered a little during our Papoose trip!).
All of us had our ups and downs over the 11 day Alta Via 1 hut to hut hike in the Italian Dolomites. We averaged 6.6 miles and 2000′ climb and descent a day. This was a much more technical trail than the TMB and rarely a gradual anything – we were going steeply uphill or down! I was blown away by the beauty of this trail – so many different and breathtaking parts. The green locations in the elevation profile below are where we stayed each night.
I had been training in general for four months. I had given my husband and stepson a training plan which wasn’t really followed – they did great! I knew better yet didn’t bring enough electrolytes and was underfueled and feeling terrible the first week. Perhaps it was also the elevation (we were between 6000-9000′) and big step ups required on these technical trails but it was discouraging and I often played sweep position between us. I had a huge rebound after increasing calories, stretching and using my workout music to remember the beast I am (or would like to be!). I stupidly pulled electrolytes to save weight at the last minute – even though I knew better!
There is something along these long mountain hiking routes that reveals truths. I received a Donahue sandwich while crying one day and I supported them on their tough days. Maybe its the physicality of it, or the remoteness, or the beauty but we ended up better for it as a family.
And at Pramperet, the refuge with the accordian playing, drinking, wrestling staff, I found this quote:
Huge running milestone for this year as I ran an 10:58 mile as part of my 20″ endurance run! Record breaking for my efforts this year.
I am also very happy that I did a 4 hour long run and felt good enough to march in the Merrimack Fourth of July parade in support of Kenny and his Flying Eagles RC Club! This is also a big milestone because normally I would need a time out after this.
Another HUGE milestone as part of “getting back to my normal life” post retirements is that I started to play piano and clarinet again! I am working on forming a woodwind quintet – meeting next week – and I am also visiting my piano teacher, Jim Rizza, who is turning 93 in a week. He has made such a difference in my life – I sat down to play and couldn’t stop thinking about him. I feel bad it has been so long since I went to visit him and want to correct that.
My life is normal when I have my athletics and music in order. Getting there! I still have to just lose this extra weight to really get back to normal!
The piano and music room are dusted! Music is sorted! Two flamingos from the “flocking” by a scuba friend in place…. I am very focused on sight reading, basic scales and recovering some of my favorite pieces.
Seven miles with loaded packs done! Next week we’ll do elevation gain plus mileage. Leaving 7/16/24. Kenny doesn’t even seem tired. Despite all the training I’ve been doing, I still wonder if I won’t be the weak link!
Also got my hair done so I will look good and got a few picks from my friend Madeleine, who is on the AV1 trail right now!
Faced my fears and took the bike off the trainer and put on the back wheel (this was easy now although years ago tears were involved), charged my lights, found my helmet and headed out for a 90 min ride through Hollis.
I didn’t want to feel like a sausage so just wore my skort vs. riding shorts. Ended up going 15.61 miles, 1:18 hr, elevation 735′, @ 5:03″/mile avg pace. Went Witches Spring to 122 with detour thru neighborhood then back to 122, right onto Merrill lane and then back to town on Depot Rd, Wright Rd across from Lull farm to home.
I was ready to be done! Hot day and ran out of water, butt hurt and I spent 2 hours recovering my torso spasms. Way better than I thought it was going to go on the hills so that was great. No walking and no torture!
Tracked the hill sprint and took 2:29 for 0.63 miles up that hill.
After COVID, I went to see my mom (who lives in another state), and who lives alone although across the street from my sister. I got her setup with a service to provide 24/7 emergency care if needed via buttons we placed around the house and that she wore on her wrist. My sister says she uses it to get the handsome firefighters over…..
I am always bothering her to do her physical therapy exercises like walking, doing some exercises standing and sitting (like the hallelujah pose to fix her posture and help her breath better!). One day, she was alone doing her standing exercises and doing some squats when she went to low and slid to the floor. The help button saved the day again!! We all hate it when she waits for hours in some position waiting for my sister when she should just use her button. For example, one morning when I was staying with her, I found her half slid off the bed and rescued her by having her put her arms overhead and pulling her back onto the bed.
We have it setup that they will immediately call my sister or her husband, who can pop over quickly if needed else send the emergency responders. One of the best investments we have made to support her!
My mom’s four sisters were over for a few days and as they were sitting around chatting, I heard my mom say that when she needs cheering up, she thinks about my wedding. I never knew it impacted her that way and immediately felt guilty for giving her a hard time about having to stay up and in the living room from 9-9 (no living in the bed!) 🙂 I got married for the first time at the age of 50 in 2016!
During that week she was also heard saying “I’m not allowed to go back into the bedroom until 9pm” 🙂 Just trying to help her get some quality sleep and not be constantly exhausted from no sleep. Sleep is a whole other story….!
My sister-in-law gave me a verbal alarm clock to help mom with reminders. She has an erratic sleep schedule and recently had issues with drinking and eating enough so I set it up with a few key items:
Wakeup reminder
Exercise reminders
Eat/Drink reminders
I recorded about 6 reminders to go off during the day and because I didn’t have a multiple plug “extender”, I had to plug it in across the room. I left and came back to my mom calling me – evidently the alarm clock repeats the alarm/message until you hit the “OK” button so it had been on repeat for a solid 20 min with my voice reminding her to do something over and over!
The last picture below shows debris from a significant storm the week before. I was doing the Pogue Overlook run and planning on doing a long spur from the end that goes down into the canyon to get the >1 hr I needed. I passed a guy and asked him what he knew about this lower trail and kept going. I was stopped due to the debris in the pic below when I heard a crashing behind me. He was running down the hill to stop me because he saw a mother bear and her cubs and the mother was going over the hill right where I was heading. He was trying to save my life! AND he might have been one of the best looking men I have ever seen in my life – like a real life hero! So the running adventures and exploring continue.
This is the year of the comeback and seeing what is possible. I am three months into a new training program starting from a point that I could not run around my cul de sac. Last week I did a 3.5 hr run and am deadlifting over 200 lbs so gaining back some strength and endurance. I am struggling with speed, never feeling strong in any run and having the energy to run plus do strength work. I wake up and am so tired I can barely move. Every day.
Pillars to speed and endurance I believe are:
Recovery: My sleep has improved but not yet great, an hour more a night on average than pre-retirement. Need to focus also on stretching and more post workout cold stream sessions like the one heading this article!
Nutrition: Average – need to meal prep more and measure intake. It is difficult to work so hard running, and also cut back on calories to lose the 30 lbs I know I need to. This may be a big factor into my tiredness – not eating enough or the right stuff. I am adding trying to be vegetarian plus fish, which puts a kink into my normal food.
Weight loss: No progress on weight loss. I can’t lose weight when I am so exhausted all the time (between traveling to TN to help mom or just the hard workouts combined with gardening which wear me out). These extra 30 lbs make everything harder. Must. Prioritize. Nutrition.
Well crafted workouts: I am going to talk with my coach about more strides but have been doing long runs, 3-8 min interval training (too long?), hill repeats (too long?). I give each workout my all.
Strength: This I am sure is a key to toughness/durability and why, even without tons of miles every week, I succeeded in the past. I need to focus on this.
Mental toughness: The stress of dealing with an aging parent is signifcant and perhaps worse than work because it is so personal. We are doing the best we can. During my most recent two week trip, mom went back into the hospital and all the kids got together for the first time in a while.
I read a famous cave divers’ book, Jill Heinerths “Into the Planet”. She is a true explorer. More people have gone to the moon than to the places she has been. I want to be a real explorer too! I just have to have some energy when I wake up 🙂
One month into “retirement.” A call yesterday with China about supporting a Chinese companies entry into the US market. Hours spent mulching and cleaning up my yard. Hours spent trying to make friends with my Amherst gardening tribe helping them prep for the plant sale (digging, potting, filing big pots/moving pots). Hours spent painting my front entry and stairs – a project that’s been on my list for years. I know I’ve been lonely working remote but hadn’t realized how desperate I am to have a nearby friend until a running friend moved up here and I was so excited to know ONE person I could relate to. I prioritized working with garden club over some workouts to help develop my community – a key goal this year.
I have missed a few running workouts and strength workouts because I was just too darn tired after gardening. I am trying to feel better about it thinking gardening is like sled pulls (leaves) and pushes (wheelbarrows), deadlifts (moving pots for plant sale), abwork/lifting (mulching) and that I am becoming stronger even if missing a few runs. I’ve dug up thousands of snowdrops, done heavy pruning of shrubs and still spent a few beautiful days on the Hollis trails.
I go to bed absolutely destroyed each night barely able to move. Is that age? Being out of shape or overweight? Doing too much? Exercise combined with stress of change? I can’t separate all of these variables. Making no progress on losing weight although not eating stupidly either.
I decided to make training the priority and get it done first going forwards so I know I am “The Trained” and that I have done all I can. I came down to TN to help my mom and sister and to play with some cute puppies. The break from all the chores around my house will give me a rest I think I need as I run around Big South Fork.
Trying to figure out what “rest” means and how to slow down a little to process my next steps.
It was around 51F and a rainy day in Weston, MA. A week before I couldn’t even run 30″ for my scheduled 2 hr long run – I just went home after an hour I was so beat. I am not sure if it is the mental stress of transitioning out of my job, or the double whammy of hours of yard work plus workouts that broke me! I took it easy last week and did hills and intervals and light yardwork (only 4 hrs day before race!!) to try to recover for this race.
12.8 miles done!
6.8 more miles than I have done in the past year and a half! I would say it was a stretch and I wasn’t quite trained but I did it and was not wrecked at the end. It is true I was tired and didn’t do too much the rest of the day 🙂 Huge mental boost and an accomplishment considering I couldn’t run around my block beginning of March!
Strategy: 5″ run, 5″ walk
Clothes: 51F, rainy. Wore short sleeve XOSKIN + rain jacket. For first loop I had maroon sweatshirt tied around my waist just in case but it was just hot and bulky so I left it at the start after my first loop and was still a little warm after the rain stopped.
Food/water: Standard 200 cal/hour with mix of food (payday, cliff bloc) and tailwind/water. I should have drank a little more water but did drink a solid 3 hours worth.
New lesson learned: First time I ran in glasses and in the rain. Wore my Kilkenny hat and because there was no wind, my glasses stayed dry! No issues even with fogging.
No cramps, feet issues (need to better lube as I thought I felt the start of a hotspot on my right foot).
A success!!!! Although I was tired, my pace was fairly consistent throughout the race with a slowdown at the aid station and in middle. I tried to speed up and also find a new gear as I did at Hamsterwheel with the dying headlight but couldn’t near the end. I did run in!
I started training with a coach again March 4 so it’s been one month. I am proud of the fact I’ve been consistent. I want to remember where I started so I can go back to this post at the end of this year:
March 4: Day 1. I remember not being above to run around the Oakwood circle without walking. 30 min @13:30 pace.
March 6: Silver Lake look trail 2.7 mi, 15:23/mile. Ran first mile nonstop – huge landmark!
March 11: Ran 40″ nonstop in flat Florida @ 13:28/mile
March 22: 30″ time trial. 11:46/mile
April 5: Last week when I had an hour assigned I could only make 30″ with mostly walking. Stress of work/transition, etc. Today I ran 90″ NONSTOP @ 13:47/mile. Huge mental boost – I can already do a 10k! Note: In 2 weeks I signed up for a half marathon so we’ll see how that goes 🙂
I have issues since I started running again (since 1984 high school, started in 2019 – 35 years later!) knowing my old teenage times and always comparing to them. Now I know my “slow” 2019 times and am even slower:) This year I am focused every day, every hour, on healing and making myself well again. My new mantras are:
Great job for getting out today – Consistency will pay off!
It took ~3 years of serious stress (work and otherwise) to get where I am now, it will take some time to heal and get back. That is OK and focus on gains over this year – not comparisons to former years.
One minute at a time as I focus on improved nutrition, sleep and community
I mailed my work computer back evening of April 2, 2024. The week before, Kenny and I flew to DC for a going away party at CIRCA on Clarendon (pic above). My Directors flew in from CA/TX for it and the saddest time came as I left the restaurant thinking it might be the last time I see them. They’ve already been in touch since then 🙂 My main remembrance from that party was people leaving saying “I give her six months” (before she returns to work)! I am serious about aligning my life with my values and getting back into good health – my goodbye note stated a few key things I am focused on this year:
Fiercely fighting for the natural world…being a citizen scientist in the oceans and forests (my husband and I are working on our Scuba divemaster and teaching certifications and plan to work on conservation efforts/awareness)
Building community through music (I am working on jazz improvisation), athletics, gardening, swing/lindy hop dancing
Hiking the ~75mile, 22,000 foot elevation gain trail called Alta Via 1 in the Italian Dolomites with my family in July
Recertifying as a f&*^% savage (re. David Goggins) as I train for the 100 mile, 14,5000’ elevation gain Nobusiness100 race in October
Interviewing people about their successes and adventures as they Dared Greatly …working on a future book
Being a more involved and present daughter, sister, wife and friend
I will not be back full time in six months.
Transitions are always hard, even if they are for the best. This week has been full of ups and downs. I was working Monday and my fire team was showing me my “Badass” card I gave them and being so sweet thanking me for pulling the effort together – I’ll miss the constant interactions at work and the good people I have met there. I was sad that afternoon. Then my first totally free day, I felt great on a new path and getting my act together on the Nashoba hill (my nemesis) with my old friends. I was proud of myself for showing up – I had lain in bed for about 20″ thinking of reasons why I didn’t have to go and knowing how bad I’d feel if I did not! Waste of time – I just need to roll out of bed and get out there every Wed.
Here comes the test….can I lose weight, get my sleep in order, be consistent in training and see the gains on the road….watch me.
She finished in 59:58:21….1:39 min to spare under 60 hour time cap for a course that is over 100 miles and 60,000′ of elevation gain. Based on Harvey Lewis’ posts, folks weren’t sure she’d make it when she passed by fire tower – picture above – and she left it all out there!! FIRST FEMALE FINISHER AT BARKLEY and definitely a Badass. In an interview she did a few days later, she talked about how bad she wanted to walk and then found another gear. I keep remembering how at the Hamsterwheel, at mile 48 with my headlight going out, I found a whole new gear also! What a great lesson learned – that you always have more in you.
I was back home trying to do a 30″ timed run hyperventilating from the stress of it 🙂 I like to think I am at least playing in the same sandbox as Jasmine based on this picture of me during my Killington Spartan Ultra attempt back in 2019 – like her, heading out from a pit stop for a long stretch…
We all know this is a big year for me recertifying as a badass starting from being 30 lb overweight and debilitated from stress. During my 30″ timed run, I set a record for the month with an average mile time of 11:46/mile. I think I get stressed out doing these tempo runs one, because they’re hard and two, because I put too much pressure on myself and keep thinking how terrible I am compared to 2019 when I did a 7:30 mile (and even then, I was comparing myself to my high school 5:40 min mile days). Have to remember to be kind to myself. I am taking training one day at a time!! I am proud of my efforts for the last 3 weeks with my new coach and am seeing improvements every week. Three weeks ago, I couldn’t even run 0.25 miles without walking. I have learned in the past how my body recoups and gets amazingly better quickly! This year is the test.
I have 7 days left now until retirement.
This week the craziness continued as I flew to Austin to the ESS conference to speak on a panel, which went great if I do say so myself! See the pic and the comment underneath from my colleagues – trying to hold it all together at work and ramp up my training at the same time.
Two weeks into training! I am keeping the faith in consistency and have been running every day except for my rest day last two weeks. I’ve gone from having to walk/run all the time losing my breath to a slow 40″ continuous run. I got sick again yesterday – I really think a lower tolerance to fighting off germs is another consequence of serious stress and my body is just saying enough. Two more weeks until retirement and the launch into the third fierce phase of my life!
This weekend I am at the Sea Rovers Scuba show learning how to be a citizen scientist and planning big future trips with friends. The healing has begun.
Slowest start to the year ever! I had a bad cold for first 2 weeks, then finally felt great, did some crossfit and then flew to TX to train Emergency Responders. Got sick 2 days after I got home. Tested positive for COVID.
Creating my 2024 training schedule and reconnecting with friends! Dreaming of getting back at it 🙂
I did mobility, ate perfect macros and went out for a 3.2 mile run in my new Topo Pursuit shoes to re baseline myself on the old tried and true Nashua rail trail! After a somewhat slogging walk/run 45 min later, I drove home and then could barely walk from the car to the house – it was like I just did a 10-15 mile, 5000′ trail hike early season! Crippled!
Turns out I have been sick all week since then… No working out. 90% great macros!!! A slow start for sure… 🙂
I know what it seems like….the issue I have had is not being home enough to be in any sort of stable routine to plan meals and workouts. I have successfully traveled in the past while training and managing nutrition but not to the extent I have the last 3 months. I have been lucky to see my husband two days a month between me being on the road or him traveling for work or personal reasons.
For example:
Sept:
WK 1 Laura in DC
WK 2 Laura in Vegas/Kenny in Korea
WK 3 Kenny in Korea, Laura home
WK4 Laura in CA for work, Kenny home
Oct:
WK1,2 LK and Kenny home
WK 3 Laura in Salt Lake City for Leadership conf
WK4 Belize vacation
Nov
WK1 Belize vacation
WK2 Both home
WK3 Laura in DC
WK4 Laura in TN with mom, Kenny in SC with his mom
WK5 both gone still
Dec
WK1 Laura in Atlanta, Kenny in Cyprus
WK2 Laura home, Kenny Cyprus
WK3/4 Vacation in Roatan
It really cannot go on like this. I care about building community and it is difficult to take care of myself and do the things I enjoy while being gone all the time. I have been so lonely the last year working at home – traveling to see my work colleagues matters a lot to me also but it is not sustainable.
It may seem like a New Years Resolution, but for the first time in a long time, I have the year in front of me with just a vacation in February.
The 14,500′ elevation gain doesn’t scare me although it will be a record by 2,000′ in one race. I just have to figure out how to get the hill strength I had back in 2019 when I did the 12,500′ Killington Spartan without any issues at all (doing hills). I’ve been trying to get stronger with crossfit and will definitely do the 2x/week hill training I did consistently then also which I think made a big difference. I was out of breath doing the TMB and think it was a combination of work stress/general beatdown plus lack of consistency in fast hillwork. I had done a lot of elevation training on weekends but think I lacked consistency in the second set of hill intervals (cycling).
The 102 mile distance will be double what I have done before (record now is 52 miles at Hamsterwheel in 2022) and I have to figure out how to reduce foot swelling and do a little more prep for when the wheels start to fall off…..Talk to some folks with more experience than myself in the 100 mile distance. I am not sure the training will be that different.
19:24/mile cutoff times (33 hrs overall) is what scares me the most. I have never been slower. I haven’t been this out of shape since 2018 with weight – must drop about 30 lbs. Average pace in the relatively flat Hamsterwheel was 17:24/mile and I was slowing each 10 miles – need to figure out what to expect for slowdown and minimize that and aid station times. Back in 2019 I could run 7+ miles with 180 cadence as a “slow” run in zone 3 at 11:00/mile. I have really slowed down – not sure if it is due to weight or stress or training (not enough intervals).
Whatever the different factors are, I know consistency is key so am starting on a regular 6 day/week with one real rest day (not a Monday which is a stressful work day) including 4 strength sessions.
The other major change I am implementing is diet moving to primarily vegetarian plus fish which makes for more interesting meals. Harvey Lewis does it pretty successfully!! Limited alcohol on special occasions only.
Sleep must improve – no phones in the bed and a solid 8 hrs. Retiring and reduced work stress, better rounded life should help this a lot.
I plan to work on my ultra community so my long days/training aren’t so alone and I foster those friendships. Good thing is I have a few friends I can learn from locally and train with much more easily once retired. One of my friends who is a beast has already offered to pace me through the night during the Nobiz race! In 2022 I was getting very lonely on the long bikes/runs. Building my local community and better mental health will be key to my success this year – working remotely just doesn’t work for me and I have lost my local communities I really need for support. I spend my days in meetings all day and am still lonely without someone to talk to at work informally. A few months ago I cleaned out my contacts and deleted at least a thousand mostly from work. It felt like cleaning house and getting ready for the next chapter, which is already starting adding my new scuba contacts!
As David Goggins says, fight for each second and I am just going to start by going out for a run with a few intervals in my new shoes back on the old Nashua rail trail where I started this whole thing back in 2018 to reground. I’ll be meal prepping today to get that in order as well! Good thing I ate all the chocolate covered pretzels we got as a Christmas gift yesterday 🙂
Move Forward Without Fear 