Okay folks, first up we have the Micro Melange Tank from the Run Luxury Line with the Ignite Tight Capri.

Check out these Go Girl Run Shorts. I bought a pair of these a few months ago and I love them, so I got two more pairs (gotta have a black pair and another blingey pair). I call this “running in air Sonja”.

The top here is the Empress Short Sleeve. This picture is totally blurry but it still makes me laugh. Oh and note the appearance of a pair of the Grid Fastwitch3’s.

Costume change, we are now jumping in the Micro Melange Long Sleeve and the Omni LX Tight.

Brr, weather is getting colder, so I jumped into the DryLete Sportop and the Micro Fleece Hat and Glove Set.

Notice the sparkle on my wrist, it’s a little light that is in your sleeve. Sweetness.

Whew, that was a totally exhausting photo shoot. I don’t know how those models do it. Unfortunitially I had to be my own photographer (with the timer on my camera) and my own model. Clothing provided by Saucony, who is one of Team Trakkers sponsors and by Troy, who earns the mooolaahh in this house. I hope you enjoyed it, or at least got a little giggle!

I think that anything is possible with hard work and a smile. It’s a kind of pie in the sky ideal for me. Work Hard, enjoy the process, what bad can come of that?

The task is simple, just work, then smile. Or work…and smile. Simultaneous work/smile combinations tend to make those around you think that you are superhuman.

But really, sometimes it doesn’t quite work out like that. Sometimes I find myself gritting my teeth, gutting through, letting my mind wander to my happy land. When I look back I always say “Sonja, why were you making that harder than it needed to be, where was the smile, where was the joy”?

And sometimes it’s all smiles, all joy, but not a whole lot of hard work. It goes that way at times.

But the goal is always hard work and a smile.

Last night in a discussion back and forth with CV we solved a little HR puzzle. CV’s eyes were opened to how high of a heart rate I can hold for a long time. He hasn’t seen it before (and he’s seen a lot). He said this (I hope he doesn’t mind that I posted this, if he does I’m sure I will hear about it):

I’ve honestly never seen a 168avgHR for 5.5 hours on foot. That shows how tough you really are In a word, tough!

That word just sat there…like Annie taking a Sharpie to the coffee table.

Tough.

Tough.

Me, tough? yea, I guess so. But maybe I never noticed because I was too busy having fun. I think that tough is what happens along the way when you are chasing the fun.

It made me wonder if all my “Ra-Ra”ing that I do to support others is somehow jaded because I’m tough, and maybe others aren’t as tough.

“Well, she can do that stuff because she’s tough”.

And I am tough, I know that, but I just never wanted it to matter because I want to think that others can do what I do, even if they aren’t as tough.

I really like to think that it’s my joy and love for what I’m doing that enables me to persevere through pain and miles. But what if the love and the joy is just a side effect? What if I do this stuff because I’m just a tough MFer?

I don’t know a lot but this I do know. There is a crapload more in me. It’s a little scary to type that, and it could be because I’m afraid of what you out there will think. You must think I’m crazy enough already.

But in life we get no second round. No rewind button. We must find out our limits on this earth, before it’s too late.

“The difference between great people and everyone else
is that great people create their lives actively,
while everyone else is created by their lives,
passively waiting to see where life takes them next.
The difference between the two
is the difference between living fully and just existing.”

Michael E. Gerber

PIC and I were talking yesterday and I said “I want to do Ultraman (10K swim, 261 mi bike, 52 mi run, over three days). She said “Well it’s about time that you admitted that out loud”.

There is more in me. My goals for this year are set and I think some of them are going to show me more about myself than I know. But, there is more in this tough girl. And to pry it out, it’s going to take:

Hard Work and a Smile.

Cross Posted at Trakkers.com

One week later I am 90% back to normal, only feeling a little residual junk deep in my legs, either from the 62, or from the lack of anything since.

This weekend Troy and I had WAY too much fun for married people. We rode up Highgrade together, we went out to dinner with great friends (Thank you Hil’s mom for watching pook), we indulged in a large amount of retail therapy at the Apple store. We caught up with family. There will be times, and they are coming soon where these things need to take a back seat, but it’s nice that we can enjoy them now and prep our friends and family for what’s to come.

Today Troys parents came over and brought Annie some new jammies, socks and jeans. She really dug this dress and her grandpa took about 40 pictures of her posing in it.

It’s going to be hard to get me away from this tasty little specimen that we have been saving and saving and saving for.

Last year we realized that we got barely any family pictures. So, this year I am making a better effort of getting all three of us in one shot. Cuz, we’re a pretty happy family, and you all should see that, right?

It’s taken years of small baby steps for Troy and I to align our life and our $$ in the direction that makes us the most happy. You can always want more $$, but if what you do have is being spent in ways that allow you to fund your dreams and not waste any of it on stuff you don’t really want (like drapes) then your pretty set right?

We are in that place right now. This year is going to rock, we are going to have so much fun, and we’re happy. Annie is thriving and I just crack up at the oodles of personality this little package exudes. I wonder where it came from?

-First-
Rev3 has started a weekly radio show on BlogTalk Radio at 8pm eastern (that’s 6pm mountain). It will be Wednesday nights with Heather Gollnick and Simply Stu doign the interviewing. Tonight is insane. They are interviewing Julie Dibens. Julie Dibens is the only woman to have finished ahead of Chrissy Wellington in 2 years (Boulder Long Course). She won Clearwater and if you want to ask her questions, you can call in! The number to call is here. It should be a great Q&A session! I’m trying to think of something good to ask.

-Second-
WTC has started screwing with it’s rules again. Remember a few months ago when they came out and said “NO COMPRESSION SOCKS” in Ironman ever ever again? Then a few weeks later, they were like “Ok, you can wear them, we were just being lame”. Well, they are back to their old tricks.

They have decided that for the professional athletes they will no longer be awarded a Kona slot unless they are within 5% of the winning time. So if there are two slots and the 2nd place chick isn’t within 5% (if Chrissy or Julie are racing then she most likely won’t be) then she won’t get the slot. If the slot rolls past the 5% time…it’s a dead slot.

If that wasn’t harsh enough, they also instituted a rule saying that if you aren’t within 8% of the winning time, you don’t get a paycheck. Your money is redistributed to those who were within the 8%.

The top dudes in the sport (you can guess who I’m talking about) have come forth on twitter saying they support the change. Uhhh, duh? More money for them, they not a developing pro any more. I just wish they would look forward a bit. I’m not cool with the rule. I look up to pro’s like Bree Wee who aren’t always out there within 8% of Chrissy, but they are still clearly pros, they train like pros, they behave like pros, they race like pros. Plus, the last thing I want is them back in my age group (Eek).

I’m just hoping that Rev3 can grow quickly enough to be an alternative solution to WTC races. I’m thinking that REV3 should bring back “the original” Ironman on Oahu where it all started in the beginning, and call it the “Original World Championships”.

I’m not sure how, but there needs to be a way to support the pros in our sport better. We age groupers totally geek out on the pros, and I’m one of them. Did you know that if you make it to the first round of the US Open and you loose, you walk home with $14,000 after taxes? In triathlon, that’s a phenomenal day for a top level pro who wins a World Championship. Now, you can’t tell me that tennis is more exciting on TV than triathlon, or that more people play recreational tennis than do recreational triathlons?

Help, I’m confused? Maybe this is what I should ask Julie tonight on the Phone….how can we as age groupers support and help the pros make a sustainable living?

At 7am on the dot we took off running. It was great to get to know Bret as this was my first time meeting him. Boone is working on moving out here, and his wife and I are bloggy buddies (soon to be “real” friends). Tyler kept things alive and crazy as usual. I didn’t feel very good at all. I felt like I had already run 20 miles, and at first this scared me a little. But my brain just started thinking “Well, if I can run 62 feeling like crap this, I will know that I can do 100 with a taper and feeling better”.

Pulling into the parking lot for lap two I was shocked to see Julie and John and Jon, none of whom I was expecting. Bret stayed on for another lap as well. We had a great lap chatting and Bret told me some great stories that I will totally think of when I am running the 100 miler, super cool.

Laps 3 and 4 I had a literal entourage. The Jons stayed on for another lap. Keith, Barry, and Melissa joined in, and Melissa brought her husband Ryan and her SIL Jen. Those two were super cute and were running farther than they ever had.

Talking to Sharpie this morning she reminded me that when people come out and run with me they are showing me with their bodies how much they support me. I really am so blessed that I am able to get people out the door to push their limits, that is my MO and main motivator. You all keep me pushing to the next level. It’s truely a win-win!

Lap 5 I was still pretty much feeling like dog poo. Not that you would know it, but the end of that lap with Michelle and Keith, and a little bit of Barry was pretty quiet. Inside my head I was just focused and trying to not puke as I was a little nauseous. I couldn’t help but think…only 30 miles in..Oy! Michelle and Keith got me through that one. Also, I really didn’t think I would have anyone with me for the rest of the day until maybe the last lap in the dark where I knew that Ben would come ride with me.

I pulled into the parking lot and I saw people. I got excited. Maybe they were there for me. And sure enough, such an unexpected surprise was Carrie and Tess. I’ve only met Carrie two or three times, and Tess was one of my Mountain Mamas YEARS ago. Tess and I have kept in touch via facebook and she just decided to come help me out (BTW you have to check out Concert for Cash). John also showed up about 1.5 miles into the lap on his mountain bike.

I tell ya, Carrie and Tess are two of the most vivacious people I have met. They both got me headed down a completely different path. By the end of lap 6 I was feeling better than I had all day. It was totally them…all them.

Carrie stayed on for lap 7 and kept me 100% entertained. She’s a great pacer…I tell ya!

Then pulling into the parking lot I was again preparing mentally for a solo lap, but didn’t have to prepare for long. Keith was there with his bike. That was a painful lap for me but he stayed right with me, keeping me company, letting me talk about stupid stuff and slurr my words.

Ben came out for the last two laps. Whew, because I was now eating massive amounts of pink and white Circus Cookies, and Yellow Peeps. I was getting loopy and a little out of it. Ben is perfect for these conditions. He totally kept me on track and moving forward. Ben lets me talk about ANYTHING. I think I spent like 30 minutes retelling him the story of Annies birth, including ALL the gory details. I swear I could talk about my period for an hour with him and he would totally be like “No kidding, Hillary is that way too”. But I didn’t…

At the end of lap 9 Bret had come back to cheer for me in the parking lot, that was a nice bonus. We also realized that somewhere in lap 9 my Garmin had fallen off. Seriously? But it gave me something to focus on for the last lap…finding my $300 Garmin! We looked everywhere and sure enough after like 5 miles of looking, we found my Garmin laying in the middle of the trail. The strap had broken.

Troy followed us in the car the entire last lap. I gave Annie a hug in the last mile and apparently its just what she needed because she fell fast asleep. Finishing was great. I was giddy and pretty high. It was pitch dark and I hadn’t turned on my iPod once, I had company from sun up to sun down.

I hobbled into the car, and straight into the ice bath from hell. After that it was food, jammies, and bed. I couldn’t sleep most of the night, was even up at 2am tweeting. A nap is in order today!

Friends, oh friends, I love you all for helping me. Moab will be so sad alone, but it sounds like many of you plan to make the trek out there to pace me at night and have a bit of Moab fun!

There is one last thing I wanted to share with you. I lost 9 toenails last year. And yea, they hurt and were annoying, but more annoying is my ability to get blisters. Last year every run over 15 I got blisters. I didn’t even mind them after awhile and just assumed it was part of the program. I have always gotten ones on the top of my toes, and I don’t care about those, but the ones that really kill are between my toes. On my 45 mile run a month ago I got a sizable BLOOD blister between my toes. Youch.

This got me thinking that I should try some of those Injinji socks. Wow. For me…blister prone woman, I am sold. I ran through wet mud for 62 miles, I changed socks once because I was just soaked and doing the squish squish dance, and when I pulled my socks off at the end of the day… pruney wet feet…totally BLISTER FREE. Let’s just say I’m now going to have to harass them until they let me be a product ambassador. I don’t even know what it feels like to be blister free. I do have one toe nail that will probably leave me…again…in a couple months. But no blisters after 3 years of weekly blisters is HUGE. Thank you Injinji!!!!!

Here is the video of my day, I hope you enjoy it!

62 mile run from sonjawieck on Vimeo.

I am training for the Moab 100 which is a looped course. This was my last big training run and I ran 10X6 mile loops out in Cherry Creek State Park. All my friends came out to run with me and it was a total blast. This is a video of my day, sun up to dark

Ben asked me on lap 9 to explain the difference between the sprinters paincave and that of the endurance athlete. While the sprinter dealts with 100% all over mind degrading pain, the minute he or she stops it would take a small miracle to conjure up the severity of the pain. To the endurane athlete the pain is much like that of injury. Every single step hurts with searing sharp pain in the hips, knees, and ankles. But, you are there for it. There is no mentally escaping from the endurance runners pain. The pain does not stop when you stop and often times haunts you for days. The endurance athletes pain is almost a form of depression. And when it wakes you up at 2am, when you obviosly need your sleep, you feel utterly broken. That’s the difference.

So yea, I hurt. But as I said many times during my 62 miles of running yesterday, “I’m still me”. I’m still smiling, chatting, laughing, downplaying the effort, and just generally exicuting sound strategy. I’m still totally humbled by everyone who came out to run with me. Several of them, including X-stud quarterback Ryan, and his motorcross racing wife, Melissa, went father than they ever had before. They dragged Ryans sister Jen out, who doubled her longest run of 6 miles out to 12. She’s probobly feeling very similar to me right now.

As I lay here waiting for the Vitamin I (as Chucky calls it) to set in, my big thoughts of the day include.

- I am so supported by my running friends, I had someone with me every lap! I can not thank you guys and gals enough.

- My husband Troy continues to shock and amaze me and others with his ability to watch Annie in a boaring parking lot for 13 hours while keeping me refueled, doing a check on me every lap, being time keeper, welcoming runners there to pace me, and supporting all of us.

- The gear my sponsors have provided totally rocks. First Enduance, Nuun, Mix1, and Justins Nut Butter kept me fueled, Nathan provides the most comfortable running packs, Core Concepts clothes me in things that do not rub or chaffe, Trakkers hats keep me sunburn free, Saucony has created a shoe I never once wanted to change out of even when they were a soaking wet muddy mess, and Josh at Tri-massage with his fixing techniques and exercises kept me on my feet.

- Although most of the entire run hurt, I reached a pain plateau and it was one that I could manage.

- There are 38 more miles in me, I now know this.

- Do not sit down. Beware of the chair. Sitting is reserved for the port-a-pottie.

- Circus Animals (the pink and white ones) and yellow bunny peeps saved the day. These two things rocked my mouth!

With this thought, I will post this rant and get back to bed. The pain has gone from a 29 to a 16 and I think I might be able to sleep. I took video during my run, so tomorrow I will edit it and post it, along with a play by play report. Until then…yawn!

I don’t know what I’ll crave when I’m out there tomorrow and despite the fact that King Soopers is a mere 0.3 miles from my aid station parking lot, I must be prepared.

Step 1: Buy one of every junk food* item that looks good at the store.

* note: after the run you must immediately package up and hide all left over junk food for the next big run…or you will gain 5 pounds in the 3 days following.

Next you need to think about all the food you should be eating. EFS, blocks, gels, liquid shot, nuun.

Step 2: Raid your secret closet stash of training goods for appropriate goodies, take multiples of everything.

The weather forcast tomorrow is calling for a high of 49. But I will start in the early, cold morning and will end in the late, cold evening. Also in the middle of the day it may get just nice enough for shorts and you don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.

Step 3: Do all laundry. Make sure every piece of athletic clothing is clean and pack 2-3 of everything. Shorts, tights, short sleeve, long sleeve, rain jacket, sun hat. Prepare for all weather. Take three pairs of shoes and 5 pairs of socks.

A huge component of a successful run is the electronic component. iPod, Garmin, iPhone, headlamp, camera…

Step 4: Charge Garmin and iPhone. Refill with new songs and charge iPod. Make sure camera battery is charged, and memory cards are empty. Replace batteries in headlamp.

Now you have to put all of this somewhere.

Step 5: Clean out the car. Throw away Recycle all 30 Mix1 bottles that have accumulated in the back of the car.

Throw all your junk in the car and consider yourself almost ready.

Now to prepare the body. However it doesnt really matter how well you treat yourself in the 24 hours prior, you will still hurt like hell tomorrow for the last few laps.

Step 6: Have a great meal, some Salmon, veg, some carbs. Put on some comfy pants and relax. Do your exercises from Josh, watch a boring movie and hit the hay for a good nights sleep.

Just like that, easy as pie, I am ready to crank out 60 miles. All I have left to do is run! 7am tomorrow the mayhem begins.

I love the Sunday emails from Chuckie. He lets me know what’s going on for the week, what’s coming in future weeks, where my head should be, etc, etc. Todays email included this tid-bit.

The week is all about maintenance until Sunday, at which point the aim is to conquer new ground. Crawling is acceptable. Falling is acceptable. Puking is acceptable. Tears are acceptable. Pain is acceptable. Injury is acceptable. But quitting, well, quitting is entirely unacceptable. You will learn more about yourself on Sunday and again a month later than ever before.

Grrr it up.

-V

First off, I want to say that I love this. Chuckie is equal parts tactical and emotional. PIC and I’s trainer ride for Saturday came to us in a 1 page long Word document full of detail with 6 different parts. And then I get emails like this that inspire me and get my Grrr all revved up. Emotional, yet tactical.

So, it got me thinking… I’ve never been to this crawling, falling, puking, crying place. I tend to smile through most all things I endeavor. Maybe the smile is a front, maybe it’s an excuse. My times of suffering seem to be over. Despite what is dished to me, I tend to roll through it lately, happy to be alive, happy to be training, happy to have supportive family and friends who love me as much as I love them.

Maybe I will get to that place next weekend, maybe not. I do know that quitting is entirely unacceptable. This run will happen, despite what challenges I encounter along the way. 60 miles is no slouch. it’s six 10 mile runs, it’s three 20 mile runs, or maybe it’s just getting up early, before the sun rises and doing what I love to do, with the people I love to do it with until the sun goes down.

Maybe it’s just that.

Well, because you seem to find yourself back at my blog often enough, they love you too. I have been collecting a few discounts for all of you and wanted to share them in one place.

Check out my newest sponsor, Trimassage. This is a funny story. I met Josh (owner) because I sat next to him and his little lady on the way back from Nationals this past year. Josh explained to me that he didn’t really do massage anymore because he found muscle restoration to be more beneficial. He explained it to me in theory, but I had to see for myself and yup, it’s really good stuff. If you have something nagging, or it isn’t even to the nagging point yet, go see Josh, he’ll fix you. He’s in Boulder, but I drive the 45 minutes from Denver because he’s that good. If you are on the Front Range, he’s worth the drive, hands down.

You can make an appointment here where it says “Schedule Online” and you want the “Muscle Restoration Laser Therapy, Initial Consult”. Tell him “Sonja sent me to you” and he will give you $20 off that initial consult. If you aren’t wondering how the heck he made you all better before you walked out the door, then your a hopeless cause. I’m kidding….kinda. PS he will give you homework.

Rev3 Races. Still wondering were the heck you are going to race this year? Looking for a race that is going to put YOU first and make you feel like you are on the PRO circuit rather than just a massed together age grouper. Wanna meet the pros, get pics with like ALL of them, and send your family to play at the amusement park while you act like a star struck triathlete. Sign up for a Rev3 race. Use my code PracticalRev3 and save yourself a “Jackson” (not to be confused with a Benjamin).

Core Concepts. I love testing products for these folks, they are mom and popish and they are GRAND. I live in their clothes, if you read this blog often enough, you know these things. Want 40% off, it’s like a pro deal, from me to you? Use pro0210sw at their online store for the next few months and get some goodies.

Just a little love from me to you, just in time for your tax returns. Happy shopping.

Jenna and I traded of the lead for the entire race. We ran a 6 mile stretch together. When do you ever see two people in the lead position of a race running together, chatting it up, and developing a friendship on the trail? This is part of the magic that is ultrarunning, and also part of the kindness that was par for the course for Jenna. Jenna eventually pulled away from me at mile 42 and took the win, with a smile on her face and jumping into the arms of her husband.

Jenna and I had just a week to add each other on Facebook and throw around a few conversations about teaming up for the Trans Rockies Run this year, but first she was off on a 4 month honeymoon to Nepal. This girl lived life in a big way. She did things that we all dream of. She made them happen.

Recently back from her honeymoon, I saw Jenna on this starting line this weekend. She introduced me to her two running pals Cara and Angie. They were super excited to run the 33K which Jenna called “the fun run”. We exchanged a big hug and it was time for me to hit the starting line.

Jenna ran a great race and placed 4th amongst stiff competition. She hit the road with her gal pals to head back to Steamboat after the race.

Jenna and her two friends were involved in an auto accident on the way home and Jenna is no longer with us. I am so terribly saddened by this, and I know she wouldn’t want me to be sad but to think of the amazing things she did with her life. And, really, her short life was truly an amazing one.

Ah, she will be so very sorely missed.

Today all I can think of is her wonderfully loving husband, her running partners that adored her, and her family. I am willing thoughts of love and strength their direction. We all know what an absolutely amazing person she was, it oozed from her every pore.

One that Jenna liked:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

Jenna makes an appearance in my Run Rabbit Run movie.