Happy 2012!

Yesterday I had the great privilege of running the 1^st 12 hours of Freedom Park 24 Hour Ultra in Morganton, NC. Though I started out with the intention of running the full 24 hours with a goal of at least 135 miles, my current reality did not meet my expectations and by hour 6 I was feeling kind of pukey.

Yet, during my loops of less-than-feeling good or confident, I got to interact and watch Anne Lundblad and Sabrina Moran set their souls on the line and run fantastically! As I learned this morning, Anne ran 140+ (YAY Anne!) Sabrina was moving along effortlessly when I observed her when I left the event 13.5 hours into it...I am not sure of Sabrina’s finishing mileage, yet I expect it was in the mid to high 130’s… as Anne was the overall winner. Congratulations wonderful tough girls! I expect Anne has earned her a place on Team USA to run in Poland in September. If she didn’t PR this morning, Sabrina’s previous high 130’s time makes her a great contender too!

Also during the loops I got to watch my running buddies from Ashe County at work on the Half Marathon. Joey and Jonathon will be running the 1/2 in Charleston in 2 weeks and Jackie, the full. They came down get in a good training effort and I think to cheer me on too! Thanks running buddies, it was great to see you out there and running with effortless glee! Can't wait to be around you all in Charleston!

As for me, ups and downs are expected on any event and I was committed until at least 12 hours in. At hour 6ish the dizziness I’d been experiencing on and off the last 2 weeks due to a prolonged sinus infection was showing itself, and although I didn’t feel bad, I felt a bit out of body and out of sorts. Both Anne and Sabrina and others reminded me that ups and downs were to be expected as they inquired about my 13-minute walking break at 5:50. I certainly appreciated the reminder and after eating and drinking and taking some electrolytes (it was 60 degrees-certainly warm by 12/31 norms), I grabbed by little ipod and tried for a focused attitude adjustment.

The isolation and distraction helped, yet I felt my soreness in legs and body increasing as I checked off each loop. By hour 10, I had no idea of my pace or mileage yet kept up the positive attitude (mostly) and visualized what I’d practiced: running strong  (or “strong” for the circumstances) watching a sun set from the run and a sunrise. Lap by lap, positive, inspired…and mathematically, seeking reality.

Jonathan Savage, an automatic 2012 team member based on his National Championship 2011 performance- high 140’s in 24-Hour, graced me with miles of chat time. He helped me process my dilemma. Yesterday I felt I had 2 things on the line: run well enough (as Anne did) to be a high contender for Poland (at least 135), or back off and drop out to not burden my body with a disappointing finish that could set by my training for World 100km in April.

If I was feeling great and moving well toward my goal, I was willing to take the risk with partially compromising my 100km training…yet this was a hard call. Intellectually, as Jonathon pointed out, it was a no brainier, quit before I did damage and required too much recovery. One can recover from battered egos. On the other hand, a 24- hour event is unpredictable and one doesn’t know what will present itself: good or bad.

In the end I bowed out conservatively. 74ish miles in 12 hours…and other mile of cool down.

I celebrate Freedom Park Ultras and half and full marathons. David and Rhonda do a GREAT job attending to runners wishes and needs and the venue is superb.

As for me, I have swollen legs, a tired body and ambition as I roll into what will be the 2^nd semester of the 2011/2012 school year tomorrow.

My immediate my running ambitions will be set on WC 100km 4/22/2012. I will register for FANS in Minnesota for my last go at 24-Hour team 2012 and not have any other “important”  race on the table after that, so I don’t have to worry about the impact of working too hard and risking other goals.  I believe FANS is the 1^st weekend of June.

This last 36 hours has been a humbling, yet “toe the line” gut-centering quest for priorities. I believe I’ve chosen the right path, yet do not want “bailing” to be part of my regular practice.

Anyone, reading this, I’d love to hear your own personal perspectives of your process for DNFing or finishing despite the risks to your future running/racing plans/ health…

Happy training, smart choices and Happy 2012! AND  a hearty congrats to all who ran and worked towards their goals in the at least four 24-Hour events around the country last night!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2011!

 Just thought I'd share our holiday letter-and the photos we used in our greeting postcard. I'll be posting some 2011  running wrap up/welcome 2012 after Christmas...But for now-Merry Christmas!

George and I post Turkey Trot 4 Miler in November

George on the New River in August 2011.

Annette and teammate Pam Smith at World 100km Championships-September 2011

Mama Grey at play

Dear Friends, Family, and Kindred Spirits,

If you are reading this we’ve all survived another year filled with joy, challenge, celebration and anticipation of weekends and days doing what we love to do! Don’t get me wrong-we both really like what we do for work (most of the time anyway), yet days to play hard, or just hang out, don’t come often enough.

George continues to work hard for the New River. He’s been traveling more than ever this year-zipping around the 3-state watershed and spent a week in Milwaukee at a conference. Again this past summer he headed up the New River Expedition, paddling from the headwaters in NC to the end in WV. The event raises awareness of human impact, offers communities lots of opportunities to help clean the river, raises money for NCNR, and is meant to be tons of FUN!

George has further developed his whitewater skills and kayaks and canoes whenever he gets a chance. He is also teaching himself to fly fish. I think as long as George gets to hang out by a river, he will be a happy man! Don’t get me wrong, he still hikes, occasionally runs & bikes, and can sit on the couch for a ball game like a champ, yet it is on the water is where he comes alive!

Annette continues her work as a school counselor, with all the budget cuts and getting added responsibilities she is working at least 8 more hours a week than this time last year, just to survive at work. She is, thankfully, still able to manage quality time for running and training.

Running highlights for Annette this year were setting a course record at North Face’s Bear Mountain 50Miler in NY in May, running a 3:01:30 marathon at the World Master’s Marathon Championships in July in CA, and representing the United States with Team USA at the 100km World Championships in Winschoten, Netherlands in September, where she came in 6^th (7:54:59) and helped USA win a silver medal.

We spent a week together in Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park in July and camped, hiked, postholed and skid down snowfields at 11,000+ feet. Big mountains are fun!

Mama Grey is as fabulous and crazy as ever! We can’t believe we’re about to spend our 5^th Christmas together!

Although we both still enjoy winemaking, gardening and canning-work life has gotten in the way a little more this year, so we have less to “brag” about in that department…(Though if any of you are around come July of 2012, the cranberry semi-sweet wine should be in it’s prime!)

Happy Holidays and Happy 2012!

Love,

Annette and George