All posts filed under: Athletic Adventure

Today’s Adventure: New York Subway

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Every time I take a plane ride across the country and hop into a car to take me to the action I have arrived for I inevitably feel sluggish, car sick, and longing for fresh air. The thing is, I love exploring like a local on gritty, clanking, big-city public transit. The allure of the car sevice and its point A to B promise usually sound like the better deal . “Sounds like” is the key phrase here.  So today I listened to my inner wisdom opted for the sights, sounds, smells, and connection with the locals over the isolated nausea of a personal car.  Let the adventure of this moment begin. And yes, I hydrated and ate for energy.

Endurance Mamas

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My bib number is in hand. My clothes, race food & hydration, logistics to getting to the starting line are set. Oops, except my alarm. Pausing here to go set my alarm for ….wait for it…..3:45 am to voluntarily run 31.8 miles (50km) with 7200 ft of climbing and descending. This is about the point before a race that I ask the question “why”? It hurts, is really hard, cold, early, and tiresome.  Yet, here I am toeing the line time and time again. You know why? Because why not. What if it isn’t any of those things or, the smiles, support, camaraderie , community, sense if accomplishment, the beauty, and the simplicity of putting one foot in front of the other so purposefully outweighs everything else. It is funny to me that I never thought this kind of running to be something I could do until after having children.  Getting pregnant, staying pregnant, carrying on daily activities while pregnant, birthing a child out of your body, caring for the child, positively influencing the child, …

Energizing Mountain Bike Adventures

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Journeying along side many competitive and non-competitive athletes (well, they are competitive too, with themselves) I have seen success come from well-planned nutrition both in competition and training. Considerations range from what to eat, how much, and when to it.  Every sport will have specific considerations along with it’s unique barriers and challenges for staying nourished and energized. Last summer I had the pleasure of attending Crankworx at Whistler Blackcomb  in beautiful British Columbia. ( Oh take me their today!) While I was there I spoke to avid mountain bikers about what to eat when and how it can be their secret weapon to better performance on and off the dirt. You can listen to some of what I shared from with the athletes from the kitchen here: Hanging with legendary Hans  and Carmen Rey was also an awesome treat for both me and my boys who got to join in the fun. Once they heard that Han would be joining in with their  superstar Danny Macaskill they become mesmerized. Perhaps the most exciting thing …

Cookie Memories from the Appalachain Trail

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I had the honor of representing​ the support of Clif Bar & Company on  athlete Scott Jurek’s Appalachian Trail journey. Along the trail we met many of Scott’s fans who gifted him with vegan foods. Outside Magazine journalist, Kate Myles, won the prize for best cookie on the AT, in my book anyway. Maybe it was the trail of sweat and tears that made this puppies taste so good, but I scored the recipe so we can judge! Maple Walnut Cookies 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal 3/4 cup shredded coconut 1 1/3 cup flour (I use a GF mix, but regular is fine) 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter (I use Earth Balance margarine to make them vegan) 5 Tablespoons real maple syrup 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp maple extract 1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans!) ​​​Heat oven to 300 F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, coconut, salt, and sugar.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combing butter (or margarine), along with syrup. Heat until …

Crewing for Scott Jurek

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Outside Magazine followed us for for twenty-four hours. I was worried they might be annoying, but they were not. They were discrete,friendly, respectful of Scott’s enormous task each hour, and helpful. Here is a short clip of the twenty-four hour clock we “rode” for three days, which was unmeasurable in scale: Outside Magazine Online

You Gotta Have Guts

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“Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?” Because he didn’t have any GUTS!” My five year-old tells me this joke often. He puts emphasis on the word ” GUUUTSSS” in way that sticks so perfectly and sweetly in my mind when I am running. You have got to have GUUUTSSS to obtain many of the rewards life has to offer. Whether it is passing someone on the trail, attempting something like the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail , deciding to start family……you have got to have guts. How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh I could never do that.” when you know very-well they could if they decided they could. Mustering the guts to take a the chance and try that thing you have always wanted to do can lead you to some unexpected and wonderful places. The Bridger Ridge Run has been around since my Aunt Kathy dragged me through my first 5 k. It wasn’t until approaching forty-years old that I developed the guts to run it. After making it …

Would You Run One-hundred Miles?

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My work has opened me to the possibility of achieving athletic feats I never new were available to the human body let alone my human body. Most recently I was able to participate in the activities of one of America’s most iconic one-hundred mile foot races, the Western States without actually having to run it. I had the pleasure listening to the scientific community interested in studying ultra-runners while also getting to know some of the leaders in the sport like Nikki Kimball, Stephanie Howe, and Scotto(typo I choose to keep because I liked it) Jurek. Not just these athletes, but all ultra-runners (and many other athletes outside the scope of running) show us that the seemingly impossible is possible. I believe it is this desire for possibility that drives those seekers of challenge. Running one-hundred miles sounds more and more possible despite the fact that my own legs have never carried me more than thirty-one miles at one time.  I get chills when I drive by Auburn on I-80 knowing this is where the …