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, and raising them is truly the real ultra-adventure. Everything else that involves just worrying about yourself, like running a race, is easy. Well, easy is an over simplification. If you can do all that you are capable of doing anything including running as far and high as you want to.

So along with solid crew of other mothers I have joined in this crazy adventure with, I will be out there getting dirty and smiling with them all the way to the finish line while love-hating them at the same time.

Oh and of course I will be consuming sixty grams of carbohydrate per hour, water, and electrolyte drink to keep my fueled!

Endurance Mamas post 26.2 “training run”