Sweltering to Snow

WY I RUN... get my thoughts sorted through and maybe a good cry (but sometimes, the gasping for air is not conducive to the cardio activity)


Workouts:
5/23: Too windy for outside, but got on the trainer for (80) and 6 Miles in the afternoon. I also was able to force myself in a pond, Adam and I have discovered in our town and with the pool 
closed for two weeks Adam and I have managed dunk ourselves in the swamp. We swam for about (20).

That' me

5/24: Elliptical (60) and Core. 8 rainy miles in the afternoon. At this point, I was struggling, so tired. The thought of a drive to Jackson was killer. I managed to sleep for 20 min before the drive!
5/25: Too early wake up call for 12 Miles before my Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. The run was beautiful and was stopped briefly by a herd of elk and a wall of wind.

http://arkansaswildlifephotography.com/cow_elk_herd_bucket.html

I also got to visit with two of my favorite ladies, Dana and Katy. They were interns at NOLS last year and have both re- planted themselves in Jackson. I miss them a lot.

5/26: Ran 6 Miles with 4 x20 and then was blocked out of my uncle's driveway by a horse, ~ 7.5 Miles. Swam after the WFA session, fake bruises, lesions, and all, 3300 yd (60). 

My cousin came out of the field from building a cabin and we got to dine at my favorite, Snake River Brewery.

5/27: Dragged my bottom to the Jackson pool again with the snow coming down, 3200 yd (60) and drove back to Lander. Finally, a bit of a down day and some time to sleep and relax. 

5/28: Lazy, lazy day. With wind, got on my trainer for (90) and watched some Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Fell back asleep again and didn't get out for 8 Miles until 4 p.m. This is unheard of in my world and still managed some core. 

5/29: No alarm and had a small (large) conniption fit, because I had 'mile repeats' at the track. Elliptical (45) and Swim in Riverton, WY

* I am so excited to be back to effort workouts, but need to make sure they don't cause too much anxiety around the dates, a.k.a fits from no alarm. I love the push, I love hurt, and I love the recovery. While this one was not too taxing, I am ready for more, but still have to let my body adjust. I have my first race this weekend, a Sprint Triathlon in Buffalo, WY and am excited for the burn. 

I will leave you with some ingenious comments of Joe Howdyshell at EnduranceEnterprises

The beauty of the track is that there is no hiding.  She tells you exactly where you stand. There is no playing hard to get. There is no buying you dinner before she kicks you square in your gut and leaves you fighting for air with the taste of iron in your mouth. If you’ve been working hard, she’ll give you some fun, fast laps, but ONLY if you’ve showed her you're committed.

What is a WFA (Woofa), you ask??

Well, through a department of NOLS, Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI) and the need for a First Aid and CPR to complete my coaching certification, I was able to combine the two and fill requisites as well as gain some wilderness knowledge.

I lay in the mud as rained poured down on my face with white makeup giving me pimples (to replicate a pale face) and a drawn on blister with infection on my heel. Was I having fun?? Uh... maybe not in the moment. Do I feel like I learned a ton from the 16 hours of training, yes! Do I feel like I can use it in my adventures, yes! Even watching the finale of Grey's Anatomy, where there was a plane crash, I got to 'yelp' when they made a backcountry tourniquet, because I just learned that.

It has been back to back weeks of busy-ness combined with my crazy nature to get up at 4 a.m. each morning, I am beat. But really, that's the beauty of why we are here. Working towards a goal, pushing the limits, learning about yourself and in areas you are passionate... feeling beat may not be so bad. Actually, this is when I thrive.