State #17-California

Posted in 50 States by sneaksandstilettos

Motherhood reminds me of those coastal mountains I found in Big Sur and the constantly curvy Highway 1. The mountains are jagged, they are challenging and the road is twisting and turning, and you often don’t see what’s coming next. The ride through them is exhilarating. The ride is exhausting. Sometimes you pull over to linger in the view and soak it up fully knowing you may never see this view again. Other times you just want the ride to stop, a break from the constant twists and attention needed and the mental focus. Funny how those same challenging mountains and winding highways also offer majestic views that take your breath away. Views that make you actually pinch yourself they are so beautiful. This destination seems like a great analogy to motherhood.

It’s also kind of like this destination how I wrote this post. Instead of trying to make it perfect, I finally just decided to put it out there as it is. Written over four years, choppy, to the point at times, rambling at others and me struggling to put into words what this trip was for me.

Over four years ago I ran the San Francisco Marathon. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to write this considering the race was perhaps my favorite race ever and one of my best trips ever. Looking at photos the other day has been reminding me of the epic road trip I took down the coast of California on Highway 1 after the race, so I decided I needed to do my report now. Better late than never?! I also find myself missing racing and training quite a bit; I look forward to getting back to this after I get further into my postpartum days.

As I play my music playlist from the Summer of 2018, I am revisiting a trip that meant so much to me and the race that made me feel like a real runner again. Running the San Francisco Marathon in July of 2018 wasn’t just about a race and a road trip. It was my first post-babies marathon. My first time away from my kids for more than two nights. The summer of 2018 was the first season I was not pregnant and/or breastfeeding in four years. It was a big deal. Writing this race report while an eight week old snoozes on my lap has me revisiting all the emotions and sides to being a mom.

L-Grandad’s Half Marathon-May 2016 (Pierce-12 months, Aria-16.5 weeks growing inside) R-Eau Claire Half Marathon-May 2018 (Pierce-3 and Aria-1.5 years)

In a lot of ways taking this trip to California was me fighting to fit in some semblance to my life before kids. It was about finding some time for me again. I’ve always known as a mom there really is no balance. There are ebbs and flows to responsibilities and needs for all. As moms it doesn’t take long to figure out that sometimes you have to fight for a section of that time to be for yourself and sometimes it just can’t happen. I have a supportive husband, but moms just do so much and the mental load we carry in parenthood is enormous. He knew I needed something like this though and encouraged me to go for it.

During my training cycle leading up to the San Francisco Marathon I had ups and downs like any training cycle. There were early morning runs in the dark, snowy and slippery runs and long runs in the heat and humidity. There were runs filled with mom guilt over leaving my kids behind. There were fast runs. There were runs filled with self-doubt that I could actually do this with a body that was not the same post-babies despite putting effort into those issues (hello significant diastasis and pelvic floor issues).

Spring training arrived and my confidence grew as I saw paces than I hadn’t seen in a long time. Even with that confidence I knew my emotional well being could not handle a demanding training schedule. I knew with it being my first marathon since kids (and in four years) and on the hilliest course I had ever ran, a time goal was definitely not going to be part of my plan. I planned to enjoy this race and exploring on my own time for myself.

And enjoy it I did. It was such a special trip for me. And we really should take the advice of our coffee cups. Maybe it is the universe speaking to us.

I flew into San Francisco on the Friday before the Sunday race. In true to me style, I had a jam packed schedule and immediately was on my way to my hotel. I took the BART to my hotel and then Ubered my way to pick up a bike I had rented for the rest of the day.

This little fox, officially known as Little Foxy, was along for the adventure. Each day I snapped a photo of Little Foxy and its adventures to my kids. That’s normal mom travel right?!

On my first day in California I biked through San Francisco en route to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was my first trip to San Francisco, so I was seeing it all for the first time. As the bridge appeared ahead my excitement built. As I biked across the Golden Gate Bridge, I paused at several places to take it all in and appreciate the freedom of the wind whipping through my hair and the beauty of the Marin Headlands in the distance.

At the Marin Headlands I locked up my bike and headed out on foot to do some exploring. Hiking has always been a big part of any travel plans I make. Running and hiking let you see so much of a place. A location is more than just a restaurant or a shop.

I will forever have the smell of eucalyptus and cypress in my head as I descended into Kirby Cove. That cleansing and grounding smell. That warm sunshine on my face tilted towards the sky. That fresh sea breeze. The water below. My heart light and full. Not a worry on my mind. I felt free. So free and me.

Eventually I was reminded if I was going to make it back to San Francisco and not miss my ferry ride, I needed to get moving again. It was back to the path on foot and then the bike to ride the rest of the miles to Sausalito. Sausalito was a cute little town full of shops and homes built into the hills. It was here where I caught the ferry back to San Francisco and enjoyed a pale ale, sunshine on my face, smells of ferry exhaust and views of Alcatraz on the way “home.”

The next morning I took the BART to do a shake out run on the Embarcadaro, enjoyed one of the most delicious breakfast burritos I’ve ever eaten, grabbed coffee and went to the farmers market.

Post-run and fueling it was time to do some race nails (love Sarah Marie Design Studio) and head to the race expo. The race expo had some of the best features. I’m not a huge race expo person, but drinking kombucha shots and enjoying the displays was actually pretty fun.

After the race expo, I headed out on a long walk/hike on part of the San Francisco Bay Trail, then to the Battery to Bluffs trail and then the Presidio/California Coastal Trail that would take me to Marshall’s Beach, the Battery Crosby, Bakers Beach, China Beach and eventually to the Lands End Trail. I enjoyed approximately 6.5 miles of rocky cliffs, ocean wind, Golden Gate Bridge views, historic batteries, coastal plants and views that will never be forgotten. This San Francisco Bay Trail/bike path is currently 350 miles and will one day connect all of the San Francisco Bay communities totaling 500 miles in distance.

I finished my evening with a local brew, a delicious burger and warming up by the fire. I had a VERY early Lyft ride arriving at 4:20 a.m., so it was early to bed after laying my race gear out. I did not sleep well with my Lyft ride unconfirmed for the morning. Luckily, this would not be an issue in the morning.

Before my eyelids even shut, it felt like race morning was here. I was feeling ALL of the emotions. You name it, I probably felt it. I could not wait to start this race, but I missed my kids. I was excited to see the city, but I was nervous about the hills. How painful would this be? Would the pain start in the teens or not until after mile 20? All questions I would know the answer to soon.

Since over four years have passed, I don’t have my mile splits to share in this post, which is really more for me to reflect on anyway. I like having old posts to review what did and didn’t work for me and when things took a turn, if they did. I also love the reminder of the one of a kind experiences running races has given me. While I can’t race now, I had some serious nostalgia going through some old posts recently. We will race again.

Waiting in my corral in the dark for quite some time, the nervous anticipation building for a long time, I was so antsy to get started. I was super excited for this experience to begin. For a few moments I also reveled in the fact that doing this race initially was something I casually mentioned to my husband. I was actually at the starting line. About to make it happen.

The first miles were flat and filled with nervous anticipation. I loved that the race started out nice and easy. During mile 1 we ran past Pier 7, the Ferry Building and Coit Tower. Mile 2 had us running through Fisherman’s Wharf and past Pier 39 and Alcatraz. Mile 3 took us past Ghiradelli Square, Fort Mason and somehow I also had to pee. Not what I was hoping for in the first few miles, but necessary. I also was NOT even close to being the only one. So many people also had to pee.

Mile 4 provided views of the San Francisco bridge and the excitement started to build. During mile 5 we ran past Chrissy Field knowing the bridge was getting closer and closer with each step I took on the graveled trail. We took a sharp turn and began our climb. The smell of sea was so refreshing. I was loving my time so far.

Mile 6 began the climb. It is easy to forget that to cross a larger bridge there is usually a climb involved. We followed a bike path trail as it curved and wound its way up to the Golden Gate Bridge. The view got better with each step we climbed. It was gorgeous. I’ve always felt like seeing things while running takes your appreciation and gratitude for the experience to a new level. I feel like you see things in an intensified way and it etches into your memory in a new way as well. We finally reached the bridge.

As we began our first crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge my excitement grew. You would think having biked across the day before would have ruined this experience, but it really didn’t. To feel the winds whipping and be able to take in the experience at a slightly slower pace was so rewarding. I had thought about this moment many times during my training runs. I’d made it. I was doing this. When you haven’t ran a full marathon in five years you appreciate all of the parts of the experience of getting to the starting line. You also know it is never a given.

Mile 7 was on the Golden Gate Bridge. I took in the red-orange color (technically called orange vermillion) and its structure and its features (it is 1.7 miles long). I appreciated the sea breeze blowing on my face, even if it was whipping. Race morning was a foggy morning and it made the experience even more surreal. I was glad I biked the bridge in the sunshine Friday afternoon because it gave me two perspectives of being on the bridge.

We descended down the bridge and continued our descent down a fire road before climbing back up a steep climb during mile 8. I had actually biked this on Friday and remember biking this steep section (ok…I walked my bike some). I had a general idea of the course before the race and the major areas we would run through, but didn’t know each detail. The best part of a climb or descent is the views. We got a beautiful view of the city with the Marin Headlands looming large. We enjoyed ocean views and the headlands as we looped back around to begin our bridge crossing back to San Francisco.

Mile 9 was all about crossing the bridge back to S.F. Mile 10 began our descent off the bridge. I felt great, but was also nervous that the excitement of the bridge was over. How would the next miles go? As I stepped off the bridge a little bit of apprehension crept in even though we were enjoying a downhill section and amazing views of the ocean. That smell of eucalyptus and cypress were back again. I’m obsessed with this smell now. Mile 11 continued on a downhill with amazing views of the water, Baker Beach and Marshall Beach. I enjoyed visiting both while exploring the day before.

It was around this time that I made a potty stop again. And this time I had to wait for several minutes in line. I share this detail not for TMI, but it was a question I used to wonder in my early marathon days. How many people use the bathroom during a marathon? To be honest, I rarely did before kids. Now I’m not sure I can run an entire race without a stop or two. It is something I need to continue to work on because it really adds on time. While I haven’t had a race goal time in my last five post-babies marathons (California-2018, Indiana-2019, South Dakota-2019, Texas-2020 (virtual) and Virginia-2020 (virtual) adding minutes to every race because of potty stops is not ideal. I need more practice with timing my water intake again and continued pelvic floor work.

Mile 12 took us through the Presidio area and began to lead us through some neighborhood miles. Mile 13 continued this way for the first half, and I do appreciate seeing different neighborhoods in different cities. The cultural influences make every city so unique. Both miles brought on the neighborhood hills like you visualize when you think of living in San Francisco and Full House.

It was during a part of these miles I ran alongside a running inspiration of mine, Dean Karnazes. I knew he was from the Bay area and often ran the San Francisco Marathon as training having read all of his books, but I never imagined to run alongside him for part of the race. His running of 50 marathons in 50 days and the book he wrote about it really got me into this whole idea in the first place. There was also the humbling reminder he was on a loop of the ultramarathon which runs more than one loop of the course. It still powered me through those iconic neighborhood hills.

The second part of mile 13 had us entering Golden Gate Park. I knew this park was big (bigger than Central Park), but I knew little about it. I had “saved” this section for surprise. I didn’t preview photos or look up the park. I knew this race would need me to have a trick to pull out of my bag. This was that trick.

This mile also was tiring and the start of a section of miles I don’t really remember much about. The miles 13ish-19 were all in Golden Gate Park. It was a beautiful park with unique trees, but to be honest it was a park. It was on the roads going through the park, and I just didn’t find it that inspiring or motivating. I mean it is hard to top running across the Golden Gate Bridge and views of the ocean, so it was kind of a let down. Between mile 19 and 20 we headed out of Golden Gate Park and back into neighborhood views for a few miles. There were people cheering and some excitement, but again with the excitement of the early sights gone it was a struggle for me.

Then the miles got so industrial and hard and about finishing the next mile. Boring, run-down buildings and almost no cheering spectators. The last mile redeemed itself when it met back up with the wharf area. We ran around the back of AT & T field (Giants were playing the Brewers that weekend 🙂 and then finally the finish line was in site. In this races defense the early miles through the wharf, across the bridge, along the bay and even the park make a few hard, boring miles SO worth it. I also find that most marathons I have run have some industrialish miles and often they are in the weird, hard miles of 20-24. It is a reminder of just how hard this goal can be, how much you push for it with every mile, and really every step you take is a choice not to stop.

I finished tired, but SO, so proud and with a heart full of I-just-finished-a-marathon-joy. I could have cared less that a few miles didn’t inspire me. The bridge and the experience was so amazing. Marathoning mama was back. Finish time- 4:20.

This race was also so much about the Highway 1 road trip I was leaving for later that day, so I’ve also included some highlights of those travels in this post. This goal of mine was never to see how fast I could run 50 marathons in 50 states, rather how could I complete this goal while also exploring and enjoying the area surrounding the race and explore new places.

This race just happened to have a week of fun exploring and road tripping that followed it and a weekend exploring San Francisco. It gave me time and space away from my family to feel like me again and appreciate what I have in a new, deeper way. I never regret these travel experiences and coming back with a full cup. Four years later, I still look back on this experience and am so glad I got myself to that start line and went for the experiences that followed. I still feel a cup filling feeling when I look through my photos years later.

The afternoon after the marathon I set out for San Diego via Highway 1 also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. 600+ plus miles of coastline and rugged California, dramatic coast views, rugged mountains, hiking forests and trails, camping on ocean bluffs, local brews and wine hikes in Malibu with cities along the way (Monterey, Big Sur, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, etc), and I was at peace. Content. Joyful. Take that trip.

Sarah

25Nov2020

52 Hike Challenge {Part 2}

Posted in hiking by sneaksandstilettos

I finish this post with all of us on the cusp of what normally is a joyous season filled with friends and family. This year our world looks different. I can only imagine that you too have struggled to find meaning and joy during this hard time. That you have also had to stretch yourself in ways you never have before. With all this change and growing and hard, life can seem just so heavy and challenging. You know me though. Always one to also look for the lesson. As annoying as it is to hear that voice at times, it always shows up eventually.

If you are here for some hiking location ideas and not the personal post I’m sharing with my hikes today, then scroll down. I am so excited for you to get out there. Happy hiking!

I should be honest. I wasn’t always a focus on the positive kind of person more than not. It has taken YEARS of learning and unlearning to find myself in my current headspace. Of course I still complain. I still vent (just ask my husband), but largely I am growing into this practice of gratitude and finding joy in every season. I am proud to say I have worked hard to seek the lesson life is teaching in whatever unfair, hard or frustrating way the lesson is being taught. Perhaps this year the lens through which I view my life has been focused a bit more because of my experiences.

This year has brought more ups and downs than any rollercoaster I have been on before or at least it is a tie. For those that know me well, you know this year carries a lot more weight than just the obvious COVID. 2020 has really been a year for those unexpected things that would make any year really hard and overwhelming and challenging… and then life also said, “let’s do those things AND a pandemic.” I know of SO many others also experiencing crazy hard, heart wrenching and challenging times this year that are in addition to this little virus that has forever changed us.

Yet somehow I remain stronger than I have in other hard seasons. I gravitated at times to my unhealthy habits of my past as a means to control and when I felt out of control. It’s normal to do that in times of hard. I also sought out exercise to boost the natural chemicals in my brain. I found peace in stillness and pause. I deepened my yoga practice. I began meditating. I worked on my relationship with myself. I practiced creating boundaries that helped me to thrive.

Perhaps the most meaningful and transformative thing I did though was continue the goal I set at the start of this year before I knew much of COVID. A goal I set before I knew that I would spend 4 months of this year and counting not running due to an injury during perhaps one of the hardest seasons of our lives. Little did I know when making this goal during the last days of December 2019 just what this goal would do for me. It ended up being one of my only goals that wasn’t canceled. It kept me pushing myself to get outside and get up. It motivated me to create meaningful experiences for my family. It was my solace on my broken days when it seemed 2020 would re-expose every break I’ve ever had.

There is something about the power of nature to open its branches to you and take on your burdens. The leaves seem to nod in encouragement while the empathizing sky absorbs the sorrows of your past and present. There is trust in those tree trunks. When you leave the woods behind, you just know they will hold that information and turn it into something beautiful…a peaceful stillness, a spring blooming flower, a forest bursting with autumn colors, a green canopy of cool on a hot summer day or a magical sunset to inspire hope in the darkest of times. And all without saying a word. A silent conversation. A healing release. A secret between you and the trees and the Earth. The only clues of your presence the fading footprints in the dirt and the ones forever in your heart and soul.

As you close out the year and head into a new year, a blank calendar of opportunities, I urge you to take some steps outdoors amongst the trees. There is so much healing power waiting there. It might feel silly at first. Unnatural. Un-you. Give it time. Embrace a new experience.

Here is the second half of my journey this year (52 Hike Challenge-Part 1). With snacks and a portable potty seat safely traveling to our destinations was never an issue.

#27-Harrington Beach State Park (Whitetail Trail, Quarry Trail Loop and South Lakeshore Trail)

#28-Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve

#29-Morgan Falls

#30-Copper Falls State Park (Doughboy Trail)

#31-Potato River Falls (Upper and Lower Falls Trail)

#32-Superior Falls (MI)

#33-Interstate Falls (MI)

#34-Dells of the Eau Claire (North River Trail + Ice Age Trail)

#35-Hixon Forest

#36-Buena Vista Trail

#37-Willow River State Park

#38-Kinnickinic State Park

#39-Presque Isle River Scenic Area (Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area-MI)

#40-Escarpement Trail (Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area-MI)

#41-Jay Cooke State Park (Wild Valley Rd–>Jay Cooke State Park-Superior Hiking Trail-MN)

#42-Ely’s Peak (Jay Cooke State Park–>Spirit Mountain Campground-Superior Hiking Trail-MN)

#43-Hartley Nature Center (Chester Woods Trail–>Martin Road-Superior Hiking Trail-MN)

#44-Hixon Forest

#45-Perrot State Park (White Pine Run)

#46-Levis Trow Mounds Recreational Area

#47-Mt. Simon Area (Eau Claire)

#48-Perrot State Park (Brady’s Bluff)

#49-Perrot State Park (Walnut Nature Trail and Riverview Trail)

#50-Tettegouche State Park (MN-High Falls)

#51-Tettegouche State Park (MN-Shovel Point)

#52-Miller Bluff, Hixon Forest

It made sense to me to end my 52 Hike Challenge on the same trail I began it on in mid-January of this year. I retraced my footsteps a different version of myself. I climbed that bluff more aware of myself than when this challenge began, yet also in a world I could never have imagined living in.

#53-Mill Bluff State Park

Bonus “Hikes”: Two really short walks, so I did not count either in my 52 Hike Challenge, but are in my top 5 places visited this year: Palisade Head and Black Beach.

On hike #52 I made sure to pause and just listen and feel it all. With a hand on my heart and a hand on the Earth, I was filled with so much gratitude for the moments, healing and perspective this challenge brought me. In a year that has been so crazy, hard and heavy, these hiking boots (and shoes) have kept me more than grounded. I know this challenge isn’t over yet.

Where are your feet taking you next?

Sarah

18Aug2020

Superior Hiking Trail {Map 1}

Posted in Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

Hiking has always been a love of mine. I have dreamt of amazing thru hikes on gorgeous trails like the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail. I have visions of backpacking long trails in glowy sunlight you only find in the woods and of climbs that lead to views that take your breath away as much as the increasing elevation did.

Then I remember the effort in the climb, the tenacity and grit the trail demands and the time commitment to accomplish such a goal. The closest opportunity I have in the foreseeable future and as a realistic option for me is the Superior Hiking Trail. This trail is also amazing.

It turns out this trail is all of those things I imagined and more. While we are only just over 50 miles into our journey, the respite and escape the trail provides for us is already leaving a lasting imprint on our heart. The moment our feet step on that trail and the familiar blue blaze lies ahead, a lightness in my soul returns. A freeing feeling of us and the trail and the memories the journey will leave us with.

Here is our journey so far as we completed Map 1-Southern Terminus at the WI/MN border to Martin Road in North Duluth (52.5 miles).

Last week we parked at the Wild Valley Road Trailhead to begin our second “weekend” hike of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT). From here it is 1.9 miles to the WI/MN border where the Southern Terminus lies. This section is an out and back as no trailhead exists at the actual terminus. That means you have to hike 1.9 miles to reach the terminus and turn around and hike 1.9 miles back to where you started before heading in the opposite direction.

Since we did not start our hike until 3:30 we decided to run this out and back section to save on time, and we love to run. It was a perfect section to run some trail miles. 20 minutes in to our run, Ryan got stung twice in the arm by a bee. Only Ryan attracts and is stung by so many bees. He proclaimed to be ok, so we continued on over the Red Creek bridge and onward to the Souther Terminus at the WI/MN border.

Here we documented our adventure and turned around to where we began. It felt good to actually have crossed the start line since last year we began our hike and ended up doing the middle section of this map. Ironically, this was a good thing since we wouldn’t have been comfortable hanging out in breweries and a coffee shop in Duluth like we did last year pre/post hikes.

A quick change of clothes at the car and we were back on the trail headed to Jay Cooke State Park. This section includes 5.9 miles of beautiful trails, occasional views of the St. Louis River and ends with a climactic finish by crossing the swinging bridge before the Visitor Center.

We then picked up our other vehicle from Wild Valley Road and came back to enjoy dinner and a Bent Paddle while the sunset on a perfect first day of hiking.

After a late start hiking at 3:30 PM, picking up our other vehicle, getting firewood and situated at our camp site there wasn’t much day left. We were done with the perfect time to watch the sunset at the swinging bridge over the St. Louis River at Jay Cooke State Park (where we camped). This summer I have definitely been fulfilling my goal of slowing down and making time to enjoy beautiful sunsets.

Day 1 Total: 9.7 miles of SHT + some tenths of miles around Jay Cooke. hike 41/52

Day 2 was our longest day of planned hiking. We were up the next morning, dressed and packed for our hike before most the campers were awake. Our motivation was to have time to relax post-hike at our campsite that evening. We caffineated and fueled on our drive to drop one vehicle at our ending trailhead before driving back to Jay Cooke State Park to start where we left off yesterday.

Last year we knew our total mileage and didn’t really break our hike up into the sections outlined in our guide book, which I highly recommend if you plan to hike this trail in any length. When m Garmin began registering different distances it really threw us mentally as to how long we had to go and how far. This year we did not use my Garmin, but instead relied on the maps and guidebook mileage. At each section start we paused to review what we were hiking, how long and landmarks to watch for. This strategy was so much better mentally for breaking up a long day on the trail. We also packed a lot more snacks. You get pretty hungry on the trail.

Jay Cooke State Park ➡️ Grand Portage Trailhead 5.9 miles

This section took us through and around Jay Cooke State Park. We enjoyed lunch along the St. Louis river before heading out for the next section which continued along the river for a while.

Grand Portage Trailhead ➡️ Fond du Lac Trailhead 4.1 miles

Our hike on the SHT had us crossing many bridges over various creeks. I have grown to get a little excited knowing a bridge is ahead in anticipation of what it might look like since they all seem unique.

Fond Du Lac ➡️ Becks Road 2.4 miles

Becks Road ➡️ Magney-Snively Trailhead 4.1 miles

Magney-Snively Trailhead ➡️ Spirit Mountain Campground Spur Trail 1.8 miles

When we returned to our campsite we were of course tired. We made a hearty one pan meal over the fire of potatoes, peppers, onions, chicken sausage and avocado and relaxed by the fire. Truthfully, I was falling asleep in my chair well before dark. Knowing we still had miles to go the next day we were sleeping early.

Day 2 Total: Jay Cooke State Park ➡️ Spirit Mountain Campground Spur Trail (18.3 miles) hike 42/52

We saved our shortest day for the last day knowing our legs were not used to hiking this many miles at once. Our morning was a little less rushing knowing we had less miles and materials to pack for a shorter hike. After getting in some caffeine, we were on the road to park a car at the finish line and head back to where we left off a year ago. We specifically picked a place with an obvious starting point and a place to park.

Our final miles to Martin Road took me by surprise. I was not expecting to see so much beauty on this section, but it was one of our favorites. We began our hike at the Chester Creek Trailhead. From here we hiked along the beautiful Chester Creek for almost a mile. A mom and and her fawn greeted us close to the start of the trail.

At the top of the ridge were views of Duluth and Lake Superior, and we enjoyed a snack. From the ridge we continued onward on University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Bagley Nature Trails eventually climbing to the top of Hunter’s Hill at 1,365 feet. Our first section of the day’s hike ended at the magnificent Hartley Nature Center abloom with wildflowers everywhere.

Our final section had us walking on a dirt road for around a mile before ducking back into the woods. These final miles ended up being more beautiful than expected with aspen trees, a small overlook and a change in rock scenery.

We followed the many wooden planks in this section satisfied with our work in less than 45 hours with a full heart, but also a bit of a heavy heart knowing our hiking adventure was nearing a close for the time being. The final distance greeted us with wildflowers all around as we dipped into woods one final time before coming out to the Martin Road Trailhead.

Day 3 Totals: Chester Creek Trailhead ➡️ Martin Road (7.5 miles) hike 43/52

Total Miles Completed: 35.5

This trail is a place of so many memories for us already. I can’t wait to continue the next 250+ miles as we continue North along the North Shore towards Canada in the years to come. I can only imagine with wonderment what the miles between Martin Road and the Northern Terminus will bring.

Map #1 WI/MN Border–>Martin Road (52.5 miles) DONE*

*Between the Spirit Mountain spur trail where we finished day 2 and Chester Creek Trailhead are 17.5 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail. We completed those miles last year. I never documented this last year, but I’m working on it now…soon!

27Jul2020

52 Hike Challenge {Part 1}

Posted in hiking by sneaksandstilettos

I should be writing my State 22 marathon recap post, but alas that did not happen this past weekend. State #21-Nebraska was cancelled in June. While I could have ran the Maah Daah Hey Trail Marathon in North Dakota, I had my Theodore Roosevelt National Park camping reservations cancelled and just didn’t feel right taking the family that far given our current scenario. I also did not want to be running a trail race through the Badlands in summer heat without any support person to help me. Lucky for me, I do have a goal I set for myself in January that I have been working on.

While running will always hold a special place in my heart, hiking is a near second. Hiking has been something that I’ve always loved. My first (and only) real hiking memory as a kid was hiking at Devil’s Lake. In college my now husband and I hiked the trails in La Crosse near our campus and ventured out to other hiking places during the summer time. We got engaged on a rainy spring day hike on the West Bluff at Devil’s Lake. We announced our pregnancy with photos from Devil’s Lake, and both Pierce and Aria had their first hikes on those very bluffs before they were even born.

There is something about the near silent sound of my feet as they take each step on the Earth. The grounding smell of pine needles, the hope in the scent of leaves coming to life and the joyful surprise of the scent of wildflowers blooming nearby. Wildlife is never far away. The effort to climb to a beautiful view is always rewarded. The change in seasons is always more appreciated when it is experienced outdoors. While I experience many of these things on the run, there is also beauty in slowing down to enjoy nature. More time to contemplate, reflect and spend time thinking. Again, so fitting for the current time we find ourselves in.

As I’ve gotten older and life more stressful, I find hiking has become a bigger and bigger part of how I recharge, but still not something I did as much as I wanted. I realized hiking really should be part of my regular life, not just something reserved for when we have time or our next vacation. I wanted hiking to be something that was a part of our regular daily lives. I wanted my kids to grow up experiencing the many physical, mental and relational benefits linked to walking in nature. I also wanted my kids to love something involving the outdoors before they could love technology. It is my hope that once they experience nature it can always be a resource and recharge to return to whenever they need to as they get older.

It was with this in mind that I decided to make hiking a focus back in January. One of my goals for 2020 is to complete the 52 Hike Challenge. The goal is pretty simple-hike 52 hikes in a year, one for each week. How interesting that I made a goal I CAN still do this year! As the halfway point of the year passed at the end of June, I can say I’m only loving hiking more and more. While I always planned to include my family in this goal, I did expect more of the hikes to be individual. Given the circumstances of the year, the goal has evolved into a family goal of sorts. We all need that outside time. I have only grown to love my time on the trail even more.

Now there are the not so fun parts too like ticks, mosquitoes and kids who all the sudden cannot. walk. another. step. and must be carried on your back. But those same kids, who sometimes complain at the start, always end up loving their time on the trail and in the woods. It is here that their imaginations come alive and the entire landscape from rocks to plants to footprints to clouds in the sky provide a litany of questions for their curious minds along the way to say why? How come? When? Nature is the ultimate teacher. It’s where somedays we parents are bears and the kids are running from us (we need to teach them some better bear safety 🙂 while other days the eldest is a plethora of dinosaur types and the youngest is a cheetah both roaring through the woods.

In a time where many of us are looking to get outdoors more because there are fewer options with which to spend our time, I’m sharing my list of hikes I completed during the first half of the year. I only ask that you please follow social distancing guidelines and be good stewards of the outdoors. My family has made sure to practice good safety practices while visiting these locations. As always, leave no trace (pack in, pack out). Do not make stops along the way. Avoid touching of public places. Social distance on the trail. Avoid locations when they are busy or choose somewhere different to visit if the parking area is full. We have intentionally hiked a few of these spots when rain is in the forecast in hopes of fewer people and often go during the week to reduce the chance of crowds. Many of these times we ended up being the only ones at these sometimes busier locations. Get creative with bathroom use (we have our kids potty seat along). Get gas before you leave and where you normally would. Plan ahead. Being prepared leads to a better experience-snacks, water, insect repellant, sunscreen and appropriate attire.

I know many others are looking for places to get outdoors, so I’m sharing my list to help you decide where to go next. No matter your experience with hiking, with the right trails and clothes anyone can do this. Below is a list of the first 26 hikes I/we’ve done so far this year. All hikes are in Wisconsin unless otherwise noted.

#1-Miller Bluff, Hixon Forest, La Crosse

#2-Black River State Forest, Millston

#3-Great River Bluffs State Park, Minnesota

#4-Castle Mound Pine Forest State Natural Area, Black River Falls

#5-Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Brice Praire

#6-Miller Bluff, Hixon Forest, La Crosse

#7-Kickapoo Valley Reserve, La Farge

#8-Halfway Creek Trail, Holmen

#9-Perrot State Park, Trempealeau

#10-Great River Bluffs State Park, Minnesota

#11-Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Brice Praire

#12-Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge

#13-Merrick State Park, Fountain City

#14-Maiden Rock Bluff, Stockholm

#15-Little Bluff Mounds Trail, Trempealeau

#16-Husband’s Family Farm 🙂

#17-Battle Bluff Prairie State Natural Area

#18-Wazee Lake, Black River Falls

#19-Perry Creek Recreational Area, Black River Falls

#20-Wildcat Mountain State Park, Ontario

#21-Pier Natural Bridge Park, Rockport

Don’t forget to walk the top of this rock bridge.

#22-Wyalusing State Park

#23-Devil’s Lake State Park, Baraboo (East Bluff)

#24-Devil’s Lake State Park (East and West Bluffs Loop)

#25-Hixon Forest, La Crosse

#26-Beaver Creek Valley State Park, Caledonia, Minnesota

Bonus “Hike”: McGilvray “Seven Bridges” Road, Holmen

This is a beautiful walk or running route, but since it wasn’t really a hike, I did not count it in my 52 Hike Challenge. Also, I do NOT recommend this trail once mosquitoes are out and about. In early spring flooding will make some of this trail impassable.

What is a favorite hiking place (or two or three) you would recommend?

Happy Hiking!

Sarah

20Apr2020

{Quarantine No More…Well, Not Literally}

Posted in Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

The current quarantine on this blog has been going on for much longer than a few weeks. When life is crazy chaotic and just challenging it is hard to not only make time for the things you love, but it also makes you question a lot. I’ve been in a personal quarantine for months now still processing and growing into the transitions we chose to make this past summer. It is frustrating, exciting, overwhelming and yet, somehow, a hopeful place to spend some serious time evaluating life. I suspect there may be some others out there just beginning this process due to recent events.

I’d like to say that I was a model citizen for handling my life’s transitions over the past nine months, handling it all with grace and ease. I’d love to say that I ran through the challenges and focused on the positives and what I could control. I could say all of that was true for me. But then I’d be lying.

For a while life was so overwhelming I really wasn’t running very much, I wasn’t making healthy food choices as much and, in many ways, I started to feel like a version of myself I didn’t recognize. Despite knowing what was best for me and what I needed, I somehow kept not choosing what I knew best. I kind of started to lose myself as a result. I didn’t really like the way I was living day to day life. I’m still working at getting back to some of my healthiest habits.

Despite still being in this transition phase, I believe there is something good to come for all that struggle-even if I’m not entirely sure what that is exactly. When you take risks and venture into the unknown it can be scary to put it all out there. Getting back on that wagon no matter how long you’ve had healthy habits is hard. Like so freaking hard. As the numbers rolled over to a new year I began again with a renewed commitment to more of the healthy habits that make me feel like myself. I finally began gaining some ground when I intentionally started to pour some focus into myself. Then like most goals we have our setbacks.

And while I won’t get into all the details, here most of us sit in a quarantine. In a setback. 2020 was a year of big racing for me. I thought I needed a fun year of pushing myself to my limits and exploring. Likely not anymore. It would be easy to quit trying to up my mileage back to where it used to be, to let the lift workouts slide, to abandon the weekly yoga practice I’ve been doing since the start of the year and to let those books I planned to read collect more dust. It would be so easy to get caught up in the fear and the unknown that I forget-I do have a say.

So I refuse to let this current situation derail me. I am coming back to all the things that I know are good for me. Everywhere you look someone can tell you about the negatives right now, but I’m kind of over spending so much time focusing on that. I’m choosing to focus on what I can control going forward. I’m making a choice to to use this situation for good-for myself and others. I’ve seen lots of posts on social media that remind us it’s ok to feel fear and unsure and ups and downs and to not be using the quarantine time to start all these projects. I hear what people are feeling and honestly I’ve caught myself there more than a few times in the past weeks, BUT to come out of a time like this and not have grown in some positive way seems like a missed chance. And honestly, how does being in that fearful, stuck place feel? I refuse to come out of this situation and feel or do more of the same. Or worse. I don’t want to look back with regret over this time.

So I’m focusing on the things I have a choice to control Every. Single. Day:

1) How I move my body? (Run, LIIFT, Hike, yoga, walk, etc)

2) What I feed and care for my body with.

3) How I take care of myself beyond exercise and food choices. (self-care routines-face masks and tea drinking type stuff/getting outside/reading/gratitude journal, etc.)

4) How I respond/treat others around me.

5) What I spend time reading/listening to.

I’m back to share more and hopefully encourage a few to make positive changes in their life along with me. Or mostly positive changes. Yesterday I might have prepped healthy meals for the upcoming week and then finished a piece of cake before scheduling this post. That might have happened, but without photo evidence I guess we won’t know. Sharing always holds me accountable. No photo, no proof. 🙂 We have time on our side despite all the challenges.

What healthy choices are in your control that you want to focus on right now?

Sarah

25May2019

{State #19} South Dakota

Posted in 50 States, Travel by sneaksandstilettos

Every race teaches me something about myself. With each race I learn that I am stronger than I thought I was in new, often unexpected ways. I learn more about the power the mind holds to keep us moving forward during difficult times. I learn new coping strategies to push through challenging parts. Sometimes I consider what makes me love marathoning is not just exploring new places, but exploring more of myself.

The Brookings Marathon had a lot going for it. First of all, it was FREE! In honor of the Brookings Marathon’s 50th anniversary the first person from each state to register received a free entry. I found a surprise refund check in my bag when I explored my race expo bag at my hotel. Free marathon…yes, please!

The race was a small race which makes the expo, race day parking, navigation and finding where things are much simpler. The race expo and race were extremely well organized and staffed with volunteers and organizers. The event was clearly planned by runner(s) with runners in mind as it showed in so many of the details. You would think this would be obvious at most races, but it is not always the case. There was a stepped up bag, a quality shirt I actually liked and will wear (I’ve worn it three times already), and a map on the back of the bib. The race course had tons of volunteers, close water stops, lots of restrooms and awesome signs put out throughout the entire race by organizers. And did I mention this race was free for me.

Coming into this marathon I was more exhausted physically and emotionally than I can remember being before a race. I was still getting used to eating normal meals after the nasty bought of food poisoning I had less than two weeks before that caused me to barely eat for days, not drink my morning coffee for NINE days (no coffee at all for FIVE days) and lose five pounds in five days. Physically I did not feel I had full strength yet. Emotionally I was so exhausted due to the passing of my son’s friend that week and attending the visitation the night before I left. Consequently, I went into this race feeling pretty empty. I guess that put me in the perfect spot to do some struggling…er, learning.

The morning of the race, I woke up in good spirits framing my mind about what I knew would grow difficult at some point. The marathon, no matter how many you do, I feel always hits a point or points where things get hard. You just know it is going to happen. Mentally preparing for it helps me to stay calm when this hits and know that I can work through this because I have before.

Mile 1-9:12
Mile 2-9:04
Mile 3-9:34
Mile 4-9:15
Mile 5-9:25

This race definitely taught me about my own strength as is was not very scenic. Like at all. Small parts went through parks and areas I’m sure the organizers tried to highlight, but alas it just isn’t in that scenic of an area. Without the mental distraction of beautiful sites, this race was a bit of a slog fest for me. The course also had lots and lots of turns. Running tangents is something I think all marathon runners know about, but with some almost 100 turns I read someone say that brings it to a new level. It was very distracting in a not great way to turn so much.

Mile 6-9:30
Mile 7-9:14
Mile 8-11:01 (Bathroom stop)
Mile 9-9:19
Mile 10-9:13

The roads were also not closed to traffic as it was a small race. This was kind of new for me. Even in smaller races I’ve done before, roads were closed or partially blocked off to provide runners space and peace of mind that they could focus on their race and not worry about the person who is not paying attention or looks down at their phone and sideswipes a runner. This may seem like a small detail, but when my mind had been working on focusing on the task of running a marathon and working through those details, focusing on where I was in relation to traffic on some busy road stretches is NOT what I wanted to be doing. It was extra tiring.

Mile 11-9:04
Mile 12-9:32
Mile 13-9:30
Mile 14-10:06 (change shirt and moved race bib to tank)
Mile 15-10:01

Despite these challenges, each race reminds me of things I often forget about. In regular day to day it is easy to forget about the power of physically pushing your limits to exhaustion and the accomplishment this invites. The power of people to encourage, uplift and inspire. The power of a comment or phrase at just the right time. The power of positivity in changing mindset.

Mile 16-9:37
Mile 17-9:35
Mile 18-9:37
Mile 19-9:33
Mile 20-10:14

The friendly people I chatted with on the course saved me. Two in particular were both working on their 50 state goals also. I got to meet and run with a woman who quit teaching after ~ten years to open a running store. She is working on her second round of running 50 marathons in 50 states. Her first round she completed by age 40. She also told me about her recent running adventure of running a marathon in Antarctica followed by a week of exploring. Later in the race when I swore I just didn’t want to talk to anyone came along a friendly mom of teens working on her 50 states goal. This was state number 30 for her. She was from Ohio, recommended the Flying Pig Marathon and invited me to stay with her when I run Ohio. She was exactly what I needed to see and talk to at that exact moment in the race. I was uplifted, encouraged and inspired by these people so much.

Mile 21-10:06
Mile 22-9:49
Mile 23-10:24 (Bathroom stop)
Mile 24-9:31

Since I ran a marathon six weeks prior without maintaining the training I’d hoped to (I know we’ve all heard that story before from me :), I did not have a set time goal in mind. I needed to simply run and not have any extra pressures that day. This was a slow marathon for me. Even though I knew I didn’t have the training or the mental/physical state to push it, it is hard for me to know times I have ran in the past compared to what I’m running during this busy season of life. I try no to dwell on that too much though. I also like to remind people we all have our fast, slow and in between paces. We all know what it feels like to run each of them. The numbers really don’t matter so much as the sense it brings us in knowing what we are capable of running versus what we actually run.

During the last mile and a half of the race I was just so ready to be done. At the halfway point of mile 25 I passed a sign that said I can and I will. This became my motto for the rest of the race. Every ten steps or so I would say out loud to myself, “I can and I will.” Over and over again. It got me to the finish. It kept my mind on the task at hand. It kept the negative out. It kept me running when I wanted to stop. And in the end, even though I was talking to myself and probably looked slightly crazy, I did it. I can and I did.

Mile 25-9:44

Mile 26-9:00

Finish Time-4:13

The Brookings Marathon was mentally challenging to my already taxed brain with its extra challenges, focus zappers and negative distractions. Had my headspace been better prior or had I had some companions, I might have viewed this a bit differently; take my description with a grain of salt. I was so proud to have finished this race with only half my head and body in the game. Not easy for me for sure.

No matter how a race goes running wise, I never forget that part of my goal is also to experience a state or city when crossing a state off of my list. I did know going in that this wouldn’t be possible with every state to the extent I wanted it to be. South Dakota was one of those states. Since I had already taken a trip to South Dakota a few years ago to visit the Badlands (see below), Custer, Mt. Rushmore, etc. I was okay with this being a quick trip. Let me be honest though it was not easy. A six hour drive Friday, running a marathon, driving home six hours and getting home to put my kids to bed while the husband was gone all in the same day was very tiring.

I did squeeze in some quick hiking in Garretson to visit Devil’s Gulch on Friday, a post-race celebratory brew at Eponymous Brewing Co. and stretched my legs in Sioux Falls at Falls Park on Saturday. The drive home took an extra shot of espresso in my coconut milk latte from Starbucks AND a stop at Caribou along with lots of singing to the radio. Whatever it takes to accomplish this goal of mine.

As I finish this post two weeks post-marathon I still don’t know what my next running goal is exactly. I’ve got some ideas, but no plans for sure. It is both lovely and terrible to not have committed to what’s next, but it is also fitting for life right now.

Sarah

14Apr2019

{State #18}-Indiana

Posted in 50 States, Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

You know you are a mother runner when you post and share that you finished your 17th state in your life goal to run a marathon in every state by your 50th birthday and a couple of weeks later you realize it was actually your 18th state. But who is keeping count? I’m not on a race to achieve 50 in 50, rather I’m on a journey. Hence the by 50 part of my goal. 50 in 50 by 50.

Indiana made me work for it for sure. I had heard rave things about the Carmel Marathon including its cute town, the flat and fast course, the awesome support and the great organization. I picked it because it worked with my timeline, and I was looking for a close spring race to impact my family and finances as little as possible. While the rain certainly distracted me from the course and I’m sure reduced the fan support, I would say the above are all true about this race.

I headed to Indiana on Friday after taking a personal day from work. The proposed drive time was longer than expected due to traffic, but when I arrived it was 60 and there was green grass everywhere so I really didn’t care too much.

I headed to explore the Arts District and grab some dinner. I ended up enjoying a delicious local IPA, perhaps the best sweet potato fries of my life and some March Madness game time. Eating in peace without someone asking for something, spilling their dinner or saying “I don’t like it” was well, perfect. I love my kids, but sometimes meal time is not my favorite.

Packet pickup was a breeze. Since the expo was almost over when I arrived, I grabbed my race bib and shirt and headed back to my hotel for the night. After laying out my gear for the next day, reviewing the race course and reading a little Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor (awesome book about running and mindset), it was time to get some rest. I looked forward to a night of sleeping alone in a comfortable bed knowing no children were going to wake me in the night. I had no problem sleeping.

The next morning I heard rain and thunder as I woke up. The weather was as forecasted. Rain and wind. Chilly. After getting dressed in my gear, I got a coffee at Starbucks and headed to race parking. Parking was a breeze and I lingered in my car longer than I normally would to stay warm and psych myself up for what lie ahead. You’d think with a weather forecast of rain and having been a runner most of my life I would own a proper running rain jacket. That would be a no actually. I figured after 26.2 miles nothing would be dry, so I just didn’t worry about it.

By the time I walked the couple blocks to the gear drop and the village of port-o-potties, my shoes were soaked. With the rain pouring down and the wind whipping, I stood in line for my turn to pee. I was filled with disbelief. I was actually going to run in this. I was trying to get my head right for the weather conditions I would have never done a long training run in. Just knowing others were out there about to do the same thing reassured me I could do the same thing.

By the start of the race, I was pretty much soaked. I could not wait to run so I could generate some heat and take my mind off what I had been doing for the past half hour. Standing in the cold, wet and wind. Once in the corrals the body heat of others warmed me up a bit. As I looked at a few others with ponchos, I recalled my inner dialogue with myself the week before about whether it was worth it to attempt to run part of the race in a heat and moisture trapping plastic poncho. I had decided no, but on race day sort of regretted that thought. The camaraderie of other runners near me in my corral was the perfect distraction. I chatted with a mom of two-year old twins running her first post-babies half marathon and her brother who was using the race as a training run for Boston. I met a member of Oiselle’s Volee which kind of inspired me to consider joining in the fun.

With the start of the race came a warm up. Running took my mind off the precipitation and the rain did lessen for a bit. I normally feel like I remember my races pretty well and have mental notes about each mile, but I don’t have that for this race. I’m pretty sure for the hardest miles my head had to really go somewhere that would get me across the finish line, but wouldn’t allow me to remember much else. I also have no pictures from the marathon except for the one race photo I purchased to document this actually happened. Below is what I do remember about race day.

The early miles didn’t feel too bad. I welcomed the warmth and the lighter rain. Just before mile 4 I got rid of my outer layer at an aid station and made a fast potty stop…less than one minute. It felt good to get that wet layer off.

mile 1-8:58

mile 2-9:02

mile 3-9:51

mile 4-9:03

mile 5-9:14

A light rain fell during the middle miles of the race. I don’t remember much about what I saw. I felt good. I said I would do whatever I needed to do to accomplish this race. I even took Jolly Ranchers the kids were handing out and enjoyed my first Green Apple Jolly Rancher in a lot of years. Whatever I needed to do to distract myself, I was all for.

mile 6-9:08

mile 7-9:00

mile 8-8:40

mile 9-8:59

mile 10-9:32

At mile 11 we got on Hagen-Burke Trail which then met up with the Monon Trail. I love running bike paths and rail trails, so this gave me an uptick in my moral and the tree cover made me forget about the rain some. I ran past a sign that said mile 25. I thought about how I might feel at mile 25. No matter how a race is going that last mile doesn’t ever really feel good. It’s a place of pain, excitement, exhaustion and emotion. It’s complicated to explain until you experience it.

mile 11-9:31

mile 12-9:49

Mile 13 took us by the finish and we got to see the half marathoners split off to finish their race. It is usually not easy to see the finish and know you are not finished. It either reminds you that you are half way done or you have half way to go depending on how you are feeling. On this particular day it was a mix of both. I felt good, but knowing I had more rain and wind to come made me think at least once how nice it would have been to have been running down the finish chute rather than continuing on.

mile 13-9:10

The race continued on the Monon Trail for a bit longer. At mile 14 ish I felt some fatigue set in, so I began listening to a podcast for motivation and distraction. My current favorite is Women in the Woods as I’m really getting intrigued by the idea of some longer hiking adventures.

mile 14-9:28

mile 15-9:18

mile 16-9:14

mile 17-9:05

The rain picked up some. After a few miles the rain let up a little. At mile 18 I realized I was colder than I thought when I struggled to open my Huma gel because my fingers were so, so cold. My hip started to bother me more.

mile 18-10:48

mile 19-9:25

Mile 20 is where the race really becomes a race with yourself. It is where the fatigue starts to catch up to you. On race day it was also when it began pouring rain. The skies just opened up and let it rain down. I remember feeling so discouraged and frustrated with not feeling like I was enjoying being out there as much as I’d hoped. Drips of water poured off my hat. The wind whipped. That rain and cold and wind was about to catch up with me.

mile 20-9:20

mile 21-10:10

mile 22-8:46

mile 23-9:37

At mile 24 my hip, which had been giving me a sensation for part of the race so far, became much more than just a feeling. It was painful. I tried to walk some, but the slower pace just made me colder which made my hip hurt worse. I tried to stretch and work it out, but nothing was helping. In my head I knew if I had to continue walking I would not be able to finish without warmer, dryer layers. I also knew quitting wasn’t a choice. I had no one to pick me up. I seriously feared hypothermia if I attempted to walk in the rest of the miles as cold as I was. I felt tears welling up. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so close to crying in a race. I almost took my phone out of its fancy waterproof case (i.e. a plastic bag shoved in my sports bra) and called my husband to talk me through the last miles. I did not call him as I knew he was busy with the kids and likely did not have time to handle my hot mess self. Not finishing wasn’t an option though. I didn’t drive this far to not finish.

mile 24-11:31

My choice of shorts came into question a few times during the race, but having run races in colder temps in shorts without issue I didn’t think it would be as big of a problem. Hindsight: I should have worn capris.

I eventually pushed through what I was feeling. Between miles 24 and 25 the rain let up some allowing me to warm up also. This made my hip hurt less. My favorite fans of all also helped me out. The elderly residents cheering and smiling in the rain with signs for beer ahead at the finish were so motivating for me. My other favorite fans were the little kids cheering for their moms and dads with huge smiles and hugs for their favorite runner on the course. Speaking of smiling. I know there is research about smiling through challenging tasks such as running that makes the perception of pain and difficulty less. I made myself smile a bunch of times during this race just to experience this…and it works to some extent.

mile 25-9:34

That last mile I was so eager to be done. I just wanted to be finished. I was so cold and numb physically and emotionally.

mile 26-9:18

Crossing the finish line was anticlimactic with no one waiting for me…like at all. No one stuck around at the finish. The post-race party was get to your car to warm up and try to get dry. I was relieved to have a mylar wrap to block some wind, but I was shivering so hard. Uncontrollably. I was so cold I didn’t take a picture. I’m not sure I could. You know I’m cold when a pictures is not happening. The temperature had dropped 8 degrees since the start making it in the upper 40’s.

I limped my way to the car as my hip was in super pain making it hard to walk. I was just so cold. I blasted the heat and got the congratulations from my husband and kids. I then headed to Starbucks to get a coffee to warm up. The barista thought I was insane with my visible shaking and spilling of some of my coconut milk latte as a result. I could not wait for a hot shower and warm clothes.

After a couple hours of warming up, I was ready to head somewhere dry to explore. I spent part of the afternoon at Newfield’s before heading to downtown Indy for dinner and some exploring.

Then the snow began as the temperature had continued to drop all day. Winter apparently just loves to follow me. A quick stop at a brewery for a celebratory brew and I headed back to my hotel.

While this wasn’t perhaps the most fun I’ve had during a marathon, I am so glad I did this race and experienced racing in the rain. Never before have I had to push through like I did on this day. It was a great exercise in mental toughness and perseverance. So many times during the race I said to myself-head up, wings out. Every time I saw a bird in the sky I borrowed Oiselle’s slogan that I’ve grown to use as my own. I reminded myself to just keep flying over and over during this race. I have a history of getting caught day dreaming with my head up, looking up at the sky and watching the birds, so this is really fitting for me.

I now see myself not dismissing a run outside because it is raining. I know I can do difficult things and push beyond some of the mental obstacles that I wouldn’t have before. I feel like my grit IQ increased a few points because of this experience. The only way to do that for me is to put myself in those challenging places and experiences and struggle through.

The next day I went for a slow stroll on the Monon Trail before making the long trek home. I just love the art and inspiration all around Indianapolis.

I’m now in the market for a new running rain jacket. I think I earned it. Please share some of your own recommendations if you have any.

It turns out running in the rain isn’t so bad after all.

Sarah

Next up: South Dakota-Brookings Marathon in May

18Mar2019

{Those 20 Milers…}

Posted in Uncategorized, Workout Recap by sneaksandstilettos

Yesterday I ran 20 miles. Then I celebrated.

It wasn’t the first time or the last time I will run 20 miles. I actually have no idea how many times I’ve run this specific distance. I do know we work so hard to achieve goals that forget to appreciate what we do to get there. We judge ourselves and dwell on our failures and missteps along the way to reaching our goals…and I’m over it. I’m currently as slow as I’ve ever been with my running paces, but I celebrated my accomplishment because it is just that.

20 miles has such significance for me. It’s so much more than just breaking out of the teens for mileage. It’s the distance that you look ahead at on the training plan. The long run you both dread and get excited for. It feels like a test of your training with its outcome a measure of how the big race day will go (it’s not always accurate, but it feels like it sets a tone). It’s the confidence builder we need before 26.2 and is often the starter of the taper. 20 miles is a barometer of the type of training I’m doing. One 20 miler is a just going to finish marathon. Two or more 20 milers and I probably have a time goal.

It’s the long run I failed to complete because of mother runner life in my last marathon training cycle before running the San Francisco Marathon last year. As a result, it’s the long run distance I haven’t run since before I had kids and got pregnant in 2014. It’s a mileage goal I haven’t checked off since having my kids… until yesterday that is. So yesterday I celebrated the one distance that has always meant so much to training for a marathon, and that I can finally cross off my training plan again.

I think we all need to celebrate more of our successes and those little victories we casually overlook or dismiss on the way to a bigger goal. These little successes set a tone and give us hope in our daily lives that we can achieve bigger things. They make you feel that pride that no one or no bad life event can take from us. We keep them as ours and use them on days when life throws its challenges at us.

So this 20 miler I’m celebrating a little longer, a little bigger and because I love champagne. I made a goal to do something every day that makes me happy. Running and champagne both do that for me.

What little victory should you be celebrating right NOW?!?!

Sarah

15Feb2019

{Being Honest About Food}

Posted in Eats, FPIES, Uncategorized, whole30 by sneaksandstilettos

My first round of Whole30 is done and all the treats are before me. Well, not really. It felt nice to be able to enjoy a treat yesterday, but I also really don’t want to go back to the way I was eating. I did feel slugglish after the sugar and it felt, well, gross. It kind of reminded me of how I had let things slide since adding grains back into my diet last February. I had also started experiencing some digestion issues, fatigue and acne since returning to the school year. Knowing I wasn’t feeling my best and worried that each month my symptoms were seeming worse, I delved into Whole30 hoping for a solution to what seemed to be unconnected symptoms other than food.

The past 30+ days have been the perfect reset to remind me why I like eating so clean and of how good I can feel. I am starting to believe that most health issues truly are connected to food. I am feeling better than in months, lost a few pounds (no idea how many, but I feel it in how my clothes fit), my skin, nails and hair are looking better than ever and I’ve had more energy than I can recall in a long time. I’ve also felt stronger on my runs lately. My digestion issues have improved, although they are not completely gone, and I have had no major acne since beginning Whole30 (two very small clogged pores is all!). It’s hard to quit something even when it’s a challenge with results like this.

In a strange way there was and is an ease with restriction. It doesn’t matter what I was craving or what foods were in front of me… if I was not eating them, then I couldn’t have them. I am no stranger to elimination and restrictive diets. I did not eat dairy for a year when my son was a baby and I was breastfeeding as he had issues with the dairy proteins through my breast milk. Four months after adding dairy back into my diet I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with baby number two and the carb restrictions began. Seven and a half months after having baby number two we found out she had FPIES to all grains and bananas. I spent the next almost nine months eating no grains or bananas. I also did not eat any added sugar for two months after getting her diagnosis to help clean up my eating and better my gut health. Less than a year after returning to eating without restrictions I started my first Whole 30.

Saying no to Whole30’s food restrictions was also easier than it sounds because there was a reason for it-healing my body and breaking my bad habits. I understood that a slip up meant that food protein would be in my body and affecting my bodies healing process with the full extent of a setback not something I could really know. This process also led me to realize as much as I did not think I had much of any sort of emotional attachment to food, I learned that I wasn’t really being honest with myself. On really stressful days I noticed how much I wanted a sweet treat to help the day along or a latte from Starbucks to help me cope with that days challenges. Not having those emotional supports led me to learn to handle those emotions without food. I found myself reading more than scrolling. Sticking to my workouts more than wasting time. Writing in my gratitude journal instead of snacking or having something sweet.

I’ve also realized over the years than sometimes allowing the cannot haves back in to my diet is a slippery slope. A few this usually leads to a few more after a while. Sometimes I use restriction because committing to saying no or avoiding certain foods is easier than the slippery slope of I will have just one or today I can have it because…without it turning into every few days. Whether this is uniquely me or due to following some sort of restriction diet for the last almost four years, I don’t know for sure.

I do feel I’ve got a new respect for my body and a greater understanding of what these foods can do along with why limiting or avoiding them is important. Armed with the knowledge I gained from It Starts With Food, I know I can’t unknow what I now understand about food and the body. Still, I feel a little unsure of what to do next and am defaulting to all Whole30 foods otherwise as I follow their reintroduction plan with my own spin. It’s scary (and also empowering) to bring all the foods back in and have to face the reality that a specific food might not be a good choice for me.

Going forward I plan to carefully reintroduce each food group one at a time to really see how each affects my body following their suggested introduction plan (with a few of my own modifications). What’s the point of the sacrifice of the last 30 days if not to really learn how each food makes me feel. I’m interested in avoiding dairy (I didn’t miss it) and gluten except for on special occasions going forward (if they don’t give me problems during the reintroduction). Other than missing enjoying a beer here or a slice of pizza there, these two food groups are not that appealing to me any more. I really know I feel best when I eat clean, real foods despite our modern fast pace and busy mom life chaos always challenging this.

In a world where we often rush and cram food mindlessly into our mouths without thinking about it, I really found so much value in reading this book and completing this experience. It forced me to really look at my eating habits, investigate some health concerns I was having and how foods might be the cause, and it got me to be honest with myself about my emotions and how they are tied to food. The experience also got me questioning how I feed my own kids and what I am teaching them about food.

There are so many stories of success out there with Whole30 healing digestive issues, autoimmune issues, diabetes, and a host of other concerns with people’s health. If you are struggling with something health related I urge you to explore food as a way to heal along with seeing your doctor. I did visit a doctor who offered no explanation for my symptoms or suggestions other than to keep doing what I am doing and come back in a few months if my symptoms worsen. This experience with a medical doctor was exactly what I expected it would be, but I went to make sure I checked that box. Then I took my health into my own hands…er, kitchen!

If you’re interested in beginning your Whole30 journey and experimenting with what works best for your body, here are a few of my tips for success:

1. Meal Plan and Prep-Have a plan every week for what you will eat each day and prep as much as you can ahead of time. Hangry people with no fast fixes are not pleasant and they make Whole30 feel harder than it has to.

2. Research your grocery store options! Living in a small town I learned quickly my options were even more limited. I could not find any compliant deli meat, bacon or non-almond nuts (all had peanut protein listed as an ingredient). I also struggled to find any not standard grocery store items like sunflower butter, ghee or clarified butter. I had to make trips to the next larger city to find these things.

3. Read It Starts With Food before and during your Whole30. It explains the why for each restriction in such a way it makes you want to keep going. Without understanding why a food group is off limits the restrictions will seem too extreme to some (no dairy, no legumes, no grains, no added sugar, no alcohol, no processed foods). Several times I found myself wanting to quit due to failed meal prep or not finding something at the store. Reading this book helped me stay the course because I understood the why behind what I was trying to do and how it would benefit me in the long run. The bottom line for me is when I’m concerned enough about my health I’m not sure what I wouldn’t try if it meant feeling my best.

4. Use a daily tracker to stay on track. I found perhaps more satisfaction than I should have in shading in a circle after a successful day of following Whole30. I love commit 30’s trackers on their website such as the one above.

5. Consider doing a trial Whole30 and using what you learn to set yourself up for a successful Whole30. 10 days in I forgot to put my lunch in the refrigerator at work only realizing this 4 hours after it sat out. Having to throw away my lunch was frustrating because I also threw away ten days of progress. There are no Whole30 compliant lunch options in the community in which I live (I’m pretty sure). That night I figured I might as well have a couple beers since my meal was not compliant in several categories. I accepted the failure and took a few days off to better prepare (meal prep and grocery shop) and then restarted my 30 days. I felt much more prepared the second time I started because of what I learned the first ten days.

6. Surround yourself with at least one person who will encourage you (or at least not be a completely negative force on what will already by difficult). For me this was my husband. He didn’t always love that I was doing Whole30, and he might have enjoyed a few beers and treats while noisily savoring their deliciousness, but he did talk me off the edge a few times when I was starving (because of bad planning! When you eat as they suggest you will not be hungry!) and frustrated and just so done with this process.

7. Find healthier swaps for your favorite foods. Your tastebuds will adjust! There are so many ways to replace less healthy for more healthy with a little research!

Food education is something I find to be so important. I also believe all of us has a unique body. What works for one may not work for all as they state in their book, but starting somewhere and taking responsibility for your health is always imperative. Learn about the food you eat. Be honest with yourself about how you feel right now. If it’s not your best or what you believe can be your best, then you are in charge of changing that. We all deserve to feel our best, and food is a big part of that!

Who else has done Whole30? What was your experience?

Sarah

8Feb2019

{Hard Days}

Posted in Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

With a heavy heart and a discouraged soul, I logged a few miles less than my training plan called for this morning. I walked away from a daughter saying, “I don’t want Mommy to run in the basement” despite not being more than two meters from her at any point during the 14 hours the day before. While I pushed “go” on the treadmill a Gigantosaurus (who is really enormous 🦖) roared his displeasure with me taking a few miles to myself.

Truthfully it’s been a hard week. Perhaps the most frustrating part of my life currently is that despite my Type A tendencies and all my planning and organizing it’s accepting that I actually have little control of my own life. It’s something I fight and tell myself isn’t true, but weeks like this remind me that I am under the control of two tiny people.

Their early wake ups and the winter weather causing my husband to leave even earlier than usual in the morning are making working out in the A.M. impossible. I live a life where if it doesn’t happen in the tiny window of planned time, then it won’t happen because there is no later or move it to here or adjusting.

When the husband also surprised me on my midweek long run night with an unplanned late meeting and daycare calls work to pick up a sick child early, along with all the early, early wake ups (why do they have to wake up between 5:00 and 5:15???) and leave times, I’m not so gently reminded I have no control over these things.

I said I wouldn’t let these things weigh on me or get me down, but I did and I have been. It’s hard to want something, but literally feel like you can’t make it happen. Some days are so challenging, but I know I’m a better mom for making a bit of time for me. I know I have to let things go in this season of life, but some days are just hard. The important thing is I keep moving forward.

Unlike some, getting to the starting line of any marathon for me is filled with missed runs and training plans that didn’t go as planned. I do the best I can with the supports and resources I have. As I reflect and stretch myself to find some learning from this hard week, I acknowledge that perhaps the beauty in the hard days is appreciating the good days more.

The marathon journey isn’t in the 26.2 miles ran on race day. It’s the hours of training, obstacles and focus that come from committing to training and accomplishing that training as best as we can. My training is never as planned, perfect or easy. I’d hate for anyone to think it’s all easy for me. It’s not. Ever.

But it’s worth it.

So I keep going. I shake off a hard week. It doesn’t have to be perfect or as planned. I move forward knowing this because it IS worth it. With fresh eyes I see my kids as the amazing little people they are. Sometimes they just need their mom, and that won’t always be the way it is.

Sarah