Extreme!

(I got pooped on in the woods)

I love the word extreme. It simply defines things that are out of the norm. However much I love the word people over use it all the time. I am not sure why in so many cases the word extreme brings so many emotions. I know all you ultra runners have heard it over and over again when asked about what you do and why. Certainly you have heard the word extreme used to define the sport. I love it because ultra runnering extreme but in the most positive and wonderful ways.

I don't find myself to be extreme. I am simply a 40 something mom who likes to push herself. There is a song on my IPOD that has a line that comes after a powerful chorus that says, "And why am I so intense". Every single time I hear that I smile. I live to be intense or maybe because I am intense I live. Who knows but the more intense I am the more I feel content. Now the hard part. Sharing that intensity can be dangerous. Not everyone can handle intensity nor do they want to. When you are allowed to embrace your personal attributes with freedom it's amazing. Challenge yourself to find those folks who embrace your attributes and the most exciting things will happen. Ignore the ones that don't but give them grace as they struggle to wiggle out of their own box.

Switched up the training this year. First the marathon now the trails. Given the goals in my previous post I have some work to do. Things need to be changed up, challenged and a new edge needs to be found. After one week of recovery post marathon it's been nothing but intense. I love it. I have been running trail for almost every workout. All my M-Pace and T-Pace type workouts have moved to the trail and it's hard. I have actually had the opportunity to blow my own mind. Running harder and faster than I thought I could, changing my own perceptions and ideas of how to run trail. Here's the the reason why. Because someone said I could. How wonderful. Have you ever had anyone believe in you more than you did yourself? My hubby thinks I can do anything but for some reason that doesn't sink in. :) It almost like I expect that from him so it carries less weight. Plus I know he loves me no matter what I accomplish.

Goal number 2 was to push my Sunday runs like I never had before. Last Sunday was the first session of implementing and I can say though it was super tough it was incredibly satisfying. Setting a PR for a common Gorge route was awesome and I was elated! It's so early and I have run that route so many times working to better myself. Here I was in February cutting nearly 7 minutes off my best. Was I intense? Most definitely. Better yet so was everyone else. Pushing each other and having a total blast doing it was really cool. The heck with Black Saturday's. Every other day is a Black Saturday. No worries it's a controlled BS but it feels the same. I am dressing in camo now to hide from my intense friends. :) There are a 2 things I need to work on. First, I need to stop running uphill like a girl! Just kidding, I am a girl and most certainly like to be girly. But, I need to RUN hard uphill. I can shuffle and trot uphill for 3,000 and not break 155 on my heart rate. With years of hill repeats I have gotten fairly efficient with the small stride. I need to power up the hills in training to get stronger. Secondly I need to find in inner bomber. My down hill running is weak! I know I will get better as the season progresses but I really suck right now. Time to grow some quads!