2021.. A Repeat of 2020

 I don't think I am alone when I said at the beginning of 2021, that this year was going to be great. Life would get back to normal. Racing would return in person. 

Of course, life has a funny way of breaking your heart.. Although, I don't think that my heart is broken after all.

After 2020 had postponed and cancelled all of my racing, my 2021 calendar was full. A 4 hour endurance race (read about that race here), a 6 hour endurance, an 8 hour endurance, three half marathons and one big ole 50k. I was a bit leery about them actually happening in person, which is the only way that I am going to be motivated to train. I ran the 4 hour endurance race in January. Such a blast! I hope they have that race again. The first of 3 half marathons was cancelled, and shortly after that, the second one cancelled. Luckily, I had the option to either run virtually or defer to 2022. I deferred for both of them. The third was never really scheduled, so that was pushed to 2022 as well. The 6 hour race did happen in person, but my goals did not align with the training time needed to hit those goals and I DNS'ed. Don't worry, I am perfectly happy with that choice! The 8 hour endurance race is running in person as well, but I went ahead and deferred that to 2022 as well. 

The big question now is if I can defer my 50k to 2022 as well. I am patiently waiting a response from the race director..

After planning out an extensive running year for 2021, I am sure glad that everything has been pushed to 2022. 2020 was probably my best running year in a long time. I was stronger, faster and more motivated than ever. Maybe I burned out, but 2021 has been a straight up struggle. I ran the 4 hour Freeze in January, but my running dropped off significantly after that. Once I knew that I wasn't racing this year, I slowed to a walk, but even that was a challenge, mentally. I am just now coming back from a 3 month break from all forms of fitness. No walking. No running. No strength. No cycling. Nothing. I have lost all motivation to move my body. 

Choices of that sort, not making my body a priority, are definitely showing on the scale. However, I do feel mentally sound right now. I think I've worked through some personal mental health struggles that have been plaguing me for a while. And to me, that trade off is worth it. 

The choice to come back and start running again was a bit of a forced decision. And maybe forced is the wrong word... Either way, you all know that my running has always been dedicated to my brother, Pat, who has Type 1 diabetes. I've been an advocate for diabetes for a long time and will do everything I can to help raise awareness to this disease. Pat has been diabetic for a while now. 15 years or so. He is not new to the game and he does a great job of managing his sugar. He has an insulin pump that has made the health management much more manageable. He was recently out of state on vacation with his family, and his pump failed. I don't know the full story, but he ended up in the emergency room with a blood sugar of 740. He was is DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) when he arrived. They admitted him to the ICU, where he stayed for a day, until his sugars were back to normal. 

DKA is a serious condition that can lead to death. Talk about scary! For me, it all flashed back to the day that Pat told me about his diabetes diagnosis. Is it weird that I remember that day? I know where I was, what I was doing, how I felt. I think it affected me like it did because, as a hospital corpsman, I saw this play out in the sailors and marines that I took care of. I knew the struggle that he faced and I knew the consequences of the disease. On that day, years ago, I cried a lot. And just a couple of weeks ago, when I got the news that he was in the ICU, I cried again. 

#imrunningforpat came back in that moment. My running has to mean something again. I have to advocate for my brother again. I have to raise awareness. And money. And I have to show my brother that I am with him in this.. 

So, I'm back. It's going to be a slow return. I have no goals other than get out there and move. Whether that be a walk, or a run. October will be when things kick up a notch with training season. I do after all, have a huge running year next year. 

4 Hour Freeze- January

Rock n Roll Nashville- April

6 Hour Endurance- April

Indy Mini- May

Half Marathon TBD- June

8 Hour Endurance- July

Run Woodstock- September

Sponsors: Kea Peak, New Balance, Garmin, Nathan Hydration, Fabletics, Billabong, Skratch, Nuun (just kidding, you guys. I'm not sponsored. But if I were, this would be my list.)

Loops and Loops

 Alright, alright, alright. February has come and gone in the blink of an eye and I haven't even updated y'all on my January race! 

On January 16th 2021, I met about 200 other runners at the White River State Park in Indianapolis for a FOUR hour "group" run called the 4-Hour Freeze. I was so shocked when the race directors announced this race simply because Indianapolis is a hot spot for COVID infections and the city is basically still on lock down. It has been too long since I've ran a race that wasn't virtual, so it was a no brainer for me to sign up. 

Peep the drink and rolling stick. My pre-race traditions.

The morning of the race was cold. But I had been running in the cold all winter so it wasn't too shocking. The start of the race was a corral type start and promptly at 10 am, we began! This race was unique in the fact that it was a two mile loop around the White River State Park. There was a shoot out that could give you three miles also. The name of the game was how many miles can you get in four hours. It was completely up to you how many loops you did, of which distance. I know for a fact that in four hours, I can walk a half marathon. And that was my goal. Well, not to walk, but to get those 13.1 miles in total. This distance would require 5 short loops and 1 big loop. 

The first lap was basically a sight lap. Get to know the course and warm up. My first time around the sag stop was to shed some layers and have a drink. I probably started out too fast and was a little dry by the time I came around. But that is typical for the first mile of any race. 

The next short loop clicked off a little too easily. I was surprisingly shocked at how well I felt at the four mile mark. That sag included a salt tab and a chomp block. It was at this moment that the realization of possibly SIXTEEN miles hit me. I had ran the first four in decent time, around 56 minutes. If I stuck to that pace and kept my sags minimal, I could actually hit sixteen miles in the four hours.

The cool thing about this race is that the fast guys and gals keep running by. And everyone was so nice and encouraging! You start to make friends out there when you are running the same loop over and over. It was also very socially distant. The length of the loop and the amount of runners really allowed everyone to keep a safe distance. There were plenty of times when I was alone for a while. Just me and my running demons. 

Mile six was a quick stop to vaseline my feet. As you know if you follow my running journey, I struggle with blisters. I started to eat real food at this point also. Bacon mostly. I was still on pace for more miles than I had ever ran and was feeling unbelievably well. Mile eight was my fastest mile of the day! 

I think the wheels started to fall off around Mile ten. My nutrition was on point. I was hydrating and even had to make a pit stop. My mood was great and my legs were just fine. Until they weren't. And really, it was IT band that eventually took me down. The blisters were pretty awful and forced a sock and shoe change at Mile ten. My pace was still rocking though so I kept chugging along. Jenny (aka: the best crew ever) gave me a good pep talk at Mile twelve that went something like this:

Me- I dont think I can do this anymore. I might just get fourteen. 

Jenny- How about you start this loop and when you get to the shoot out for the long mile loop, make  decision then. If  you are feeling ok, take the extra bit to get to fifteen.  If not, take the short loop for fourteen. 

Me- Ugh. Fine. I'll text you when I am at that point to let you know.

And so that was the plan. I started Mile twelve. Hit Mile thirteen (almost a half marathon PR, by the way) and was on my way to Mile fourteen. I had started chatting with another lady who was on the same exact mile count as me, in the same predicament as me. Together, we decided to go for the long loop. To be honest, we were just walking at this time. The running was no longer. We were in survival mode. We hurt and the weather had turned on us. That was the longest three miles of my life, I think. 

But we finally did it. Fifteen. Point. One. Miles. Of course, I ran it in! 

So happy to be done!

The longest distance up to this point, that I've ran, was a half marathon. I went two extra miles! The weather was nasty, my legs were dead, feet blistered, but I did it! 

I ran one big loop and six short loops. 

Now what? I currently have 3 half marathons, a 6 hour, an 8 hour and a 50k on my plate for 2021. I obviously have a weird obsession with these timed endurance races. It's going to be a huge running year. One of the half marathons has already postponed because of COVID and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of them will stay just as they are. Getting so close to my half PR during this race has me seeing stars and I am motivated to hit that PR this year. I honestly haven't felt this good in so many years.

2021 is going to be MY year of running. I'm in it to win it. 

Shoes: New Balance 1080v10- Best shoe I have ever put my foot in.

Buff: Kea Peak- Women owned and operated out of Reno. Original top knot nation trucker visors.

Vest: Menards- The one piece of gear that I absolutely will not run without. In the winter. Best $19 ever.

Garmin activity of the day. 

Big Goals 2021 because #COVID

 Well y'all. Here we are. December 1 2020. 

I will assume that your year has went as well as mine, on the racing front anyway. Nonexistent. From my previous posts, I had a huge year planned for 2020. I finally signed up for my first ULTRA! I had 3 half marathons, one 8 hour race and a 50k on my race calendar. All of which were canceled or postponed. 

2020 though wasn't as awful as it could have been. I actually had some pretty big moments!

First, I found JESUS! (can I get an Amen?!) The story behind this is interesting. I was really struggling with work. I felt very disrespected, not valued, often times laughed at. I was coming up on 4 years with this office and I just literally could not take another moment. I was laying in bed before work, crying, because I couldn't imagine going in to the office. For the first time in my adult life, I said a prayer. I asked God for help. Now, I was never a non-believer. I always believed. I just maybe was not a worshipper? I'm not sure what the right term is here, but I just wasn't on board with the whole religion thing. That prayer was my last option. I needed help. And boy did HE answer in a big way. That day. He wasted no time showing me that He had my back. I received a call for an interview! See below:

Second,  I got a new job! It wasn't easy though, because COVID came around and my employer began a hiring freeze. From the day of the phone call asking for an interview to the day I was offered my new job was FIVE months. God knew He had some more work to do on me so He made me wait and learn patience. But here I am working a bigger job, making more money, in my own cubicle. Win!

Third, I had to learn the hard way that friends don't always have your best interest at heart. I won't get into details here, but just know that my eyes have been opened and I am working towards genuine, honest friendships with people who want the same thing. It was a hard lesson to learn, but a valuable one that I wouldn't trade the world for. It shifted my entire thinking. For the better. 

Those are the great things that 2020 and COVID brought me. As for the bad? 

First, every race was canceled or postponed. What I thought was going to be an amazing year of running turned out to be an amazing year of drinking too much beer and eating too many tacos. 

Second, I lost some friends. (its ok. see above). 

Third, I've been struggling with what I would call depression. Most likely brought on because of this crazy year. I have lost every ounce of motivation and dedication. It's hard waking up in the mornings and I don't sleep well at night. My weight has increased (lack of activity and beer/taco combos). My hair is thinning. I'm a wee bit more emotional (i.e. I cry at the stupidest things). And I have a general feeling of "what's the point?" We are working through it though, and I have all faith that I will come out the other side of this a better person. 

So what does 2021 look like? A repeat of what 2020 was going to be! I have three half marathons, a 6 hour race, an 8 hour race and a 50k. Not too mention my (new) tradition of a run streak up to my birthday. Last year was my 37th birthday so I ran a 37 day run streak ending with a 3.7 mile run on my birthday. Turns out I really love run streaking and the streak continued for 134 days! This year will be a 38 day run streak. Who knows if I will continue after. I can't see that far into the future right now. 

All I know is that 2021 is going to be the year of many firsts. First 6 hour race. First 8 hour race. First 50k. I am excited and nervous and anxious but so so ready. I am ready to finally do it big. To prove to myself that I CAN go big and succeed. That I can drop a few lbs. That I can have a thriving marriage. And amazing friends. And a badass job. 

2021 is going to be epic. Follow along for the highs and lows and all of the beer and tacos. Love y'all!

**I forgot to mention above that my journey with Jesus hasn't stopped or diminished at all. I was baptized on September 27th and have been walking side by side with my Lord ever since.** 

Big Goals 2020

If you have followed my running journey, you know that I had surgery to remove a bunion back in 2014. My foot has not been the same since and usually causes pretty bad blistering on the ball of my big toe. After years of not getting answers from the podiatrist who did the surgery, I moved on to a new podiatrist and am finally getting answers. A little medical knowledge for ya:

Your foot has a bajillion bones in it. If you look at a photo of foot bones, you will see some tiny little bones on the bottom of your big toe joint, called sesamoid bones. These bones do a lot in moving your foot properly. Think about pushing off in a run. Your big toe moves in a certain way and propels you forward.

two little bones on the bottom of your big toe joint

One of my sesamoid bones was knocked out of place during surgery. I would always complain about a blister on the ball of my big toe, but there really was nothing there. It honestly felt like my foot was shredding apart in my shoe. I was basically blistering from the inside out. All because that damn bone was moved.
Flash forward to my new podiatrist. He immediately recognized the problem and gave me a funny little insert for my shoe. I have not had any blister problems since I began wearing my "Cluffy Wedge." The pain would normally come along around 1 mile, but I can run at least 3 miles now without any pain. (I haven't ran longer than 3 yet..)

cluffy wedge. this damn thing saved my running life

It has been such a long road and I am beyond happy to have my running back. So happy that I've set all sorts of big goals for myself for 2020. Hell, if I can run, I'm going to RUN!
I finished a 5k back in October with a pretty decent time. Decent being relative. Obviously, not being able to run for 5 years has set me back in the speed and distance isle. But a 37:06 5k made me happy. (It's a hard pill to swallow when I was consistently running 30 minute 5k's, but let's give some grace where grace belongs.)

I am joining a winter training group that will train Tuesday and Saturday throughout the winter.
I am signed up to run the Nashville Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in April.
And I have a huge goal of running a 50k in July. Race to be announced later, although I already know which one. (50k is equal to just over 31 miles. holy crap.)

I feel like I have been struggling lately trying to find "my thing." Everyone I know has something that makes them so happy. Cycling, art, whatever it may be. With running taken out of the equation for me for so long, I felt like I lost "my thing." I always identified as a runner. And I was stripped of that title after surgery. I tried fitting in with the cyclists and don't get me wrong, I love them very much. But I do not identify as a cyclist. I like riding. But it is not what drives me.
Running was my thing. And I think I finally have it back. And I am going to make the most of it while I can!

Follow along as I document my road to Big Goals 2020!

Vanishing Act

Has it really been over a year since my last post? Time just gets away from me, I guess. Here is an update of the latest goings on in the land of Fritz.

1- We sold the camper and bought a van and are converting it into a camper. Her name is Big Red and she has her own blog. Maybe that's where I've been? Blogging about Big Red? On our way back from Dirty Kanza (last blog post) we decided that a van was the best move for us. It the year since that decision, Big Red has come a long way and we are always excited to get her moving down the road.

2- One year after Mister completed DK200, I completed DK50. He put his name in the lottery again but wasn't chosen. I, however, was chosen for the 50 mile race. 

3- Patrick and wife had a beautiful baby boy, Briar, whom I am so in love with!!

4- We drink too much with a rowdy crowd of MTB'ers. (see photo below)

As for my physical goals, I am starting to run again, slowly. I have a 5k on the schedule in 4 weeks and a 10k in 8 weeks. My hope is to make it to the 10k in good shape, able to run the majority if not the full distance. It is a hilly 10k and I am taking that into account. #imrunningforpat is still a thing 

Cycling happens occasionally. I do not have any goal races or rides coming up anytime soon. At some point, I would like to complete a century. Maybe that will be a goal for next summer or fall. 

We have a long Christmas break in Big Red planned. Savannah, GA is the main location for the trip. We will boogie down there in one shot, spend a few days and then slowly meander our way back home. As always, I want to hit the Appalachian Trail for some hiking and Mister wants to hit some gnarly MTB trails in the Asheville area. Breweries and bikes and hiking and sight-seeing and Big Red. 

That is what our life is. And I couldn't be happier about it. 

Dirty Kanza Race Report

This is going to be a bit of a different post. I am going to enlighten you to an event called the Dirty Kanza. My husband, whom we call Mister, raced this event this past weekend and this is my race report given as a SAG crew and supporter.
One thing that you should know about me is that my greatest achievements do not come in the form of personal athleticism. I get my joy from supporting my husband in his events. From the moment that we started dating almost 15 years ago, I was at every race, cheering and supporting him from the sidelines. This is what I am good at. This is where I shine. I have had cold water (and usually beer) at the finish lines of motocross races. I have had a strong arm to hold him up after triathlons. I have carefully attended to his hurt ego and pride after races that didnt go well. I have held fire extinguishers during pit stops at road races. I have wrapped and unwrapped road racing tires. I am the epitome of a race wife. And I love it.
The chance to ride Dirty Kanza is one that is hard to pass up. It is the ultimate endurance gravel road race in the country, maybe even the world. The 206 mile race through the Flint Hills of Kansas beckoned for Mister's attention. He put his name in the lottery and was chosen, along with a couple thousand other riders, to make the journey to Kansas. The last 4 months have been focused solely on this adventure. But for the first time ever, I was not Mister's support. He purchased the SAG For Hire, which gave him all access food, drink, and mechanic support for the entire race. I instead was SAG for a couple of friends, the Trotts. The Trotts needed a SAG (which is mandatory at DK) and I was available.
We left for Emporia Kansas Thursday after work. The camper was packed and ready to go as soon as I got home. We drove across Indiana, all the way through Illinois and made our way into Missouri before we pulled off for the evening. We made our camp in the parking lot of a truck stop in Bevier, Missouri. As the morning sun popped up, we hit the road again with just about 4 hours left until Emporia. Once in town, we set up camp and relaxed for a few minutes. In the afternoon, we made our way into town for check in. With everything all set for the big day, we made our way back to the camper and tried to get some sleep.
Our wake up call was at 0400 Saturday morning. With any type of event that occurs outside, the one thing that cannot be controlled is the weather. Wouldnt you know it, a severe storm was rolling through when we woke up. Indiana has some pretty gnarly storms and they typically dont bother me. However, watching The Wizard of Oz will make you look at a Kansas storm from a different angle. I would have sworn up and down that a tornado was going to pop out of the clouds and blow us all into a dreamy land far far away. It didnt. But it did postpone the race start 30 minutes.

The start, located in downtown Emporia, was a really cool sight to see!

Once the 200 milers took off, every SAG crew hurried to their vehicles and made their way to the first check point, located at the Madison High School. From here, the story is pretty boring. As a SAG, you hurry up and wait. It took about 3 hours for Mister and the Trotts to make it into CP1. Making good time and in good spirits, the gravel roads of Kansas were apparently playing nice. I refilled water bottles, had food and tools ready, gave pats on the back and words of encouragement and sent them on their way. 

Steve and Lydia are feeling good!

Mister coming through CP1!

Check Point 2 was at the Eureka High School. I set up shop and waited. The Kansas sun must have a little more power than the Indiana sun. I ended up with a terrible sunburn! Its my fault; I didnt have any sunscreen on. Mister came in feeling good. He replenished his drinks, ate a sandwich and some snacks, drank some pickle juice and headed out! Steve and Lydia sat down and had lunch, and recharged their batteries a bit. I did my SAG duties and made sure that their waters were refilled and ready to go. Off for the third leg of the race and off to CP3! (I didnt get a photo of the Trotts at CP2... I suck)

Mister wiping off the dirt at CP2.

I made my sunburnt way to CP3, located in downtown Madison. Luckily the direction that I was parked allowed for a tiny bit of shade where I hid for the majority of the time. This was a long leg. From CP2 to CP3, it was about a 5 hour wait. I honestly started to worry that Mister pulled out of the race. It was hot and the sun was relentless.  Lydia wrote me when they were about 5 miles out from the CP. I set up the chairs and food in preparation for them. Mister texted me and told me that he had made in into the CP also! I was so relieved! The Trotts were feeling a little less enthusiastic, if you will, at this point. There may or may not have been some tears from Lydia when they pulled in and got off the bike. I sat them down, fed them, watered them and encouraged them. At this point, there were only 44 miles left of the race. As far as that sounds, in the grand scheme of a 206 mile race, they were almost done! (no photos of Mister this time around..)

Maybe a couple of tears...

So excited to get to the finish line!

Mister came through CP3 with a new found friend, Gene. Both Mister and Gene were on the struggle bus, but some encouraging words and a hug, they were off for the final leg of the race. The next time that I would see any of them would be at the finish! 

The finish of the Dirty Kanza is something that is hard to explain. I have been at a million finish lines, but this one takes the cake. The streets of Emporia were lined with hundreds of people, cheering for every single racer who came in. Cowbells and whistling filled the air until the wee hours of the morning. Every racer has his or her name called when they cross the line. The race director hugs the majority of them. The DK finish line is enough to bring even the strongest men to tears. It is truly a moving experience, even for the supporters.

The crowd at the finish line is amazing!

Just after the 17 hour mark, Steve and Lydia made their way through the chute and across the finish line. I ran up to them and gave them big hugs! 

A moment they will never forget!

Mister came in just moments after them! 

He did it!

I could go on and on and tell the stories from these amazing racers, but it wouldnt do them justice. I am sure that there will be plenty of race reports emerging in the next week. The thing that you should take away from this is that 2700 racers took to the mean gravel roads of Kansas and overcame an epic event. (there were some DNF's and probably some DQ's) To just show up to the starting line takes an amount of courage that I cannot fathom. To show up with 20+ mph winds, with mud and heat, is something beyond special. These men and women killed it and inspired everyone who was a part of this day. 

Here are some photos from the finish that I was lucky enough to snap.

Mister and Gene! 

Kiel, Lydia and Mister

Dan and Kiel

Dear Patrick

Dear Patrick,

Two years ago I signed up to run a marathon in your honor. I wanted to show you that I stand with you in your fight with Type 1 diabetes. I wanted you to see that you are not alone. I wanted to raise money and awareness for the disease.

Fifteen years ago, you were diagnosed with a disease that runs in our family. I remember the day that you told me. I cried because as a medic in the military, I understood what you were up against. My medical training crossed paths with diabetic Sailors and Marines who were struggling to keep their insulin levels in check. I gave them shots. I showed them how to give the shots to themselves. Fifteen years ago you told me that you were T1 and I knew the struggles that you would endure. I heard your wife talk about your seizures in the middle of the night. She would have to get your insulin pen and inject you to regulate your blood sugar. I heard you talk about counting carbohydrates. I was so amazed at how simply you calculated how many beers you could drink. I loved that you figured that into your sugar counts. I love that you still do everything better than me, even though you are the "sick" one. You run faster than me. You are smarter than me. You are far wittier than I will ever be.

For 35 years, you have been my big brother. You were annoyed with me when we were in school. You kind of liked me when I came back from the military. Now we are as thick as thieves. I married your best friend. I have always squished our faces together to prove to people that we look almost identical. We are basically twins born 13 months apart. I would murder someone for you. I am dedicating my biggest physical feats to you.

See? We really do look like twins! 

Running and I haven't always gotten along. I have ran multiple half marathons and always dreamed of a full marathon. But let's be honest. I don't have that in my legs. Not right now, anyway. After some long thinking and talking with Mister, I have decided to forego my place in the Marine Corps Marathon. Here are my reasons:

1- I suck at running. Maybe some day I can actually get back into long distance shape, but I have too much stuff on my plate to dedicate the proper amount of time to training.
2- I would be traveling alone. I have never been to DC and traveling alone to a new city terrifies me.
3- I would be crossing the finish line alone. What a terrible feeling to cross the biggest finish line of my life and not have Mister there to congratulate me! I cannot imagine that.

I started this journey almost two years ago. I created a pretty cool hashtag. I had shirts made up. I promised people, you in particular, that I would cross the finish line of a marathon. I am not going to turn that into a lie. Or a broken promise. I am going to honor you in some way or another. It just isn't going to be the Marine Corps Marathon. Here is my plan:

1- Keep rockin' the #imrunningforpat and cross the finish line of Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon. (I am totally capable of half-marathon distance with minimal training. I've done it twice before.)
2- Cross the finish line of a long distance bike ride. I have some ideas for which ride, but I need to do some more research before announcing it. A 6 hour run could cover 26.2 miles. A 6 hour bike ride could cover almost 100 miles. More miles = More work =  More dedication
3- Continue raising money and awareness for Type 1 diabetes.

Maybe I can even talk you into coming on a bike ride with me. How cool would that be? Maybe we can get Joey, our other brother, to join too! Make it a Baker Sibling Bike Ride to raise awareness for T1 diabetes.

Either way, I hope you aren't disappointed in me for dropping out of the marathon. I am going to do something epic in your honor. I just need to find the right event for me. I love ya, big brother.

Laura