What did I get myself into…

One week until the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Miler.

During the taper before every race, I start to get into freak-out mode. Currently, it’s in full force and I know that this coming week will be filled with anxiety, excitement, nausea, doubt, and lots of nervous energy.

Have you ever been online shopping in the middle of the night and you end up getting a pair of shoes that seem great when you buy them, but when you wake up in the morning, you know that you’ll never end up wearing them? They’re too tall, or too flashy, or have too much leopard print and you know you won’t have the confidence to actually wear them out in public.

Well, that’s what I did when I signed up for the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Mile Endurance Run. The guts I had at that fateful early morning hour have long since disappeared. This will be by far the most difficult race I’ve ever done for a few reasons.

1. My training has been mediocre at best.

2. This course has an elevation gain of about 10,000 feet over 50 miles. That’s a lot of feet. And a lot of miles.

3. It all takes place around the Tahoe Rim Trail, which varies between 6,000-9,000 feet in elevation.

No, it’s not as hard as Hardrock100 (which is being run as we speak). Those people are badasses. But TRT is no joke. And I’m starting to freak-out….

So to maintain my sanity during this taper, I’ve been focusing on the simple things.

Spending time with some hairy friends…

 

Trying to eat less of things like these…

 

And more of things like this:

And trying to focus on the fact that I’ve done something like this before:

 

 

 

The hardest part of the taper is knowing that there is nothing left you can do to prepare. The fact that my training has been sup-par makes me more anxious, and I’m trying to focus on getting my head in the game as much as possible. I know that ultra-races tend to be more mental than physical, and that is one aspect I know I’ll have control over. No matter what happens next Saturday, I’ll enjoy a day of beautiful trails overlooking some of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
And on Sunday, I can as much ice cream as I want. 😉

Bad Bass? An ultrarunner’s confession

Recently I was told by a sweet, sweet soul that I was a bad bass (minus the second “b”, but there’s no swearing on my website). She’s a marathoner, who’s probably faster and bad basser than I am. For some reason though, she had the impression that all people who run ultra (26 miles +) distances through mountains are bad basses. I clarified for her that this indeed was NOT the case, but to no avail. So for you, kind readers, I will give a list of reasons why I am the furthest thing from a bad bass that you can think of.

Reasons Why Megan is a Weenie Ultrarunner (and a weenie in general)

1. I am scared of butterflies. Actually, terrified. They flitter around with no direction and are so delicate it FREAKS me out. I’m scared to swat one that crosses my path because I’d be SO creeped out if its delicate little wing ripped off. The absolute worst part of the American River 50 mile endurance run was the fact that the course was littered with butterflies. I was running on the edge of the cliff so had to endure them smacking against my head and body. It was the most horrible part of my Best Day Ever.

2. I’m scared of babies. If you’re a friend of mine with a baby, you’re probably laughing right now. Like butterflies, babies are delicate and unpredictable. I do not want to be the one responsible for giving babies the first scare of their lives. “I remember when Auntie Megan nearly dropped me on the head!” Not cool. I try to avoid holding them until they’re beefy enough to withstand any harm I might cause them.

That is a look of terror on my face. Fortunately this guy is 4 1/2 now so I'm not scared of him anymore.

3. I don’t like to get dirty. Bad basses get dirty all the time and love it. Not me. I would much rather run 50 miles and tip toe my way through the muddy parts than do a 3 mile mud run. Guaranteed dirt? No way! And I’m also NOT one of those people who go for runs and walk around after all sweaty while doing errands. The first thing I do after a run is shower. Bad basses don’t shower. 

4. I would rather give myself a UTI than pee in the woods. (For the record, I have done it before. Once. It was my first 50K. Now I make sure the courses I run have bathroom access.)

5. I cry when I fall. I’ve learned to stifle it when other people are around, but my first reaction, before I decide whether I’m hurt or not, is to start sobbing.

6. I don’t like any creepy crawlies! I cannot kill spiders, not because I am a kind soul who respects all things living, but because I’m scared of them. When I lived with my parents, my dad would have to kill them for me. If he wasn’t around, I’d put a cup over the spider for him to kill later. They would sometimes go on vacation and come home a week later to find a dead (starved) spider under a cup.

6.5 I also hate worms. I LOVE to fish. However, I don’t touch the worm or the fish. I just reel them in and let these guys do the dirty work.

7. All the fun things about childhood? Scared the dickens out of me. I didn’t ride a bike until I was like, 10 years old. Rollercoasters, I think at least 12. Dogs too.

This list is a To Be Continued, because I’ve sufficiently embarrassed myself for the moment. I’m sure as time passes I’ll come up with more reasons why I’m not a bad bass. Maybe it’ll become a regular column.

My new superhero name is Megan the Weenie Ultrarunner :)