As always, very fun race! My only feedback to the race organizers is to ban headphones (at least in both ears) and perhaps start the 16-mile race an hour earlier so it is not so hot for those going the distance and so the raffles can start earlier. As my mom would say, “I need to write them a letter.”

It quickly turned into an uncomfortable encounter as the inhabitants of the car recognized that five women were now walking toward the intersection where they were performing a California stop and they started hooting and hollering and saying a few comments I did not understand. And then there was the one statement that was so clear and so vulgar, it has been popping into my head off and on since.

“I want to rape you!” or maybe it was “I am going to rape you!”

I kept my desire to do a crazy race that I do not have time to train for at bay by going for an hour run in the morning on the race route before all of the races got started. That kept me content such that I could support Andy without wanting to give Belén to one of the other trailing spouses and run the race. I had actually mentioned to Andy a couple of weeks back that I could do the race too and his response was something to the effect of, “Have you ever just come to a race and supported me and not done the race yourself?

Along the way, Erin took a couple of tumbles over some of the aforementioned roots. One was early on, around mile seven and while she rolled her ankle on a root and then fell to the path rolling around in the dirt all the while aplogizing for slowing us down while replying, “only shooting pain, only shooting pain, it will pass. I am sorry. I am okay. Only shooting pain.”

If I were to describe the 50K training regimen Anna, Erin and I have followed, I would probably label it “Confessions of a 50K Slacker” except that just the fact we trained for a 50K probably means we are not slackers so we have an oxymoronic title on our hands.

Anyway, throughout this 50K training, my go-to stretch has been one I learned in yoga class back in December. The instructor said there was not a true Sanscrit-sounding name for the stretch, but she called it the Pretzel.

Anyone paying attention to the 50K training may have wondered why I did not post about our last long training run which occurred last weekend. The simple answer, I was tired.

It was actually a great, confidence-boosting, euphoria-inducing about being finished with long runs, training run not to mention beautiful with the snow in the background.

I realized something I already intrinsically knew that distance running is truly A STATE OF MIND. I could absolutely never run 26.2 miles if I was only training for a marathon. But for some reason since this time around it is an ultra, it was possible. You change your mindset, you can accomplish it. I never thought I could do an Ironman, but I know deep down if I set that as a goal (no honey, not for a long time, if ever), it would be doable. It is truly amazing what we can accomplish when we set our minds to something.

Since I did not post much except complaining about our four-hour doozy last weekend, I thought I would share some pictures that Anna captured from her iPhone. We did a short loop around Boise, followed by a beautiful yet slightly grueling jaunt back into the Boise foothills on notorious trails such as the switchbacks, Shane’s, Three Bears, Watchman and then ending on Rocky Canyon Road with all of the people training for the Race to Robie Creek which takes place a day before our 50K, Skyline to Sea.

He explained that in Turkey, the currency is really unstable so people keep their money in other currencies until the last minute when they need to be converted to lira. Because of this, there are currency exchanges on every corner of Istanbul. Because of that, burglars have learned to hang out near those exchanges on certain days when money exchanges typically occur. Because of this, there is an entire industry of clothing with hidden pockets said burglars cannot find. Because of that it is possible to still exchange money without being robbed. Because of this, oh I guess I am done.