I feel for you! (But I substitute “knee issue” for breathing issues.) I too “race so I have an excuse to train.” I love the buildup & structure. I think it’d be great to try something new.
hi Jill, bravo to Beat and bravo to you for crewing. I know crewing is stressful ("CREW" stands for "cranky runner, endless waiting," right?) and a constant hurry-up-and-wait, but I can think of worse things than a long weekend in Ouray :-). I had hoped to go and support runners there but I had a nasty case of covid, still recovering. I share a lot of your mixed feelings, even as I train for tough 100s. I do not, however, share the same addictive must-do impulse that Beat seemed to express, wanting to go for Creede this weekend, or that another competitor, Walter H., personifies. Reading about ultrarunners like them sparks anxiety in me that my training volume is so low by comparison. But it's all I can handle and what feels right now. As for the "why," to me it's the journeying aspect (I say this as I prepare for a point-to-point weeklong stage race that's two months away). I find it harder to justify the "why" for the Ouray 100 however because the course is so contrived, with so many out-and-backs and that double loop of Red Mountain; the "why" for that route seems to me less about journeying, more about the raw challenge of accomplishing so many ascents in those 52 hours. I'm writing a whole memoir about my "why," which touches on your questions about accomplishments and motivations, so I can't sum it up here but suffice to say the sport becomes an integral part of our lives and identity. It's what we do, where we find purpose and community, where we escape the things about real life that weigh us down, etc.... I could go on and on. I hope to keep going on and on as a runner; time will tell how much my body can handle.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! The “journeying” aspect is what started me down the racing path — the routes or distances were something I would never attempt on my own, but the parameters of a race made it seem possible. And I love the preparation aspect. I basically race so I have an excuse to train, although training for pure performance has never held much interest.
Now, as I struggle with my breathing issues — which pin me down during the spring and summer — training for performance is something I’m actually considering. It would either be cycling — by working to increase my FTP and maybe trying the virtual race circuit — or something I’ve never tried, like weight lifting. It’s hard to commit to anything that would prevent me from choosing my daily adventures as I please, which is what I’ve loved about trail running, even though I’ve never been particularly talented or competitive in the sport.
I think if I could get a handle on my breathing issues — and the concept isn’t impossible — I’d feel more of that hunger to do hard things in the form of a race. As it is, I could be as focused as possible in my training and completely collapse on race day because there’s too much dust in the air. So I suppose what I am reaching for now is permission from myself to just be, which in itself is so difficult to do.
I, too, have been pondering the "why" more the past 6 months. No answers yet. Love the photos. Colorado mountains are a beautiful place and your photography is stunning. I would be happy to go for little adventures with you once I retire!
I’m sure my “little adventures” will still include 150-mile rides from my house to the top of Mount Blue Sky and back (which I hope to do this summer if there’s a good air quality / weather window.) But I am more conflicted about races because the negative emotions seem to outweigh the positive rewards these days (but the rewards are still oh-so-enticing.)
Great stuff, Jill! And congrats to Beat. - J
I feel for you! (But I substitute “knee issue” for breathing issues.) I too “race so I have an excuse to train.” I love the buildup & structure. I think it’d be great to try something new.
hi Jill, bravo to Beat and bravo to you for crewing. I know crewing is stressful ("CREW" stands for "cranky runner, endless waiting," right?) and a constant hurry-up-and-wait, but I can think of worse things than a long weekend in Ouray :-). I had hoped to go and support runners there but I had a nasty case of covid, still recovering. I share a lot of your mixed feelings, even as I train for tough 100s. I do not, however, share the same addictive must-do impulse that Beat seemed to express, wanting to go for Creede this weekend, or that another competitor, Walter H., personifies. Reading about ultrarunners like them sparks anxiety in me that my training volume is so low by comparison. But it's all I can handle and what feels right now. As for the "why," to me it's the journeying aspect (I say this as I prepare for a point-to-point weeklong stage race that's two months away). I find it harder to justify the "why" for the Ouray 100 however because the course is so contrived, with so many out-and-backs and that double loop of Red Mountain; the "why" for that route seems to me less about journeying, more about the raw challenge of accomplishing so many ascents in those 52 hours. I'm writing a whole memoir about my "why," which touches on your questions about accomplishments and motivations, so I can't sum it up here but suffice to say the sport becomes an integral part of our lives and identity. It's what we do, where we find purpose and community, where we escape the things about real life that weigh us down, etc.... I could go on and on. I hope to keep going on and on as a runner; time will tell how much my body can handle.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! The “journeying” aspect is what started me down the racing path — the routes or distances were something I would never attempt on my own, but the parameters of a race made it seem possible. And I love the preparation aspect. I basically race so I have an excuse to train, although training for pure performance has never held much interest.
Now, as I struggle with my breathing issues — which pin me down during the spring and summer — training for performance is something I’m actually considering. It would either be cycling — by working to increase my FTP and maybe trying the virtual race circuit — or something I’ve never tried, like weight lifting. It’s hard to commit to anything that would prevent me from choosing my daily adventures as I please, which is what I’ve loved about trail running, even though I’ve never been particularly talented or competitive in the sport.
I think if I could get a handle on my breathing issues — and the concept isn’t impossible — I’d feel more of that hunger to do hard things in the form of a race. As it is, I could be as focused as possible in my training and completely collapse on race day because there’s too much dust in the air. So I suppose what I am reaching for now is permission from myself to just be, which in itself is so difficult to do.
I, too, have been pondering the "why" more the past 6 months. No answers yet. Love the photos. Colorado mountains are a beautiful place and your photography is stunning. I would be happy to go for little adventures with you once I retire!
I’m sure my “little adventures” will still include 150-mile rides from my house to the top of Mount Blue Sky and back (which I hope to do this summer if there’s a good air quality / weather window.) But I am more conflicted about races because the negative emotions seem to outweigh the positive rewards these days (but the rewards are still oh-so-enticing.)