Optimistic for an Even-Keeled Future after an Up and Down Past

Haven't checked in for months, but stopping by to share that I'll be running my 2nd 100 Mile trail race Saturday, it's looking like it might be a muddy mess, will definitely be a fun challenge, looking forward to it!

Made it through my 2nd 100 Miler! It was the Riverlands 100 in Maine. I finished around 45 minutes under the 32 hour time limit. It was a helluva course, rocks and roots littered every step of the trail, which made for a lot more speed hiking than running. Super proud for finishing, but definitely don't want to touch those trails ever again. They are described as "New England Technical", with Technical being a massive understatement. My feet were pretty torn up by the end, but 3.5 weeks removed and I'm all healed up and back to regular training. We have a busy calendar for the next couple months, so I will be squeezing in as many miles I can, but probably fewer trail runs than I would like. Next race is a 12 hour overnight in mid-July.

I started a 2 month vegan challenge on 6/1, looking forward to seeing how I feel, how it effects training and recovery, and enjoying the satisfaction of doing something good for the environment. I'm way too good at justifying my behavior and blocking things out, but when I really sit down and think about it, the vegan lifestyle feels the most appropriate. I can't say that means I'm committing to being a lifetime vegan, but I'm going to reassess after these 2 months.

Finished my 3rd 100 Miler a couple weeks ago, No Business 100 in KY/TN. Super tough course, but the trails were pristine and the scenery was amazing, nonstop ridge views, arches, creeks, rivers, waterfalls, rock formations, all made 10 times prettier by the fall colors. It was an amazing experience and I'm proud I gutted out a finish, even if I only made it 30 minutes under the cutoff.

As usual, the high has worn off and now I'm experiencing a bit of post-race depression. I typically solve this by looking for my next race, it's certainly easier and less messy than trying to soul search to figure out the root of the problem. I have several options for early next year, the most appealing being Rocky Racoon in TX on Feb. 1st, I just need to decide if that's too quick of a turnaround, especially with the holidays effecting training and diet.

You would think being an ultra-runner solves all issues with weight/food, but unfortunately that's not the case. I still struggle off and on and I'm currently stuck in rut. I'm having a helluva time with processed sugar, specifically late-night binges. Just like any other addiction it gets worse when I ignore it and it sometimes bleeding into other areas of my life. Waking up with a food hangover isn't too different than the alcohol version.

I'm contemplating completely eliminating processed sugar, under the logic that hard and fast rules work best for me (booze, dairy, gluten, sugary sour candy, etc.), but I know that's going to be a rough transition and hard to maintain with a busy schedule, and considering I'm deep in the throws of my addiction to it, quitting sounds like a major drag.

Obviously, I haven't kept this blog active, and I can't imagine anyone still checks it, but my head's a mess with this stuff right now and I'm having trouble focusing, so I figured why not write a quick post about it. That felt kinda good to type out, better get back to work now.

Mini Spoiler-Free Review of Lost (because I realized a full review would be 30 pages long and take me several days to write):

If you remember this show as an amazing mystery box in early seasons, that later fizzled and devolved into a timey wimey mess with a terrible series finale, you’re not alone. That’s exactly where my head had been since the series ended in 2010. Fortunately, I was convinced to give it a 2nd chance, and after rewatching the entire 121 episodes over the last 6 months I’ve grown to realize just how wrong I was.

Yes, Lost is a mystery show with more questions than answers, but at its core it’s a character-driven show with an amazing ensemble cast. By accepting that I didn’t need answers to every question, I was able to enjoy the wild ride as I fell back in love with an exceptional group of characters, just as I had 20 years ago, but during this viewing experience, that love grew in later seasons, especially in seasons 5 and 6 that had frustrated me so much when I watched them in my early 20’s. Most surprising was how much my opinion changed on the Series finale, during which I spent most of the run-time loudly smile-sobbing. There were too many amazing moments to count, my favorite being the reunion scene at the vending machine, but I can’t imagine a better way to end the series. I also realized the assumption that I made on my initial viewing was flat-out wrong and what was really happening was fairly clearly explained.

If you’ve ever considered a rewatch or missed it entirely the first time around I strongly recommend giving Lost a chance. And if you’re into Podcasts checkout “The Storm”, they have a podcast devoted to every single episode, and listening to Joanna, Dave, and Neil discuss and dissect the characters and mysteries thoroughly enhanced the experience for me.

And because I love lists, here's a couple:

Top 10 episodes:

1) S3E22-23 – Through the Looking Glass
2) S5E7 – LaFleur
3) S6E16-17 – The End
4) S5E16-17 – The Incident
5) S4E5 – The Constant
6) S1E1-2 – Pilot
7) S3E10 – Trisha Tanaka is Dead
8) S3E13 – The Man from Tallahassee
9) S1E4 – Walkabout
10) S6E11 – Happily Ever After

Honorable Mentions – S3E7 Not in Portland and S3E21 Greatest Hits
Dishonorable Mentions – S1E15 Homecoming and S3E9 Stranger in a Strange Land

Top 10 Characters:

1) Sawyer
2) Hurley
3) Juliet
4) Sayid
5) Faraday
6) Desmond
7) Ben
8) Eloise
9) Miles
10) Rose

Honorable Mentions – Penny, Mr. Eko, Libby, Cassidy, Christian
Dishonorable Mentions – Paulo, Nikki, Zoe, and everyone in the stupid Temple