I’m waaaaay behind on my emails😬. Finally on a bit of a vacation so catching up from Cape Town. Long flight but beautiful country. You continue to inspire. Eyes on a marathon in May and first ultra maybe this summer. Good luck out there.
I have 2 kids (6&8), and I occasionally find myself dreaming of the "empty nester stage" and the trips and adventures I could have with my partner when my role in my children's life shifts. I'm curious if you had these longings too when your kids were younger, and how the reality is maybe different than what you had imagined? Or maybe how those ideas/longings/angst transformed over the years?
Also, thank you for your advocacy work, and good luck.
Thanks for reading! That's a complicated question. We did a lot of our adventuring with our kids, starting with a year of nomadic round-the-world travel when they were 8 & 11 and we left home and taught them the equivalent of 3rd & 6th grade while traveling. We lined up babysitters (which was an adventure on its own!) during the trip so my husband and I could occasionally run off by ourselves. I was very involved with my kids' schooling and sports in middle school but when my youngest went to 9th grade, I became an early empty nester because he and his big sister went to a boarding school for 9th-12 grades. But even before they left home for that, I was very fortunate to have a supportive husband so I negotiated adventures on my own. For example, in 2012, I took five days to go to an ultrarunning camp in Alaska, and then he and my kids met me and we traveled as a foursome. We always tried to find a couple of weeks in the year when we could do our own thing as a couple or solo away from the kids. We also were fortunate to have an incredible summer sleep-away camp for the kids for two weeks, during which we'd do some of our own special trips as a couple. So I guess this is a long way of saying, I had these longings when my kids were younger, but I was able to fulfill a lot of them thanks to some creative planning and a collaborative partner. I asked my kids later in life, when they were older, if they ever felt I abandoned them, and they said no, they had their adventures away from me too!
My ‘A’ race was last weekend, Elden Crest 38 (which is the last 38 miles of the Cocodona 250 course). It was my longest distance so far and running alongside the 250 mile runners in the last leg of their journey was inspiring, but I can totally see how a stage race like Grand to Grand would be an even bigger challenge!
This summer I’ll be focused on more vert training & high altitude training (when I can) because my next race is the Tushars Marathon in southern Utah. I did that as my first race ever two years ago and I’m going back because this year it’s on my birthday and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate! And now I know what I’m in for, so I can better prepare for the course, but it’s not my ‘A’ race for the year so I’m mostly doing it for fun.
Happy belated 55, dear friend! It gets better, I promise. All of it --- the slowdown, the empty nest (for realz), the feelings of "what's this all for?" -- as long as you stick with what brings you joy. The structure and focus of training for a race really helps. Coming up for me: a new-to-me 50K, the Grand Island 50K in Munising, Michigan on Lake Superior on July 27 (I'll be thinking of you at Never Summer -- let's be sure to talk before the race as you know I DNFd it), and then a flat, rail-trail Greenbrier Marathon on Oct 6 in West Virginia for a "speed" workout before Mountain Masochist 50 on November 2 on a new course. I've run this race 11 times all on various course tweaks, so I'm excited for another new iteration so I can't compare my 2024 self to my 2021 self -- something that I'm going to do more often to avoid feeling bad! I'm also crewing and pacing at the Old Dominion 100 in a few weeks for a bunch of friends who have never run OD100 before -- I am so excited to be part of their journey at this incredible, historic, OG 100. Happy training for your big goals, and I look forward to reading about your journeys! XO
I have never done a 200 miler. But I share your sentiments, I love running and I have done four mulitiday events and two were self supported (ultra Africa in Mozambique and another race in Vietnam). I love the challenge and feeling of accomplishment of being self supported.
I am intrigued by the 200 mile races, but I find their price tags very high and it doesn't appeal to me to slog sleepless for multiple nights on the trail and not really see the beautiful area I am in.
I hear you about the high prices. I've been fortunate to always run the Grand to Grand at a highly discounted price (first year I was comp'ed because I was covering it for a magazine, and the following years I got alumni discounts). I justify it by the fact the travel cost is minimal, unlike going to Europe or Asia (because I can drive to the start). I think these multi-day and extra-long events have higher fees because they do need more paid medical staff, portable toilets, etc, but it is definitely a stretch for many runners to afford. You bring up a benefit I hadn't thought about with the stage race vs. the 200's: being awake and in daylight for almost all of it (though the very tough and slow 50M goes past sundown). I hope you get to do another multi-day!
I'm thinking of you and feeling for you. Truthfully, your summer will probably get harder before it gets easier. I am listening to the audiobook version of Mary Karr's Lit and just this morning heard her chapter about her newborn, called "Postal Partum." I highly recommend it, and you can read it independently of the book as a whole. It's dark but so good! Hang in there.
My 'A' race is in December (Ironman 70.3 Worlds in New Zealand), so am faced with an empty Summer schedule for the first time ever. Will focus on some fundamentals, and keep the joy at 100%.
I feel like those of us who are in our mid-50s and have been doing this for 3+ decades are part of a special tribe. I continue to admire your versatility with tri's and road marathons. Keep it up and enjoy NZ during their summer!
I’m waaaaay behind on my emails😬. Finally on a bit of a vacation so catching up from Cape Town. Long flight but beautiful country. You continue to inspire. Eyes on a marathon in May and first ultra maybe this summer. Good luck out there.
Thanks for spending time with my newsletter, and have a great trip! And I hope you fulfill your first-ultra goal.
I have 2 kids (6&8), and I occasionally find myself dreaming of the "empty nester stage" and the trips and adventures I could have with my partner when my role in my children's life shifts. I'm curious if you had these longings too when your kids were younger, and how the reality is maybe different than what you had imagined? Or maybe how those ideas/longings/angst transformed over the years?
Also, thank you for your advocacy work, and good luck.
Thanks for reading! That's a complicated question. We did a lot of our adventuring with our kids, starting with a year of nomadic round-the-world travel when they were 8 & 11 and we left home and taught them the equivalent of 3rd & 6th grade while traveling. We lined up babysitters (which was an adventure on its own!) during the trip so my husband and I could occasionally run off by ourselves. I was very involved with my kids' schooling and sports in middle school but when my youngest went to 9th grade, I became an early empty nester because he and his big sister went to a boarding school for 9th-12 grades. But even before they left home for that, I was very fortunate to have a supportive husband so I negotiated adventures on my own. For example, in 2012, I took five days to go to an ultrarunning camp in Alaska, and then he and my kids met me and we traveled as a foursome. We always tried to find a couple of weeks in the year when we could do our own thing as a couple or solo away from the kids. We also were fortunate to have an incredible summer sleep-away camp for the kids for two weeks, during which we'd do some of our own special trips as a couple. So I guess this is a long way of saying, I had these longings when my kids were younger, but I was able to fulfill a lot of them thanks to some creative planning and a collaborative partner. I asked my kids later in life, when they were older, if they ever felt I abandoned them, and they said no, they had their adventures away from me too!
Thank you for your response. What an amazing adventure you've lived! Good luck with your summer training!
My ‘A’ race was last weekend, Elden Crest 38 (which is the last 38 miles of the Cocodona 250 course). It was my longest distance so far and running alongside the 250 mile runners in the last leg of their journey was inspiring, but I can totally see how a stage race like Grand to Grand would be an even bigger challenge!
This summer I’ll be focused on more vert training & high altitude training (when I can) because my next race is the Tushars Marathon in southern Utah. I did that as my first race ever two years ago and I’m going back because this year it’s on my birthday and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate! And now I know what I’m in for, so I can better prepare for the course, but it’s not my ‘A’ race for the year so I’m mostly doing it for fun.
Congrats on last weekend! I have never run Tushars but hear only good things about it.
Happy belated 55, dear friend! It gets better, I promise. All of it --- the slowdown, the empty nest (for realz), the feelings of "what's this all for?" -- as long as you stick with what brings you joy. The structure and focus of training for a race really helps. Coming up for me: a new-to-me 50K, the Grand Island 50K in Munising, Michigan on Lake Superior on July 27 (I'll be thinking of you at Never Summer -- let's be sure to talk before the race as you know I DNFd it), and then a flat, rail-trail Greenbrier Marathon on Oct 6 in West Virginia for a "speed" workout before Mountain Masochist 50 on November 2 on a new course. I've run this race 11 times all on various course tweaks, so I'm excited for another new iteration so I can't compare my 2024 self to my 2021 self -- something that I'm going to do more often to avoid feeling bad! I'm also crewing and pacing at the Old Dominion 100 in a few weeks for a bunch of friends who have never run OD100 before -- I am so excited to be part of their journey at this incredible, historic, OG 100. Happy training for your big goals, and I look forward to reading about your journeys! XO
Sophie, thank you so much. You'll always be my role model, and I will always relate to what you write and say!
I have never done a 200 miler. But I share your sentiments, I love running and I have done four mulitiday events and two were self supported (ultra Africa in Mozambique and another race in Vietnam). I love the challenge and feeling of accomplishment of being self supported.
I am intrigued by the 200 mile races, but I find their price tags very high and it doesn't appeal to me to slog sleepless for multiple nights on the trail and not really see the beautiful area I am in.
I hear you about the high prices. I've been fortunate to always run the Grand to Grand at a highly discounted price (first year I was comp'ed because I was covering it for a magazine, and the following years I got alumni discounts). I justify it by the fact the travel cost is minimal, unlike going to Europe or Asia (because I can drive to the start). I think these multi-day and extra-long events have higher fees because they do need more paid medical staff, portable toilets, etc, but it is definitely a stretch for many runners to afford. You bring up a benefit I hadn't thought about with the stage race vs. the 200's: being awake and in daylight for almost all of it (though the very tough and slow 50M goes past sundown). I hope you get to do another multi-day!
Very much feeling the notion that sometimes we tackle the days and sometimes they tackle us.
I'm thinking of you and feeling for you. Truthfully, your summer will probably get harder before it gets easier. I am listening to the audiobook version of Mary Karr's Lit and just this morning heard her chapter about her newborn, called "Postal Partum." I highly recommend it, and you can read it independently of the book as a whole. It's dark but so good! Hang in there.
Happy 55th birthday! 🥳 New age group, woohoo!
My 'A' race is in December (Ironman 70.3 Worlds in New Zealand), so am faced with an empty Summer schedule for the first time ever. Will focus on some fundamentals, and keep the joy at 100%.
I feel like those of us who are in our mid-50s and have been doing this for 3+ decades are part of a special tribe. I continue to admire your versatility with tri's and road marathons. Keep it up and enjoy NZ during their summer!