27 Comments
Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

LOL Totally relate to running past the tourists only to over cook it and end up looking silly. When will I learn to just run/hike my own pace? 🙃

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I'm glad I'm not the only one :-)

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Jun 13Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

The mouthful of sex-lube-tasting gel made laugh so hard! Glad you’re feeling better. ❤️

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author

Thank you. I think it says a lot about someone whether they laugh or whether they are offended :-)

But seriously, have you tried that brand? It is clear, and more watery than Gu, with a lite flavor, just like, you know….

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Jun 14Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

Clearly sex lube for runners is a clear expansion opportunity for GU

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Jun 13Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

No, I’ll have to try it! I’m out of the loop on the new products.

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Jun 13Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

Love this one Sarah! And that gel story.... hilarious :) Also love being in your brain on what can go wrong.. so relatable. And yes, Strava can be a slippery slope for an old slow lady like myself.....

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author

Thank you, I appreciate that so much! Instagram, too, can make for feeling down when viewing younger ultrarunning influencers, as I experienced first thing this morning, so I welcome your comment :-) Looking forward to reading your new post later today.

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

The dog vomit story was hilarious, as were all the reasons why it took so long to get out for a run. I hate it when life interferes, especially when you're under time pressure. We all put so much pressure on ourselves all the time. I can remember numerous times not knowing whether to tough it out and push, or sit back and relax. And let me say, hiking is a lot of fun! Be well, Sarah!

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Thanks for reading, Kitty, it means so much to me to still be in touch with you this way!

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

Me, too! Your struggles are all too familiar. I think you'll get back on the track you want to be on. At my age, you have to keep pivoting to stay fresh and keep in line with what you're capable of without killing yourself! You should come out here and do C2C. 9 miles from 0 to 8500 feet, then another 11 to San Jacinto Peak, and then back down to the tram. It's a mere 20 plus miles, but the elevation gain in such a short period of time is a killer. I've done the nine miles up, but never the whole thing, and probably won't!

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Jun 14Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

Your comment on Precision almost made me spit out my coffee 😂 I actually just ordered some so I guess this is a good warning…

So glad your mountain lion encounter ended that way! It’s so easy to get used to local trails and forget how many creatures are around… a few bears on my street and the trail that starts five houses down have reminded me to carry bear spray on every walk! It’s also fawning season and defensive mamas are known to go after people/dogs they think are a threat, so June is head-on-swivel month for me!

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author

Thanks for reading and LMK what you think of the Precision gel! I tried a second one today and it didn’t change my mind. I also saw a bear on my run today!

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Jun 14Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

This is why my long runs are the runs I skip the most. I keep finding space in my calendar to do a nice long trail run … if everything goes right, as it never does.

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

I love your newsletters

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author

Thank you, Susan! This one generated a larger than normal number of unsubscribes (maybe the lube comment?!) so I appreciate your comment a lot.

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

Well those people are jealous of you. I love all of your posts and newsletters. You do so much and are so honest. Your newsletters are great

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Thank you so much, that makes my day.

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So much of this is relateable...even for a non-trail runner who doesn't live in Colorado. I didn't make the #1000 words of summer past the second day, so you have me beat there.

And I feel like you have to have one terrible run before a good race. It's like good luck or something?

Congratulations on surviving a cougar sighting!

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haha thank you! I still love getting Jamie's daily newsletter post for 1000 words inspiration, but at the same time, it makes me feel more behind. Remember "some is better than none."

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

I can totally relate, Sarah and so appreciate your openness. I've been caught up in my head for so many runs the last few months mostly due to shoe issues and related but not serious (I think) injuries. Noticing lots of self blame for the injuries/shoe issues and not being able to run and train making things worse. It all sounds so trivial and I don't talk about it with anyone which probably would help! I'm using Katie's "beginner's mind" to shift my perspective a bit to pivot to the trail and get back into the run.

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Thanks, and good luck!

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

"how sometimes it’s appropriate to give up rather than tough it out": I think that's such an important message. We do valorize efforts that represent triumph over adversity, but sometimes the adversity (sprained ankle, illness, overtraining, malaise) can have larger consequences if it's not heeded. Also: the mountain lion! Yowza.

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author

Thank you so much for reading! Yes, you sum it up perfectly.

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

This is pure anxiety haha

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Yes, on many levels! Thanks for reading

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Jun 12Liked by Sarah Lavender Smith

I can totally relate. On Sunday morning at 5 my dog decided that it is time to wake me up and the puke a bit outside, followed by excessive strolling and exploring the neighborhood. My plan to get up at 6 for an early run was a bit derailed…

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