A Thousand Reasons to Keep Running

[a-pure-guts-race]

hi! @embracingwild​ is recruiting through january for some important research. check it out and email [email protected] if eligible and interested :)

[a-pure-guts-race]

well, folks! our race was canceled. bummed, but it’s obviously the right decision (& saved us from making the difficult decision we ultimately would’ve made to skip it even if it wasn’t canceled). really excited to use the credits toward an adventure when it’s safe!

we DID hike a 25 mile section of the appalachian/long trail section a few weekends and I loved it more than I could’ve imagined. I loved loved loved the trail culture and I want to do a long long hike someday. I’ve never run a marathon, but the feelings I had I imagine to be similar to what I’d feel during a marathon: there were times when I thought I was more exhausted than I thought possible, swore I couldn’t take another 5 minutes, and then just kept going. the trip was an ethereal experience and I walked away grateful, as always, for this friendship. and with the quiet realization that I am tougher than I imagined.

this training stint is over but I’m not done running and I got exactly what I wanted out of it. after quitting in college, I was never able to make the return to running that I wanted - until now. I felt strange in my skin & I didn’t trust my body. underneath all the excuses, that’s really why I quit. this training stint, I learned again how to tolerate physical discomfort. I didn’t realize how much what happened to me affected how I physically experience the world. I didn’t realize how hard I was trying to protect myself or how much that protective layer was hurting me. every single long run in this cycle, I cried, reveling in how strong I felt, how at home I felt. as corny as this is, many times I had the thought - “I am my own hero right now.” I found so much love for myself every time I thought I couldn’t go on and then just did it anyways.

none of this will make sense to anyone but me, I know that. but what I want to pass on is that maybe you too can heal in ways you didn’t think you ever could, or in ways you didn’t know you needed. I hope for myself that running continues to be a vehicle of emotional change for me. I hope my relationship with it continues to evolve in ways that I need it to as I grow. I hope that for you too.

[a-pure-guts-race]

a weirdly dramatic accidental photo of the sweat DRIPPING down my leg and also a discrete selfie illustrating how wet my hair was from running

70 minutes on the trails with 8 minutes of pickups and i got lost and was so thirsty and got chased by a dog for the 90th time (LEASH! YOUR FUCKING! DOGS! ON TRAILS! ALWAYS! I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL) and touched so many rocks and trees and it was absolutely delightful

also i didn’t have GPS on but my step counter thing is always on which like, is definitely not accurate, but it’s usually close to what my GPS says and it said i moved 9 miles???? which DEFINITELY is not true but that means it was probably around 8, which would make that a MUCH speedier run than i thought. on trails i feel like i am crawling always and that’s fine bc i just want to feel feral, but still nice to feel zippy too!

this weekend we are all gonna be goin ABSOLUTELY FERAL i can’t wait to post pictures when we get back!!

[a-pure-guts-race]

a good good week or so of running for me !

last week i ran 42 miles (which is the most mileage i’ve run in MANY moons). i wanted to peak at ~50 before our marathon (which will probably not happen, if we’re bein honest!) and with a 20 mile long run i wouldve been around 47 so!!! it seems doable

my long run on sunday kept getting delayed bc of thunderstorms and i thought ab just skipping it but i got out there from like 7:15-9:30 at night and it was raining and kind of thunder-y at times but was mostly fine and i’m quite glad i did it!

then on monday-wednesday karina and i went out to amherst to visit katie (!!!!) and we got to do a 6 mile recovery yog, a short n steep hike, and an interval workout that was a mix of 200s and 800s! i was absolutely SHOCKED at how difficult it was - obviously i knew i haven’t done track work in years, but i dropped from the last 800 at the 400 mark and almost vomited for the first time *ever* from running!!! like bro. she is NOT a track runner anymore. it was just weird to know that the paces we were hitting would’ve been incredibly easy 5 (probably even 2-3) years ago, but now were vomit-inducing hahaha. it was still weirdly fun to go fast though and be miserable in a different way ! so maybe i’ll do some more of that stuff just to shake things up

anyways. still lookin for a job, still not havin the best time, but have a lot of nature adventures this month and there will be cats and employment and an apartment w my buddy in the future so. we’ll be stickin around n just ceaselessly complaining until then !

[a-pure-guts-race]

i ran my first 5k time trial of the cycle! i will do another in 4 weeks.

my goal pace was 6:20 and leading up it felt so, so doable! but i ended up running 6:47 average. i think that’s perfectly acceptable given the humidity and solitude, but i’m still really bummed and excited to get after it again!

my coach and i are planning on doing a few weeks of faster intervals followed by race pace stuff and staying up around 40-50 mpw before my next time trial. then, i’ll start an 8-10 week marathon-specific block!! YAHOO!

though i wish it had been a breakthrough, this was a good benchmark. all smiles here - i love to run.

[a-pure-guts-race]

pre-run ⏭ post-run

i was nervous to head out because it was 89 and humid, but energy levels were high and i was able to close my 8 miler in a 7:46 steady mile. i took water and dates and my dad gave me electrolyte pills to take beforehand! i’d never used them and i think they helped a lot. 15 miles tomorrow and then we taper!

then i cracked open my new cookbook! i made rich roll & julie piatt’s vegan lasagna and i really liked it. it was easy to make and the sauces that went into it had few ingredients, but high quality. would recommend!

[a-pure-guts-race]

still home with my besties!!!! trying to run a lot but this humidity is A Lot! anyways that’s me!

wrapping up a 50 mile this weekend and then looking forward to a short taper before a 5k time trial!

[a-pure-guts-race]

yesterday i got to run 14 miles along the new hampshire coastline with abby and it was positively MAGICAL!!! definitely, definitely one of my favorite long runs ever. so fun to run with my buddy and also feel strong and capable.

10 easy (8:55ish pace) + 4 steady-state (8:05-7:25ish). i’m so happy :’) we can’t wait to run All Over The World!!!

[a-pure-guts-race]

running remains tiring as of yesterday but life remains good.

yesterday i bit off more than i could chew for my long run (esp. in terms of vertical gain on tired legs!) so i cut it short and ate a bunch of ice cream. that’s disappointing but okay! resetting this week & taking real good care of my body and my legs.

[a-pure-guts-race]

i finally had a good and fun run for what feels like the first time in a million years, 13 miles, 6.5 up the coast and 6.5 back. 8:35 average and a 7:34 last mile! lots of water and one pack of welch’s fruit snacks (my go to alongside nutrigrain bars for super long runs). a playlist with a lot of college favorites. tomorrow is my birthday :)

three years ago i did the same route but shorter, 10 miles, at 7:37 pace (the day before i tore my ACL playing soccer 🤪). absolutely bonkers to me how fast i used to crank out long runs on these pancake flat roads

i am drowning less in hopelessness and terror the longer i am up here. i may not go back to boston full time until i’m employed lmao. in that realm, i have an interview in two weeks, which is a good sign, but i also spent an hour on job boards today and did not find one (1) job even remotely related to my degree or experience so :) until the winds change i will just plug along and run a lot (or a little) and eat brocolli and hug tom and touch rocks and trees. and it will end, it will end, it will end.

for now i am grateful for tired legs and views of the ocean (and STUPIDLY HUGE MANSIONS on the coast)

[a-pure-guts-race]

Hi Karina I have a question! The bandana that you run with around your neck is super cute! Does it have a purpose (wipe sweat? Headband?) or does it just look cute haha?? And where did you get it? Thanks!

hi!! thanks! i wear it to pull up when i run past people where there isn’t enough room for 6+ feet of distance (just to be safe during the covid scare). i also use it to wipe sweat!

my boyfriend’s family dug up a bunch of old bandanas from around the house, actually. it’s super plain and standard - i think just something like this: https://burlapfabric.com/bandanas/red-paisely-bandana-22-x-22-100-cotton?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs87eho3w6QIVeT2tBh2y6QPYEAQYASABEgIFevD_BwE

[a-pure-guts-race]

i’ve been in a bit of a running rut over the past week or so. a couple of 50 mile weeks + a heat wave left me feeling depleted and tired. don’t get me wrong - i love lots of miles! - i think i just really, truly, vehemently hate the heat and wasn’t doing a good job of avoiding it.

anyways, this is my down week & today i took to the trails for 6 easy miles and it was goooood 🌲🐻. gabe asked me what i thought might help light a little fire right now without any races in the foreseeable future, and i’m still not sure, but i think making sure i take time for a lil of this when i need it will be good.

[a-pure-guts-race]

still running towards something

[rachaeldee]

they can cancel our race but they can’t cancel our sunday long run magic 💫 @over-your-hill

[rachaeldee]

@over-your-hill i miss this day 😭

[a-pure-guts-race]

💗 turns out 2020 did, in fact, cancel that sunday long run magic but we’re still out here runnin’!

[a-pure-guts-race]

friends, every little note I have to say about running feels too trivial to post about right now. we have a large platform on here and I feel it is my responsibility to use it. I won’t speak for all 3 of us, but you won’t be seeing any content from me in the next few weeks as I shut my mouth, learn about my privilege, and listen to and make space for Black voices. right now, I’m seeking out educational materials and reading about action steps I can take to be anti-racist. white followers, I encourage you to do the same. my inbox is open to any useful resources and to productive discourse. Black lives matter.

- Katie

[a-pure-guts-race]

fellas i’ve got nothing new or interesting to report on the running front !

the last three weeks or so have been probably the worst weeks of my life with like two incredibly pleasant days (see mountain picture and whimsical wine pictures). folks that follow my personal blog will know what i am talking ab lmao

i haven’t done a long run in about a month, but ran 26 miles total last week so at least i am back to a somewhat normal mileage amount. our marathon in september is almost definitely getting cancelled, but i am very intrigued by the possibility of just running one somewhere beautiful anyways. hm!!!!!

hoping for 30-35 this week, but truly it’s anybody’s guess when i wake up what i will be capable or not capable of accomplishing that day. but today i ran 6 miles pretty slow (9:03 pace, the first time i’ve run with a watch for a not-long run in probably two years) and did the PT i didn’t do last week. tomorrow i’m hoping for 8ish, and then 11-12 and 6-8 some other days this week (but again, we shall see)

trying to eat and care for the bod so that when the brain is ready again we won’t have too deep a rabbit hole to climb out of! signed up to volunteer at a food bank, been making a lot of networking calls that may or may not prove fruitful, been trying to find more interesting activities than staring out the window

anyways. if anybody knows of any government/policy jobs in boston hit me tf up ladies!!!!

[a-pure-guts-race]

hi folks! been a while!

I’ve been running slowly and quietly. stopping to smell lilacs and wave at cows. I’m feeling myself getting fitter slowly but surely and feeling running slipping from intention to habit in a really nice way. I don’t think anyone is thriving right now and I am certainly not, but I am surviving and I am grateful for running and the constant reminder it gives me that - life goes on and we keep moving forward.