Out of Harmony

Imported from my old blog, this is an oldie back from July 25, 2014.

The first part of my year felt harmonious if I could use a word to describe the beginning of my year in general.

Then one day in late spring, I set in motion a bunch of crazy life changes that I was lusting about. Just like that, I went from a big company with pretty normal hours, to a start-up with a more dynamic schedule. I became a gypsy and traveled way more than usual, and I transformed from a vegetarian into a whatever-I-can-get eater. I stopped practicing yoga without realizing it, and started running, for work projects!

I thought it would be fun to document all the crazy shit that’s happened to me since. Adjusting to the changes has been a hilarious process that I would have never expected!

Achilles goes on strike

With the extra miles instead of yoga, my Achilles just went to strike on the picket line, and I don’t blame him. We need more rest! More care! What the f***! As a result, I spent the month of June sidelined. I took up mountain biking for a short stint and almost bought a fancy dual-suspension bike during this phase. Until I could run again, then I came back to my senses!

Blisters from hell

After proclaiming myself free to run again, I immediately went and ran 100 miles in 5 days, because it was work-related, and I can make irresponsible decisions when I have built-up energy like that. Typically free of blisters, I acquired a large, blister-upon-blister that spanned my whole right arch, and then became hugely infected. I limped around San Francisco in socks for the rest of the trip, my feet would not go into any shoe or sandal without an onset of writhing pain. Can you imagine?! That much pain, from a blister?I was so grateful to learn this lesson outside of a race. Just not sure what the lesson is. Don’t worry, I’ll never post pics.

Chaffing to an extent that no one should ever experience

I’m usually lucky that I don’t experience any chaffing. Not anymore! At Trailstoke 60k (became 49k) I actually wore “athletic clothing” items for once, and I experienced the worst chaffing of my life. I won’t go into details, except to say that it was where the shorts make friends with the thighs, and it’s so bad that it’s still forming scabs I must hide from the public, one week later. No one ever should ever publish a picture of such a thing.

A mountain goat named Dale who wanted to eat my salty skin

I got tracked by a mountain goat all the way down the alpine on a 13’er in Silverton, Colorado. Seriously, this big thing had its big horns pointed right at us, and it tracked us until we got into the tree line. James and Tim had to throw rocks so Angel and I could run away, just like primal warfare. I spend so much time outside and I’ve never had a wilderness encounter, but of course, now I do! Just throw it in the basket with all the other experiences I’m gaining! More on that terrifying story, via Tim’s blog here.

Eating lots of clams like a champion

I had the worst-feeling race that I can remember of all time at Trailstoke, blah! It felt like a hyena was ripping apart my insides, which began at kilometer 0 and carried on until the chaffing pains took over later in the race. That’s funny, I thought, I had just come from time in the high altitude on 13 and 14,000-foot peaks, so I was expecting to feel great. But I felt the opposite, and it was kind of a battle to even make it look ugly. Outside of the race, I started sleeping 10 hours a night and still feeling tired as heck. The next day, my blood test introduced me to my new friend, iron deficiency! The final sign of my issues adjusting to my new lifestyle. I guess it was bad to replace kale with pop tarts? Now you’ll find me in the whole baby clam aisle of the grocery store, (those things are really high in heme iron!) or downing them in the parking lot. Hah! Mostly kidding! I take them home and eat with a spoon.

I figure this is all a blessing in disguise. Gotta get all the kinks out somewhere, right? And while these are some of the funny, slightly negative things that happened, there have been way more beautiful things. And as I adjust, I’m sure I’ll learn things like rest, clam-eating, proper footwear, proper clothing…

Happy summer trails!