Confessions of an Amateur Athlete

I had a strong summer and fall of good training. My Life Long Endurance coach definitely had me working hard and building up to big things. I had lofty plans for the beginning of the year. But as all runners know, we sometimes have to make tough calls when things don't go according to plan. Photo by Jared Seger Photography

I was super pumped for my North Face Endurance Challenge 50k in San Francisco. But life sometimes throws us a curve ball. And sometimes for good reason!

Long miles, sore legs, and anxious nerves! I've put in the work for my next ultra, but calming the taper week jitters may be just as tough as the training. Photos by Jared Seger Photography

Thanks to Toyota ,  I had the amazing opportunity to join a few Arizona influencers on an epic road trip through Northern Arizona! It was truly an incredible experience and one awesome adventure.

Well I finally pulled the trigger and will be running the Black Canyon Ultras 60k in February! Running an ultra has been a goal of mine for a while. I've even signed up for one in the past and had to drop out because of injury. This time, I'm determined to train smart and complete the adventure! Photo Courtesy: Black Canyon Ultras FB Page

Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Sedona Marathon  to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! The Sedona Full Marathon. One of the most scenic road races I've ever done. Also one of the toughest road races I've ever done. Read on for the full Sedona Marathon 26.2 Race Review and why I call it the " Beautiful Beast "!

Another great time with running group with a blogging problem... #RunEatTweetAZ ! We set out to hike the tough route at Camelback Mountain, the Echo Canyon Trail.  We would have loved to see the sunrise while up on the mountain... but we hit a small snag.  Apparently they don't open up the park/parking lot until sunrise! So we sat in a long line of cars full of people in the same boat, waiting for the lot to open ad we could start sweating our way up the mountain! sunrise from the car Finally, the park opened up and we all got in and were more than ready to start our hike! It's not a very technical trail, per se, but it is VERY steep.  We had to hold onto railings at in some spots!  It's only a 1.2 mile climb to the top, but you're also climbing over 1200ft in that short amount of time... so needless to say, it's quite the workout! But the views are worth the extra effort! We chatted it up... on everything from upcoming races to...

I'm running the San Francisco Marathon  next weekend, and I have finally reached the final stage of my Tapering: Acceptance. As many of us runners know, as we end our marathon training and start backing off our mileage, we go through a series of emotions.  Let me break it down for you. STAGE ONE: EUPHORIA p.gr-assets.com You've put the mileage in. You're feeling good.  Legs are sore, but it's a good sore.  Now you can just sit back and wait for the race...which you're going to ROCK of course! Everything is AWESOME!   STAGE TWO:  ANGER sharegif.com Dang it! You need to go run! And your IT Band/Knee/Hip/Foot feels achy.  You'd better NOT be getting injured.  It's too late in the game!  And you feel fat.  Just FAT.  Now...who hid the @&#*#@ Cookies!?! STAGE THREE: DEPRESSION 31.media.tumblr.com Yep.  This race is going to be horrible.  What if you don't finish?! Did y...

Peak-Week over!  Time to Taper!  In other words, I finished up my last "really long run" before the San Francisco Marathon in Three weeks! I'll still run, but nothing over 12-15 until Race Day!  The excitement is building. Most of the questions I get from friends, family, and followers revolve around my routine BEFORE and AFTER my long runs.  So I thought I'd take some time to focus on what I did the night before my 22-miler, and my routine afterwards for recovery.  In order to beat the heat, or at least, beat the SUN, I had to START my run around 5am. So I had to go to bed super early.  On a Saturday night.  Oh the sacrifices we runners make! lol.  Anyway, some people ask "what sort of exercise do you do the day before a long run like that?"  Well, I try to usually keep it light.  This time I did some light strength training and ab work.  Also, I took to my foam roller to work out any tight-spots like my IT band and d...