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Let me tell you about the summer of 2012

I don't know about you, but that was pretty much the longest summer of my life.

After coming off a successful Big Sur Marathon, the Skyline to the Sea 50k back on June 10th led to an injury that kept me away from running for the rest of the summer. During that time I rode the highs and lows of life without running. Ok mostly lows. The only high I can come up with is the sleeping in on Sunday mornings. Oh, and no poison oak was good too.

I'm not saying I was in a funk, but
I was in a funk.

A week or so later was an awesome concert at the Mountain Winery.

I didn't get to run the 31 miles on my 31st birthday in July like I had planned, but I still got to do a little light hiking and was grateful for that.
Pacifica is my jam.
Then in August we made our annual pilgrimage to Hermosa Beach where I couldn't take no running for an answer. I did a lot of bike riding, which was great, but normally I start the day with a run on the beach. It might have been too soon, well, I knew it was, but what could a mile on the beach at sunrise hurt when all I want to do is run on the beach oh my god I just have to run I'm serious I can't take it.
Ahhh, just what the Doctor (Me) ordered
It was too soon. I ran exactly one mile 3 mornings, and the 3rd morning I knew I shouldn't do any more. But it was fantastic.

I watched the Olympics.

 I took a lot of pictures of the cat.


I watched football. I worked. I dreamed of running again, and then finally it happened. Every morning my ankle felt a little better than the day before. By the beginning of September I was back at it, slowly, but back in action for real.

In September I flew to Connecticut to visit my sister for a couple of days.
I've heard we kind of look alike.
I was only home for a day before taking off for Houston for a work conference, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
12,000 Starbucks Store Managers doing community service in Houston. My group painted houses in the 5th Ward
We had amazing development sessions and speakers. Howard Schultz and Senior Leadership inspired and motivated us followed by a surprise Alicia Keys performance.
At the after party after the closing session we spotted John Culver, president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific. 
So that brings us to the present, the fall of 2012. I've been working to slowly rebuild a base and celebrated this past weekend with a tiny little runcation to hit the trails for the first time since June.
Friday night in PACIFICA!!
Saturday morning trail run in PACIFICA!
I had a blast being out there. I ran a loop I'm familiar with up to the North Peak of Montara Mountain, about 1900 feet. I was running back down the mountain when I rounded a corner and said good morning to another runner coming up the trail thinking that she looked familiar. Then it dawned on me a few minutes later that it was Janeth, a runner friend on Facebook that I've never actually met in real life. A random trail encounter and chance meeting, and come to find out, she snapped a picture of me when I was running down the trail below her.

After cleaning up and a giant crab sandwich at Nick's, it was on to San Francisco to check into the Sheraton. We lounged around and napped and ate the other half of our crab sandwiches before venturing out to watch the Giants win game 3 and Notre Dame beat Oklahoma at Tiernan's Irish Pub.
Go Giants
After the game we got Sushi and headed back to the hotel. I had plans for a nice run through the city the next morning.
After tackling some hills and city streets, I headed back down to the bay.
Lunch was a seafood feast and then back to the freeway to head home.

This weekend was the happiest I've been in a while, getting to run all of these beautiful places. Feeling like a runner again. Smelling Eucalyptus and ocean air.

Writing this, though, I'm just now realizing how kick ass my summer actually was. How full it was even though I felt like something was missing.

So, there it is. My summer of 2012. My first Ultra, my proudest moment. My rise and fall and return stronger willed than ever.
You can find me in UltraRunning Magazine.


I'm back, and I have big plans.


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Comments

  1. notthatlucasOctober 30, 2012 at 5:10 PM

    Yay Lia! Welcome back! (I love that bit about you running into Janeth out on the trail.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LiaOctober 30, 2012 at 7:49 PM

      Haha, thanks! Hey, we'll have to meet on the trail and kind of recognize each other someday too!

      Delete

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