My "new" diet..... LOL

Well I've seen a lot of posts about people doing the Whole 30, drying out, cutting out sugar etc in January...I pondered it but after reviewing my December I decided I did not indulge enough to warrant a body reset.   or so I thought

Not your friend and they like to hitchhike
without permission 

We brought home lots of great memories from Santa Cruz, time with the kids, hiking and running and a real vacation.  And as an added bonus I brought home a tiny deer tick who made a meal in my arm. The day after we got home I was taking my arm warmers off post ride and went to brush off the dirt only to realize it was a tick, embedded.  I pulled him out whole and he was alive... watching him run around the sink before I torched him and put him down the disposal.  I did not think about saving him for testing.... The days passed and the arguments continued as to whether I would allow John to cut open my arm, as we was SURE there was a tick head in my arm.  See he really is a Dr in his own head.   Despite my insistence that I got the whole tick out he was pressuring me, but I held firm on that.  NO HOME surgery by my NOT Dr husband. 

John has a sister who has suffered from Lyme for years and it is horrific....so he was genuinely worried.  Meanwhile I had a low grade headache, was sleeping 10+ hours a night and feeling low energy but not sick perse.  I consulted with a fellow triathlete who is  MD and he said if it was him he would do the 21 day antibiotics - no question.  1- tests are often false negative for Lyme 2- it can take 30+ days for a positive test and the longer you wait to treat, the higher the risk of long term complications.

I went to see my Dr who immediately put me on 21 days of Doxycycline and sent me to the lab. He said regardless of the test results take the 21 days due to the % of false negatives.   As with any drug there are side affects but I was not too worried. I figured get on probiotics and up the yogurt.

I took my first dose and an hour later I had stomach cramps, chills, nausea and had to lay down.  1 hour later I woke up feeling sicker... it soon passed. I was convinced I now had Lyme disease until I took the pill the next AM and same thing.  For 4 days I was miserable. Thanks so Dr Google and a few consultations with some smart people I began to realize these symptoms were from the antibiotic.  Great 21 days of this!   It was suggested that antibiotics were wreaking havoc on my gut and my body- they are causing massive inflammation.

Gotta love a drug that says common side effects: nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, skin rash or itching, swollen glands, body aches, flu symptoms, weakness, increased pressure inside the skull, ringing in ears, dizziness, vision problems....And it seems I enjoyed most of these.  

Fast forward to the anti - inflammatory diet.... No grains, no dairy, no sugar,no legumes, no alcohol....Ok so maybe I will do a January detox.  At this point I was willing to try anything and yes anything....Cutting out all the stuff is just discipline but it is the adding in of grass fed beef, collagen and bone broth that made me pause.   The fermented foods are no issue- Kombucha, raw sauerkraut etc - Love that stuff!  

Buying frozen grass fed beef bones and cooking them for 2 days in the slower cooker was enough to make Roo and Mako crazy and me rubbing essential oils under my nose.  I swear our house smelled like a meat processing plant.   For more on why to drink bone broth.   

YUUUM  -#notsomuch

1- I am basically a vegetarian so this is a big leap
2- I am freaked out by meat on a bone, let alone a pot of bones in my house

BUT when your health is compromised, well mine anyway, and my training was halted, I was willing to yes try anything.

So..... 5 days after I started I woke up
- without a headache
- no nausea
- no stomach cramps
- muscle aches gone
- back to 8 hours a nigh and no naps (well maybe a 10 min power nap)

The idea is that grains/dairy/sugar/alcohol can cause inflammation. My normal healthy body does not react negatively to these groups normally but under the antibiotics it was.  And why the bone broth, collagen, fermented foods....to keep creating healthy bacteria in my gut that the drugs are killing every day.

I am definitely not feeling 100% but I had a solid training week and only have 8 more days of the nasty drugs.  I am doing okay with workouts up to an hour but longer than that and I am struggling. Why? the antibiotics reduce the glycogen in your muscles- hello bonk?  And i am not getting enough carbs. I am eating a lot of sweet potatoes but on my longer workouts this weekend I was hurting...

My plan for this week is to add in unsweetened applesauce pre workouts, add some dried fruit/plantains on the longer rides and work on increasing my carb intake with more potatoes. 

What does an average day look like- I do NOT log my food but thinking about the last week I can pull together what I have been eating...

Breakfast- - NOT all on the same day ( well maybe on some days)

• SoDelicious Coconut Milk plain yogurt with berries, Pepita seeds and hemp seeds
• Against the Grain Vermont Roll  with avocado  ( cassava flour)  Cassava is a root vegetable and used for some breads  ( Leslie turned me onto these- lucky for me (unlucky for her) she has been on this diet and is a chef and an amazing resource. 
• Sweet potato with eggs, spinach and other random vegetables 
• Coffee (this technically should NOT be in the diet) but come on- I have given up everything else- with Organic Coconut Milk
• Guzzle glass of bone broth I think of this as medicine

Lunch - I am not a 3 meal a day person so I don't have a proper lunch perse usually a 2nd items from above or 

• Eggs with whatever veggies are in the fridge with vegan cheese (ez to make)   But it does not melt so if you want melted cheese go for  Daiya  (but that is processed and I am trying do as little processed food possible ) 
• Grass fed meat, organic chicken or some non processed protein in a coconut wrap with veggies and lettuce 
• Nuts of any and all kinds
• Fruits and veggies 
• Sweet potato chips for that " I need a salty snack"
• Jilz crackers 

Ride Food

• dates
• dried plantains (sprouts/Trader Joes sells them) 
• Lara Bar, RX bar, Paleo Bar (OMG- they LOOK really good and I did not when I scanned the ingredients I was looking for grain/dairy and there was not any so I was happy.  Took a bite of the chewy vanilla pudding bar and it had an odd taste so I look again at the ingredients- #1 ingredient  "Hydro Beef Protein (grass -fed)  WTF... there is NO pudding than can mask a cow" That was too much 
•  I need some more ideas..... 

Dinner - more of the same....bottom line whole food, real food, no f'ing good stuff Although I am told my body will soon "reject" or not want the inflammatory foods the longer I stay off them... 

The plan is stick to the plan until next Tuesday when the drugs are finished!  I may or may not crack open a bottle of wine and order a pizza or I may give this a go for a bit longer... 

2 months off

I am good at coaching my athletes to take a proper end of the season break- even encouraging them to take a break from me, as much as they love the daily dose of Dunkle. It is good to take a solid break from swim/bike/run and a mental break from waking up to a Training Peak's email with your workout of the day.  But me personally..... I am not so good at losing fitness or taking that break, that is until 2016. The last few years have been do as I say not as I do. 

By the time we crawled, okay walked, out of the Grand Canyon after R2R2 I was so ready for a break, not "I want to quit kind of break" just a proper unstructured few months.  So I hit the pause button with my coach and just chilled out.   I am not a sedentary person so I was active most days,and with 2 Vizslas you cannot be sedendary. Prior to our trip to HK and Myanmar I was cruising the coast on my bike and taking some fitness classes.  My glute was seriously aggravated from, well a LONG season of 2x70.3's, 3 Ironman's and R2R2R, so I needed some time off running.  Then they closed the pool renovation and Alga is cold and well....really I wanted to take a break from swimming too.

When I landed back in the US on 12/4 I was eager to get on my bike, but more so because that is my social time, girl time and I was jonesing to catch up with everyone.  I logged quite a few miles in Dec on the bike but it was casual and slow, as in 40watts under IM slow, it was tooling around, chatting, being annoyed with traffic as it was cutting into my "chat " time. It was also logging miles to allow for holiday sweets and beverages.  Yes gaining a few lbs is okay but I was not looking go gain in the double digits. 

Sure we did some good rides, GWL + Descanso, Rice and Couser etc but the ride times were way way off.... so far off that I nearly missed an appointment.  I plan ride times within 5 min 90% of the time, that is until now and I was off 15-30 min off.  Off season pace.   To say it did not bother me would be a tiny lie, or a huge one as I HATE losing fitness.  Rationally I know needed to lose fitness, not care about watts etc, but when you see your Average Power and ride time for a ride you regularly do and it is shockingly off, it makes me pause and think the climb back up is not going to be pretty.  

The pool reopened mid December and well 4 weeks out of the water + 3 weeks of 1-2 swims a week takes it toll.   I refused to drop down a lane because I am a swim snob  so I suffered at the back of my lane until I had to put on paddles and when that was not working I got out.  Petulant? maybe.....but well it's December I was on my own plan.

The idea of hitting the gym hard in December is good in theory, but did not happen for me.  I went a few times, enough to feel it, but I was operating on do what I want to do. I hopped around to a few strength classes but resolved I know what I need to do and how to do it.  While clinching my cheeks for 20+ min in barre class may give my rear a boost I am not so sure it will help me in the back 1/2 of the marathon in an Ironman.  Functional vs vanity. 

And just like that Jan 1 rolled around and I woke up that familiar email from Michael Ricci:  Schedule for Sunday 01/01/2017 to Monday 01/02/2017.  And I am once again a "follower", although probably not as good of a follower as Coach Mike would like.  I still question, challenge and push a bit or a lot....but the plan is in place.  I dusted off the WahooKickr and reacquainted myself with the suffering on the trainer, can I remind you all how much I DISLIKE that beast.... OUr runs have a purpose again and the weight room is not optional. Biking changes too....as much as riding is my social life I want to "follow the plan" which may mean riding shorter than my friends are, doing intervals when I'd like to be chatting it up...yes this is a hobby but I have big goals for 2017!  So it's striking a balance of fun/socializing and following the place that was written by someone I trust and who knows me and what it will take to tick off the goals.  Got that Mike? 

Here's to 2017 and collecting hardware! 

Back at it

Last blog post was 11/21 in the beginning of our Myanmar/Hong Kong adventure.  I started 7 blogs on the trip and just never finished them....what we saw and experienced simply could not be captured in pictures let alone words- so I quite writing and just traveled.  My advice to everyone is get out and experience this amazing planet.  Buy less stuff and experience more.  

Visit any place that inspires you, intrigues you, scares you or is interesting.   For all the negativity about the US, I challenge you to visit other countries, developing countries and you will appreciate all the good in the US.  While many are upset with the President-elect, be thankful we live in a democracy and we have a say in our leadership.  Are you frustrated with day to day challenges....try a country without paved roads or electricity.    And a trip away is good for the marriage.... no racing, just experiencing new lands together. 


Post trip we were unpacking and repacking for our next trip to Santa Cruz. Getting"ready" for Christmas. 

 We spent 5 days in Santa Cruz with the kids and dogs and it was fantastic..... It was 5 days of running with John and the dogs, amazing hikes with the kids and dogs, cooking in our VRBO, playing card games and the funniest game ever Watch ya Mouth, discovering SC dog beach and checking out all of Riley's favorite spots.  I was hoping for quality time and we got our money's worth.

My inspiration to write today is the book.  Shoe Dog  A memoir of Phil Knight and the creating of Nike.  The book is sensational on so many levels.....A humbling tale of how Nike became a $30Billion company....it was not overnight, it was not easy, it was not without so many near fails....the story is riveting, interesting and just plain fun.    

There are so many appealing factors.. running, sport, business, athletics etc.  There's something about athletes. Maybe they know about passion, defeat and team spirit better than others. And maybe that's why they are better than others in handling a real crisis. And when a bunch of them come together to create a company, the story had to be this fascinating. This book reveals a lot about Phil Knight. A humble man who saw the best in others. Maybe he was lucky to find such a driven team or maybe he could just appreciate the good in others better than anyone else. This story is about the time when entrepreneurs created real stuff. Bowerman and Knight, with their expertise in running came together to create shoes that would make running easier for athletes. It was creating something 'real'.  An honest memoir. Read it if you are struggling in a startup. No. Read it anyways ! I am sad the book it over....

Happy New Year!!  Bring on 2017

Bagon

The Yangon domestic terminal is state of the art in comparison to the Bagon terminal. Tiny, old but efficient.  Without checked bags we are off the plane and on our way in minutes.  

 With our wad of kyat wade through the mane eager taxi drivers. The one we select has a passenger who is a tour guide- convenient 😏. He pitches us en route to the Aye Yar River Resort in a day of touring.  All bookings btw done on Agoda- best app for international bookings.  Book, pay and easily stored with maps for navigation. 

 

Early check in and I was ready to sleep... jet leg! But we headed out and spend the morning on foot and car seeing a few of the nearly 1000 pagodas and temples.  Just amazing... they are all over in the grass, fields and along the road.  Some really small and others massive... the 

16 hours in Yangon

16 hours in Yangon ... a try at the blogger app.  No pics.. just thoughts 

Getting from my brothers to HK Intl airport is painless.. modern, efficient and a comfortable train ride. Yangon airlines was passable (barely) and now that we are on Air KBZ I've upgraded my opinion of Yangon Airlines.

Arriving into Yangon is impressive as you approach a brand new international terminal. Modern design and beautiful.  Navigating is quite easy and we soon found the $ exchange. Suddenly out 16 $100 bills turned into $2,600,000 kyat.  2 x 3 inch piles of bills.  Crazy... next stop with our wad of cash and was the SIM card and whamo we have cell service. 

The 10 mile taxi ride took nearly an hour due to rush but traffic. The time change is -90 min from HK.  How is that for a new one.  By the time we arrived at the Chatrium Royal Lake Resort I was famished and exhausted...the plan to seek out a place for dinner soon was killed and we found ourselves in the hotel Restaurant and a lavish buffet where you selected raw fish, lobster, meat etc to be grilled as well as copious other options of which some were questionable but most very good.  So far my impression of local wine is quite low.   We feel into a deep sleep by 8:30 with full bellies and enough drinkable wine to feel good.   

The 5:20 wake up call was not necessary as we are still a bit jet lagged and had been up for a bit.  A lavish breakfast included was wasted on me but the coffee was strong and flowed readily.   Onto the dometic airport for our flight to Bagon with a very friendly driver who commentated the entire drive and we undrtstood little of what he said.  We nodded and smiled and toward the end hear "Trump"

But am still unclear if the context.  This terminal is quite old, although ornate, and bustling. Noisy, busy and chaotic. And into Air KBZ and cat piss comes to mind. They were quick to serve breakfast- bun with a mayonnaise and mystery spread, pink cake with frosting and a chunk of dark chocolate.  Wishing now I'd enjoyed the omelette and fresh smoothies. Coffee is warm and instant. 

 Let the adventure begin! 

Running the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R)

day before- we are good - lets just look from up top

The last big effort of the year.... topping of my 50th with R2R2R  48 miles down the grand canyon across up and back down and back across and up again.   1 day!  I'll give the story now and at the end- my advice on gear, what we would do differently etc

Our group of 6 was only 4 due to an scary illness in Heidi so they could not make the trip (boo).

We drove SD to GC Friday- 8ish hours and were at the SK (South Kaibob) trail head by 4pm and this was both of our first look at the GC.  My gut dropped...it was so stunningly beautiful and hard to fathom we would someone get to the bottom and across and back.  It was a bit like, nevermind, lets just sleep in and do a day hike.

perspecitve on the climbing

SK trailhead has no parking and no cars allowed, although we bypassed the Buses Only to check out the trail head, as did 20 other cars.  The proper parking is 1/2 mile down the road.    From there we went to check out BA (Bright Angel) trail head where we planned to come out. This has lots of parking, hotels, food establishments etc.  If you plan to exit the trail at BA I would highly recommend staying at the trail head so you can finish and get home.  But these book up fast...   Any spot at the BA trail head would work well http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging/bright-angel/

We stayed at the Yavapai lodge which worked well for us.  Family room and we had a king and bunks so Jen could stay with us. http://www.visitgrandcanyon.com/yavapai-lodge  2 miles from BA and 4 miles from SK.  We took a taxi to and from without issue.

ready to roll at 4am

Once we finished totally freaking out admiring the view we headed to check in.  My pack was packed and ready to go meanwhile John went shopping the previous night and was still trying out his options.   Much like an Ironman we were laying out and pacing gear and Jen arrived.  Let the party begin, We packed, laughed and all had a bit of nervous energy.  We downed Melatonin around 7 and Jen and I knocked back a glass of wine for good measure.  Lights out by 8.

what are we doing today

The 3am Ironman alarm went off and it was go time!  We brought lots of food so we fueled up on protein pancakes (cold) with nut butter and coffee.   3:40 met Jason out front and called the taxi and he was there within 5 min.  NOTE: cash only.  Temp was 46 and comfortable.

4:00 at SK trail head and off we went-  we have a 20 min stop about 2 min in due to sunglass loss down the slope but John found them.  On we went.

SK descent is steep, pitch dark and technical.   Headlamp a must and Jen and John had hand held flashlight which I recommend too.  Jens was great- super light and a  strap. Nathan Zephyr. Mind you I am not a trail runner and am a terrible descender so my goal was safety first and stay on my feet.  This is why I will never be an Ultra runner- my skills suck and before you say " you can still learn" , please cut me some slack, I am 50 and was a swimmer for good reason - can you say uncoordinated.   Every time I work on my trial descending skills I end up face down and bleeding....

We hit Phantom Ranch around 6:45 and the sun was coming up.  We ditched our jackets (behind a rock). We descended in Tech T.s , shorts, compression socks, ear warmer, trucker hat and gloves.  As the sun came up and were were on the GC floor it is breathtaking and the most amazing sight I have ever seen. It still brings tears to my eyes.  Stunning!

I also realized my legs were killing me not fresh and it was going to be a long day.  We jogged the next 8 miles across, South to North is a gradual up hill and while John and Jen were doing great I was already struggling- my periformis was throbbing and my legs were plain tired,   Jen and I managed to keep a steady conversation from the beginning and it was fantastically fun!  I HIGHLY recommend bringing someone who can chat for hours upon hours and laugh alll day long.

And now the 5 miles up the NR (north rim) steep and slow but again stunning.  Every time you look around it is breathtaking. It was surrel. I was hurting a lot- hot spots on feet (despite band aids and body glide) were sore.   We met a great group from Alabama who was on the same R3 route and hiked together for a bit. Good stories about their journey and some good smack talk about LSU vs Alabama.  I had imagined there would be no one else around but you see people off and on all day, except in the pitch dark when you would LOVE to see someone.

OMG we are only 1/2 way

At the top of NR I was considering calling it a day.  My periformis  was sore and I was the weak link, holding up Jen and John. They convinced me to keep going, we would hike/walk and they were okay with the pedestrian pace. I was ready to hitchhike back, find a bar and call it a day.  But then it occurred to me that I would have  get to come back and to the full R3 another time, so I was in. NR was cold and we tried to get in and out and not really think that we were only 1/2 way LOL.  7 1/2 hours to NR.  Every stop is about filling bladder- I DO NOT recommend the camelback with the disc opening.  Sure it works great in your kitchen sink, but try it 20 + miles in, at a fawcet that blasts water at firehose pressure and while it is attached to your pack.  NOT so easy any more.  I'd like products to be tested when the person is fatigued, at altitude and wonky than we can say things like "seamless" "easy"

And down we went, it felt "good" to be going down vs up and we continued our chatter of any and all topics . The views never quit, just when you think I've seen it all you see it from a different perspective and ooh and ah all over again.  And when I was really hurting all the time at this point I would look around and lose my breath. At the bottom it was foot triage time- 4 blisters and hot spots, This was the first of 4 triage moments for me.  R3 I used 11 band aids, duct tape, body glide and then just suffered.

Jogging back was not happening for me- between the periformis and the feet it was power walking and Jen was okay with that. We merrily chatted our way across the GC.  In what seemed an eternity we finally made to back to Phantom Ranch.  There is a Cantina there cooking up food and at this point you would pay $100 or $1000for anything that was not in your pack, but they are closed 5-8pm for campers only.  We were too slow to get real food... although we did not plan on it anyway.

Sunset, headlamps on and the climb out.  I have to say I was miserable due  to my feet, the pace was slow but it was just painful.  Thank you Jen for the conversation and fun!  John had run across and waiting and hour for us as he did not want us to ascend alone.  Thank you honey! He wanted a nap mid run and he got one.  And up we went, and up and up and up. 20 min in Jen and I saw a Mountain Lion- no joke and for sure.  It was on the ridge and when our headlamps shone on his eyes he bolted.  That was terrifying...

The never ending trail takes you down to the river first which is really confusing and caused near screaming and a lot of consternation debate amongst us and finally back up and up and up.  Everyone says the climb out is never ending.  You think you get it but it really is never never never ending.  You keep thinking one more switch back. We climbed in t's most of the time and maybe the last hour in longsleeve.   John was a bit ahead and makes a turn and says we are out!  no way, it become unreal - are we done really?  Relief and happiness and 34 degrees.  WOWZA!!!

No medal, no announcer, no finish line- just the pure satisfaction that we did it! 18 hours which was our worse case scenario.  I did not plan to walk so much but so be it.  We finished and I have ZERO desire to go back.  One and done is good for me.

best fuel option!!!

Notes/thoughts/comments

• Only crazy ass M'fers would do this more than once or even once, but well we fit that bill.
• plan for the worst- we planned for 18 hours and hoped for faster but no avail - we had enough for 18-22 hours
• walking/hiking you burn less calories so we consumed less
• don't descend with 3liters of water- you only need 1/2 L for the descent and keep your pack light as possible on the way down
• you only need 2L option due to frequency of water- for this time of year. If it was 100 degrees you need more

  

  the pack I used 

• go with 2L bladder and collapsible bottles as back up (in case some water is turned off)
• mix your calories as you get tired of the same food - my favorite for the day was the nut butter- not too sweet and dense in calories
• we "saved" the gels and those were not what we wanted to consume on the hike out- but alas only option
• caffeine pills saved us
• I would reverse the run and go down BA - 2 miles longer and less steep an thus "easier" to descend in the dark.  Coming up is brutal anyway - I'd rather just get it done, mind you I have not done that so maybe the steepness is just not worth it.  The downfall of this is finishing at SK there is NOTHING so you are waiting in the cold for a taxi and it took 20 min at 10pm
• Go in April/May- similar temps to what we had BUT you have 3+ more hours of daylight so you are not ascending totally in the dark.   
• Training- I felt woefully under trained or maybe just fatigued from a long season. I'd do at least 4, 5+ hour trail runs on technical terrain up and down with your pack loaded up- the extra weight changes your gait and adds to the load
• Duh- wear your proposed shoes AND socks on those runs-  due to Ironman I was not able to do that and I paid for it.
• Hiking poles- Jen brought a pair and we did not expect to use them but we did and LOVED them- we each took one- easy to run with and use when hiking 
• Wear shorts with pockets for easy accessible food/pills etc.  Have a hydration pack with pockets you can access without taking your pack off
• More weighted stair sessions-  5 or 6, 2+ hour sessions with a weighted pack.
• Bring food in case you are not up for the pizza /beer option.  We were freezing, tired and just wanted to get clean and warm.  I had made enchiladas and brought some wine/cider. We cleaned up and had a picnic in our room.    

Love you honey- never again 

OMG we made it

Just like anything - there are A LOT of opinions...this is mine. 

That's a wrap

2x 70.3's and 3 140.6 and a few other random races should, I say should, be a solid season but NO I have one more tiny ok big ass  event on the books.  Big as in 48 miles of running through or should I say down and across and up and down and across the Grand Canyon.

Saturday, we are doing R3 or R2R2R ( Rim to Rim to Rim)  As most people ask next, all in one day? Yes in one day (or at lease we hope)  48 miles and 20,000 (yes 3 zeros) feet in elevation- 10k up and 10k down

The sordid story is not all the sordid....really the topic was broached early this year as what should we do for my gulp 50th birthday.  We came up with R3 and it seemed was perfect- My birthday fell (10/21) on Friday and we would do it the next day.  Well then I decided I really wanted to race in Kona this year and had to do 2 IM's do get there as I did  NOT get the job done in Canada.  So 3 Ironman races in 11 weeks and my birthday  was 2 weeks post Kona and that just seemed nuts. But 4 weeks Kona ?  Yes still nuts but less nuts.  If you dont really think about it, it is less nuts- trust me.

We reached out the the R3 Queen (Smashfestqueen) for her guidance as she has knocked this bad boy out 3 times.  We needed training plans.

Mine was- train for Kona and add a few 30 min stair sessions. Whereas John's was building up more miles and had many more stair sessions with a 30lb pack + some long runs.  I did my long runs in Whistler, CdA and Kona. What is as stair session?  Head to Swami's where there are 140 stairs to the beach and you go up and down for said time.

The first time I did 30 min, post a 90 min run, it was not bad at all, until the next day and the day after.  My calves were totally wrecked. OMG.  So table that and train for Kona.  I crammed my R3 training in after I " recovered" from Kona, ha ha and before it was time to "taper" for R3.

Basically I chilled for a week and started climbing stairs, not really thinking that I had just done an Ironman or 3.  My culmination in training was last Tue with 25 min run, 2 hours of stairs with 27lbs and a 20 min run.  I woke up Wed thinking I am a badass as I feel pretty good.  Now Thur I was paralyzed....Good ol DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)

So we are now tapering, cramming, packing and still trying to figure out how to carry 4500 calories, 3 liters of water and stay warm in the AM (30 degrees) and comfortable in the canyon with the least amount of weight.

It is looking like this.

Salomon Running Vest with 2L bladder and 2 1/2 liter collapsible bottles
1200 calories carbo pro
1200 calories YUM butter
10 x HUMA gels
2x Boba Bars @390 calories each
2x The Perfect Cookie @ 400 calories each
6x The Right Stuff for sodium
Caffeine pills

Can you say hello 1970's split running shorts
I can tell you know- if the fashion police are in the GC this weekend
I am busted...it will be hideous 

NUUN

Hoka Challenger ATR shoes
CEP Compression socks
1970's "race ready" running shorts
tech t
long sleeve tech t
cycling jacket
ear warmer
trucker hat
head lamp
gloves

First aid kit

And there you have it....

We are driving out Friday AM to the Grand Canyon- meeting Jen and Jason there.. wihs us luck!