Post-50 miler life has been interesting, to say the least. Personally, we've solidified a date for our wedding, booked a venue for the wedding and reception, locked down a place to stay for the wedding, bought a wedding dress, and booked a photographer. Heath-wise, that cold I got the week before the race took 6+... Continue Reading →
TARC Summer Classic 50k Race Report – 2017 Edition!
I have a confession to make. A lot of the time, at least recently, I don't love running. I have not been "loving the process". I haven't been thrilled with my races. Most training runs feel like a slog. While a bit demoralizing, I think it's to be expected to be honest. In 2016 and... Continue Reading →
Pacing for Revenge at Manitou’s Revenge
Ultra runners are fueled by testing their limits. Nothing about the sport is easy or even sane, but the pursuit of pushing our bodies to their absolute limits drives us forward. As we attempt new races, run different trails, and ramp up our training, our limits stretch further and further. We get new benchmarks to... Continue Reading →
The North Face ECSMA Wachusett 50 Miler – Race Report
I signed up for this race almost as soon as it was announced. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bear Mountain 50k in 2016, and was ready to jump up to the 50 miler. My "big race" of the year was supposed to be the Gorge Waterfalls 100k out in Portland, and this was going to be... Continue Reading →
Now What?
I sat down with the intention of writing a race recap for the Hyannis Marathon, and I just can't bring myself to do it. To sum it up, it went better than I had ever imagined it could. I was shooting for sub-4, and surpassed that goal by running a 3:50:24. I felt... Continue Reading →
A (few) Bump(s) in the Road
The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of change and chaos in the GrandElam household. On January 17th, I started a new job with Zagster, a bike sharing company based out of Cambridge. It's been absolutely amazing, and I'm so glad I took the leap and changed careers. My whole first two weeks were... Continue Reading →
B.A.A. Half Marathon 2016
I hadn't planned on running the B.A.A Half Marathon this year, but a few days before a spot opened up so I decided to go for it and test my half marathon legs. I've been training for the Cambridge Half Marathon coming up in November so I thought if I can run a tougher course a month... Continue Reading →
Soaked and Stubborn – Grindstone 100 Race Report (10/07/2016)
It was tough. It was way tougher than the Vermont 100, which I already thought was pretty hard. It was tougher than any race I've done, regardless of cramping, nutrition issues, or overheating. 27 sleep deprived hours in the rain over 101 miles with 23,200 feet of elevation change forced me to dig incredibly deep... Continue Reading →
Prepping for Grindstone
With the fanfare and elation of Vermont 100 starting to wear off, I am doing my best to mentally shift from my summer goal race to what is coming up this fall. Without a doubt, Grindstone will be much more of a challenge, climbing and descending 23,000+ feet over its 101 miles. For reference, that... Continue Reading →
Bear Mountain 50k Training Update
I fell off the blogging bandwagon again! But hey, life gets messy and hard and busy sometimes - we all get it. The past few weeks have been going very well! I am feeling strong and ready to take on Bear Mountain. I finally brought myself to look at the race elevation profile and other... Continue Reading →