Thanksgiving

It's been a lovely long weekend. Thanksgiving is a very sweet holiday - all good food & people, no gifts! I hung out with a friend and went beach walking at fort Funston & Half Moon Bay.








Tonight I am on dog watch....Henri & Lottie.



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Check it out....

Went hiking yesterday in this really beautiful reserve and this little dude was just hanging out:



So cool!


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Roseville

Interesting week in Roseville......Around 70 people turned up for the three days of workshops, presentations etc etc.  It's been interesting for me as I'm leading one exercise that I'm not actually an expert in, although it seems having some type of business degree can be helpful!!!!  I presented to a small group and now I am helping to facilitate some additional working sessions.  I fall in and out of feeling confident presenting to groups and really admire people who can routinely stand up in front of large crowds and present with ease.  The HP campus we were on once housed 6000 people, now most of the buildings are closed down, so it was somewhat eerie to drive around.  The office layout is cubicles but the walls were so high that you can't look over them, so often it felt like nobody was in the building.  The meeting rooms were windowless as well, adding to the sense of isolation.
I stayed in a hotel next to possibly the largest shopping mall I have ever seen.  At one point I drove in circles trying to figure out how to get back on the street.  I didn't actually go shopping but was instead looking for the supermarket.....suffice to say my sense of direction remains challenged.
It is nice to be home and I am inclined to think that I really do like working locally and not being a traveller.  Although there is always a possibility I will get staffed outside of the Valley......

LA, visitors and working

The year is flying by and I need to get back on both the running and blogging wagon!
Two weekends ago I headed to LA and had a great fun weekend with Michelle and Ruth.  Ruth was transiting through to a conference in Miami.  The three of us have developed a little tradition around meeting up and always have fun.  I arrived Friday night and Michelle and I did the annual clothing run for Jody - whew that's that done!  Ruth flew in that afternoon and we all just hung out.  Michelle is currently Faculty in residence at UCLA so we hung out on the campus and I got to experience eating the the college dining hall.....the food was very impressive.  We went to dinner that night with Michelle's girlfriend, Nina and moved on to a bar before we all conceded we were happy enough to go home.  Gone are the days of partying out late, or at least that wasn't going to happen that day.
Sunday, after walking Monkee we went off to get Michelle an i-phone, funny time was had as she's not the most literate about these things.  Ruth and I then set it all up for her, including downloading some useful Apps - her life is transformed.
Getting out of LA was a little tedious as my flight kept getting delayed, finally arrived home around 11pm (as opposed 8pm).  Still all worth it to spend time hanging with the Kiwis.
Work was incredibly busy with a team dinner on Wednesday as well.  I am still learning alot and settling into life as a senior manager - it is different and I am figuring it out one day at a time as new and different things are required/demanded!
Ruth flew in for a stopover on her way home on Friday.  Flight was late in but I'm 15mins from the airport so it was an easy hop to pick her up.  Saturday we went Lotte walking with Irene at Fort Funston (pic above) the Ruth and I walked into the Mission and ended the afternoon sitting in the sun in the Garden Bar at our local queer bar.....which I never really go to so it was a treat for me as well.  She flew out Saturday so it really was a short stopover but sweet to spend time with her and have her see where I live etc.
Monday (early) I drive to Roseville; 2hrs North East of San Fran to spend four days doing workshops with the client.  Not wildly excited about the travel but then I haven't been to Roseville.....so I'll put it in the column of "new adventure".  Does mean organizing myself so today is full of washing and household chores.
Thanksgiving is looming and Irene has invited me to Reno but I have decided to stay home.  I think I'd just like to putz around the house.  TG is such a sweet holiday here, everyone very excited and in the past I've gone to friend's houses.  This year though I feel content to just do my own thing, go for a long run and maybe buy in some nice food, watch a movie....easy.

Me & Monkee

Michelle's dog Monkee, so cute!



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Keeping on

So I've gone through the various ups and downs of the post marathon phase.  Enjoyed some remarkable conversations with people and had some notable failures; it's just the way these things run.

I'm still debating the 50k on December 1.......need to get back into training.  Although I'm not at all sure how to train for it.

Work continues on and I still have a somewhat "odd" project role, but am learning alot, so not complaining and happy to roll with things.  I'm working with the largest tech company in the world as part of the largest consulting company in the world.....life is surreal.

I had a great dinner with my career counsellor and the guy who recruited me in to ACN.  He was a senior manager when I joined and is now a Senior Executive ("Partner").  Davin has proven to be the most amazing character in my life.  He has this unfailing belief in me and has never doubted I would be successful.  I was never really sure about his optimism from the first moment we had the "what do you want to do Jody" conversation; this before I went on the path to joining ACN.  

He also wanted to hear about the 50 miler.....something very personal.  I felt prompted to share in a way I don't often with those that aren't close.  He asked good, insightful and probing questions.  It is an American moment for me - these near strangers who haven't know me long but find a point of engagement.  

I've got another cold and seriously contemplating the flu shot (I battle this decision every year!).

Moments in time

See the rollie thing

 Now that you've seen the photo stream I'll share a particular moment.  At some point after Katy joined me I became aware that I had some very acute pain in my right leg (wth, this is my GOOD leg).....Katy quickly noted it was my IT band and that we needed to stretch it out.  And that's exactly what happened as we approached the next checkpoint she ran ahead and told the team I needed the mat (I had thought to bring that ..... both Katy and Marcia had thought to bring the rollie thing I needed as well).
The team rolled out the "yoga" mat on the side of the road, seriously, just inside the white line at the edge of the road, all very safe, or at least I think it was....that's why you have a team, they make good decisions as you have to step up and make them happen.

I then had to do the equivalent of a "plank"....shades of Case in the day of  the gym session

It was incredibly painful.....hugely painful but I knew if I didn't do it I wouldn't finish.................

It  

Katy also did THE most painful massage I've ever had. I'm not sure I would have taken this from anyone else, I really really wanted to smack her, it was so painful I seriously had to restrain myself.  I've seen Katy tough out some incredible moments.....I sucked it up and went with it

At some point I'd done as much as I could and I was able to keep running

The strain shows. I am not sure it's clear but my hands are swollen I'd been watching it happen as we progressed.  In my mind I think at this point I know I have a ways to go and I've just got to keep going....... the day has dawned and there are far less miles to go than those that have been run.......if you can't think like that the you'll never finish.  It comes down to 10 miles, six miles, 1 mile......you've run 40 already, this is nothing........get.it.done.

It's not all glamor out there.......

How it was

So I've kept thinking that I have to tell some deep story about the 50 miler.  Edit it, turn it into something.  It was something, it really was.....but you know I had this amazing documentarian along for the ride.  She caught a bunch of moments and I've decided not to edit any of it but invite you into how she recorded it.

Every picture tells a story so I'll give you some snapshots of what I felt/thought when Irene posted these shots:

• wow, that's how it looked
• it was dark, really really really dark
• for every moment captured here I had the same moment and then some of being alone,  in the dark.  One part was scary, 20-30 miles.  The road was gnarly it was the magic hours (midnight to 4am).  I could only assume every fool on the road was drunk or off it and I had to move hard up against the  guard rail more than once
• I met the team at maybe 3/4am and they collectively looked hellish.....it humbled me as I knew they were there for me and they had individually made some collective sacrifices to be there but were 100% with me.....an unreasonable request and they all showed up
• Mile 30, I can't say how relieved I was to see the crew.  This was the turning point the unknown and they were still there......
• Katy joined me to run 17 miles from the end, we fell into a pattern.  Something easy and familiar and concurrently Marcia arrived from the side and I knew where Irene would be....at the end, filming
• The last 6 miles were tremendously difficult, I knew I'd make it, it just wasn't pretty.  But the team were there.....it was surreal and I really did have to rely on them to figure some things out, more than they knew I suspect
• Katy had some great lines when we hit a hill she didn't expect (well I knew it was coming....she'd forgotten) "Jody wtf is this?" and by fav "okay now you are running like an old woman".  She was running with a back injury.....seriously toughing it out.  Marica was forever present and incredibly pragmatic bringing all the practical things into play and very encouraging.  Irene was/is a quiet talisman.  She was unwell and I knew it and felt it so seeing her was an important touchstone.....she was ill and still there, I was hurting but felt a deep obligation to deliver on it all

So there it is.  There are subtle insightful things to say....but there it is.  It's was an awesome experience and I've chosen another 50 miler for next year.  I just have to register in time before it closes (registration hasn't opened yet).  Running 50 miles is difficult, not to be taken lightly, demands a bunch of stuff....but I liked it......

Thanks to the "Guest Blogger" and the team pt1

It was somewhat surreal to finish the race and check in on the blog and see the updates.  Marcia did an awesome job of keeping the blog up to date throughout the race - I never doubted she would, but her charm is clear as I read what she wrote; her generosity huge.
This first blog update post race goes out to the team; I couldn't have done it without them.....I'm not kidding, I really couldn't.  The race was "unsupported" for the first 46 miles.  What that means is no aid stations, nothing just you and whatever support you can provide.  So three remarkable people made huge sacrifices to be there and had to suffer through 13hrs in the decorated "van" overnight.  They never failed to show up at the agreed checkpoints (or near enough to) and arrived other places.  I never really had a good sense of where they would be so much as being totally confident they would be there.  It's a weird thing to pop out of these stretches of dark "aloneness" and see these friendly faces all going "how you doing?", "what do you need?".  They couldn't have known it but I would look for all three faces, wanting reassurance that they were all fine, as much as needing my own well being taken care of.
What do you need? was the simplest and best question to ask.  I felt a personal obligation to participate, be able to articulate what it was I needed....as time wore on it became harder to know on one level and easier on another.  The van was full of "nutrition" and water and as time wore on my instincts kicked in.  Early on I simply forced myself to eat.....on a marathon I eat virtually nothing and on the one 50k I did not much more.  None of that gets you through 50 miles.  Irene had prepared an array of food, things we hoped would work for me on the day.  To complete a 50 miler you have to eat along the way, you have to fuel right from the get-go.  Once your body is depleted it's tremendously hard to catch up and the price your body pays is unreasonably, potentially damaging and threatens your ability to complete the race.  So I forced myself to eat bananas, melon, more bananas early on - on one level it was personally  heinous - I didn't want the food on another, satisfying to think I could get past myself and do what I knew had to be done.
At one point, after what felt like a particularly long stretch, long after the half marathon distance (13m) but a little before the 50k (31m), I pulled out a half banana from my vest that I had requested at the last checkpoint.  I couldn't quite bring myself to eat it at the checkpoint but knew the team were monitoring that I was prepared, willing, able and actually eating.  I could sense it in how they responded when/if I didn't eat with them.  I briefly looked at it and put it back in my vest, then imagined later in the race, losing energy, feeling unable to go on and thinking how I would let the team down and they might feel bad, that it was somehow their responsibility if I didn't have the energy to finish.  So I pulled it out again, peeled it and choked it down.  There, my job was done in that moment.  I'd taken one for the team!

Done

First runner in for the 50 miler, 12hrs 13. Will give more of an update when I recover.






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Almost there!

A mile from the finish. Jody's been walking determinedly, and she's just announced she'll run the last mile.. Everybody send her your good thoughts and energy to help her cross the line!



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Sun Comes Up..

Jody's made it through a tough night, the long and lonely stretch of North Lake Tahoe.



Jody and Katie working out some IT Band kinks.



We're now around the bend and heading for the finish, with Crazy Ironman Girl Katie being a super trooper and running alongside.

Irene capturing the sunrise over Lake Tahoe in her own special style..




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Running Deep Into The Night

Only a couple of hours before sunset and Jody has held up amazingly. She's gotten over a 3-mile hill and to Spooner Summit, and has passed the marathon mark.




The crew is waiting for her next stop at Mile 30!

Irene has been a total pro, despite fending off a nasty cold, given to her by our dear friend Jody. She's documenting in gorgeous Hi-Def..




Her photos to come after we download them from her fancy camera, they are stunning!

Now Jody's got some rolling hills to get through and the big push past what she knows she can accomplish into the Great Unknown! We'll be ministering to her every need from the big red Wondervan.

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Location:Somers Loop,,United States

Aaaaand.. They're Off!

About 40 hardy souls lit up like Christmas trees gathered for the 10pm start.

Jody and Katie turning on the light show



Our festively decorated minivan



Toes to the start line...



Pre-race instructions



A very composed Kiwi, given the circumstances.



She's 2 miles in and still speaking according to Irene.

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The last supper

Team Roadrunner fueling up.


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Tahoe 50

Flew in yesterday to Reno. Met Marcia and Irene. Did all the food shopping and had lunch with Irene's parents. They were both very sweet to me about the race and M & I being awesome on the food prep!
I the drive through to South Lake Tahoe, hung out at the hotel and got a surprisingly good nights sleep. Keep bumping into an older couple from Albaquerque. He's running the marathon. Really sweet people.



Got my race number. Random stats 40 people doing 72 miles, 2 of us doing 50.....small but determined crowd.
Waiting for Katy to arrive then M&I and the gangs all here. Race briefing at 3pm too then waiting to start at 10pm.


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Quietly calm

I am feeling quietly calm.  This 50 miler has been a year in the making.  It's a long way to run. I've run 50k (31 miles).  Now I have to magic up the extra 20.  I've done all I can in the best way I know.  My flaws and inadequacies revealed, at least to me.  I haven't been the best I could be in my training but I've been the best I can be in the moments.  Honestly I feel like I've worked hard.  I've had my moments, some revealed in this blog but many more moments revealed in my quiet time and one on one.  In talking about the training so much I haven't meant to be arrogant so much as keep myself honest.  Some months back a NZ friend called me out about being arrogant on Facebook because I shared my mileage etc etc etc.  It was such a kiwi moment.... I talk about it because it keeps me honest. I announce it and people then ask about the training and if I am failing to do the required training I am reminded I am failing and have to be honest.  Kiwis don't quite work like that though......the Americans love it and are among my greatest champions.  Because I tell them they know how to cheer for me.  Kiwi's well.....let's not talk about how we prepared for Mount Everest so much as we summited (I've read lots of mountaineering books for some odd reason).  But here's the thing that has me still be a kiwi - you don't almost climb Mount Everest, you don't almost get to the summit, you do it or you don't.......that's the 50.......trying hard isn't enough, do it, then you can brag......

Somewhat better

So I'm feeling 100x better today than I have for a week, almost human.  Of course that doesn't mean I haven't been working.  Today I signed on for a fun thing at work.  We run these business challenges at some of the universities we recruit from.  There was an opportunity to sign on as a coach to a group of Berkley undergrads who will compete in the challenge.  The idea is they have to build out a case study around a not-for-profit business problem and present out a "solution".  My job is to coach them in how to take a client focus and present.  They are real case studies so 10k is given to the nfp to help them implement the recommendations and team members get internships with the firm.  The whole thing appealed to me.  I really like coaching and it seems like this is something I might enjoy.  It's all part of our recruitment drive so also counts towards contributing to the firm overall......strange new world!
Tahoe is close and I now have a Race Plan designed to get me through the event.  Includes details on each leg of the event and where the support crew should meet me along the way.  I'm feeling more relaxed that eerie state of calm that inevitably lands where I am resigned to my fate and whatever will be will be.

Been sick, still sick

Throwing up a few photos of runnin Lake Tahoe before the big race:
















That's all I got today

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How life runs

This past weekend I was in Tahoe with Katy checking out the 50 miler course and running......The course is intimidating and I come out of the weekend feeling fragile.  It's the same feeling I had going into the NYC Marathon x 10.  I am unsure of my ability to complete this.  I have done the work, but not enough, never enough.....I am conscious of my imperfections.  This is a far bigger ask on many levels; it will happen overnight and into the following day, nutrition is key, I have a crew and will have to ask for their help and trust that they know when I need help (this the hardest thing of all).  Beyond my physical fitness my mental strength is strong, I am determined......but no less scared.  I am arranging it so there will be some real time blog updates.  NZ will be awake, so if you care to, you can follow the journey.  

I'll post photos of the weekend tomorrow, for now, sitting quietly in my corner.......