In my kung fu training, I have for the most part of 7 years, been a part
of a team which required me to blog weekly, all in order to
publicly journal my journey in my training. Now with a switch in my training
goals, I am no longer required to, but rather am choosing to continue to
journal my year. Now I'm not the most excited or best blogger, not even a good
one, but despite this I have learnt the value of it. It is a tool that keeps
one accountable to oneself and others, it allows a person to express themselves
in the good, bad and ugly, all the while leaving a trail of bread crumbs showing
successes and failures, all which play a part in the end result. So with all
that being said, here I publicly put my plans out there. Even though I am
extremely excited, and would feel much more comfortable training silently on a
trail in the bush with no witnesses other than the birds and squirrels, making
this blog public gives me an added push and motivation.
This year I have set my big goal of completing the Canadian
Deathrace solo, 125km through the mountains of Grande Cache in 24 hours. This
coming August long weekend will be my 8th death race, as I have run both as a
team and a solo marathoner for the last 7 years. In these 7 years I have
learned more than I could ever put down on paper. I have experienced each one
of the 5 legs, some multiple times and feel a little more confident with that
knowledge. I know once I hit the teepees on leg one I'm almost at the first
transition. I have learned that the power line on leg two is not my friend. I
have been given instructions as to where to clap my hands on leg three to scare
away the bear (like clapping is going to work 🙄). I have the last tree picked before the switchbacks start up mount
Hammel where I can still pee with a little bit of privacy. Last but not
least leg five, the stretch that has a ridge that gave me the most beautiful
view of stars in the sky with the silhouette of mountains around and the fresh
smell after a rain.
Each year I have walked away with adventures that truly touch my heart
and mean so much to me. I have been fortunate to witness family and friends
strike out on this solo feat and have been inspired to up my challenge this
year and see just how far I can push both mind and body, all the while enjoying
and experiences each moment for the gift it is.
It is too easy to say “someday I’m going to…” or “before I’m 50 I will…”,
when all too often these hopes and dreams never amount to anything and leave a
person saying later on in life “I wish I would have…” So here I go with a challenge which I know is
going to push me in more ways than I can comprehend at this point. I know this will be
difficult and know that there is really no way to prepare for absolutely every
detail, as weather, animals, injury etc etc may change in a heartbeat, but I do
believe that I can do my best to go into this race as trained mentally and physically
as possible with back up plans and support that will be my saving grace if or
when things go a little off course.
I am grateful that at this point in my life I am still capable, driven
and have a support system that will help me because the truth is, challenges
like this are never done 100% on one’s own. Life can change in a heartbeat so
stop putting things off, strap on the shoes and hit the trail; it’s a mystery
as to where it can all take you.
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt”
John Muir
Alana Regier
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