July 2016 – Vicky Burnett

Woah! About 3 minutes ago (it feels like) I was writing to you about planning and having a great summer. It’s now the end of July!!!

July flew by for me and with great reason. It was pretty epic.

We were in one of the most spectacularly stunning places. In heat I’ve never experienced before. To support my hubby who was running the Badwater 135 which is a 135 mile run starting at Badwater basin and goes across Death Valley, over 3 mountains, with temps of around 122F / 50F with winds that were even hotter. A freakishly hard race.

My job in all of this was to be one of his 4 support crew. As support crew we stopped every 2 miles during the race to change my hubby’s fluids – making sure he kept drinking – and keeping them iced up (after 2 short miles a bottle filled with ice came back really warm), also changing his head gear and neck scarf to new freshly cooled ones.

A huge part of our job was keeping him cool. Another huge part was keeping him hydrated, sunscreened and feeling well. We also tended to his blisters, aching muscles and ran or walked with him to keep him on pace, which ended up being for almost 90 miles as he had a very unexpected failing of his quads and the last 90 miles were anywhere from very painful to excruciating for him.

We’d prepare food and encourage him to eat – you’d think he’d be ravenous and craving calories but when you are exerting yourself that much you don’t have much of an appetite – keeping his calories up was an important job.

We had to keep everything on ice. Chap sticks would melt in record time.

There were no small jobs, especially as we were also having to keep ourselves healthy, hydrated, sunscreened, cool and nourished – a flailing crew member would have meant more work for the rest of the crew.

So, to say I had some anxiety about this race beforehand was an understatement. Had i spent enough time in the sauna heat training? Had I ran / walked enough hills? Was I in good enough shape to do my share of the pacing? Could I drink enough fluids to stay hydrated in the desert (apparently 4 litres if you were just sitting around!)? I had read all the warnings in the park? I had read about heat stroke and hyponatremia (drinking TOO MUCH water). I had enough information and not enough experience to feel like this race was a huge and daunting responsibility and risk to my husband and crew if I did anything wrong.

So, why so epic?

Take a look at what I experienced:

Badwater1

Badwater2

The views were stunning! And the sunset! And the moon rising! And the stars!

But more than that, 97 incredible athletes and their crews, from all around the world, came together and became part of something REALLY BIG. A great adventure. And it was fantastic.

Even my hubby who was in immense pain never wanted this race to end. We all got to experience this amazing National Park in slow motion.

When do we get to experience anything in slow, purposeful motion anymore?!

Here we are at the finish line. An athlete that had to dig deeper than he has ever had to before, and put his body, and even more so his mind, to the test in order to finish this gruelling race. And a crew that believed in him 100% and worked for 35 hours straight (not including the day of prep) to help get him to that finish line.

Badwater3

This was our view at the finish line at Mt. Whitney Portal as we ate burgers, sipped soda’s and beers and dozed in the mid-day sun which was much kinder on us at 8000ft than at sea level.

Badwater4

And here’s me and hubby after the race where we are stood quite awkwardly because I am trying to stay as far away from his poor aching, bllstered feet as possible.

So, August, you’ve got something special to live up to!!

Let’s get our thinking caps on.

And what about you? Where is your next adventure?

Put your mind to it and make yourself a plan. You’re worth it.

Hugs, Vicky xxxx

We have tipped into the second half of 2016.

And as I hang out in the Northern Hemisphere it is now summer – yeah!!!!

But first, how was the first half of the year for you?

Glad it’s over? Meh? The usual? Fabulous?

Well, here’s what I’m suggesting….. let’s aim higher – a lot higher – than “Meh” and “the usual”.

Let’s take a resounding stand for making July and August “the best e.verrrrr” (and yes, it was meant to sound a bit teenager-ish, why should they have all the fun?!)

And why only July and August?

Firstly, for us Northerners it’s SUMMERTIME and I for one am extremely excited because I’m in Canada and come September summer is slinking away already.

And, secondly, September feels like the start of a New Year what with school going back and, like I mentioned before, colder days rolling in, so at that time I’ll be rolling out a super sweet planning session for those last few months of the year so we can finish this year of the Sweet ’16 like Superstars!! Put your name in the running for Superstardom here and I’ll let you know when the planning session is ready to get a-planning.

But for now we will focus on July and August.

What do you want to get out of the next 55 days?

I want to be well rid of my hermit shell of winter and socialize tons. I want to enjoy early summer mornings and eat breakfast on the deck. I want lazy days where we, as a family, lay around with our heads propped up on each others backs and in a house with 4 females, we braid hair until we are tired of it. I want to be a tourist in my own city of Toronto. I want to show up ready and fully present to crew an epic ultra marathon my husband is running – Badwater 135. I want to improve my style and get some new clothes – it’s long over due. I want to prepare and eat lots of summer foods – bbq’s, fruits and salads.

So, no major goals for me, but a series of small ones that will feel like a summer well lived.

What will it be for you? Write it down. Keep it close by. Read it often. If you don’t read it often you will forget about what is inspiring you right now and you’ll let “the usual” take over.

If you don’t want to get to August 31 and report back to me that July and August were just “the usual” or “meh” then you have to put your attention on what you do want and take action accordingly.

Do the work. You’re worth it.

Hugs, Vicky xxx

Month: July 2016

Danger, Extreme Heat and 135 Miles – Oh my!!

Having a Sweet ’16?

Let’s take a resounding stand for making July and August “the best e.verrrrr” (and yes, it was meant to sound a bit teenager-ish, why should they have all the fun?!)

What do you want to get out of the next 55 days?

If you don’t want to get to August 31 and report back to me that July and August were just “the usual” or “meh” then you have to put your attention on what you do want and take action accordingly.