I'm baaaaaaaack!

 It's been over five years since my last post, which was literally another lifetime ago.  To catch you up, I got my revenge on Bear by finishing Javelina Jundred 100 miler the next month 💕

Shortly after that peak in my life, everything went downhill - like from Crown King, AZ down to the boat ramp where the race starts.  I moved back to Texas because of my mom and went through five years that I can only describe as my "dark days".  The good news is I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Current Goal:  Arkansas Traveller 100 miler (October 2 - 3)

Current Status:  Overweight, but somewhat decent shape for size.  Run/Walking instead of all out runs because of said size.

Synopsis of recent months up to present day:  2020 was rough.  I got a Peloton which was probably the highlight of the year.  COVID hit and when combined with the last bit of my dark days, the months felt like years.  I had a small burst of refocus this summer, but it fizzled out just like the in person races did.  Everything turned virtual and I could only "run" so many of those because of my shiny object syndrome and how easily I get bored.

2020 was also full of excuses.  I didn't feel good.  I twisted my ankle.  I banged my knee.  (both of those weren't bad and I could've pushed through them)  My hormones were off.  My thyroid was acting up.  I didn't get enough sleep.  I was hungover.  I was depressed.  I forgot my shoes.  I can go on and on, but you get the gist.

January 2021 - I made a lot of life changes.  I'm not doing it to jump on the bandwagon - I'm making these changes because I've made the conscious decision to focus on AT100 like I focused on Bear/JJ100 in 2015.  It's time for a reboot and Amanda 2.0.  I have a lot farther to go because I don't have the baseline I had back then, but I do have the experience.  Some cobwebs need to be cleared, but that knowledge is somewhere in the back of the brain. 

In the last couple of weeks my mileage has increased and trails have said "Hello!"  Instinct tells me to scoff at the amount of mileage that is currently on my plate and considered an increase, but I have to stop comparing the current to the past.  I need to treat it as a completely separate life and only take with me the lessons learned and knowledge gained.  It's time to keep the momentum set in the last couple of weeks, let go of the excuses and get back to the grind.

-A