Blog Post:  by Jill

We are 5 weeks in and I am just leaning in to contribute to our Grand Trailfest training journal.

The challenges of the training go beyond the quick steps on hot pavement; out maneuvering the invisible spider webs in the early morning hours; avoiding prickly, clinging bushes as we trail-blaze through uncharted fields; swatting away hungry mosquitoes; timing our training to finish before the sun tops the trees; or regulating fatigued bodies through 3 consecutive days of long-distance training. It is about doing this journey together.  So when the 4 am alarm beckons us to wobble out of bed and wipe the stardust out of our eyes, we are certain our training sista, will be waiting.

When the 3 days of consecutive training are logged in, we literally collapse in a puddle and hole up for a few days. Neither one of us admitting that we haven’t moved in 24-48 hours. We eventually check in mid-week, to find out that we have sneaked in some additional activity. By this time in the week, Jane is rested and has researched more Grand Trail-fest blogs, articles on technical running (which sounds scary) and trekking in Mt. Everest altitudes. Armed with this knowledge, she sets up our weekend boot camp filled with technical training on trails and terrain yet to be discovered. This weekend there is a foreshadowing of hills and sand. Oh my…bless her heart!

Peace, love

Jill