SP50 was an incredible day. A day that I knew I was capable of for so long, even if my past performances would speak the opposite. I have known for years that my stomach and throat were doing things that were A.) not normal and B.) extremely detrimental for me to be able to run even remotely well fit long distances. My stomach issues caused complete derailments in every single ultra for 5+ years. I refused to believe it was normal GI distress or attributed to just poor hydration or nutrition management. About 2 years ago I made a breakthrough in discovering/ piecing together my weird symptoms. After a lot of random internet research I knew the issue I had was that I couldn’t burp. It sounds crazy, and I had more doctors than I could count say the same thing. But eventually I went straight to the leading doctor of this weird syndrome called R-CPD in Chicago. 18 months after figuring out what was wrong with me, I was finally able to get treatment through a Botox procedure in my throat this past March. Almost immediately I was burping and relieving symptoms with ease. I knew that this could unlock so many doors for my running. I could now eat and drink and run freely while being able to manage bloating symptoms. I knew that fixing my stomach issues was only one piece of the puzzle to success. This race required execution and grinding. It was a battle and a challenge, one which I embraced. I leaned on my experience and belief in myself and my ability to do something special. I knew what I was capable of, even if those goals didn’t make sense to most people. My closest friends know I threw out a crazy time goal for this race that was 2 hours faster than I’ve ever ran at the distance. Somehow it all came together and I hit that goal. It was a pleasure battling all day with Jacob, and we brought out the best in each other! Special thanks to the friends out there giving me energy and support! I’m really proud of this one and have no shame in letting people know how happy I am with a performance that means so much to me. #wmwranglers #SP50 📸: @shitinthewoods (at Squaw Peak) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQJ2YJOHm3w/?utm_medium=tumblr
