Adventure.Angle

02/01/2024

02/01/2024

Go straight through it… The hardest loss to embrace is yourself… at least a version of yourself you were for so long.
Something we don’t often talk about is integration that happens over time… if you’re training and racing… true adaptations to your muscles during recovery in the days and random moments after the activities…
Similarly with the personal transformation journey… which for me, happens to coincide with my trailrunning and racing… so on any given race, I’m not listening to headphones, choosing what to accept about myself and choosing what to release and let go… all while in a multi-hour runners high…
And, then, just like our muscles adapt and contract over time… so does our mind, body, soul and emotions…
I woke up during the night around 3-4 am after my race and walked outside along a rushing river under the stars … and balled my eyes out… continuing to say bye to parts of myself holding back my new beginning.
And the floodgates opened again during my 3 hour drive home Sunday… And that’s completely normal.
Physical adaptions require muscle contractions, ice therapy, rollers, etc… emotional and spiritual adaptations require tears, self-love and acceptance, journaling, rest … and surprisingly also extra water.
Anyway, just want to normalize that growth is messy and isn’t a straight path. It’s hard when so much of starting anything new is THROUGH letting go past versions of ourself and past mindsets.
Therefore, its not by just trying harder as the world often preaches, but by also creating moments to feel, heal and say goodbye to what isn’t serving us, so we can fully step into the new.
Much of my time has been spent cutting cords to the past and you’ll be seeing much more of the new soon…
Just want to say that facing and accepting and then releasing the past parts of you that were trying to protect you (based on past trauma) is just important or more… than charging into the new.
The path to the new is cleared only by learning the lessons of releasing our past… through the art of ultra… in the shadows and the dark.

01/31/2024

Somewhere along the line we seem to have confused comfort with happiness.
Happy Trail Tuesday!
Who else has become fascinated with “Type 2 Fun?”
I picked up my kiddos as soon as I got back in town Sunday, with early school mornings, so my ultra just pivoted terrains…
Saturday was 8 hours and 9 minutes for 31.3 Miles and 7,500 feet elevation gain, making it my first race of the year leading up UTMB TDS in 🇫🇷 + 🇮🇹 in August—91 Miles, 30K feet gain.
Have been posting more from the weekend race on my stories and adding to “2024 Races.”
Quote by Dean Karnazes

01/22/2024

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.
Reminder for the new week to grateful for and fully live in … the present moment… even when it gets slippery.
I slid off the road on the ice today driving … and gripped the steering wheel with gratitude and the calmness I’ve trained myself to be able to have in those “ultra” moments… believing that it would somehow be ok… and it was, car wasn’t hurt and an angel of a stranger pulled me out with his chains.
I have realized as I’ve let go of what I used to believe about myself based on the past — and circumstances — and allow myself to show up differently… circumstances often end up turning out differently… or at least their impact on me and my inner peace.
Cheers to a week of opportunity waiting for us in the unknown… and as we allow ourselves to be in each present moment.
Quote by Jan Glidewell

01/15/2024

“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” — Germany Kent.
One step at a time, remembering it’s the moments that are for reinventing… And like rolling a ball of snow, it’s crazy how those moments stack up!
What is one small pivot you can make today in what you do, what you focus on, what you choose to feel, and what you choose to look for?
Happy Magic Monday and Martin Luther King Day from Knoxville’s first major snow of the year (Tennessee)!
MLK Jr. is a good reminder of the change that’s possible thru courageous moments — that go against the grain.

01/04/2024

A lot really can change in a year 🙌🥳
I’m thrilled to share a milestone in my journey – becoming a certified running coach! 🏃‍♂️💨
I’ll be running The South Mountains Marathons 50K in NC Saturday as Coach Jonathan Moody and as my own coaching client 😉… that’s one way to improve your relationship with yourself!
✨ 2023 Achievements:
• Completed 4 Races in UTMB World Series (including 1 DNF) 🌍 in CA, UT, VA, and 🇲🇽 Mexico!
• Pre-registered for UTMB Mont Blanc 🏔️
• Became Honey Stinger Athlete 🍯
🏆 Top 1% on Strava:
I’m excited to announce that in 2023, I logged over 539 hours of running, hiking, and strength training, ranking in the top 1% of Strava users worldwide! 🌐
🔮 What’s Coming:
Get ready for WonderSoul Running (available 🌏 virtual + in-person)! 🚀 Combining mindset coaching, running coaching, and holistic wellness, I’m diving into a transformative journey. 🌈
🌟 Vision for WonderSoul Running:
Transform yourself through consistent daily action. Unlock wonder and awaken your soul and love of the journey… one step at a time. As you train your body, transform the story you’re telling yourself. From trail running to road running, to mindfulness, breath-work and self concept, I’m crafting a space for you to fall in love with your unique journey and authentically level up your performance and self-identity thru every step. 🏞️
📆 Upcoming:
Launching workshops, virtual events, and collaborating with local partners in Knoxville (and virtual online). 💫 Stay tuned for a journey that fuels your life holistically!… pairing Movement + Mindset for lasting transformation while having fun and getting/staying fit!
🤔 Your Input Matters:
I’d love to hear from you! What’s your biggest barrier to self-awareness and fitness? Interested in WonderSoul Running? Let me know your thoughts, and stay tuned for more details! 🌈
Follow for updates and be part of a community that loves every step of the journey. 🌟💚

12/24/2023

🎄🫶May today—And Everyday—be fully of magic and wonder, as we shift what we look for and what we believe we are worthy of.
May we release and let go of what is not in alignment with our heart, with that magic and wonder.
And may we always remember that once we realize we can bring magic and light to the wilderness and to the darkness, we remove the power of fear.
May the “noise” of the Holidays fade as we receive the gift of choosing to show ourselves love, prioritize our peace … not to be selfish, but so we can overflow that to those around us.
I release all parts of my story - and what an ideal Christmas looks like - to be present in the moment, train 2 1/2 hours today after doing my best to prayer things for tomorrow, not striving for some ideal, but walking in and in being present in the miracle of now.
Merry Christmas 🎄 May you sense deep love and acceptance today and you feel at home, even if just within yourself.

11/19/2023

Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause.
Another aspect of the “art of ultra” I’ve been developing is intentionality around self care - proactively - rather than just when we feel we need it or when we’re fried.
And honestly, I’ve felt that since completing my race in Mexico. I’ve become a big fan of the concept of “yes, AND…”
Yes, I believe there are times where we get laser focused and do whatever it takes. I had a goal to have a qualifying finish of a 100K race by this month in order to qualify to register for the lottery for 2024 …
As a result, I didn’t fully heal my IT band after my first attempt at a 100K (finished past cutoff) so I intuitively healed it to a point and trained myself to run with moderate pain (and used ice spray during 🇲🇽 race).
And I hit my goal. AND I have bigger goals next year.
But I also need to check in and recalibrate my health and fitness—for an ultra 2024.
So I’m intentionally structuring movement that helps me heal, combined with other habits to layer on a solid foundation for next year.
I started to run a bit but felt some pain - so back to basics but still training… Friday: 1 hour hike and Saturday: 30 Min max treadmill and 30+min yoga and integrating meditation and even revamping my diet and just taking a step back while still moving forward. & I’m weaving in icing my knee/IT + more journaling.
How well do you intentionally integrate self care while still feeling you’re making progress?
Part of the art of ultra is realizing you can still make progress toward your goals by shifting strategies depending on where you are in the journey.
Who else will be adding a restorative/reflective, yet active component to the end of the year while building a firm foundation that will hold and sustain your accomplishment of goals in 2024?
Self Care AND the Grind… not either or…
And I’ve realized it’s an art more than a science.
Follow to join me in the daily journey of embracing the art of ultra in life and on trail, from the inside out.
Caption Quote: Cecilia Tran

11/13/2023

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
And how cool a finisher gift and metal can get.
Happy “Metal Monday”!
Proud of my first non-metal, woven “metal” from the Hikuri 100K (95K)
Sombrero definitely is the top of list so far for finisher gifts for me so far!
Thanks for your patience as I’ve been recovering the past week and been a bit less active online…
One week ago, Sunday, got my first “official” 100K finish on the books…
In Mexico.🇲🇽
As I’ve been recovering, I can attest this one definitely took me past my “limits,” while still showing there’s more for growth and further to grow in the journey ahead. … on the other side of much needed recovery and rest, which I’ve been simply doing my best with while juggling my kiddos and life/work responsibilities…
I’m grateful for the opportunity to practice being present in multiple different circumstances and environments!
Take this as your reminder to take at least one risk this coming week…
Caption quote: — T.S. Elliott
Follow to embrace the art of ultra in life, work & love, from the inside out 🙌🫶

11/10/2023

This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been.
After sleeping a few hours in my after my 4:27am finish Sunday morning, I woke up thinking of this avacado toast and macchiato from that I had vibed out Friday — and had friends there now!
But you probably figured out that this quote is about more that my race or my avocado toast…
Something I’ve observed, when I tell people about my work 100K in Mexico, they say they could never do that (and as long as they say that, they’ll be right).
Yet each of our lives is more unique that an endurance race in a foreign country, yet we ask directions from people on completely different paths…
And wonder why we feel misaligned, anxious and out of place.
Cheers to finding the quiet to hear your own directions, for me, it’s through things like running more than 21 hours thru the Mexican mountains, jungle and city, but you must find your own path, my friend.
I’m cheering you on!
And holy cow, that Avocado today was freaking good, it had fresh tomatoes and goat cheese.
Cheers to honing in on directions from your intuition and heart on what it means to live and love ultra — from the inside out.
Follow for nudges in that direction and to share my authentic journey from people pleaser and workaholic to someone in love with life, the present moment … and who went from never running a single race to qualifying for the most iconic trail race in the world, … within 13 months.
Sometimes ya gotta get quiet, find peace with yourself and whoever or whatever you believe in and figure out what your “ONLY” is.
The world is waiting for you.
Cheers friends!
Quote by Glennon Doyle

11/05/2023

3 Minutes to Spare… I DID IT! 7am until 4:27am (I’m a happy, grateful zombie right now).
Holy Cow, this race (I saw lots of cows btw 🤣 and lost track how many rivers I ran through).
So good and it was no joke (will share more soon). And I was managing a recovering IT band. But took it one moment at a time.
…
For 21 Hours and 27 Minutes, 3 Minutes before official cutoff.
I pushed myself so hard for that last hour, cried the moment I crossed the finish. … Extra emotional after staying positive after missing cutoff at Grindstone because of IT band injury.
I got my UTMB 100 K/M Index and am now qualified for all races at World Finals next Fall, including the UTMB 100-Miler thru Alps. Lottery is next month and I now have 8 running stones (equivalent to lottery entries for registration).
More to come, guess I’ll try to get some sleep - after moving for 21 1/2 hours and then stopping, it’s like, “what now?” 🤣
We each are so strong and accomplish so much with a little extra self push and self belief.

10/13/2023

We all travel the Milky Way together, trees and men.
We decided to stay after our hike tonight over fall break because we were in an International Dark Sky Park…
Our eyes shifted from the fall foliage to the sky above which became a whole other world about 45 minutes after sunset…
So glad I could experience this with the kids… with a focus on the stars.
We’ve backpacked there before had a lot going on. Today we made space for wherever the journey led.
Location: Wild & Scenic Obed River National Park
An hour yet a world away from Knoxville, TN…
Quote by John Muir