OMG, this bacon is amazing, I thought to myself last weekend. And cheese quesadillas and Oreos too! These were all of my favorite aid station foods.
Crazy Amy and I hit the trails again recently for another 50K trail race in upstate New York.
The weather was perfect (sunny with a highs in the low 80s, though the course was mostly shaded running through the forest), the scenery was amazingly diverse (waterfalls, meadows, mountains, and woods), and the course was tough!
Over 4,000 stairs, plus steep mountains to climb.
Diligent like always, Crazy Amy actually trained for this race for months.
On the other hand, I registered just because the race sounded fun and would be a good excuse for a girls weekend with my friend.
I did NOT train for the race like I should have. Instead, I went on long Saturday walks in the month leading up to the race. Hey, it was better than nothing.
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As with every long race I have done, what got me through 25 miles of the course, was my eager anticipation to reach the next aid station.
Although time is of the essence in these long races because of the strict cutoff times, I still love the quick breaks the aid stations provide AND the food they offer. I “treat” myself to foods that I normally would not eat on a regular basis, such as bacon, cheese quesadillas, and Oreos—the meal of champions!
Knowing that the next aid station is “just” 5-7 miles away also means that I do not have to carry all of my food and hydration with me for the entire race. I know that I can refuel, rehydrate, and resupply, change, etc. at the next stop. In other words, I can make necessary adjustments in a short while.
Similarly, our newly launched Client Care Program takes the pressure off of our clients to make the “perfect” planning decisions today because by participating in the program, they will be treated to complimentary annual reviews of their plan with our office. These reviews afford the opportunity to make updates to their plan and review their assets to ensure that everything is in order to avoid a future probate.
In other words, we encourage clients to make “solid” estate planning decisions today based on their current situation, reassuring them that they can make updates at any time and, in fact, together, we will be proactively reviewing their plan again in another year as a Client Care Program member.
In total, I “hit” five well-stocked aid stations before deciding to “tap out” after walking for eight hours and 25+ miles (my watch said 27 miles!). Perhaps I could have completed the entire 50K distance (32 miles) but I was satisfied with my distance considering that I did not train for the race.
Of course, Crazy Amy finished her 50K with time to spare. I’m so proud of her!
Kristen “Aid Station Junkie” Marks
