While this might sound like an #ad it isn’t. It’s just me sharing about the reality of the last four days.

I wasn’t sure how much running I’d get up to at trail camp, so I made sure to bring my @altrarunning hikers along. They got me up the dunes and through the canyons without the weight and bulk of heavy leather boots, and accommodated my running spurts with ease too.

Even so, it was hard on my ego to be in these beautiful places while not feeling up to running through it all. For full disclosure, I was also struggling with what I think was mild food poisoning or a stomach bug.

As I fell into bed exhausted each night I kept thinking about the #ThisIsARunnersBody campaign of a few weeks ago, and I’m reminded that this body/I can only be where I am in any moment, so it’s better to be as present as possible instead of missing the good stuff because I’m off in my head pining for some distant glory where I can ‘do it all.’

As my mother used to say, ‘it’s no use sitting around with your lips poked out’ and she was right. I took my time, hiked – and ran some – more low key than usual, but my heart was no less full in the end.