On the road again!

Good morning!

It is 3:30 AM here in the Tetons! I am working on finishing the rest of the training schedules for this week and then will get on my spin bike for 1.5 hours:)

My training is still going good. Monday I did a stretch cord workout with my friend Barb Lindquist to help with swimming, well I will use it to replace swimming and have to tell you, it is one amazing workout. Now I can swim even in my hotel room!!!

Today we leave for TEXAS!!! 3 of us are driving to the RR 50 and 100 mile trail races in Huntsville Texas, it should be a fun road trip. To be honest I like to drive these days, seems that with so many airport delays and connections that have to be made you get there by car in about the same amount of time. I hope I don't have to drive first, I have only had a few hours of sleep each night this week so I am all over that nap time!

Dreamchasers has 25 past and present runners, running in one or the other of RR races. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone. I will be pacing Bob Becker who is 62 years young through his first 100 miler!
My plan is to run the last 60 miles with him if I can keep up. Bobs on target for 24 hours!!!

Have a wonderful day and God Bless!

Lisa

Mountain Climb turns into bike ride!

Hi everyone..

You have to read this from my friend Joe D. He was sending us emails from his blackberry on the mountain so we could keep up with his journey! Your to funny Joe..we are so glad you Mountain climbing turned bike ride was a great success!!!

We flew (Pat Singh and I ) into Mendoza after reading a few climbing books (No short cuts to the top) and (Deep Survival).We now knew it was dangerous but could it be harder than an Ironman? We didn't think so....So we get to Mendoza and are stuck in a tiny room for two days waiting for the other 6 climbers. (Waste of valuable training time)We leave Mendoza to start an acclimitization to Puente Del Inca at 2800 meters for another waste of a day...We were not allowed to run!Next day we head to Confluenza at 3300 meters to kill another two days doing a short slow 3 hour hike! Over 2 days a 3 hour hike?Next we head to base camp about a (8 hour hike) to spend 4 nights at 4300 meters.....So now we have been confined to 25 square feet for 7 nights.....and have still done nothing....The tents incidentally spend most of their time elevated off the ground blown around by the winds.....We are now ready to climb....we head up to 5000 meters to spend a night at camp Canada.....it is now getting exciting as one of our group was pulled off the mountain by a doctor which landed us the bonus of Adam in our 2 person tent.After that fun evening we headed up to camp Nido at about 5500 meters.....finally the sun was out and we could waste 2 days at camp Nido acclimitizing! The 70 KM winds had finally subsided so that we could sleep.But who could sleep? That's all we had been doing!We then headed for 6000 meters to acclimitize some more!!!! This was the toughest of camps as the wind and snow had entered our tent for the night....We woke up or I should say climbed out of our tent at 4:00 a.m. For our summit attempt only to see lightening everywhere....while out of our tent it nearly blew off the mountain.....We climbed to 6300 meters before the guides turned us back....This was a critical point as I was unsure (as most dead climbers are) as to whether or not I would just go up anyway......it was apparantly as easy as telling the guide sorry I'm going anyway....Thankfully we listened and headed back to 6000 meters.....That is where we were told we could wait for better weather.....That is where we decided to just bicycle to better weather.....We left 6000 meters at 10:00 a.m. We arrived at the beaches in Chile 34 hours later about 280 k away with head winds that I have never experienced before.....non stop headwinds in any direction we headed. Our bikes would stop short down hill!!!Mountain climbing is for the birds...they clearly like hanging out in high places...we are now acclimitizing at sea level in Vina Del Mar Chile!!!!my phone is in and out will be home in a day....

Update and letter from Wanda!

Hi Lisa~

You have the nicest friends/clients! To think so many took the time to write me a nice card with such uplifting encouragement and send such nice gifts…well that is straight from God. I loved the family photos and pictures colored by Bella and other children ~ THANK YOU all so much. I so appreciate the thoughtfulness and kindness from so many and I will never forget what they did to make me feel better. I am so grateful for the many prayers asking God to heal me. If I may say so myself, I am a true miracle! The fact that I had only broken bones, with no internal injuries which required no surgery is a true blessing! Often times my mind went to places that were frightening, what ifs, what could have been. When my mind went there I would immediately reject it turn it into prayer and thank God for sparing my life realizing how differently the outcome could have been.

I continue to do PT in the pool which is fantastic and exercises at home to increase the range of motion in my legs and left shoulder. I’ve gone from walker to cane and some days no assistance at all. Today after three weeks of PT my therapist was so thrilled at the improvement I made. She re-evaluated my strength & range of motion noting I did better than she thought I would. The next round of exercise out of the water is going to be tough and I’m ready. I want to get back to work, however don’t feel strong enough just yet. I’m doing some work from home which keeps me occupied during this cold winter weather. So Rielee and I hang out all day and it seems whenever I look at his cute Golden Retriever face I thank him for his part in saving my life. This event has opened my eyes to the value of life, the relationships in my life and how important they are to me and me to them. Mike has been by my side and here for me through this whole thing. I’m sure you already know what a wonderful man your brother is. I am blessed and grateful to have such a good man in my life.

Finally Lisa, I love you! I love your goodness; I love what you do for so many people all over the world. The effect you have on others is so positive ~ you bring out the best in us by allowing us to witness the goodness you do for others. Thanks for believing in me.

Love you to the moon and back ~ Wanda

Secure Your Place for Marathon des Sables 2008 & 2009!

There is little to describe the wonder and amazement you will experience by participating in the Marathon des Sables. The race has become so popular and I am pleased that we are now able to offer you the opportunity to pre-register for the 2008 & 2009 events.

Click here to learn more:
http://www.dreamchaserevents.com/Des%20Sables/mds2008.htm

I am really trying to manage my e-mail, so may I ask you to direct any questions you have about this to info@dreamchaserevents.com . Trust me, you will get a very well-informed answer!

All about Tea!

Good morning!

I have been drinking tons of tea and reading up on the best tea for you. The scoop is that tea contains powerful antioxidants called flaovonoids that might make a huge difference in your health.
A cup of tea contains the same amount of flaovonoids -or more- as a serving of many fruits and vegetables.
White, green and black tea come from the same plant, but the leaves are processed differently.
The end result is that these 3 distinct colors and tastes offer a host of health benefits!

I love white tea! It is sweet and light in taste and it fights bacteria and viruses. The rule of thumb is to drink two cups a day of either white, green or black tea for optimum health.

*It is 4am and I am about to get on my bike trainer, this is the best time of the day for me to train:)

Hope you have a great day!

I leave you with this:

Desiderata....

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.As far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit.If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs;for the world is full of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself.Especially, do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,and whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.Be cheerful.Strive to be happy. Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

This is Great!!!

From a coaching client:

Hi Lisa! Thought I'd share something I learned today during my workout... Tolerance...for discomfort. What many people describe as pain during exercise may be better defined as discomfort. Pain, to me, means you're hurting yourself to the detriment of your body. Like an injury. I have realized the phsycial discomfort gets to a certain level and then never worsens. If you can tolerate it for a minute, or so, may longer, it turns into nothing more than a nuisance. I think the mind eventually processes it and it no longer is the primary focus. This occurred tonight not only while swinging those 5 pound dumbells on the treadmill powerwalking 5.5mph (my poor deltoids!), but jumping rope for 3 continuous minutes without stopping. My calves were screaming, but after about 2.5 minutes into the jr, I forgot about it and refocused. Don't get me wrong, thirst, hunger, sickness, etc. during endurance events are cues that need immediate attention, but I'm just talking about the muscle discomfort. It's amazing what the body and mind can do. I just thought I'd share since you're one of the few that I know that can appreciate this. Good night! :)

Our friend Don Meyer

Good morning to you all. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I did. Yes..I did get the long swim, the 3 hour bike and the 2 hour run in, all in 1 day! Then the next day I was able to skate ski and climb a very long hill (40 min. up) the next. Not even sore..this is such a shock:):)

I have a prayer request. I don't know if you who read this believe in the power of prayer but I do and through this blog we have all seen miracles happen!

Don Meyer is a very good friend of ours, a fellow ultra runner and past coaching client. Don is one of our best supporters for all us when it comes to helping fund raise! Next to all of this Don is one the best humans that has ever walked this earth and you might hear him yelling FIRE UP on a trail some day..He is always happy!!

Below is an email from Don to me about his 3 year old grandson Cade. When I read this all I could think about was we all need to pray, we need a miracle here!!

Dear Lisa,
Our family is devastated... my Grandson (Cade - 3 yrs. old) was so dizzy he couldn't walk last Wed., after 2 days of tests it is determined he has "intrinsic brain stem glioma".... Dr. told us Friday night he has 4 months to a year to live... (I am choking while I write this...), because of the location in the brain stem the choices are limited and not very effective for a cure.... He lives a mile away from me, is our best friend, etc. Oh, how your life can change in one week... We have always called him our little angel. Please pray for him..
God Bless you and your family, Don

I ask you all to pray!

Lisa

May training Camp

Sorry about giving you 2 posts in one day but...so many of you have sent me emails asking questions about the May training camp in Death Valley that I put on with my good friend
Marshall Ulrich.

This is an amazing experience is so many ways.

The VIP day for the camp is SOLD OUT!

The deadline to get 10% off the camp was Jan. 15th but we are going to extend this date to Feb. 1st.

So if you want to get the discount sign up soon.

Lisa
http://www.lisasmithbatchen.com/camps/ultra_camps.htm

amazing race report and funny!

Hi all!

My Ironman training is still going:) Thursday I rode 2 hours on my bike in the garage at 5am, then do 1 hour run with hill repeats in the afternoon!

Have to tell you I am sore..but determined.

Tonight I am going to do a 1.5 mile swim, 56 mile on our bike trainers and then 2-3 hour run/walk. Maybe this will help kick the body back. It was amazing when I sat on the bike for 2 hours how fast the time went, actually I thought it was going to be so much harder.

It is still so cold here in the Tetons!

Below is a great race story for you to read about 2 of my women coaching clients who are both going to run the MDS in March.

Have a blessed weekend,

Lisa




At this point precisely one month ago, Patrice Clapacs and I dramatically completed the Round Rotherham 50-miler. A more apt name for the race probably would have been “over the river and through the woods 50-miler.” Okay, first things first, I am a virgin ultra-marathoner, unlike my seasoned training partner Patrice, but for some reason, 3 weeks before Christmas, Patrice thought it would be a brilliant idea to run a 50-mile race as we step up our training for the 2007 Marathon Des Sables in Morocco. Sounds reasonable, I suppose, but when you read of what actually took place, you’ll probably conclude that it may not have been the best idea after all.

Before I continue with the excursion to Rotherham, let me introduce the 2 main characters: Patrice Clapacs born and raised in New York – lives in Central London with her husband, two children and chocolate lab. My name is Elizabeth Smith from Columbus, Ohio and for 2 ½ years, I have lived in Central London with my husband and chocolate lab.

Thanks to the introduction by Lisa Smith-Batchen, Patrice & I started to run together in the summer of 2006. In a city of 7.5 million people, Patrice & I miraculously live within 3 miles of one another and often had run similar courses before meeting – generally in London’s beautiful parks – Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens St. James Park, Green Park, Regents Park and the larger Heath in Hampstead. Let’s face it – if you’re running MDS – you need diverse routes, so Patrice & I have ventured through the autumn training schedule in our pursuit to complete the Rotherham 50-mile race. Our adventure began Friday, December 8th, at the Kings Cross Train Station in London which serves as a major hub for commuters heading North – we had luggage full of power gels, water bottles, running shoes (I think it rained nearly every day for a month leading up to December 9th, so 2 pairs of running shoes were taken as a precaution. We arrived at the train station in plenty of time to stop at the Bagel Factory to load on up on some more carbs, caffeine and water before we headed North. Just the 2 of us with our rucksacks (That’s what they call them here) full of training gear, we took over the entire shop – preventing anyone else from entering and the usual customers weren’t so happy with the two Americans at this point. If only they knew what we were doing – perhaps they would have offered to carry our bags or something. But no, the usual lack of personal space in the U K just made it all that more difficult to get our things and head for the train.

Fortunately we were smart enough to book tickets with assigned seats so we didn’t have to “rugby scrum,” as Patrice likes to say, for a seat. But unbeknownst to us – we were on an earlier train than the tickets were intended, but c’est la vie. We moved to the assigned seats with confidence and the drooling girl (we think from her drool, stench and foul breath she may have just finished a 50 miler and been dehydrated? NOT) to my right didn’t think a thing of it. This part of the journey was relatively normal and took roughly 2 hours to get to a town called Doncaster where we were required to change trains – seemed easy enough, right? But the language barrier and opaque details on the train schedule left us a bit confused and worried – it was getting dark! We were anxious to arrive at our final destination to relax and tuck in early. Finally, Patrice went to a train operator to make sure we were waiting on the right platform and while she thinks he said “this one is the next train to Rotherham,” – it came out something like this: “des hr id right trm, idnt it?” So we proceed with far less confidence than we began…onto a platform that was waiting for a train that honestly could have been the same train my grandfather travelled in 1944 when he was stationed in the UK for the US ARMY during WWII – this thing was vintage.

Less than 30 minutes later, we safely arrived in Rotherham, Patrice – very organized, grabs a card from her posh Dior purse with a # for taxis in this remote town in Yorkshire. Our taxi comes and drops us at a hotel that Patrice had booked – sight unseen but it was brand new, so it had to be clean, at least. Indeed it was and the staff were very friendly. But the taxi driver was by far the most interesting bloke we’d met thus far. He probably was around 26 or so, still living in the same sleepy town where he was raised and clearly he desperately wanted to learn about the lifestyle of two Americans living in London. We gave him Patrice’s mobile so that we could call him to transport us into and from the race (about 9 miles away). Since the race started at 6 a.m., we were in for an early day.

Mind you in December, on a good day, you might have 6 ½ hours of light – so we (well Patrice) were prepared with Petzl lights and small flashlights. What we were not prepared for was the terrain…..

Oh, I failed to mention that in addition to the course being off-trail, it was sparsely marked, so Patrice smartly grabbed a map, but I didn’t really think much of it – thinking that we would just team up with others on the course and stick with them as long as possible.

So, at 6 a.m, we left the local college where the race began with Peter, a Yorkshire man of about 58 who runs ultra marathons on every continent and nearly every other week! He completed Leadville in 2006. We also met Anna from Reading (England, not Pennsylvania) who had probably never run more than 13 miles at one time, but was enticed to do the Rotherham run with her boyfriend Ken/Kevin – we never did quite figure that one out. Regardless, we stuck with this crew for the first 10 miles until the first stop. Patrice & I already had blisters from the damp terrain. We felt a bit like Army cadets in some remote training camp – maybe Fort Knox, running through stream, navigating rocks and slipping more than actually running. Let’s take a look at the first 10 miles – just a few words that line the map (see adobe attachment of pictorial view of course).



“Don’t go under bridge,” “cross road follow surfaced path to canal,” “turn left along concrete track,” “through gate (or cross stile on left) path between fences.” Okay, enough – you probably get the point. And by this point, you realized that not only is this a 50-mile race in the middle of nowhere in Northern England – it’s a CROSS COUNTRY RACE!
Did I mention, I’ve only done one off-road race in my life in July 2006 in Switzerland and it was BRUTAL. Patrice was far more mentally prepared for this adventure and probably because she researched beforehand and had completed much more challenging races in Hong Kong in the past. I envisioned this race to be somewhat like the Chicago marathon – just twice around.

So, we safely departed Checkpoint #1 after munching on some really good cookies and adding compeed on our soaking wet feet. We still had nearly 20 miles before the “big stop” where we could change socks & shoes. I was not in the best frame of mind at this point, but this chap Peter was a veteran of this Rotherham race and he regaled us with stories of his recent adventures in the US – he’d been to Aspen in September – so I tried to focus on the golden Aspen leaves falling from the beautiful trees and not think about my soaking wet, muddy, 30 lb feet. Oh, I should also mention that Peter knew exactly when to walk v. run and we followed his lead. Mainly, if hills were very steep – we walked and when we were crossing farmland on a narrow foot-path (afar different than what us American s call footpath) that was so muddy we couldn’t get our footing. Peter had us walk. Oh, well this is probably as good a time to mention that this would be Tumble #1 for me, down a narrow muddy trail. I fell into a side of a hill and this time only bruised my ego – just Peter saw – Patrice was too far ahead to notice. My black tights and black Sugoi jacket were covered in mud – and shortly thereafter my pride was back and in fact, I was beaming with it – I now looked like a real trail runner. I didn’t bother to clean it off as I was fearful I’d lose Patrice and I would be in big trouble – she had the map! We followed a series of other not-so-clear directions to another checkpoint, getting slightly lost once and at Checkpoint #2 – mile 17 we decided to chat a bit with a lovely couple who had just come back from NYC where they ran the marathon. We shoved some candy into our mouths and re-filled water and the next minute, we headed out – as we soon saw runners who had begun an hour after us coming up behind us. We also lost Peter at this point, so the city girls were on their own. Checkpoint #3 wasn’t too far away and we would have run a marathon by this point. The course became far more suitable for horse and cows than humans, especially those attempting to run. Here’s where the wheels started to come off… Pay attention – this part is really good. As we ran through the series of farms, each were separated by stiles which we were required to climb and jump and after about the 6th one, I lost my balance and came down on my left ankle – fell into the mud (probably cow manure) and started to cry – not out of pain, but out of anger. I was afraid that the race for me would be over and I was terribly upset. Patrice sees what happens and quickly jumps the stile behind me and innocently leaves her hand on what appears to be a white nylon rope…unfortunately, it was an electric fence. The shock sends waves to her knees and they buckle. We both just start to laugh hysterically – me lying in cow dung – her frying like a piece of bacon. It’s precisely at this point that Patrice’s phone rang. We thought alas a phone call from family/friends checking on our progress (which in hindsight they never would have, as they think we’re certifiably mad); but instead a call from our beloved taxi drive, checking in on us to see how we were getting on! He called several times subsequently, safely got us to the train that evening to head home, told us he’d like to come visit us in London and actually called later that week, but prudently, Patrice ignored the call – fearing the inability to translate (recall – they speak English in Yorkshire, just not a dialect we’re familiar with) or possibly the bloke could be a mad stalker. Back to the race, runners pass us by and we cannot stop laughing. I finally got up and at first I couldn’t walk, but after walking for about 10 minutes through the remainder of the English “footpaths” I start to run – think that I will take myself out at the next checkpoint and let Patrice carry on. I tied my shoes tighter – stretched, grabbed some cookies and we carried on – together. Oh, but we lost page 3 of our map, which directs us the next 12 miles. Yes, you read that correctly – the two chics who got lost with the map in hand, now had no map. So Patrice kindly asks for directions from one of the blokes at the Checkpoint. Yet what she heard sounded something like this: “Ot see,s tjat ot pv\er tjer/ “ Well, the good news is that we run into more runners and we’re not too far from the BIG CHECKPOINT where we envision our clean socks & shoes happily waiting for us. We could not wait. We also figured there would be a good chance of finding a map, so that we weren’t entirely “blind.” As it turns out, the map did us no favours anyway – more on that later.

The ½ way checkpoint was great – clean shoes, clean socks, some deodorant – we were ready to roll. The ankle was swollen but nothing a few additional Advil couldn’t cure. Lo and behold – MORE STUPID STILES! I thought I was going to stop right there but instead, we took the stiles just as our 85 year old grandmothers would do – gently and slowly, we meandered over them. It was at this point that Patrice and I wondered if a good pair of wellies may not have been a better choice for footwear. The running shoes, after just a mile, had collected so much mud and rock (and who knows what else). Our next big landmark was something called the Roche Abbey. Well that sounded nice and surely, we could find that. Okay, our luck was changing – we actually found it with little trouble and it was spectacular – honestly, we felt like we were in one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – Wife of Bath?

Unfortunately, our Bliss (and no, not the posh NYC products we bathed with earlier that morning) ended as we got lost for the second time, but fortunately for us, we didn’t seem to lose too much time. We were running in a churchyard/cemetery (quite common in the UK) and the directions led us to “ahead, not main road.” SO clear, eh?

But soon enough, we were at our next checkpoint. We were really hungry by this point. It was Mile 40 and the sun was quickly fading. In addition to the regular dose of gummy bears we carried with us, we took the opportunity to eat something more substantial – I had tuna on white and Patrice had peanuts. Clearly, straight sugar could only take us so far – Mile 40. Okay, so we met some guy just before the stop who has a tiny little dog, just like the one on Frasier, who is running by his side. We stayed with him for as long as we could but our 8/2s were getting slower and slower and the mud seemed to getting heavier. Where was the asphalt? It was at this very point that we made the most fatal error – we should have maintained pace with the guy & his dog as it was at this point that we got lost – again. The next big landmark (which was big by all accounts) was completely out of site. We felt so alone – no other runners were near and we hadn’t a clue which way to turn through the fields. After seeking direction from local farmers out on their Saturday walk, we carried on and ultimately found Hooten Roberts and two other guys who seemed similarly confused. As the sun completely set we were comforted to have a couple of two other blokes to keep us company – but that didn’t last long – they were in no position to carry on, so Patrice and I were alone again.

We carried on thinking we couldn’t be far and surely we will find others to join us. The next 3 miles felt like 20 and we were not confident at all that we were headed in the right direction. We ultimately reached the final checkpoint before the finish. The same group at the first checkpoint are at the last and when we arrived they were so happy to see us. They were surprised that we had fallen so far behind and were terribly concerned that something had happened to us. We munched down on some more cookies and carried on for another 3.5 miles. Or so we thought. It was pitch black, so we pulled out our lights and did more of a walk/run at this point, than a run/walk. We were absolutely fine for about a mile and then after passing a group of 15 year old “hoodies” drinking their Strongbow (local beer), we became a little nervous about our safety. We picked up the pace but unfortunately missed a turn. We ended up at a train station and searched/ran for 10-15 minutes and ran the wrong way. We circled back and ultimately got on the right trail again and carried on. Ok, we’re only 2.5 kilometres away – how can we possible mess this up?????? Sparing you the detail, we did. We found ourselves on a main road in town, asking directions from the guys at the Kebab House. They didn’t have a clue. And our patience was wearing thin. We carried a fabulous sense of humour with us throughout the race, but at 5:30 at night, I can honestly say, we had had it. Who has a course set up that isn’t more effectively marked and clearly mapped? We ran around, what was probably 2 miles, trying to figure out how we went wrong. We re-traced our steps and discovered the error and moved on. This would have been our last error and finally we arrived back at the DVC Sports Facility. The guy with the Little Frasier dog was at the finish line waiting to make sure that the two American girls arrived safely.

What Are Some Dreamchasers Up to these Days?

Hi everyone!

Well I started my Ironman training tonight:) I made it 1 mile in the pool and did a 2 hour run/walk with core work today. It was minus 10 degrees at 1pm when I went outside..and this is without the wind chill!

Anyone want to pace at the Rocky Raccoon 100?

Best,

Lisa

Dreamchaser Frank Fumich Goes for Mt. Aconcagua’s Summit
Frank Fumich is well on his way to the summit of Aconcagua. I am so excited for Frank to have this opportunity – he has trained hard and he is surrounded by the best: Marshall Ulrich, Terri Schneider, Rich Shear, Louise Cooper, and Nancy Bristow. You can check out www.theferrisfiles.com for updates on the climb.

I just checked this site and listened to Frank’s audioblog. Boy was I surprised to learn that this was the first time he had erected a tent! This is a guy who has summitted Mt. Rainier, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Elbrus in Russia. We’ll have to talk when he gets back!

Please pray for any storms to subside and the path to be clear, and the temperatures to be warm enough to allow a safe summit for these amazing friends!


Dreamchaser James Simone to Explore the Ho Chi Minh Trail on his Bike
James Simone is getting ready for a biking trip in Loas next month. He is going to be exploring new routes for future booked expeditions. He’s excited about the physical challenges before him and the opportunities to eat some really good food!


Dreamchaser Joe DeSena Kicks Off a New Races Series!
Please visit http://www.peak.com/, a site Joe and friends have recently launched. They have some great races and adventures coming up. Two I would highly recommend are the Pittsfield, VT Snowshoe Marathon and ½ Marathon on March 3, 2007 which includes a lobster and shrimp feast and a $500 cash prize to the top male and female AND the Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge on June 9, 2007. And fear not, Joe is keeping himself busy this month. He's on the same mountain as Frank and Marshall - Aconcagua!!!

______________________________________________
And for Some Night Time Reading…
As I coach, I sometimes receive an e-mail from one of my athletes reporting: ‘I am experiencing some pain…can I still work out?’

I don’t have a universal answer for this question. When a client experiences pain, I ask that he or she describe it to me in great detail. For example, a client recently reported that he was experiencing pain in his shoulder. I followed-up by asking him these questions before giving him further guidance: “Can you describe the pain? Is it at the top of the shoulder, the front, the back or the entire shoulder? Does it ache or is it a sharp pain or does it just hurt?” His responses allowed me to work with him to determine the best course of action.

This week, the NY Times had an interesting article entitled ‘When It’s O.K. to Run Hurt’ on the topic of working out while injured. I am not endorsing the recommendations these doctors are making – just putting them out there as food for thought.

Excerpt from the article:
It sounds almost like heresy. The usual advice in treating injuries is to rest until the pain goes away. But Dr. Weinstein and a number of leading sports medicine specialists say that is outdated and counterproductive. In fact, Dr. Weinstein says, when active people consult him, he usually tells them to keep exercising.

To read the article in its entirety, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2ue6cg

Because Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal

One of the pure joys of being a coach are the daily updates I receive from clients who are living out dreams that just a short time ago seemed out of their reach.

Click here: http://lisasmithbatchen.com/testimonials2006.htm
to read about some of my incredible clients.

And if you want to add your own story (which would be fantastic!), please contact colleenwoods@hotmail.com and she will provide full instructions about submitting a testimonial.

Many thanks!!

--Lisa

Take a Second Look at this Photo…

Hello Again,

This morning I posted a photo of some beautiful children. Sister Mary Beth has kindly explained to me a bit more about this photo:

In the picture now on your site you see the little gray habit and hand holding the child's? That is Sr. Desta. Sr Desta’s job?...she goes in the morning to the little cement boxes where the kids sleep...wakes them up and brings them over to school for breakfast and lessons...each morning the kids always bring her more orphans who have arrived the night before...and in this picture she is signing up some new comers to the program...

It is another world...children raising children…

Please e-mail Sr Mary Beth at aidsorphansrising@yahoo.com to request a free copy of the eBook AIDS ORPHANS RISING. It is a wonderful book about the power of love and what it can do to help children in need.

Most sincerely,

Lisa

Nothing ever goes wrong in my world!

Hello,

My dear friend Sister Mary Beth has an uncanny sense of knowing when to send me a message. This week is one filled with some personal challenges for me, but Sister Mary Beth sent through a message that I can't ignore...her message?

Do all the good you can with what you have
...then, you can find the peace to believe:
Nothing ever goes wrong in my world!

So many of you have contributed to the Religious Teachers Filippini, for which I am so grateful. Please click here to read Sister Mary Beth's own letter of gratitude to you:
http://aidsorphans.blogspot.com/

Many, many thanks - and lots of strength and fortitude to find the peace that will unite us all,

Lisa

ps - Aren't these children in the photo just precious? Sister is sending more and more photos of the children who are benefitting from your generosity. I will continue to share these gems!!!

Read About How Tim Kjenstad's Run with a Purpose

I think by now, everyone knows how much each of my clients means to me. Here is a client who I work with by providing phone consultations, who has touched my heart by being a shining example of generosity and kindness. I offer him my sincerest condolences about the loss of his sister this summer and my sincerest gratitude about his willingness to run and help others afflicted with blood cancers.

I am so happy that Pinpoint Publications has chosen to honor his work with an article called 'Meet Your Neighbor: Tim Kjenstad', by Anne Lackomar. Please read about Tim, who has completed MdS and Badwater, and is ready to take on more!

http://ppplv.com/se/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=682

Follow-Up re: The International 24 hour Treadmill Championships

NOTE from LISA: 'I' and 'me' in the message below refers to Randy Gehrke, who is organizing this great fundraiser. Please consider participating! This is a follow-up to yesterday's Blog entry: http://lisasmithbatchen.blogspot.com/2007/01/great-challenge-and-cause-to-support-in.html
_______________________________________________

Follow-up Message from Randy Gehrke:

I've received quite a bit of interest in this fundraiser/run. A couple of changes are in order…

First of all, it will be an international event so the official title is "The International 24 hour Treadmill Championships." There is interest abroad and that is awesome!

Next, there will be an additional category for those who want contribute but not run for 24 hours. This idea was actually suggested by several other runners and it will be an hour run at a 15 percent grade(I think that’s max on most treadmills) We'll go ahead and establish a world record for that during this event. And if anyone is going for and knows what the current world record is, I'd like to know what it is.

So, in brief summary:
March 10/11--
Anywhere you like--
International 24 hour Treadmill Championships
entry fee/donation--
Solo $50.00
Relay $25.00 per team member
Hour at 15% grade $25.00 per entrant

Again, this is a fundraiser but at the same time, if you would like to go for the record, do so. Thank you all.

You can send fees/donations to me at:

Randy Gehrke
The Danelle Ballengee Fund
P.O. Box 745
Picabo, Idaho
USA
1-208-471-0021
mtnwrunner@yahoo.com

Great Challenge and Cause to Support in MARCH

National 24 hour Treadmill Championship... ALL ultrarunners...please read!

PLEASE NOTE: 'I' and 'me' in the message below refers to Randy Gehrke, who is organizing this great fundraiser.
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Message from Randy Gehrke:

Hello Everyone,

Please read this entire post as it relates to all and it could happen to anyone of us. Many of you know what happened to Danelle Ballangee trail running in Moab, Utah. If you don't, there is a good story at: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20061222/NEWS/61222011&searchID=73267154070231.

Danelle's Road to Recovery
To make a long story short, she slipped while she was shortcutting up a canyon and fell over several cliffs and severely broke her pelvis. She was by herself with her dog, Taz, and she ended up laying in the desert for 52 hours before she was rescued by SAR. Taz had lead the searchers to her from the trailhead--about 6 miles in. She was lifeflighted to Grand Junction where they examined her and because of the seriousness of the injuries, she was then flown to Denver by airplane. After an extensive surgery and hospital stay, she is now with her parents in Evergreen, Colorado where she is confined to a wheelchair for 3 to 6 months and then she will have to learn how to walk again. Danelle faces an extremely hard road ahead but like with ultras and adventure racing, she says, "I'm just taking one step at a time." And as you can imagine, her medical bills are staggering. Even so, she is confident that she will come back and race again.

Fundraiser for You to Participate In
So.....I am organizing a national fundraiser for her via the first, "National 24 hour Treadmill Championships." Here is how it will work.

It is set to start at 9:00 A.M. (mountain time) on the 10th of March. The runner or runners can do at anywhere they please. I belong to a gym here in Hailey, Idaho and they will be staying open for 24 hours to do this. We have seven treadmills and since a lot of the runners can't fathom to run for 24 hours,they will be doing it in a relay. My goal is to shoot for over 100 miles but more realistic, it will be to stay upright and not fall off.

Entry Fee & Additional Details
My main goal is to raise money for Danelle but at the same time, this will provide a venue for 24 hoursof treadmill running. Those that would be going for a 24 hour treadmill record (I have no idea of what that might be) would have to have a witness present during their run. And if it came down to a small margin, I would assume that the machine would have to be certified.

I am asking for a $50.00 entry fee for solos and a $25.00 entry fee for each member of a relay team. Youcan have as many members as you would like. My vision is to do this at gyms across the nation and I am sure that other members of the gym and public would also contribute. I already have our gym and a lot of the people here in Hailey, Idaho behind this cause. I have done other fundraisers for those that have needed it over the years and I have found that people are very generous-they just have to know about it and be asked.

Danelle has been a teammate of mine and she is a very accomplished athlete and a great person and this is her time of need.

NATIONAL 24 HOUR TREADMILL CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: March 10 and 11th, 2007
Where: Anywhere where you can find a treadmill
Cost: $50.00 for solo runners and $25.00 for each relay member.

I will have certificates for everyone who enters with their time and place in the 24 hours. I am also working on getting shirts for the event. (if you know a source, please let me know)

You can send your entry fee and contributions to:
The Danelle Ballangee Fund
or Randy Gehrke
P.O.Box 745
Picabo, Idaho 83348
mtnwrunner@yahoo.com
Tel. 1-208-471-0021

THANK YOU!!!
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Team RED

Guest Blogger: Colleen Woods

Needless to say, I am more than a little jealous of the New Yorkers enjoying 70 degree weather today! It’s cold here in Idaho, but we still managed to make it out the door this morning for a three hour run.

Lisa ran with this really cool hat this morning, that has a built-in light in its brim. The light was really great and I think the battery power lasts something like 24 hours. Pretty cool piece of gear!

Well, I thought you might enjoy some photos from the snow-covered run. I would go on and describe the ferocious winds and the ice that coated my eyelashes as we made our way through Teton Valley, but Finlay just wouldn’t believe me. I guess it’s just too tough to imagine this kind of weather when you’re running in Texas!

Great Article in the NY Times About the Connection Between Mental Health and Injury Prevention

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to give you the heads' up that yesterday's NY Times featured a great article called 'Free the Mind and Fewer Injuries May Follow'. Incidentally, it is written by Sally Wadyka - a great journalist and successful 2006 Grand Teton Marathon finisher.

Her message is clear - reduce the impact of stress in your life and you are paving the road for athletic success and injury prevention. Succintly, the article reads:

Every athlete and coach knows that harnessing one’s mind can lead to feats of coordination and finesse on the field. But what many are just learning is that taking care of an athlete’s emotional health — and managing stress in particular — can help prevent injury.

To read the article in its entirety. please click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/fashion/04fitness.html?ref=health

Come to Camp

Good morning to all of you!

Come to camp and bring a friend:)


As you plan for 2007, I want to let you know about a camp that I am offering with Marshall Ulrich in Death Valley. I have plenty of details about the camp on my website: http://lisasmithbatchen.com/camps/ultra_camps.htm I really think you would have an incredible time at camp.

Why? ACCELERATED LEARNING I have watched you transform as an athlete. Remember when you were not sure if you could finish a marathon? Well, those days are long gone (or maybe not – we've had plenty of campers of complete their first marathon AFTER camp!), but there is so much more to learn. Camp represents a chance to jump on an accelerated track. One of my clients who attended camp last summer observed that he felt he learned as much at camp as he would have in two years of running experience. Incidentally, this same client just took more than 2 hours of his 50 mile personal record.

BECOME OF A PART OF A TEAM You will get to meet my other clients. Many of my clients have become lifelong friends and virtual training partners. And it’s so great when we all meet up at races.

TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW Camp offers a chance to see and do the drills that I so often put in your training program. We also put race day and training nutrition to the test. I bring along the products I believe are best for endurance athletes and you will get to try them in the elements. I hope you consider coming to camp. Please let me know what you’re thinking about this idea. Questions, concerns - we can work through them. I’d love for you to be there! :)

Stock up on endurance sports nutrition and performance apparel from Dreamchasers. Here (http://lisasmithbatchen.com/pdfs/2006_Yr_End_Sale.pdf) is a list of prices and products - itemizing your discount as one of my clients. If you cannot open this link, please send me an e-mail and I will figure out another way to get this to you. Do not miss these prices! :-)

Happy New Year!!!Lisa

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year to you all. We have had a wonderful holiday week. Monday was the best with our kids, we took them on on sleds down some really fun hills:)

I am so happy to report that I am pain free and training again:) What joy this brings to me!!!

This quote was sent to me and I just love it:

*JIM ROHN'S QUOTE ON LEADING YOUR LIFE

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you."

I say we all Find a Dream for 2007 and chase it down!! I have a new dream that I will be sharing with you soon!!!

Love these 21 thoughts!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No digging up the past & no namecalling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: R espect for self; Respect for others;and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps tocorrect it. TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Have a blessed day and Happy New Year!!

Lisa