My Stormy Love Affair

My Stormy Love affair started in:

2007
At this stage I have just stared getting into running. I've run a couple of 5 peaks races, and am up into the 1hr range. I don't think there's much sense in running for more than an hour, because really-why? I'm working at daycare one day, minding my own business when one of the kids Dads (Dennis) comes in.
"Shannon you run right?"
Well.....
" We need a runner for the last leg of the Stormy"
Storm-what?
"Its only 11K"
Maybe-when is this...
"Its tomorrow"
Oh, well.
"We're really stuck"
Ok. Sure. I meet the team at 6am the next morning to send them off. I go back to bed. *Bring* phone rings "We're moving faster than we thought-you'll be running soon." Shit. I get up, get to my stage, see my teamate, do the high five send off, and I'm running. As I'm running it occurs to me that A) Every-ones at the finish waiting for me, B) I have some time to make up, and C) I'm not a team player and 6 people are relying on me, and D) I better get the f moving. I do the 11.2k in one hour. It felt awesome having teamates cheer me through the finish. This is when I realize that not only do people run the entire 50 miles on their own-there is a 100 mile option as well. Seriously???What a bunch of freaks.

2008
In the past year I've done some 20-25ks. They were fun. I meet Tammy. Tammy says,
"Hey do you want to do half the Stormy with me? Well this seems like a natural progression sorta thing to do. Its just an extra leg added onto last years 11.2 leg. Why not. The 22.8k, 9 mile hill leg!!!!!!!!! Oh mother of pearl, now what have I agreed to. I do the 35k in 4hrs. I learn a new word: Ultra. Hmmm...wonder if I could ever do the entire 50 miles? OMG shut up Shannon.

2009
Well as life would have it I've now done some 25ks, and completed a marathon. Oh and signed up for a little 240km run across Costa Rica. Um what? Yes. WTF? How did that happen? I'm a little impulsive some say. Jen Seggers got 7 months to train me for this. This year I do the same last two stages in the Stormy as a training run with future friend and Costa Rican teamate Jude.
After not only beating last years Stormy 35k by 13minutes, I complete the Costa Rica 240k in 39hrs, done some more marathons, and am now ready for....

2010
My first Ultra-Marathon. Goal: 50miles in under 11hours.
Story: too be continued...