A crack in the gutter
With three weeks left until the big dance this was the last week of big training. As my physical preparation is winding down I've been working more and more on my mental preparedness. I can do all the long runs in the world, but if I don't believe I can make it back to 6th and Harrison its never going to happen. For months now I've been visualizing every part of the course. Of course I've never actually run any of the course, but the course map has hung above my desk and on my refridgerator since November 1st and I've read numerous course descriptions. Although probably not as many as Dan has read. I'm more of the mindset that I'm just going to go out and run and see what happens. Dan is busy meticulously planning every detail. No one knows better than you what training strategy is going to work for you. You just need to pick one and stick with it. A big part of my mental training is music. While anyone who knows me knows I never run with headphones, except on a treadmill, I always have a song playing in my head. Typically on long runs its the same one over and over. And for a race its often a song I have inevitably been listening to on repeat in my car. Okay, yep I'm slightly crazy (probably goes along with running 100 mile race) but I can listen to one song on repeat for days on end. My Leadville song is the song I had on repeat in my head during the North Fork 50 mile race last summer and the song I constantly remind James is meant for him. He's obviously forced to listen to it on repeat whenever he's in the car with me. I just always want James to know that there are no limits and every door is open to him.
"there's a crack in the gutter where a flower grows, reminding me that nothing is impossible, yeah reminding me that everything is possible" -michael franti
This week I got in some good training runs. I ran with my pacer, Robert, for the first time. He's going to take me from Winfield (mile 50) up and over Hope Pass to Fish Hatchery (mile 76). I think he may be more excited than I am. I also know one thing there is no way this guy is going to let me drop. I think he's drag me along before he lets that happen. Dan and I also got in a run on a new trail, Beaver Brook. Most of the sections were almost too technical to really run, but it was great to get out together. Saturday I went out for my last long run. I totally rocked that run! Nearly 22 trail miles in under 4 hours! If I were training for another marathon or even a 50 I'd be super confident knowing I could likely pull a big PR. I'm definitely running better than I have the last few years so we'll have to see how this translates to 100 miles. It is a strange feeling doing a weekly 8 mile trail run and feeling like I barely ran. Or even after the long run on Saturday I felt better than I usually do during marathon training. I know I'm physically as ready as I can possibly be. Saturday I also started to break in my "big" shoes for late in the race. I plan on racing in Brooks Cascadia 7s. I'll start out in my standard size 5.5 but after the river crossings coming down from Hope I'm planning on changing into dry shoes so I'm going with a size 6 to accomodate feet swelling. The shoes felt great, no hot spots or blisters. Saturday just seemed to be a combination of everything going right, which was exactly what I needed for my last long run.
"you gotta live for the ones that you love you know, you gotta love for the life you live" -michael franti
"no matter how hard life gets today, don't ever let a moment slip away" -michael franti
Week July 30 - August 5
Miles Running: 42
Hours Hiking and Running: 10
"there's a crack in the gutter where a flower grows, reminding me that nothing is impossible, yeah reminding me that everything is possible" -michael franti
This week I got in some good training runs. I ran with my pacer, Robert, for the first time. He's going to take me from Winfield (mile 50) up and over Hope Pass to Fish Hatchery (mile 76). I think he may be more excited than I am. I also know one thing there is no way this guy is going to let me drop. I think he's drag me along before he lets that happen. Dan and I also got in a run on a new trail, Beaver Brook. Most of the sections were almost too technical to really run, but it was great to get out together. Saturday I went out for my last long run. I totally rocked that run! Nearly 22 trail miles in under 4 hours! If I were training for another marathon or even a 50 I'd be super confident knowing I could likely pull a big PR. I'm definitely running better than I have the last few years so we'll have to see how this translates to 100 miles. It is a strange feeling doing a weekly 8 mile trail run and feeling like I barely ran. Or even after the long run on Saturday I felt better than I usually do during marathon training. I know I'm physically as ready as I can possibly be. Saturday I also started to break in my "big" shoes for late in the race. I plan on racing in Brooks Cascadia 7s. I'll start out in my standard size 5.5 but after the river crossings coming down from Hope I'm planning on changing into dry shoes so I'm going with a size 6 to accomodate feet swelling. The shoes felt great, no hot spots or blisters. Saturday just seemed to be a combination of everything going right, which was exactly what I needed for my last long run.
"you gotta live for the ones that you love you know, you gotta love for the life you live" -michael franti
"no matter how hard life gets today, don't ever let a moment slip away" -michael franti
Week July 30 - August 5
Miles Running: 42
Hours Hiking and Running: 10
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