So Leslie, how long will your hydration pack last you? What Jack and I have done is start with the hydration pack and switch to your fuel belt/bottle holder in a drop bag with your stuff that you drink in it. Stash more bottles of your drink in the next drop bags. You may have to drink water or something else from the aid stations in between drop bags if they're far apart. This is what I did for the 100. My hydration pack for the first 20 or so. Once that was empty, switched to my fuel belt. Jack was able to keep switching bottles for me at aid stations. When Jack became pacer, I still used my fuel belt for a little while longer but then switched back to my hydration pack for the last 26m. Hope this helps. Kelly

What the hell is a coack?

Buddo - COACK is an acronym for "Component Oriented Accelerator Controlled Kernel". I have no idea what that means.

COACK is an acronym for "Component Oriented Accelerator Controlled Kernel". Sounds like a bag of Jiffy Pop. Leslie, I'm doing better. I did get a massage the following Thursday after the race which got a few kinks out. I can turn my head without it crunching! I rode a spin bike last Thursday and that helped a lot when I ran on Friday. Saturday was a bit tighter so today I rode my mtn bike for a couple hours on dirt roads and then ran tonight and it wasn't as tight. I've got a foam roller but I get bored on that in a heart beat plus it hurts. "I'm trying to develop shin splints" why? Bummer about the shin splints-been there, done that too! Take it easy and I'll chat tomorrow, Kelly

AH! Double post!! Sorry. Howdy y'all. Leslie-good luck with your trail marathon! I'm sorry I haven't been more attentive, just talking about me as usual. I'll be rooting for you. Is it this Saturday? Sunday? Here's to getting in the zone for the duration! (insert mental image of raised glasses of ale clinking together in celebration). Ran 21 miles yesterday morning, 3-7 am. First 5 on flat, gravel/dirt road next to creek, then crossed creek and ran back to car on trails, then back down same road to 5 miles, then climbed right onto trails back towards car 4.5 miles, dropped to road to refill water bottles at water fountain, then back to car on road. I kind of got stuck out on the trail and overshot the planned 18-20. I just tried to cruise it in at the end, holding a steady pace, keeping hr down <150. a nice, even, steady pace. 21 miles in 4:07. i'm very pleased with that, though it was relatively flat. i walked all the ups. i pushed the calories hard, trying for 250-300 per hour. after mile 10, my hr started to creep up into the 155+ range and i couldn't seem to control it. i downed some cold water, maybe 12-16 oz, and it dropped to 145 or so and i was able to pick up the pace. guess i was dehydrated. it was 50 degrees out, real nice. saw first human at 5:30 or so. no hip pain, though my back seems to be casuing me problems in my right hip/butt complex. need to get to the chiropractor. my problematic left hip/butt/back thingie didn't bother me running, but is tender today. i can live with that till after the race. miles 5-10 were all zone on the trails, imagined i was running western states. trails were in real good condition. miles 15-19 i was kinda stumbling around. my feet hurt and i was tired. so, that's a 22% increase in my mileage from last week. 31.3 up to 38.2. dumb i know. i added an extra 24 hours of rest before the run, choosing to run on sunday instead of saturday as i installed a fence with brother in law for 12 hours saturday. tough workout, digging holes all day with post hole digger. rest today, then back into this weeks program with a longer run on saturday of 22, then following saturday of 25, then taper for the 50k. oh, weird thing. i woke up this morning and felt some crusty stuff on my nose. thought i might of scratched myself in my sleep. while in the shower, my wife asked me what happened to me. she saw a blood stain on my pillow the size of a silver dollar. i guess i had a nose bleed in my sleep. looks like i was just laying there and it ran out onto my pillow, so i wasn't thrashing about or anything. weird. maybe i had an anurism. nothing to be concerned about right? two hard days of effort wouldn't have done that to me i don't think? just kind of weird. see yooz guys. a="" nice,="" even,="" steady="" pace.="" 21="" miles="" in="" 4:07.="" i'm="" very="" pleased="" with="" that,="" though="" it="" was="" relatively="" flat.="" i="" walked="" all="" the="" ups.="" i="" pushed="" the="" calories="" hard,="" trying="" for="" 250-300="" per="" hour.="" after="" mile="" 10,="" my="" hr="" started="" to="" creep="" up="" into="" the="" 155+="" range="" and="" i="" couldn't="" seem="" to="" control="" it.="" i="" downed="" some="" cold="" water,="" maybe="" 12-16="" oz,="" and="" it="" dropped="" to="" 145="" or="" so="" and="" i="" was="" able="" to="" pick="" up="" the="" pace.="" guess="" i="" was="" dehydrated.="" it="" was="" 50="" degrees="" out,="" real="" nice.="" saw="" first="" human="" at="" 5:30="" or="" so.="" no="" hip="" pain,="" though="" my="" back="" seems="" to="" be="" casuing="" me="" problems="" in="" my="" right="" hip/butt="" complex.="" need="" to="" get="" to="" the="" chiropractor.="" my="" problematic="" left="" hip/butt/back="" thingie="" didn't="" bother="" me="" running,="" but="" is="" tender="" today.="" i="" can="" live="" with="" that="" till="" after="" the="" race.="" miles="" 5-10="" were="" all="" zone="" on="" the="" trails,="" imagined="" i="" was="" running="" western="" states.="" trails="" were="" in="" real="" good="" condition.="" miles="" 15-19="" i="" was="" kinda="" stumbling="" around.="" my="" feet="" hurt="" and="" i="" was="" tired.="" so,="" that's="" a="" 22%="" increase="" in="" my="" mileage="" from="" last="" week.="" 31.3="" up="" to="" 38.2.="" dumb="" i="" know.="" i="" added="" an="" extra="" 24="" hours="" of="" rest="" before="" the="" run,="" choosing="" to="" run="" on="" sunday="" instead="" of="" saturday="" as="" i="" installed="" a="" fence="" with="" brother="" in="" law="" for="" 12="" hours="" saturday.="" tough="" workout,="" digging="" holes="" all="" day="" with="" post="" hole="" digger.="" rest="" today,="" then="" back="" into="" this="" weeks="" program="" with="" a="" longer="" run="" on="" saturday="" of="" 22,="" then="" following="" saturday="" of="" 25,="" then="" taper="" for="" the="" 50k.="" oh,="" weird="" thing.="" i="" woke="" up="" this="" morning="" and="" felt="" some="" crusty="" stuff="" on="" my="" nose.="" thought="" i="" might="" of="" scratched="" myself="" in="" my="" sleep.="" while="" in="" the="" shower,="" my="" wife="" asked="" me="" what="" happened="" to="" me.="" she="" saw="" a="" blood="" stain="" on="" my="" pillow="" the="" size="" of="" a="" silver="" dollar.="" i="" guess="" i="" had="" a="" nose="" bleed="" in="" my="" sleep.="" looks="" like="" i="" was="" just="" laying="" there="" and="" it="" ran="" out="" onto="" my="" pillow,="" so="" i="" wasn't="" thrashing="" about="" or="" anything.="" weird.="" maybe="" i="" had="" an="" anurism.="" nothing="" to="" be="" concerned="" about="" right?="" two="" hard="" days="" of="" effort="" wouldn't="" have="" done="" that="" to="" me="" i="" don't="" think?="" just="" kind="" of="" weird.="" see="" yooz="" guys.=""></150. a nice, even, steady pace. 21 miles in 4:07. i'm very pleased with that, though it was relatively flat. i walked all the ups. i pushed the calories hard, trying for 250-300 per hour. after mile 10, my hr started to creep up into the 155+ range and i couldn't seem to control it. i downed some cold water, maybe 12-16 oz, and it dropped to 145 or so and i was able to pick up the pace. guess i was dehydrated. it was 50 degrees out, real nice. saw first human at 5:30 or so. no hip pain, though my back seems to be casuing me problems in my right hip/butt complex. need to get to the chiropractor. my problematic left hip/butt/back thingie didn't bother me running, but is tender today. i can live with that till after the race. miles 5-10 were all zone on the trails, imagined i was running western states. trails were in real good condition. miles 15-19 i was kinda stumbling around. my feet hurt and i was tired. so, that's a 22% increase in my mileage from last week. 31.3 up to 38.2. dumb i know. i added an extra 24 hours of rest before the run, choosing to run on sunday instead of saturday as i installed a fence with brother in law for 12 hours saturday. tough workout, digging holes all day with post hole digger. rest today, then back into this weeks program with a longer run on saturday of 22, then following saturday of 25, then taper for the 50k. oh, weird thing. i woke up this morning and felt some crusty stuff on my nose. thought i might of scratched myself in my sleep. while in the shower, my wife asked me what happened to me. she saw a blood stain on my pillow the size of a silver dollar. i guess i had a nose bleed in my sleep. looks like i was just laying there and it ran out onto my pillow, so i wasn't thrashing about or anything. weird. maybe i had an anurism. nothing to be concerned about right? two hard days of effort wouldn't have done that to me i don't think? just kind of weird. see yooz guys. >

Just have to watch the back I guess. Legs feel little tired, that's all, which is good news. As per the shin splits, I guess that means you've been pushing it, and that's good. Keep on track, ice and Vit-I and you'll be good. I almost quit running last year after a 15 miler in April, I remeber it well, where my shins killed the whole way. I wanted to cry. I took two weeks off and started over again building back up, no more shin splits. It's an overuse injury. Go slow, let your body adapt, you'll be cool My guess is the taper will take care of the niggles and you'll be good to go on Sunday. Good luck! Nervous yet? I've discovered I really like the excitement that a race interjects into training. It gives focus and weight to what we're doing.

Leslie Good luck in the marathon this weekend. I hope I hear you screaming here in Massachusetts! My trail marathon is on Nov 8th. I'll try to scream back. Dan

Hello everyone. I would rather have physical problems than mental difficulties when trying to run. Sigh. Kitrin

Careful what you wish for there girlfriend. Sorry to hear you're depressed. I've been there. Okay, enough empathy, now to the advice. What are you thinking that's leading you to feel this way? What do you want and believe? Answer that when you feel the feeling, and you'll know where change needs to happen. Our thoughts, desires/fears, and our biology to some extent, give rise to our feelings. If you want to feel better, take a two prong approach. 1) do the aforementioned heart probing. 2) Go run. Get some oxygen in your system. Run slow, run easy, run on a trail if you can, get out of your head and into the experience, quieting your thoughts, and stay in the moment. Then take a warm shower, and feel good about what you just did. There's my unsolicited professional advice, for what it's worth. Also, not for nothing, it takes strength of will to do something that is unpleasant (like running can be) when you don't want to do it. Grab yourself by the scruff of your shirt and make yourself go run. 3 miles, at least. Do it. Today. Now, if you can. Also, get inspired. What draws you to running? Read something along those lines. Now, more empathy. Sorry to hear you're depressed. Been there. It's not fun. Remeber, it won't always be like this. A little ultra gem that is true to life: "It never/always gets worse."