Oh that mud just looks awful... reminds me of the Equinox a couple years ago where I just stood there and slid sideways off the trail in the mud. Yuk. Kudos to you for doing 50k of that. Mine was only parts of the 26.2 that were bad, the rest was just kinda miserable.
Starr, I listen to podcasts and last night was streaming Market Watch on public radio as well. I have just a plain white wall in front of me, so yes distractions are needed, as long as I can still keep track of the repeats. That's also why I have to change up the pace all the time, and sometimes the incline. It's colder today so the plan is more miles on that thing tonight before we go to the basketball game on campus.
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
zigalina - congratulations on persevering through the mud for more hours than most people work in a day and in conditions that would more than justify a happy DNF. It really makes you wonder not only what kind of warped mind would think some of these ultra-venues would make great places to run but then what kind of hundreds of warped minds would go out and do it. Oh, yeah, it's us.
Hagg Lake 50k Mud Run - I survived!! The mud was absolutely EPIC - like nothing I've experienced before. Slipping sliding, shoe-sucking, soul-sucking mud. The first loop around the lake was bad, but by the time I came through the second time, things were so chewed up, there was hardly any ground on which your foot did not slip in some fashion. Running a flat section, you'd put your foot down and have it squirm out to the side. Any kind of incline, you'd take a step and slide back 3, 4, 5 inches. Declines - just plant your feet, pretend you're skiing and hope your toe doesn't hit a hidden rock or root. A few ankle-deep puddles and quite a bit of calf-high mud holes. The one at the every end - The Pigpen - you have absolutely no chance of running through that thing. Just try to stay upright and keep your shoe on as you drag your foot out of the quagmire.
ps laurie - have a fun marathon on your own terms not some preconceived notion of how fast you're supposed to finish or something and, if the hip pain returns before then, DON'T and, if it happens during the run, just stop it for another day. good luck.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
Marathon Maniac #957
Just to prove It Can Always Be Worse- ......got emails from DD1 who's in Ankara, Turkey ,,,,,,,,she had driven past the place where the bomb exploded 30-min before it went off, it shook the windows in their house..............scary ============= ..........40-min PoolRun taking Pickles to the Oncologist tomorrow, hopefully can get in another work-out today or tomorrow, I've only gotten 3-times this week ............good running guys.............Count Your Blessings (there will be more than you think)
Just to prove It Can Always Be Worse-
......got emails
from DD1 who's in Ankara, Turkey
,,,,,,,,she had driven
past the place where the bomb exploded 30-min before it went off,
it shook the windows in their house..............scary
=============
..........40-min PoolRun
taking Pickles
to the Oncologist tomorrow,
hopefully
can get in another work-out today
or tomorrow, I've only gotten 3-times this week
............good running guys.............Count Your Blessings (there will be more than you think)
Scary is right! Speaking of that, how is Pickles doing?
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
Leslie, you are tough, or crazy, or both!
I did ride home, 1 hour, 15 minutes. Managed to ride up a steep short hill that until today would have me jumping off the bike to walk. Hopefully lots of running this weekend. Biking is ok, but I miss that even breathing, meditative pace that running provides. Plus just the feeling of your body moving through space, as it was meant to move from the time you first learned how to walk.
"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."
Once againg, late to the play time here, but I am still kicking.
I did run 6 miles today with 5 at tempo. My lungs and my body are telling me that I am looking at a 4:30 marathon next weekend, which it is not the worse time, nor the best for me. Time is relevant to me at this marathon. I just want to enjoy the gift!
Cheers to all
Posie
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Kudo’s to enkelina’s hour-and-a-quarter cyclecommute. I’m with you on cycling vs. running.Unless it’s a road-closed triathlon or other cycling event, it requires constant vigilance for inattentive drivers (especially in low-visibility weather and at night), rocks, glass, erratics, potholes, cracks, curbs, etc. .Running gifts notwithstanding, hope the posies and double-cats enjoy the some of the culinary gifts in New Orleans, e.g. Pampano en Papillote, all-you-can-eat fresh oysters, etc. have fun.
Yeah, with Twocat unable to run it'll be a different kind of trip. Have fun though. I've never been to NOLA so would like to do that sometime. This would be a good time of year to leave here to go there.
7.5 miles on the TM tonight, streaming some radio shows I like on NPR. Something different from the usual podcasts or music. Went to the UAF men's basketball game tonight. They played Western Oregon, ranked #1 in the Division II basketball... and we won! Very cool. Great game and exciting finish!