Greg, great to hear from you, especially that you are doing well.  With your determination, you will be up to speed again in no time.

 

Chris, I hope you feel better soon.  I am sure you will be fine for your 100, but I will keep you in mind in the days to come anyway. 

 

Kelly, good luck (not that you need it)!

 

Leslie, my sister already offered to take me riding on the trail.  Standby for photos in the coming days.

 

I am keeping this short because I am tired and jet lagged.

 

Kitrin

3 days and counting....thanks for the luck!  Iroquois Trails 100-there is a 'follow the runner' application in case you don't have anything better to do and want to follow along.  There are only 3 women (28 runners total) and I'm the only Kelly.  Starts 6am, Sat morning, eastern time (that's 3 hrs ahead of you west coast folk, if you're across the pond-I have no idea ).  Feeling good, lots of time on my hands now which is weird.  I'm taking Human Biology this semester so I have some homework to get done, my middle school xc team has their first meet this afternoon and I have to get packed and I guess rest up a bit!  ISIS (clothes for women) had a warehouse sale yesterday-I'll be best dressed of the top 10!!! Run like a Girl!!! 

I don't have enough time to post pics because my sister is picking me up soon.  However, I need to post that I remember why I trained for time instead of distance while I lived out here.  Sheesh!  2.65 miles in 45 minutes.  Some of that time elapsed while I shot photos, but not too much of it.  I spent more time "hiking" than running.  I kept a good pace on the uphills, around 16:30-17:30, until I reached the single track where my pace dropped to 20 minute miles.  Sigh.

 

Still, it was a beautiful, cool, clear morning to hit the trails and work up a sweat (which I did in spite of the low humidity).  Leslie, I found this race report from the 2002 AR50 that has great information and pictures of the flatter portions of the race.  I plan to concentrate on the areas AFTER Horseshoe Bar, so this could work out well for you.  Her page is here:  http://www.geocities.com/llh_06/AR50_photos.html

 

Cheers,

Kitrin

Kitrin - Thanks.  I'll give that a looksee tonight.  Aren'tcha glad you're doing this?  It's gonna make you want to get out there and hit those trails more!  (theoretically )

 

Flower - No dumb questions here.  Kelly is running a 100-miler.  I crewed for a friend last year who ran her first at the Headlands Hundred.  It was an incredible thing to be a part of, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  My friend wants to put her hat in the ring for Western States, and I will definitely be a part of that!

Good luck Kelly!!!  Tear it up!!!

 

  - Chris

I can't believe it's humanly possible to run 100 miles in one run.............. GO KELLY!

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I have been communicating with UltraTerri and I think I am going to be able to run the 40/50 FATS on Oct 4. If she confirms it I will run it. My intention is to complete the 50K if I get the green light from UltraTerri. It's a pretty cool thought and I am hooked on it. It will likely be a bit cooler than it was on the day we ran Lynch's Wood - the colors of the leaves are turning. I ran 10.5 miles on "my" trail today - it's very pretty when the leaves turn. It's just barely starting. It will gradually change over the next few months. Today, I felt a little tired in my body as I headed out on the trail. I had had a stressful encounter with a school official at my children's school in the morning while dropping the kids off and taking care of signing interims that my youngest son had forgotten to bring home; he had left them in his locker - they had to be signed and returned the next day in order to get full credit. Sooo, I parked in a space they didn't want me to park in and I didn't have the patience to deal with it. Long story - not interesting - just more beauraucracy - it's amazing what the kids have to put up with every day at school; all the rules and regulations and punishments etc etc etc. I admire that they are able to handle it as well as they do - they actually thrive in school. Thank God 

I, on the other hand, was stressed out for the better part of the first 40 minutes of my run thinking about the encounter I had had and what had gone wrong and what I could/should do about it. I am obviously not fit for middle school. Been there and done that.

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After spending 40 minutes letting the school stress fade away I started drifting into dreams of the upcoming 50K and what I need to do in order to prepare myself for it and my December Marathon. One of the most important parts of my training as I continue to run this fall is to keep in mind that taking an extra day off in order to prevent injury and promote recovery is better than running a little faster or focusing too hard on achieving specific weekly or monthly mileage goals. The consistancy I will achieve witth my training if I stay healthy is more important than those other intensity or volume goals. On the other hand, I have fun and I thrive when my training includes intensity and challenges other than "Long Slow Distance".  I want to get back to doing some more Brad Hudson type marathon training - like I was before my trail adventure ultras started a few weeks back. Using his plan and incorporating some specific workouts from it kept me focused and challenged. 

Flower, I am so paranoid about injuries that I rarely push myself too hard.  It sounds like you are taking a reasonable approach and will do well with your plan.  If you have some extra motivation, will you send it my way?

 

Runslikeagirl,  I agree with you that trail running is the best!  Glad you have you on the right side, lol.

 

I ran five miles along the canal this morning.  It is the only place where one can consistently avoid steep inclines and declines for any distance around here.  As an added bonus, I spooked a couple of does.  Wildlife sightings are one of my favorite parts of trail running and a big reason why I find it difficult to tramp through traffic and such on roads.  I also saw some bluebirds and lizards (as always).

 

I noticed something curious as I ran today.  I kept a sponge with me today as was my practice when I ran out here before.  I did not think I would need it, but it is always good to be prepared, I figured, to use it to splash myself with canal water if necessary.  I needed it!  I stopped twice during that five miles and do not think I could have survived if I did not and I am mystified.  It was not all that hot (around 80) and definitely not humid, but I struggled so much more than I usually do in Texas, where the heat and humidity are generally worse.  Does anyone have an opinion on why this might be?  My theory is that I overheated because all my sweat evaporated too quickly and left nothing on my skin to act as a cooling agent.  Thus the need to splash myself.  I am fascinated by human physiology, but do not understand it all that well, so I  am asking you guys.  What do you think?

Kelly is kicking ass!!

 

 

 

Why am I not surprised?