Like I was telling one of my buddies, Sunday kicked my ass and I needed it. It was a wake up call of sorts that my upcoming 50K isn't gonna be like a road marathon. So, I'm re-energized about training which will certainly help me enjoy the experience. Sometimes we need that run or session where you have have to push through; vanquish the demons and the mental excuses they create (i.e. it's hot, it's way too humid, I'm tired, I'm hungry, this route is boring, that hill is steep, ... ).Pffft!
Posted on the Ultra thread: Make a list of the things that will cause you to DNF (you know, like broken bone poking out through the skin, zombie attack, etc.)... If necessary, write it all down and prepare to carry it with you during the race. Once you get to a point (if it happens) where the negative stuff starts creeping in on you (not trained enough - LIE, legs hurt - HTFU, tummy upset - STFU/HTFU, there's no point in going on - LIE, I can't do it - LIE)... pull out that list and see if anything you are currently experiencing is on that list. If it is on the list... stop, otherwise... carry on with "relentless forward motion".
Greg - I am serious and have started telling people. Just haven't told The Hub yet . . . .
Kelly - Hi!!! {waving madly} I miss you around here. Good luck with the upcoming 100-er (although you don't need luck. You're gonna do great).
Kitrin - Crap - I completely forgot about REI. I've been having a heck of a time finding another pair of trail shoes. Just put in my second special order with a local store trying to find a pair that fits (special orders cost $$ if they have to be returned). I'll have to remember them next time.
Kitrin - Hope your hub feels better soon.
Trey - Happy demon-destroying!
I was forced to do my LR (18 miles) this a.m. because I'll be in Hot as Hades Palm Springs this weekend. Had to run on pavement the whole time. Ugh! The longest I've run on pavement in over 3 years is 9 miles. Between that and the humidity, it sucked. Took me over 3 hours, which I anticipated, but . . . . Let's just say that any thoughts I have had about doing a road marathon have been completely vanquished. Give me dirt and trails anytime!
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Me, the Barbie version
I am serious and have started telling people. Just haven't told The Hub yet . . . .
Leslie,
Speaking of husbands, you might want to tell yours before he feels left out. Or will he try to talk you out of it?
I decided to see how far I could run today, so I ran slowly and just kept going. 6.75 miles later, I finished. It is nice to know I can do that, even if the average pace was closer to a walk (14:37). I guess I will give myself some grace because this is a messy trail with lots of single track, roots, and rocks. Plus it is summer.
Time to get on with the day.
Kitrin
Leslie, Speaking of husbands, you might want to tell yours before he feels left out. Or will he try to talk you out of it?
He'll think I'm nuts. He already does. On one hand, he's very proud of what I am doing and brags to people about it. On another hand, I think he sometimes resents the "intrusion" it has made on our lives and the changes I've made in my own life because of running. And on still another hand, again, he thinks I'm nuts. It's strange for both of us because all of this has vastly changed me. What I feel is important, where I want my life to go. It's an interesting journey we're on.
But that being said, if I asked him to crew for me, and he was able to get the time off from work, he'd do a great job and I know he wouldn't let me woos out when the going got tough. I just don't know if he'd be able to handle hanging out with my running buddy, who would probably want to be there, and who I may want to have pace me the last 15 miles or so. We'll see.
It is amazing how much we change over the years. I am certainly not the same woman my husband married and he is not the same man. Some of our changes are improvments (in my opinion) and I wonder about some of the other changes. I guess that is what makes marriage so challenging. It is not challenging in the same way as a long run is, but I think I like seeing how far I can go because I know how difficult life can be now and running longer and longer makes me feel like maybe I can survive life the same way I can survive longer distances. There I go being a couch potato philosopher again.
Back to running . . . if I run today, it will probably be short because my longest run recently was 5 miles and I pushed almost 2 miles past that. I do not want to risk injury. The strange part is that my legs are not sore from running yesterday, my ARMS are. What is up with that? Life is full of new experiences.
Have a great weekend (not only Leslie, but Kelly, Chris, Greg, and Trey)!
Kelly, Jack kicks ass! He's one bad ass old man. I hope I can run that fast when I'm ancient like that.
How are you spreading out your mileage? I wish I could log 20 miles a week much less 80. That's sweet! I may have to stop running again to actively rehabilitate the ankle. I tore something on the outside of the ankle I'm almost sure now. It shouldn't take months for the pain to go away if it wasn't the case. I'm alternating days of easy runs with cycling. I'm seeing a chiropractor now too to help with my hips and back. A lot of the hip pain I was experiencing was from my back being all tweaked. I've only gone once but got about 50% relief from it in my hip.
Kelly, how much does it cost to hire Jack as a coach?
"Run slowly, run daily, drink in moderation, and don't eat like a pig" Dr. Ernst Van Aaken. Sorry ultrasteve.
...---...
The good news is I didn't have any new blisters (or recurring old ones) in my Salomons. Packing ice in my camelbak was a great tip I picked up from a different forum - although I'm sure you hard core trail junkies probably do this all the time anyway. So I had wanted to get out and do some miles on Sunday, but I was just beat. Achy and unmotivated from the previous day's heat run. (I wish the trails around here would open earlier).
This coming weekend, I'm going to drive down to where the 50K will be held and run on the course. I'll be shooting for 22 miles and hopefully will gain some confidence (I don't think the course is as difficult as my training trails - less long hills for sure) so here's to hoping I'm right.
I put in some recovery road miles Monday - will get out again here this morning, at some point, and put in 8 or 10 on a combination of road and trail. Then some recovery miles tomorrow. 2 rest days before the 22 miler (I usually do best with 2 days rest before a long haul).
Leslie - my hammies are feeling petty good given the stretch you suggested. Got anything for upper thigh/hips and upper glutes?
Cheers.
San Francisco - 7/29/12
Warrior Dash Ohio II - 8/26/12
Chicago - 10/7/12
Hello all!
Glad the long trail runs are getting more enjoyable Trey! I just bought some of those Salomons. May try them out tonight...
Spent last weekend crewing a friend of mine at the Leadville 100 bike race. Saw Lance go flying by once... that guy is fast!
This weekend is the Leadville 100 run. I'll be there pacing my best friend the last 50 miles. Headed up there early, tomorrow, to climb some of the "14ers"... 14,000' mountains, of which Colorado has 50-something. May try to do Mount Belford, Mount Oxford, and Missouri Mountain on Thursday and Mount Massive on Friday.
Hoping to get my 2nd 100+ mile week of the summer this week... then one more the first week of Sept. Then taper. I hate tapering. Tapering makes me moody and angry.
This weekend is the Leadville 100 run. I'll be there pacing my best friend the last 50 miles. Headed up there early, tomorrow, to climb some of the "14ers"... 14,000' mountains, of which Colorado has 50-something. May try to do Mount Belford, Mount Oxford, and Missouri Mountain on Thursday and Mount Massive on Friday. Tapering makes me moody and angry.
Tapering makes me moody and angry.
Sweet - who is your friend?...if you don't mind saying. I'll be tracking the Leadville race and would be cool keeping tabs with you guys. I wish you and your buddy the best of luck. Go git er done!
Tapering can put me in a foul mood as well. Hang in there.
Kari Fraser - Bib #431
431 Kari Fraser Boulder CO 43 F F4
It's her first 100 miler. I'm guessing, barring catastrophe, she'll finish between 25-27 hours.
Leadville is like a giant family reunion for Boulder area runners... I just looked at the entrants list!!
If you get bored on race day and want to send some good vibes...here are some other friends of mine doing it:
582 Darcy Africa Boulder CO 34 F F3
172 Raymond Churgovich Broomfield CO 43 M M4
607 Ryan Cooper Boulder CO 35 M M3
6 Charles Corfield Los Altos CA 50 M M5
36 Chris Labbe Longmont CO 40 M M4
388 Tom Masterson Boulder CO 64 M M6
275 Jeffrey O'Reilly Denver CO 49 M M4
601 Mike Poland Estes Park CO 42 M M4
641 Michael Priddy Boulder CO 33 M M3
688 Craig Redfearn Granger IN 39 M M3 (crunningman on a few forums)
127 Alan Smith Estes Park CO 40 M M4
308 Justin Snow* Boulder CO 35 M M3 (Leadman)
342 Caroline Soong Boulder CO 27 F F2
245 Olan Young Lafayette CO 41 M M4
A couple friends are pacing Jamie, though I don't know her personally:
680 Jamie Donaldson Litleton CO 34 F F3
A couple friends are pacing Jamie, though I don't know her personally:680 Jamie Donaldson Litleton CO 34 F F3
Awesome - thanks for the info. I recognize a few names in that list. Especially Jamie's. She's incredible - I mean she just won Badwater. Again. Now she's onto Leadville. I can't even fathom doing one of those...for now
Sending all positive vibes to those in the list.
MTA: 25-27 hrs at Leadville is damn respectable.
I'm betting on Anton K. to win. He's been up there training for quite some time now. Check out his blog. The dude is amazing.
Got a link? I'd like to check it out.
http://antonkrupicka.blogspot.com/
My money is on him too... he may even break Carpenter's course record. It must be nice to finish Leadville before it gets dark!
Thanks for the link Chris. Cool blog yourself.
I'm guessing Jamie Donaldson is the womens favorite?