Beryl, thanks ya good point on the taper, but with sept so far out and surgery in between I don't know if it matters. I am still on the fence whether I want to try my best at chuckanut, perhaps a game-time decision but I did put-off surgery so I can run it and whiskey basin. I don't want to get stuck in the mid pack in a conga line which is motivation for me to move a little faster to find some space but I know everyone goes out too fast so maybe there's no way to avoid lines on the trail.

OMR,  I was looking around last year for info online about races and elevation (besides just profiles they all show), to simulate climbs.  The only thing I found specific was for Pikes peak marathon.  Then I gave up, I just do intervals every 1/4 or 1/2 mile or so.  I did them walking on Friday instead of a recovery run, I am thinking of making that a regular thing, I need to learn to hike better and recovery is recovery, so I don't think I will loose fitness, maybe gain.

FKYHD, congrats on signing on the dotted line for Mountain Lakes.  Don't worry about running with a hernia, if it pops out you can push it in!  But if it gets stuck and you cannot, then you might need emergency surgery, so yeah maybe do fix it before Mountain Lakes.  Also, in the meantime I would avoid stuff that increases your intra abdominal pressure a lot.

I am bummed the Olympics are over.  Some great stuff and motivating for sure.  Now I want to see trail/ultra running in the next one.  It is pretty international sport and growing.

MY week:   time is flying, Feb almost gone.  Technically I am in week 8 of Pfits 18/55, but I have modified it a bit, though workouts and LR are basically the same and he has a medium LR during the week.  I would always stress about when to run on Tuesday, so I just made it my rest day and run Monday instead.  This makes since also in terms of active recovery from the LR.

mon: 6 mi easy on TM

tue:   my new rest day!

wed: 10.4 mi LT run 5 miles @ LT (7:30-8:00)

thu:   11.4 mile aerobic run (cold road run 9:20-10:00)

fri:     4.25 mi walking incline intervals on TM

sat:   6 easy TM

sun: 17 mile progression LR @9:06 avg finishing around 8:30s, got outside, was sunny, warm (42) and dry asphalt bike trail

total miles:  55 mi

next week is a "recovery week" but it doesn't look too much less (9 mi with 4LT, 10 medium LR, and I am putting a15 mile (12 mile MP) run at the end due to scheduling issues.  I may cut some miles off the mid week runs.

Goal Race:  Earth Day 50K on 4/21.

Turned out to be another rest week, with around 30 miles this week, and 1h35 on the bike trainer.

Ran a 25k race on Saturday, was a bit of an adventure getting there, about 10" of fresh snow at my house, and more like 14" where the race started. Snow plough broke down, and people without 4x4 or at least snow tires had a hard time parking, so an hour delay to the race start. Had a pack of Stinger chews while waiting, and they turned my stomach a bit, so started slowly near the back. Probably should have passed a few more people, but treated it like a training run. The course was altered, with the biggest climb taken out, which was described as "a frozen waterfall". The 100k I'm doing in April is on the same trails, so was good to get some time on the same trails, although the snow added a different dynamic. Wore nano spikes with my Speedgoats, and traction was good for most of it, and it was fun passing in the deep snow on the downhills. At least being near the back meant that the trail was packed down. Took a couple spills on the downhill, the trail was getting icy, and the nanospikes were slipping out, especially with with a thin layer of fresh snow off the trees. A guy that I was running with caught up to me in the last km, and we were running together, trying to push a bit, was pretty beat though, even though I started super slow. Ended up sprinting in for the finish neck and neck, was good spirited though, and we were both laughing about the sprint in. One of the most beautiful runs I've done, the forest was amazing with all the fresh snow, and sunny blue skies. Was lucky that most of it was in the trees, felt like I was going to go snow blind in the few short sections under the power lines

 

I LIVE for the Olympics. Maybe one day the winter triathlon will make it in. It made me want to bust out my xc skis. Maybe next year I'll be more confident in my running and can sub in some xc skiing on the weekends. Perhaps with a squirt gun to mix in some biathlon. Right now I don't want to sacrifice the mileage.

 

Cool you signed up for the 24 hour race.  A few of us in trailer trash are doing the Montour 24 in May.  I've never done a timed race before, but it was described to me as a smorgasbord with some running involved, so I figured what the heck.

I've been following along the thread, but I haven't posted in a while.  I've been averaging 50 mpw for the past 6 weeks.  Week before last I did my first back-to-back LR's (20 Sat, 20 Sun).  Nothing broke, so last week was 13 Sat, 21 Sun.  I'm pretty surprised that my body has held up (knock on wood) since it's all pavement pounding.  Looking forward to spring so I can hit the trails though.

Just checking in... RWTD hope to see you this year at a race, although I am not doing anything in the Midwest except maybe the new Duluth timed race in June.

 

Just finished the Antelope Canyon 50 mile on a recovering case of non-insertional Achilles tendonitis and I had very little issues with it so I am happy. I have not tun over a half marathon so far this year so I was nervous, but it went okay.

 

I am not sure who everyone here is except I can figure some of the names out, but not all.

I am moving to St. Paul so I will probably not be at the race in June. I was interested in it but I don't think I'm fast enough to enjoy it. I'd be worried I'd be out on the first loop and it would be a huge waste of money and time.

I'm glad you're around, though! I do have a question, have you done Surf the Murph? I'm looking at doing that for my first 50*. Cutoff is 14 hours which may or may not work for me depending on the course.

Bert-o, I did FANS last year and tapped out at 29 miles. It sucked and I felt really crummy about how I handled the race, but I learned a lot. Now this year I'll have something to motivate me to keep moving. Also maybe it won't be 90F.

*I plan on doing over 50 miles at FANS of course!!

https://www.facebook.com/CoastMountainTrailSeries/photos/a.1069601303187579.1073741894.150165918464460/1069609396520103/?type=3&theater

25k finish photo, racing for the finish, even though I'm near the back, not sure the photo will show up here

Berylrunner - I was thinking of getting microspikes, just went with the nanospikes I had, since I knew the trail would be packed down, a few sections would have been better with microspikes, the nanospikes did a decent job on most of it