Sunday, August 14, 2011

Marching On

It's four weeks until Sawtooth and so far the training has been going well. This last week was pretty casual, coming in at around 50 miles. I had a couple of great runs, last weekend six or so of us ran at Murphy and this morning Kurt and I ran 15 down at Lebanon Hills. My legs are feeling great, no aches or pains, and the speed seems to be there too.

I'm getting excited about this one, I think it's been just long enough after Black Hills to have somewhat forgotten the discomfort from running 100 miles. It's going to be fun seeing a lot of familiar faces up there, and I'm hoping to shave a couple of hours off of my time from last year (26:58:01) which I think I should be able to do if the weather permits.

In any case, it's going to be fun. I have one more hard week coming up, starting on Tuesday and a couple of big runs next weekend, made more difficult by the fact that it's also my 20 year high school reunion and I don't think I'll be all that rested for them after gallivanting around all night. I won't exactly be reliving the glory days, high school was fun, but really, I'm having way more fun now.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Do I actually write?

Apparently I only write race reports on this...which isn't bad, but only points out to me what an extraordinarily lazy writer I am.

I've just started a five week tune up for Sawtooth. Which I'm hoping, five weeks from today, that I'm not still running. This week is probably the biggest week of training I've had, topping out somewhere around 73 miles of running. That doesn't even count dog walks. It's hard to believe some of my friends consider this low mileage. Oh well, I think it's getting me where I need to go.

I need to start focusing a bit on the nutrition, and try to ween myself off coffee once again (sorry Matt). Actually, we eat pretty healthy around here, regularly hitting the farmers market and, having found kindred souls in the Kocanda family, we've bought and split tasty organic field raised beef and pork. This stuff is to die for, and I highly recommend anyone interested in really tasty meat to hit Blue Gentian Farm and get some. It's really fun having a freezer full of beef and pork, and I can just grab whatever I'm in the mood for.

I'm gearing up to try brewing beer sometime soon too, probably in the fall, when my basement cools off a bit more.

Two weeks ago I worked up at the Voyageur 50 Miler, at the Jay Cooke aid station. As this is an out and back course, and JC is the first and last aid station, I got to see everyone at their best and worst. It was a lot of fun seeing a bunch of friends giving it their all, and nursing people back to health so they could finish out their day. Props to everyone who toed the line, it was a typical Voyageur day, hot and humid, with the expected carnage.

Now get out there and run!