Catching up from vacation

Perhaps it's lazyness or just being so busy, but I didn't write anything in my blog last week while on vacation. Oh, I did get some runs in but missed the first week of track and the beginning season mile time trial.

I kept thinking about the 50K trail run and if I actually thought or felt I was ready. As I think back to any race that was a new distance for me, I don't think I ever felt ready. How does one really know?

During my 10 mile run Saturday, I felt good, I felt ready. As I was jumping over logs and dodging branches, I felt strong and prepared....of course I only ran 10 miles...add 20 more and things change quickly.

It doesn't matter much now as there is only a few weeks left. My job now is
to keep tuned up, try not to overtrain or injure myself (no speed work) and concentrate on a positive attitude. Is that really possible?

05/02/09
Saturday

10 mile goulash run. I call it that because it had a bit of everything, a mixture of tar, dirt, and trail. It had rolling hills, steep hills, long gradual hills, technical terrain with trees, soft dirt, hard single trail (actually a hill or more in each mile). The only thing missing was mud. In this case, that is fine as the 50K will probably not have much mud to deal with.

I enjoyed this run and viewed it more like a tempo run than a long run. It seems funny to say a 10 mile run did not seem like a long run, but compared to the last two weekends, an hour and a half went by very quickly and I felt quite strong at the end.

10.05 miles combo trail/road
1:32:02 (9:10 pace)

04/30/09
Thursday

Ran on the road to a gravel pit and enjoyed a 5.5 mile trail run. Had plenty of hills and the weather was perfect. Every run should feel as good as this one....what a great day.

5.5 miles
52:04 (9:28 pace)
.5 mile cooldown walk

04/28/09
Tuesday

On vacation and missing track tonite. Not to upset as I ran a great little trail run through a pit and went in the water after my cooldown. Though a bit cold, the fact that I just finished running and the temps were in the 90s, the water felt great on the legs. I first thought of doing my own mile time trial but the woods were whispering to me to come and play......so I hit the trail instead, it was a no-brainer!

4 miles combo trail/road
37:10 (9:18 pace)
.5 cooldown walk