Well here we go ready or not. A new racing season is upon us and I have once again been consumed by the trail. Since my last entry I've gotten on the ball a bit with my running. Almost to the point of getting carried away.
After starting off this year under the weather for the first couple of weeks. The first chance I had where I felt somewhat normal I started loading on the miles.
Over the last 21 days of which only 18 of them were running days I managed somehow to cover 332 miles. Mostly all slow easy miles between an 8 and 10 min pace per mile. With the occasional tempo run in the low 7's upper 6 range. Sticking to the guidelines I had set forth in the last blog entry. Concerning myself only with getting some kind of consistency back in my day to day running while trying to maintain a high volume. Not knowing if my body would be able to handle the workload.
I called it my top secret plan #303 (300 miles in 3 weeks.) I came out of it alive thankfully. I originally wanted to just try and run 100 a week for 3 weeks. The first week was 108 miles and it felt great. So the second week I wanted to see just how many miles I could rack up. After the second week I had racked up 134 miles. To end that week though I needed to get a significant run of atleast 24 miles in. I did it but after 110 miles over the first 6 days of the week the long run left me gassed. So I decided to take the first day of the third week off. Knowing I needed only 82 miles for the week to get 300 in 3 weeks.
The third week I hit with a little less enthusiasm than the first two. Still managing to make it just under 91 miles. Leaving me with the feeling of being worked over by a steam roller. Why would someone do this to themselves so early in the season? I don't really have an explanation or an answer other than "because I could." I'm not looking for burnout or injury. I just felt good at the time and went with it. Theres nothing I'm really gearing up for. I have the White Rock 50km this Saturday. Which I just want to go in and run hard. I Don't really care how I do overall. I'll just be glad to get away for the weekend and see some friends. Then 5 weeks later I'll be heading back down to Arkansas for my favorite race of the year. 3 Days of Syllamo.
I'd like to do well there. Again I won't lie to you. I would like to win it again. But you never know who's going to show up. It'll happen if it happens I guess. I'm not gonna go into that one expecting to win. Just run it to the best of my ability and give it 110 percent everyday with everything I have in me. However that ends up sobeit.
The only real thing I have my mind on this year is my big walk in the desert of the Colorado Plateau. To give too much attention to anything other than that right now running wise would be foolish. Whether I feel good about my season this year or look back on it and feel bad. Is all going to hinge on what I do out there.
I still have to get that itinerary put together like I've promised some people I would. It's coming. I have it about half way done. Just need to finish it up and get it e-mailed to the right people. You all should have it in a week. I might even post it to a couple of the running sites to see if I can spark up anymore interest in volunteers to help.
I'll post back in a week or so to let everyone know how things went down at White Rock. Til' then keep your feet on the ground.
