I’m signed up for the Leadville series: marathon, 50M and 100M, and training is going pretty well:
Red=Bad Yellow = Not Bad/Not Good Green=Good
Not 100% green but I will take it for a win.
It’s been cold and I had a few sessions on the treadmill. I just dread the treadmill. Coach says watch a movie or listen to a book. I’m not sure those options are possible but I do have to learn to make the best of it. Similar to the 24 hour race in April when I have to run 3 mile loops for 24 hours, mental prep is on the ticket this week, and probably for the next 6 weeks. I’m not looking forward to the treadmill or 3 mile loops. But then again, who actually looks forward to running 100 miles. Ha.
I haven’t been hiking in the mountains yet this winter and I’m hopeful that I figure out a 4,000 footer next week. This week is a training rest week. The plan is to get every mile in and stay relaxed. Next week miles will go up and I’m excited. I can’t see the schedule yet on Training Peaks and that might be a good thing.
I had this image in my journal at the beginning of the year and for the most part I followed these principles.
Experiencing Joy. So much this year brought me joy: travel, adventure, triathlon, friends, work, dogs, hiking, running, skiing, biking.
I really like this quote for this coming year. It was shared by a Facebook friend:
I thought waking up at 5:30 was a win but most days I still don’t get everything done. When I wake up at 4:30 I get everything done.
I’ve never been someone who can follow a routine but I do like a schedule. I know that the by planning the night before what my day will be, with time constraints, worked. I’m going to do that again.
This year I am going to continue to dream big, train hard and demand more of myself despite all the noise in the world.
2022 is going to be awesome, hard, fun, difficult.
I’m excited for the next eight months of Leadville training and racing. I’m excited to have a coach who will get me to the finish line. I’m excited about moving to the mountains. I’m excited for all the unknown joy and happiness that will come this year.
Right on target – it’s December and my 2022 Race Plan is complete.
Here it is:
2022 Race Schedule
As of today: happy, healthy, ready to get on it.
A dose of reality: while I’m positive and energetic as I write this, I did not do the planned run for today. I was supposed to run 8 easy miles today. I didn’t do it. My ideal run is in the morning. Today, I had to leave my house early for work so no run. 10 hours later, I get home and it’s dark. Usually I can power through a night run. I’ve done it before. Leave the emotion out and just get it done. Today, I couldn’t. Didn’t. Didn’t want to.
However, I’m will do everything. I just needed a day. I just needed a running break today. In the future I will leave the pouting to the off days.
Follow the plan, when it goes sideways, get back to the plan. The plan is the word. Word.
As I was driving to the race from Tucson to Vail, I thought, so many things could or could have gone wrong to get to the start. At times, I can be worst-case-scenario girl. I traveled 2,600 miles to run 34 miles in the desert. All my flights were on time, rental car went well, I wasn’t murdered, I didn’t oversleep, and I didn’t get a flat tire on race morning. These are the things I think about. So much can go wrong.
The afternoon before the race I started preparing all my gear and realized that for the second time at a big race I forgot the lid for my reservoir. Since it’s not attached to the reservoir I always leave it by the sink. I forgot to pack it. I had to run to Summit Hut, just one hour before they closed to buy a new one. Seriously, that was the worst thing that happened; it was a good race weekend.
The start of the race was cold; 40 degrees. As the race started and we headed into the desert the wind kept me cool. I wore two layers and gloves. Even as the sun glared down on us the wind kept me cool and comfortable. The course was absolutely stunning. The pictures do not do it justice.
I started slowly and walked when it was really rocky. My legs didn’t feel fatigued until after mile 12. I only had a few moments of feeling bad but for the most part I just felt good and happy. I ate and drank according to the plan. I cheered on runners coming back from the turn around and that gave me energy.
A few weeks ago I bought Altra Olympus running shoes. They are super bulky, heavily padded shoes. They were the most expensive shoes I’ve ever purchased but the specifications said they were good on technical, rocky trails so I wanted to try them.
My favorite running shoe
They were worth every penny. My feet felt great the entire time and now, they are my go-to running shoe on trails.
At the 17 mile turn around I knew I was going to finish. I knew everything was going right. The aid station volunteers were amazing and helpful. Oreo cookies with frosting are now my favorite aid station food. I used Tailwind the entire time. I ate bars and gels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The course was a mix of hard packed dirt, small rocks, big rocks, slabs of rock, and sandy wash crossings. There was even a brook that was flowing from the rain the day before that I had to rock hop. The Arizona Trail is amazing and varied. I’m so glad I came.
The final downhill to the finish I pushed it and was so happy. I was the only person from New Hampshire to race. I got my finisher railroad tie, drank some chocolate milk and headed back to the hotel. So Happy.
As I drove into Tucson to meet Kassandra for dinner, the Catalina Mountains stood guard. They are a stunning mountain chain rising up from the desert. I miss Tucson. I spent three years in Tucson learning about the desert by running and mountain biking all the parks that surround the city.
Hiring a coach was the best thing I could’ve done. She helped me prepare for the race by giving me a plan that made me strong and helped me create a race plan to get me to the finish. Thank you Coach Kathy.
I’m so thankful for my health, my friend Kassandra and her family who I got to see and catch up with, and everything and everyone in my life right now. Thankful.
I leave for Tucson in just four days. I’m pretty excited for the desert but there is so much going on here that it’s also hard to leave. Someone asked me why I would fly across the country for a long weekend to race. My only answer: it’s what I do. I love to travel but at the same time I hate kenneling my dogs. I love seeing new places and going where I’ve never been, but I hate the air travel part.
Contradictions
As far as the race, like most things, I just don’t know how it’s going to go. I’ve been on the course and I have a very specific race plan (Thanks Coach) including how much food and water to eat and drink between aid station. I know what I’m going to wear and I feel fit. My plan while running is to think about the Presidential Traverse and how I got to the end despite the pain. I’m going to think about Leadville and how this race is a mental training test. I’ve done everything my coach said, except for one training run after my booster shot. I’m ready.
All I can do now is finish my 12 miles today, 8 miles tomorrow, and the rest of the plan leading up to Saturday. I can’t wait.
