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It's really spring now!
In the last day or two, the green leaves have started to break out and it doesn't matter anymore that there's a forecast of 7 inches of snow on Tuesday, it's spring and that's all we know, that's all that matters! We're moving forward.
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Yesterday I did an easy ten miles at the lakes, I needed some time to be alone in my thoughts, and an easy run where there was no one to push me.
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It didn't really look like spring yet at the lakes, nothing was very green, and there was fresh snow on Longs Peak and the Mummy Range. .jpg)
This morning, I met Wheaties Boy at the cemetery to do a 15 mile tempo run. I started off a little stiff and sore after the past few days of trail running and a hard mile on the bike path on Thursday. But after a few laps, my pace came down into the 8s and even though I was pushing it, I wasn't hurting too bad. My legs were more sore than tired.
We wrapped up 15 miles in 2:10, a nice 8:40 average talking pace on the dirt surface of the cemetery, with my final mile in 7:52, without working too hard. When you feel refreshed but not dead after a workout, you know it's a good one.
I've needed some kind of confidence booster lately, as I've been struggling so hard since Delano. Now I feel like a two week taper with a lot of good, solid rest is all I need. I got a total of 75.8 miles this past week which didn't kill me. Anything I do from here on out isn't going to help me get fitter, and doing too much can only hurt me. So I'm done, just easy jogging, keep the legs fresh, from now until Ohio, and avoid the dreaded taperworm.
I have a plan for North Coast, and I'm going to stick to it. It starts out SUPER CONSERVATIVE. I'm actually going to look like I'm dragging ass out there for the first 6 hours. But I'm pretty sure if I take the opposite approach of what I took at Delano, I'll have a successful performance. And I'm very excited to be wearing my Team PI gear for the first time in a race!
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Plus today Wheaties Boy let me try one of the chocolate cherry Clif Shots with mega caffeine and I thought it was the best tasting gel ever. I'm going to use those during North Coast instead of relying solely on my usual Starbucks doubleshot espresso, because I usually end up needing a trip to the bathroom soon after the doubleshots, I'm slightly lactose intolerant.
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The leaves are coming, flowers are blooming, and typical of Colorado, it's supposed to snow in the next 24 to 48 hours. Spring. Bring it on!
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4 comments:
Yay! Spring has almost sprung! We cleaned out part of the xeriscape garden today - whew! I have neglected it terribly the past 3 years - as in, haven't done one thing to it - and although they require very minimal care, they DO need SOME care! Getting some snow on it on Tues will be good.
You are going to look quite lovely in your new PI gear! :-) Glad to hear you felt good this week and got a confidence boost for your race in a few weeks.
Thanks Kathleen! Glad to hear Colorado Springs has "almost spring", too. We are going to xeriscape our yard in the near future, much better than lawn care. I am now very excited about the Ohio race. Today's workout was what I needed. I'll have pictures as soon as I can get them.
I'm on my husbands ipad so nit sure this will go thru. Yes, last year when i started out, it felt so easy and Ashley and Denise were telling me to slow down! I was like, really? My fastest mile out of the 24hr was my 1st and it was right at a 9min pace. Yes, being rested, adrenaline, and a very flat loop will make a 9min pace feel effortless, but i slowed down and so glad i did. I have a little test i do. If i can't comfortably breathe out of my nose with my mouth closed, i am running too fast. So there are lots of pics last year early on with my mouth closed. Lol. You will do great with your training and all of your ultra experience. :-) Beth
Hey Beth, Thanks for the comment! That is great advice and I never thought of doing a test like that- will have to try that with my mouth closed. People will be happy too if I keep my mouth closed so I don't talk too much too!
But you are so right, that is exactly what I did wrong at Delano, I felt so good at sea level that I started out too fast and I didn't think to slow down, and ended up dying at the end. I am so looking forward to running and talking with you there, but will keep my mouth shut when I need to! :-) Happy tapering!
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