Chill!

After doing 129 miles on my feet last week, I'm taking it easy this week. Yesterday was my first day off since coming back from Death Valley and it was 46 degrees and raining! I was freezing my butt off all day, I couldn't wait to go to the sauna.

This week I actually got my bike out and rode it twice! I'm missing my bike more these days with the nice weather in Ft. Collins. As I taper, I'll have more time to do some short rides and I plan to ride my bike a lot in order to recover A.B., that's After Badwater. Today I ran 8 miles easy and I can feel how tired my legs are.

I've been to the sauna almost every day this week. The other night I went for the first time after work. It's hard to go to the sauna after working 12 hours. You'd think it would be relaxing, but I was so tired that I could only tolerate it for 30 minutes. Plus there was this strange old dude in there talking on his cell phone. Why people think everyone in the world would want to share in their phone conversation is beyond my ability to comprehend. Don't get me ranting about cell phones. I think they are the worst gadget ever invented. That could be a whole blog in itself...

I'm getting the last of my supplies together. There really isn't that much more I need other than the grocery shopping Steph and I will do in the days before the race. Steph's been working out crew glitches and transportation arrangements. I just found out Coleman is providing each Badwater entrant with a new cooler! That's one less cooler I'll have to bring. The Coleman company has been generous enough to give each of us one of their ultimate extreme coolers which are bomb-proof in the heat. Keep that Slim-Fast cold!

Next week is my last big training week. I plan to do some Rock Repeats and a long run in addition to the Estes Park Marathon, and get about 100 miles in. Then it's a gradual taper until race day. I'll be spending more time in the sauna and more time running like a normal runner. I might even go up to Estes Park a few times and run Longs Peak and Twin Sisters as far as the trails are dry. It snowed up there yesterday and it all looks white from town. This weekend is going to be hot. Of course, I'm working. Sigh...