Aesthete Runner

Week 14 was a big week for me, as it marked my longest training run before the Hennepin 50. It was a week that I was both nervous but excited for as it marked a 50k being a training run distance vs a race that I was training for. While the race itself did not go as I expected, I was able to take away a lot from the run and it still is satisfying to complete the distance especially in less than ideal conditions.

On Saturday I ran the Glacier Ridge Trail 50k in Slippery Rock, PA. This was my 2nd 50k to date, and it was by far the most challenging race I've ever run. It also happened to be one of the most fun and awesome experiences and it is a race I will definitely never forget.

This is it, the final week! Race day is almost here and overall, I am feeling ready. Between checking the weather forecast hourly (alternating between rain and heat) and checking items off my to-do and packing lists, the time has flown by. 

Week 15 was a recovery week, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The 5 hour long run at the end of Week 14 really took a lot out of me and my body needed lower mileage. However, recovery week doesn't mean an easy week, and I still had two quality runs including a long hill workout to complete.

Tomorrow I start officially training for the Glacier Ridge Trail 50k on May 12th. Similar to my recaps for the 2016 and 2017 Chicago Marathon and my first 50k, Earth Day, I will be posting weekly detailing my overall training.

Yesterday I ran the Paleozoic Cambrian Fall Trail 25k, which was my first race post-Chicago marathon and the longest I have run since the race. Initially I was considering the 50k when I was signing up, and while I would definitely consider the 50k in the future, I'm glad I went "easy" on myself and stuck to the 25k.

I am back from my Vegas vacation and completed another 10 mile race yesterday at the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 event. The "official" training for this week was mixed, as I enjoyed some fantastic hiking in Vegas, while also trying to keep my legs fresh for the race yesterday. I loved that I was able to still stick with the training plan, while choosing to keep my mileage lower.

One of the best parts of finishing a race is recovering, healing any aches and pains, and then holding on to that fitness base. When I first started running, I would train hard for a race but then ultimately take so much time off afterwards that I would lose most of my fitness. When the next training cycle came along, I would have to start from square one. Over the years I have perfected my art of maintenance between training cycles. I absolutely enjoy taking time off and focusing on other non-running activities, but I also like being able to utilize my fitness base when starting to train for a specific race.

It's hard to believe that three weeks has passed since my first 50k. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and other days my body reminds me that it wasn't. This past week marked the third and final week of scheduled rest, and I am feeling very ready to jump into maintenance mode. I did very little running and while that feels strange, I tried to enjoy it because I know what's a few months ahead.

With two weeks down and one week to go, I feel like I am recovering well since the Earth Day 50k. I have been running very little, with a lot of focus on cross training and yoga. And rest. Lots of rest. It really is amazing how much more time I have on the weekend when I don't have to run 20 miles, but there have been days where I'm itching to run.

I did it! I ran my first 50k on Saturday. It has taken a few days for me to reflect on the race. I experienced so many intense feelings within one race that it was very difficult for me to even understand or identify how I feel about that day. I listened to a podcast a few months ago that talked about failure. How we often are afraid to do things where failure is a real possibility. Often times in training, we select plans or goals that are challenging enough that we feel pushed, but where we can finish feeling satisfied that we accomplished what we set out to do. We rarely select races or goals where we could fail, and as a result, we never learn to be better. Failure is not bad. Failure is not the end of the world. When we do fail, we learn how to be better. We learn that it is ok to fail, but then we pick ourselves up and try again. I knew signing up for a 50k raised the real risk of actual failure. I felt this more than any other race I had signed up for. Contrary to my fear of...

That's right...ONE day until my first 50k. I woke up this morning after sleeping in on a day off, and it seemed unreal that at this time tomorrow, I will be running my first ultramarathon.

It's here...the final week leading up to my first 50k. There are times when I feel like I've been training forever and I just want race day to get here, and other days where I wonder if it was enough. Fortunately I had another great week of training that has bolstered my confidence going into the last week of the taper.

Hooray, I made it to the taper! This past weekend I finished my last long run and the next 13 days will be spent focusing on recovery. Looking back over the past few months, it feels like this day would never come.

It is now officially April and that means my race is in 20 days!!!! The nerves and excitement are starting to set in. Yesterday I had my second 20 mile run and it is definitely sinking in that this is going to be happening...soon.

Quote from a recent Runners World article that sums up my week: We runners need to be light on our feet. We need to be able to adapt to changes in weather and terrain. We need to be able to handle detour signs and find alternate routes. We have to be able to push through a bonk or a wall, and hold it together until we can transcend. We need to be able to run in a pack, or go it alone. We need to be able to adjust our pace and tweak our training. We need to be both self-reliant and coachable. We need to know our bodies well enough to know exactly what we need—and do something about it. We need to know what pain we can play through and when it’s serious and time to stop. Anything can happen between a start and a finish line, and we have no idea how the miles in between will unfold. I feel light on my feet, happy to find a way to make it work instead of making an excuse . This past week marked one month until the Earth Day 50k race. I think that it never really hit me that this is ha...

This past week was the first time I felt challenged beyond what my body was capable of. I started out the week feeling great after the long run, but by the end of the week I was exhausted. This week's lesson was in rest and recovery.

The balancing act continued this past week as I somehow managed to adjust to a new job, morning running, and a 20 mile long run. I might be crazy, but I am actually happy that the clocks jumped ahead last night as now I can get in some runs after work.

What a week! I started my new job, became a morning runner, and ran one of my longest training runs in a while. Needless to say, I am exhausted! I am still working on balancing a new job, training for my first ultra, and everything else in life, but I know that each week will get easier.

Sensing a theme with podcasts this week, I recently listened to the latest episode of Trail Runner Nation. The topic of this podcast was " Vulnerability: Our Greatest Measure of Courage " and I was deeply inspired and engaged during this episode.