What's Next, the late Summer 2011 edition.
I've had several people ask me what's next, so .. here it is.
Now that I'm done with Vineman, priority #1 is getting Matt to the startline of the Leadville Trail 100 on August 20. We've got a crew and pacers assembled and we're working out the last details now. I'm going to participate as both crew and pacer, which means I'm in for a very long day (but not quite as tiring as Matt's day will be), but I've also requested to be the last pacer of the day, so getting Matt to that finish line promises to be absolutely amazing. He has okayed the use of cattle prods.
Since I'll be pacing at Leadville, somewhere in the 15-25 mile range (how's that for a range?), I guess I should.. actually trail run. Before today, I think my last trail run was uh.. Bandera back in January.
My trail shoes actually had cobwebs covering them
Today Matt and I headed out to Bastrop State Park, one of my most favoritest places to trail run, and I eased my way slowly back in with a 2.5 hour run.
Chasing Matt down the purple trail at BSP at sunrise
Normally perhaps one would ease back in with a shorter run, but Matt and I are signed up for the Capt'n Karl's trail race next weekend out at Pedernales Falls. You may remember this run from last year, from my angst-ridden race report. Yes, it's a night trail run. No, I don't excel at DAY trail runs, and I don't excel at .. vision.. so night trail running is a challenge for me. But I do enjoy a supported trail run, and I do need some practice at night trail running for Leadville, so off we go! I'm doing the 30k. Matt's doing the 60k. I need to come up with something to entertain myself for a few hours after my run. What does one do to entertain oneself at 11pm in the middle of nowhere in the dark?
That next Thursday, Matt goes up to Colorado to begin a 9-day elevation acclimation. I presume he will send me constant text messages about how fabulous the weather is there, and I will send him messages about how it's still 108 here. But the NEXT Thursday, I head up to join him, hoping that going up right before the race means my body doesn't have time to say, "What in the hell are you doing at this elevation?!", and I don't die when I try to run.
Race starts at 4am on Saturday and you have to have crossed the finish line by 10am on Sunday or they cut you off. Our crew of four will do everything in our power to make sure Matt crosses that finish line under the cut-off, and hopefully many hours before it. We haven't worked out who's pacing Matt when, but he can start having pacers at mile 50, and I'm hoping that after 80ish miles, he's moving slow enough that I won't have to run behind him yelling, "Slow dooooown! I can't run that fast!" He says it won't be a problem. We'll see.
Leadville is such a Big Thing in our lives that it's hard to see beyond it at this point. But that doesn't mean I don't have plans beyond it!
The weekend AFTER Leadville, I'm signed up for the next Capt'n Karl's night trail race, The Shoe. Again doing the 30k. Amusingly, Matt is signed up to do the 60k. Don't ask how that happened, I don't even really understand it. He assures me he won't do it if he can't actually walk after Leadville. He's playing that one by ear. I've never run out of Muleshoe, so that should be interesting.
And after that, my next big thing is (yikes, it feels all officially typing it and putting it out there) the Palo Duro 50 miler on October 15. Yes, my first 50 miler. I really, really enjoyed the Palo Duro 50k last year, I really love that trail, and I'm excited, and terrified, to go out and try my hand at 50 miles out there. Ask me again how I feel about all that when I'm starting loop 3 of 4. :)
So that's What's Next!
Now that I'm done with Vineman, priority #1 is getting Matt to the startline of the Leadville Trail 100 on August 20. We've got a crew and pacers assembled and we're working out the last details now. I'm going to participate as both crew and pacer, which means I'm in for a very long day (but not quite as tiring as Matt's day will be), but I've also requested to be the last pacer of the day, so getting Matt to that finish line promises to be absolutely amazing. He has okayed the use of cattle prods.
Since I'll be pacing at Leadville, somewhere in the 15-25 mile range (how's that for a range?), I guess I should.. actually trail run. Before today, I think my last trail run was uh.. Bandera back in January.
My trail shoes actually had cobwebs covering them
Today Matt and I headed out to Bastrop State Park, one of my most favoritest places to trail run, and I eased my way slowly back in with a 2.5 hour run.
Chasing Matt down the purple trail at BSP at sunrise
Normally perhaps one would ease back in with a shorter run, but Matt and I are signed up for the Capt'n Karl's trail race next weekend out at Pedernales Falls. You may remember this run from last year, from my angst-ridden race report. Yes, it's a night trail run. No, I don't excel at DAY trail runs, and I don't excel at .. vision.. so night trail running is a challenge for me. But I do enjoy a supported trail run, and I do need some practice at night trail running for Leadville, so off we go! I'm doing the 30k. Matt's doing the 60k. I need to come up with something to entertain myself for a few hours after my run. What does one do to entertain oneself at 11pm in the middle of nowhere in the dark?
That next Thursday, Matt goes up to Colorado to begin a 9-day elevation acclimation. I presume he will send me constant text messages about how fabulous the weather is there, and I will send him messages about how it's still 108 here. But the NEXT Thursday, I head up to join him, hoping that going up right before the race means my body doesn't have time to say, "What in the hell are you doing at this elevation?!", and I don't die when I try to run.
Race starts at 4am on Saturday and you have to have crossed the finish line by 10am on Sunday or they cut you off. Our crew of four will do everything in our power to make sure Matt crosses that finish line under the cut-off, and hopefully many hours before it. We haven't worked out who's pacing Matt when, but he can start having pacers at mile 50, and I'm hoping that after 80ish miles, he's moving slow enough that I won't have to run behind him yelling, "Slow dooooown! I can't run that fast!" He says it won't be a problem. We'll see.
Leadville is such a Big Thing in our lives that it's hard to see beyond it at this point. But that doesn't mean I don't have plans beyond it!
The weekend AFTER Leadville, I'm signed up for the next Capt'n Karl's night trail race, The Shoe. Again doing the 30k. Amusingly, Matt is signed up to do the 60k. Don't ask how that happened, I don't even really understand it. He assures me he won't do it if he can't actually walk after Leadville. He's playing that one by ear. I've never run out of Muleshoe, so that should be interesting.
And after that, my next big thing is (yikes, it feels all officially typing it and putting it out there) the Palo Duro 50 miler on October 15. Yes, my first 50 miler. I really, really enjoyed the Palo Duro 50k last year, I really love that trail, and I'm excited, and terrified, to go out and try my hand at 50 miles out there. Ask me again how I feel about all that when I'm starting loop 3 of 4. :)
So that's What's Next!