Rocky Raccoon 100 training week 17.
Well, this was the big week. Weekend, anyway. The one I requested to add to my schedule early on, when I realized I'd need the confidence boost, not necessarily of a 50 miler, but of a longer back to back weekend than was on my schedule.
The week started off iffy, with a short 6 miler with Matt in Concan on Christmas day, then a terrible 10 miler on Wednesday, where my legs felt horrible for the first 3 miles, then I fell at mile 4. Road falls are the worst. But even though I felt dizzy and nauseous immediately after the fall, I brushed myself off and finished that stupid 10 miler.
Then after two days off running, I tackled my 20/30 weekend. 20 miles on the road with Karen on Saturday, 30 miles on the Greenbelt on Sunday.
The 20 miler went well. The weather wasn't ideal for what I prefer, but we kept it nice and conservative, in light of the scary run looming the next day. Karen gifted me last week with Christmas cryo, so I went and froze myself after the run, then did very little for the rest of the day. Sunday I woke up feeling pretty darn okay, other than my left knee feeling really tight from my fall on Wednesday. I was nervous but optimistic.
And it went really, really well. I did the same out and back from the 360 access to Barton Springs that Matt and I have been doing, so I felt very comfortable with it. 4 loops. The first was with Alisa and Karen, then Karen and Matt for the second, alone for the third, and with Matt for the fourth. I won't pretend it wasn't tough. I nearly called it after three. But I knew that would be a mental failure, and it was mental practice that I really needed (in addition to getting my body used to running longer miles). So I was proud when I started, and finished, the fourth loop. And I felt good finishing. I could have kept going. I'm glad I didn't have to, though.
Then I drank a recovery drink and took an ice bath. I can't even tell you how unappealing an ice bath is after 6.75 hours in 38 degree weather. Not appealing. I may only have lasted ~3 minutes. But hopefully it had SOME benefit.
Then I tried and failed to nap before we headed over to Karen and Ryan's for NYE, where Karen strapped me into her Normatec boots, fed me wine and queso, and we all agreed that actual midnight is overrated and headed home around 11:50 to finally really sleep.
66 miles for the week. My highest volume week so far, the highest volume week I'll have, and the last day of what I suspect is the highest volume month I've ever had (uncomfirmed): 241.88 miles.
I think I feel good. Other than I might have contracted Matt's cold or whatever illness is plaguing him. It's a lot to ask your body to run 50 miles in two days, and it's even more to ask it to prop up its immune system to fight off an illness that lives in the same house. We'll see. Play it by ear.
I was tentatively writing up some of my schedule for the next few weeks and it only just really hit home how few weeks are between now and race day.
Yikes.
6+10+20+30=66
The week started off iffy, with a short 6 miler with Matt in Concan on Christmas day, then a terrible 10 miler on Wednesday, where my legs felt horrible for the first 3 miles, then I fell at mile 4. Road falls are the worst. But even though I felt dizzy and nauseous immediately after the fall, I brushed myself off and finished that stupid 10 miler.
Then after two days off running, I tackled my 20/30 weekend. 20 miles on the road with Karen on Saturday, 30 miles on the Greenbelt on Sunday.
The 20 miler went well. The weather wasn't ideal for what I prefer, but we kept it nice and conservative, in light of the scary run looming the next day. Karen gifted me last week with Christmas cryo, so I went and froze myself after the run, then did very little for the rest of the day. Sunday I woke up feeling pretty darn okay, other than my left knee feeling really tight from my fall on Wednesday. I was nervous but optimistic.
And it went really, really well. I did the same out and back from the 360 access to Barton Springs that Matt and I have been doing, so I felt very comfortable with it. 4 loops. The first was with Alisa and Karen, then Karen and Matt for the second, alone for the third, and with Matt for the fourth. I won't pretend it wasn't tough. I nearly called it after three. But I knew that would be a mental failure, and it was mental practice that I really needed (in addition to getting my body used to running longer miles). So I was proud when I started, and finished, the fourth loop. And I felt good finishing. I could have kept going. I'm glad I didn't have to, though.
Then I drank a recovery drink and took an ice bath. I can't even tell you how unappealing an ice bath is after 6.75 hours in 38 degree weather. Not appealing. I may only have lasted ~3 minutes. But hopefully it had SOME benefit.
Then I tried and failed to nap before we headed over to Karen and Ryan's for NYE, where Karen strapped me into her Normatec boots, fed me wine and queso, and we all agreed that actual midnight is overrated and headed home around 11:50 to finally really sleep.
66 miles for the week. My highest volume week so far, the highest volume week I'll have, and the last day of what I suspect is the highest volume month I've ever had (uncomfirmed): 241.88 miles.
I think I feel good. Other than I might have contracted Matt's cold or whatever illness is plaguing him. It's a lot to ask your body to run 50 miles in two days, and it's even more to ask it to prop up its immune system to fight off an illness that lives in the same house. We'll see. Play it by ear.
I was tentatively writing up some of my schedule for the next few weeks and it only just really hit home how few weeks are between now and race day.
Yikes.
6+10+20+30=66