Training for the Burning River 100 (July 27) is going well so far. This week marked my third consecutive 60+ mile week and third consecutive Sunday with 20+ miles. Building the base....
Plus, I've dropped a few pounds, which is nice as over the winter I got up to about 173 pounds. As you age, the battle of the bulge is real! I think the pounds have come off for two reason: I'm running more, and I'm watching what I eat. Hummus is now a go-to staple. Back when I was running competitively, I ate a ton of hummus.
Also, I'm back to daily planks and I can tell they're working!
All in all, I'm feeling good.
I anticipate I'll be at 70 miles/week next month (May) and 80+ in June. I am hoping for at least one week of 100+ miles, which I feel I can do but it'll require some lunch-time runs at work and probably a day off (not easy with my schedule). I'm gradually introducing quality into the mix. All of this should be enough to have me ready for the big race on July 27.
I really believe that I can finish Burning River in under 20 hours...if my stomach holds together.
It's nice knowing I can train for Burning River off my doorstep! But I am getting the itch to hit the trails in a week or two. It's mud season in Colorado and we're still getting snow now and then, leaving the trails nasty. I'm not much for mud running so I imagine it'll be May before I'm hitting the trails with decent frequency. I'm envisioning some great runs in my favorite locations--Mount Falcon, Deer Creek Canyon, Roxborough State Park, Indian Creek loop and various sections of the Colorado Trail. But since my big 100 is flat and fast, no pressure to train in the mountains. Just go when I want/can.
It's not easy training for 100 when I have a full-time job, a family and ever-increasing responsibilities on the home front--I feel pulled in many directions every day. As children age, life becomes more complicated and problems more consequential. For the most part, it's easy when they're little. Not so easy when they become pre-teens about to enter middle school. It's because of all of that and more that I decided last summer that I can't run Leadville anymore--or at least for the next few years. It requires too much time away from home.
Last night, I watched "Forever Running," a super inspiring documentary about Yiannis Kouros. It has been a while since I'd watched it. Says Yiannis in the documentary: "The verb ‘endure’ is not a physical verb, it's a spiritual one. Endure means to withstand…you must be patient and then do solid training. Without patience, you will never conquer endurance."
So true...and so inspiring: