Emerging!

I might just be emerging from post traumatic DNF syndrome. This has taken it's toll on me. I thought about whether or not to share this or whether or not to be honest. Since I have tried to keep it real here I guess this post should be no different. It's somewhat embarrassing to admit how I have felt the past couple of weeks. Post Bighorn I was so incredibly sick that all I got to do was lay around and be in my own head. That's not a good space after something like Bighorn. Though it's just another day I felt serious anger and sadness over the whole ordeal. Possibly due to fact that I couldn't do my normal behavior which is to march forward with new resolve because I was sick played a roll. I am not sure but one thing is for sure. I was down and out.

I was literally lost for motivation. Parts of me wanted to crawl in my bed and forget physical movement. All the while some part of me was getting really frustrated with that lazy part. The battle ensued for days. The mood changed from hour to hour. I was getting so baffled at which path I was going to take. I felt like my body was slamming into one wall then another. Feeling tired is normal after being sick and disappointed. Generally the waiting game is the only way to approach the situation. Just continue to march forward and eventually the blah feeling will diminish. You will get distracted and life will go on. You will emerge and the drive and motivation will be restored. However, it wasn't working for me. I found myself not acting anything like myself. That is disturbing! I know myself really well and I know how to move forward into the storm of pain both mental and physical, take the shots and come out of it stronger and more motivated. Not this time. I was beginning to wonder if I had a serious problem. Wondering if I was taking this DNF way to far? Wondering if I was using it as an excuse? Wondering if I will ever want to train again? Wondering if I will never WANT to train again then what? The biggest problem of all was the lack of control over my emotions and how to change my mind so to speak. The talks I had with myself about the endless pity party was getting mean. I simply could not shake this emotional low.

Then a moment of clarity came. I am sitting at the gym eating my lunch when a friend comes by sits down and asks me about Bighorn. I give the short version but when I said I didn't finish my face looked over and I lost it. It was the first time in the last three weeks that anyone said it's okay to be sad and disappointed. As a fellow endurance athlete it was as if he knew exactly the feeling of failure. Until then It's been chin up Ronda. Trying to be strong and muster it up and not let it bother me. It just running ya know. It's just a race. Get over it. Showing weakness is not a strong suit for me and I have barely shed a tear over of this but at that moment I busted out with full on sobs. Sad but true. Three weeks later the feeling of disappointment took on it's own life and I had no control but to just sit there and bawl like a baby to someone I barely know. The best part about it was the incredible release of pent up sadness gushed out. All my thoughts of sadness came spilling out and maybe that was the most freeing. The other part was feeling understood and not judged for being so sad. Not being told it's just a race or there will be other days. I think not acknowledging what a DNF at Bighorn meant was a mistake. I put a lot time and energy into this race and should have allowed myself to be sad and disappointed. Instead I tried to do my normal thing. Just move on and do better. That is exactly what I need to do but I was stuck! No one really cares about such things. In the big scheme of life they are nothing but for three weeks it's been something. I finally think I might be emerging and after my emotional outburst I went running and my IPOD cued up Ryan Stars, "It's a brand new day". I smiled as the chorus sung"

Dream

Send me a sign

Turn back the clock

Give me some time

I need to break out

And make a new name

Let's open our eyes

To the brand new day

It's a brand new day

I fought the trail but the trail won!

I can break down my Bighorn attempt into 4 categories. The four categories are, the bad, the ridiculous or funny, the great and of course the lessons. I'll get the bad news over with first.

THE BAD: I DNF'ed! When I checked in on Thursday my blood pressure reading was 101/51. The medic checks it twice then asks me if this is normal. All runners have low blood pressure but for me I know when I see a lower than 58 reading on the bottom that's too low. I've had this combination of hypotension and hypothyroid for about 5 years. It's fairly common among endurance athletes but there are a couple of things that can cause symptoms to get out of hand.

Altitude and cold can really make the body freak when the circulation is compromised. Being at all dehydrated or low on sodium coupled with the altitude and cold took my body for the ride of it's life. I was absolutely prepared to be cold up at Porcupine Pass. This is the high point of race at 8,900 feet. It's also the 50 mile turn around and due to the late start time it put me arriving somewhere between 10 and midnight. The amount of standing water on the course near the turnaround along with freezing temperature took my body into a tail spin I couldn't get out of. I arrived absolutely freezing with all my clothes on. I couldn't feel my lower legs up to about mid shin. I got in the car to change shoes and clothes and immediately started uncontrollable shivers. I got out quick and got going thinking once I got out of the freezing water section and down lower I could warm up and all would be good. I got out of it began to get feeling back in my hands and legs but never came around. I gave myself miles

of emotional abuse wondering if I am just simply wimping out and letting myself and everyone else down. Wondering if failure was defining me. The emotional thrashing lasted a really long time. The battle between my body and my mind was intense and absolutely raw. Trying to separate the two and figure out how pull myself around was incredible and frustrating. It was a wicked ride. I gave it all I had. I tried everything I knew how to do, eat, drink, go slow, be positive, sit at aid stations, drink broth and coke. By mile 80 I was losing it big time. By arms were swelling, I had shortness of breath, dizzy malaise and felt like I was ready to call it good on life. I knew it was over for me. All the hard work and big expectations I set were going to be left at mile 82. It was the last checkpoint for crew and I honestly was scared to leave. It was the only decision I could make at the time and though I have questioned it for over 24 hours now all I can do is learn how to prevent it or control it for future races. Bill was crushed when he saw me. I knew he was worried. Micheal did everything to try to keep me going. Even holding me up. It was not a pretty picture, I was out of it, pissed, disappointed and pretty done with myself!

Now on to the better parts of the race because there were some funny or ridiculous happenings along with some great moments and of course a few lessons.

THE FUNNY OR RIDICULOUS: We left on Portland on Thursday morning. Of course I was hydrating like crazy so as soon as they said we could use the bathroom I think I ran my best race to the bathroom. Upon exiting the restroom while wearing flip flops I caught my baby toe on the door hinge and broke it. I heard the crack felt the pain and watched the 2 rows of people by the bathroom turn and watch me reach down in pain. I go back to my seat and watch it grow, turn red and I think to myself, really! I decide it will be a distraction and we don't run on our baby toe anyway. Fortunately I have a really short baby toe. It throbbed all night and I had to prop the covers up with a pillow. It was no picnic putting it in my running shoes in the morning either. Fortunately after about 15 miles it has swollen up enough to just be a mild irritant.

Leaving the first crew point at mile 13.4 the wildflowers were beautiful. The lupine were blooming and they were bright purple. Birds were singing and bees were buzzing. One of those buzzing bees flew right into my mouth! I stop, spit and try to cough it out. It's flying around my mouth caught in saliva and what seemed like a minute but was more like 10 seconds he finally got spit out. I was incredibly thankful he didn't sting me. I would have been in big trouble. However, I knew Kelly Ridgeway was behind me and she's a nurse so I knew I would't die. Ok then!

Going along the race course on my merry way enjoying my music feeling strong I come up out of a drainage right after The Narrows aid station at about mile 53 and there's a moose starring at me. I've heard the stories of Karl's moose and they warned us this section had moose. I clap and hoot at her and I not afraid because I know there are a couple of runners behind me. However, Ms. Moose starts to make some sort of snorting sound while trotting at me on the trail. I decide to turn around and head near a tree. She stops and just stands there looking my direction. Fortunately two medics on horses came and scared her up the hill. Hmmmmm...

Now with the moose up the hill and making my way further up the course to Spring Marsh

I come up on two elk. Unlike the moose they get spooked and trot up the hill yelling at me. I begin to wonder if I am going to see a bear next? Now my headphones are OFF I am eagle eying my surrounding but not enough to stop myself from missing a turn. Following 4 others runners who are good 20 yards ahead of me all is fine until one stops and discovers we are not on course. We know the trail is somewhere above us because the river is below. We cross country uphill for about a quarter of a mile and run into the trail. Seems I am having quite a day so far. On to the dark cold night.

As the sun goes down and the course continues to climb the trail just get wetter and muddier. I make my way to the turn get myself out of there with Micheal and we head home. We come into Spring Marsh aid station and I stop, grab a cup of warm broth, take a step back right into a hole. My left ankle twists but good. It hurt really bad and took my breath away. I spill most of my broth and begin to walk it off. I can feel it getting larger in my shoe as we go along. So here I have made it over 55 miles on rocky technical terrain, slippery mud, logs, cross country water swamps without one fall or twist and I can't seem to walk around an aid station without incident. My patience is certainly being tested.

We continue on. My my feet are still frozen, my left baby toe is broke and my left ankle is swollen but I am still in good spirits. Since their frozen I can't feel them anyway. I am beginning to sound like a country song but this is all just fun times and makes me laugh. We are running along the river making our way back to Footbridge when we come upon a runner who is walking but looks good. We ask if needs anything and he replies, "Do you guys see a low fog"? Micheal replies, "uh...No". The guy says, "So there's no low fog". Shit it's 36 degrees and clear skies. There is no fog. The guy says, "damn, my eyes are going". Just another day on the trail.

Now that the bad news is out of the way and I've shared my ridiculous or funny moments it's on to the great things about being at the Bighorn.

GREAT THINGS: The Oregon contingent was full of talent and experience. It was an honor to be among them. Past winners, veterans, new speedsters and first timers made up one cool crowd. Since it's an out and back you get to see everyone. It's motivating, emotional and special. Watching everyone battle for their day whether it was chasing a win, a course record, a cutoff or their first finish was really fun and exciting.

I got a treat at Footbridge. This remote aid station is hard to get to. Most crews don't access it and choose to go to Porcupine Pass instead. I was incredibly lucky in having the Gebharbt family come out out and crew me both directions. These are some fabulous people I have had the opportunity to meet. Dan and Bonnie are Sarah's parents who live in Montana but have a cabin at Footbridge. Sarah's sister Betsy ran her first 100M at CCC100M last year. All the Gebhardt family has done their share of ultras. They came out, crewed me, hugged me, encouraged and shoved me onward. They stayed until 4 am. I want to be adopted by that family. They are just cool people and I wish they lived closer!

I finally got to meet Danni! However brief it was nice to see her at Porcupine waiting for her runner who looked very chipper heading in. You know how nice it is to see a friendly face?

Micheal and I got to see a mama deer and a brand new baby on Saturday morning as we made the slog to Bear Camp. The baby must have just been born. It was so small it looked like a cat. That was cool.

Although my day did not turn out how I planned there was some things I did right. I had a body. I was strong. My fueling was spot on. I had a good stomach the whole time. I was conservative and not over doing my pace. My weight was always 2 pounds up from my start weight. Since my shoes were constantly wet and muddy I felt 2 pounds up was about right on. My feet never blistered or got sore. I am not really sore just a bit stiff. The only swelling I have is my ankle and my baby toe.

LESSONS: I already knew this but I got reminded. A 100 mile race is never a gimme! Things can come up that you don't know how to handle. Where to put your mind or how to get it back. Where are the limits? Dissecting my day and making sure I am not over looking, over thinking or

simply ignoring what happened is hard. After about an 1.5 hours I was feeling much better. Once I was out of the race by body did some dry heaving, some bowel issues, hot and cold sweats and some shaking. Once I got in a hot bath and warm I was able to get my faculties back. My breathing pattern returned to normal and seemed perfectly fine. The question? Could I have done all this at Dry Fork (mile 82) and finished? I don't know? There were some symptoms early that I didn't understand but now I do. I had some weird blurry vision at around mile 56. I had my barrier glasses on so I was confused as to why I would have it. That came and went a few times. I had some serious shallow breathing going on. I let myself get too cold. My extremities were frozen. With already compromised circulation and probably some mild dehydration you always get running an ultra I couldn't get warm even when the sun came up. I need to understand how better to handle early signs of issues and figure out to stop my body from going into a tail spin. Oh, and don't wear flip flops before your race!

No Regrets!

Bighorn training is complete. I can't believe it's over. I am thrilled with how it all went and I am ready. With only 11 days before we line up this will be a very short taper. This is how my schedule was originally planned and I think it's going to be the perfect amount. After my last post when I claimed to be very tired I jinxed myself. Bill got the flu and within 3 days I had too. Fortunately it was fast and furious. I missed one short run and instead laid in a shivery fever ball on the couch. By Friday I was running again. I remember getting the flu before a race several years ago and someone told me the antibodies I develop to fight off the flu will make me stronger. I went with that thought this time. :) From now until the race I will maintain some quality in my runs in order to keep my body guessing. Mostly I want to prevent if from heading into a deep slumber! As I mentioned in my last post this is the only training plan in which I have stuck with 4 week cycles all they way to the end. I definitely noticed two diferences. First, the Tuesday 2 hour tempo trail run after the Build 2 weekends work was hard. My legs didn't feel ready to rip around single track. It would take me longer to get all the blood moving in a synergistic fashion. My pace stayed strong but the effort seemed harder. Second, the third week of hill repeats were a challenge both mentally and physically. They were mentally challenging because I was well aware of what they require. It seemed like my cardio was ready and willing but my legs were protesting the long climb at hill repeat pace. The first repeat was always harder. The second seemed better but my eyes would start to roll in my head. The third was just necessary work. I am not sure if keeping this 4 week cycle is beneficial, if pushing through that discomfort will make me better prepared for what I know will come in a 100M run. I will let you know mid June. :)

It's been raining for over a month here in Portland. I generally don't get the weather blues but these grey cold wet days have gotten to me. I am ready to see some sun! For my final weekend of training we were treated to rare but needed sun sighting. On Saturday the skies were amazingly blue and the sun was so warm. However, that quickly ended leaving my final run on Sunday a total soaker. It was so rainy and cold. Six hours was about all I could take! I literally rung out my clothes while running. My shirt was so heavy from water it started to turn into a dress! My gloves were absolutely useless and the stream crossing were right down sketchy. One slip and you were part of a waterfall. Rain, mud, water and cold was nothing short of pure character building. Best of all, Micheal and I laughed at the absurdity of what we were doing. Running along the Benson Plateau in a cloud!

Of all the 100M races I have trained for I have to say this has been the best on many levels. It's been fun to share the training with Micheal, Cheri, Carrie, Amy, Susan and all the others I got the opportunity to hang out with. The Oregon contingent heading to Bighorn is going to be fun to watch. Everyone seems ready and excited to tackle those mountains. With the out and back venue there will be lots of motivation and encouragement. I set some goals early in the season

and kept those forefront in my mind. I wanted to have a mentally positive season free of any negative yuk and that has very much happened leaving feeling upbeat on confident. I wanted to the second day run of my back to back to be strong. All the second days have been more than I could ask for. I really dug into my psyche to push myself physically on that day. With the help of Micheal I was able to see faster and stronger runs. I am very appreciative of all the help. When I wrote down my goals and talked them over with Bill he said he had no doubt I would make all of it happen. Today I found a note he left for me this morning. I will keep much of it to myself but he wrote, "I have never met anyone who lives their truth and asks so much of themselves yet

wakes up and goes to bed with bright eyes and a deep smile. I admire and adore your enthusiasm and bravery. I know you have worked hard though none of us would ever see it in your face or feel it in our day because your strength is seemingly endless....." That was the sweetest and the best note ever! In the wee hours of Bighorn I will have to remember this because I am pretty certain I might not be smiling and have seemingly endless energy. :)

Now I am just hoping they don't call for the Alternate Snow Route. It appears there is still snow at Porcupine Pass and I have no idea at what point they will make the final call but as it stands today there in no news on changing the route. I've run the Alternate Route and am very much looking forward to the normal course.

Swim upstream or drown!

(a very beat up Ronda)

Two more weeks of training and they are 2 of the hardest. This week and next my miles will climb in the 90's and maybe closer to 100. That's a lot for me. With 4 quality workouts a week and high miles I am feeling tired. It's like a deja vu and I am certainly aware of this feeling but riding the line between over training and appropriate fatigue is hard for me. The teeter totter has the potential to swing either way if I am not attentive. Bighorn will be number 20 something for me. I have to go back and outline the 100M races I have done and funny that I am not sure on the number. I should have it imprinted in my brain but I don't. Seems like yesterday I was lining up at Angeles Crest 100M for my first experience of traveling through the mountains on foot for 100 miles. Since I have run enough of these you would think I have this all figured out but I don't. I think that's why I keep coming back for more. There is always some new lesson or discovery with each and every training regimen. It's like free therapy and rapid growth both physically and mentally.

This will be the only 100M race I have trained for in which I have stuck with 4 week cycles. Generally I have jumped down to 3 week cycles during the Peak Phase. There have been two reasons for that. First, due to the timing of a training race I've had to make adjustments. Second, I need more rest when it gets this intense. This year neither issue came up and here I am on my last 4 week cycle with this week being Build 2. I have to admit, I am feeling tired. The challenge is determining where or why. How much is physical and how much is mental. How can I fool my body with mind tricks? It's much harder is trick my mind, it's smart. I know I am asking a lot out of my body right now. There is no doubt about that. The question is: Is it too much? I am still on the fence and not willing to make that call yet. All my workouts have been measurably positive. What I mean by that is my heart rate and pace coincide. When they start to slip I know it's too much. My mind might be tired. My brain might simply be sluggish when it comes to preparing for my day. I have other people who count on me to be more than a runner. In order to achieve my goals I am extremely organized and routine. Not only do I love that but it's paramount in allowing me to get the workouts I have chosen to do in. Seems like life is busy right now. Lot's of school requirements for Alex and lots of planning for what he needs and wants as he gets ready for High School. Yes, seems a bit early but they start stuff now and their not even done with the 8th grade. Crazy but that's the way it rolls. In order for me to run 4 quality sessions and miles ranging in 80-100 I have to be on my toes. I might be tired of being on my toes. Does any of this matter? Not one damb bit!

It's time to suck it up and get over myself. Time to stop thinking about why I am tired and just continue to use data to guide my last 2 weeks effort. The mind is powerful instrument in either propelling us or detouring us. I have been detoured and hate it so I refuse to succumb to the emotional piece of difficulty and fatigue. Giving in or giving up, however you choose to think about it is not an option. That doesn't mean I am not going to have a pity party or two. I honestly believe the body has it's own cycles and I need to be aware of what it's telling me. Lord knows I have spent enough quality time with it. I should be fully aware of every signal it sends. Are you doing to much? Are you being weak? Hard to to say. Since I am choosing to get over myself it's time to buckle down and do my final preparations. To continue to work on the goals I outlined in the beginning. Find my mantra and man up so to speak.

Last week was capped with Friday hill repeats with 6,800 feet of ascent of which I ran every single step. My legs were burning from the inside out. My glutes were screaming by the end. Saturday I did 30 miles on the Wildwood trail. Not much climb but lots of running on rolling terrain. The mud was crazy leaving dirt clods in my shoes. Perfect training for Bighorn. :) I topped of the weekend with a road 10K. Lululemon put on it's first race. I haven't laced up a pair of road shoes since February and managed to drag myself at a 7:35 pace. I lined up with minimal expectations. Not much beyond participating and supporting the event. Surprisingly I found some legs and was able to run a great pace not breaking 160 beats per minute. Alex and Kari (Micheal and Lisa's) daughter ran the 5K and seemed to really have fun. This week will be a solid bunch of Gorge training. Since Bill has decided to go around Rainier with some friends he might even join the fun.

So besides my general fatigue all is well for Bighorn. Looking forward to pushing myself through this funk and seeing what emerges.

MacDonald Forest 50K

Capping my peak with the Mac was perfect. MacDonald Forest is one of the oldest true trail runs in Oregon. It offers over 6,500 feet of ascent and winds around the hills just outside of Corvallis. For many it's a tradition with some folks participating for over 15 years. It has the feel of a family reunion. Lots of familiar faces, lots of veterans and many new ultra runners mingle the arboretum before the race. An hour can pass before you know it catching up with everyone who seems to be in the best of moods.

This was my 9th time running the Mac. For many years the course would change depending on what new tortuous trail the RD's would build. It's was always a different distance but always near a 50K. My best year at MacDonald Forest was 5:27 but the course was only slightly over 30 miles. That was the only short year I ran so I can't count that as a PR. For the last 3 years the course has been nearly the same so comparing times is easy. The course is 31.6 miles. My best was 2 years ago when I ran 5:35:49. This year I ran 5:35:56. Close but not cigar. :) However, I felt amazing. To put it in perspective of course I needed to analyze my training and compare both years. My fastest year was 2008 and I had to run hill repeats the day before. Though that was a tough challenge I was only on 3 weeks cycles and my total mileage for the week was only 72. This year I am on 4 week cycles meaning my last rest week was over 3 weeks ago. Since I had to juggle my runs the prior weeks to a Sunday/Monday schedule I had zero days off since last Saturday. With Monday of this same week being my long run I topped this week at 90 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing at an average pace of just over a 10 minute mile. For me that is a whopper week. First my miles are high for what I generally run which is around 80 during the peak phase for a 100M race and my quality is obviously high if I am pushing just over a 10 minute mile for over 16,000 feet of ascent

Skip through the numbers I am simply on cloud nine on how I felt yesterday. I was in complete control of my race. That means I fueled perfectly and I could adjust my gears accordingly. If I needed to bump up the pace I had it. I could climb super well. My uphill strength is probably the best it's been. My downhill running still needs improving but I suspect with the next 4 weeks of training and focusing on that I will see results. I have learned so much about recovery in the last year. How to eat, what to add as supplements and most importantly I feel a strong connection to my body. Listening to my body and reacting according is huge for me. I am a driver so I will push and push. Most times pushing too far only to find myself really tired and not recovery fast enough. Today I feel great. Some would say I should have ran harder. I ran as fast as this body could move but more importantly what this tells me as I have more in me. I am almost ready for the 100M race.

Yesterday was not just a gauge for fitness it was a blast with friends. Micheal, Carrie and I carpooled to the start only to get lost. How do you get lost going to Corvallis? I don't know but thankfully Carrie had her IPhone came in handy and it navigated us through the back country arriving at the start with plenty of time to spare. We chatted and got ourselves prepared for a glorious day full of sunshine which has been a rare but certainly welcome sight. With a field of over 270 it was going to be a busy day on the trails which made it even more fun running with friends. I spent most of my day trying to keep Cheri from passing me. I was successful but it's only a matter of time before she catches me. Now a well earned recovery week. I am ready for it. I know the final three weeks of training before Bighorn are going to be big. I am already planning the perfect runs to top off my training.

In the groove!

Smack in the middle of the peak phase for Bighorn and I feel great. I don't know if my body just knows it's time to recover rapidly and stay motivated or if my love of the hard push is the driver. Whatever it is I am going with it! MacDonald Forest 50K is this weekend and it will be my final run of the a peak week. No cut back week for me. Miles are stacking up near 90 now with over 20K in climbing per week. My average mile pace for the that load is the best it's been.

Hill repeats are like a welcome friend and so far I have had 2 sessions. Still not beating my time of 42:38 to the first clearing but getting very close. The good news is I feel super strong on all the ascents. I am reaching the clearing with just seconds difference between the repeats so I am giving myself an A+. The first week I only had 2 repeats but last week we started triples. I am slated for triples now for all three weeks of the next cycle. This week will be the end of a 4 week cycle with 1 recovery week. After that it's Build 1, Build 2, Peak, Taper, Taper/Race. That's seems so fast and I am excited.

Following repeats it's been a 5-6 hour run. Those will now increase with the quality going up near the end of each run. So far I have had really nice second day runs. Some of the best I can remember. Maybe it's the exceptional company (thanks for the support friends). Going to add VO2 max stuff for the final cycle. Those workouts will be part of the weekday stuff. The weather could be a bit warmer and less wet but I am not complaining. I might complain when I see that second beating sun at Bighorn. :)

My goal for the next 4 weeks is to stay focused, have fun, stay healthy and make the most of each workout. I want to bring in those second day back to back efforts and make them work. Additionally, I want to continue to keep my mind clear and positive. Continue surrounding myself with awesome motivated people who like to share the fun and the workload. No negative yuk exists and I plan to keep it that way.

Peak Training is here

59 more days until I get to run Bighorn 100M. The last time I ran it we were forced onto the alternate snow route last minute due to unrelenting snow. I am really hoping we get to do the original course this year. I am seriously looking forward to the grind to Porcupine Pass on the narrow no trail in the wee hours of the night. There is only 8 weeks left so subtracting the 10 day taper that leave 6 weeks of heads down training. This is my favorite part of ultra running.



Not only do I absolutely relish the hard back to backs that start this week I love the challenge of making it all work. With my lovable type A personality the balancing act is almost as hard as the runs. I don't want to miss one sporting event, I don't want eat like crap, I don't want my dishes or laundry to pile up, I don't want my arms to turn to total flab and my wings to grow hair. I'll even admit I don't leave my house without all the beds made. Since I don't live in my own private running world and I have a family who expects me to do more than lay my tired butt on the couch it makes these next weeks the perfect challenge. Success will be measured in 2 ways. First, can I get it all done and still be my happy self? Second, will I rock those hard workouts and get the most out of them? Due to Alex's track schedule I have bumped my week to a Tues. - Mon. schedule for the next three weeks. Track meets are an all day event and I can't miss one to go for a run because I would be running along feeling like a looser so why bother. My week of running will look something like this. 3 long recovery workouts, 1 day off, one long 3A/3B trail effort of at least 2 hours then the back to backs. The back to backs will be 4 hours with 2-3X45 minute hill repeats at lactic threshold which I will do on Sunday. Then on Monday back that up with 6-7 hours of running in the 3A/3B range with some lactic threshold stuff on the second half. Both these days will be in the Gorge. Lucky for me a couple of my friends are going to join in the fun. I can and will go run in the Gorge solo but having company is always good and makes the nerves calmer. During the long tired times every sound in the woods can turn into a cougar stalking or a bear attack in a cluttered lactic acid filled mind. :) So as it stands for the next couple of weeks I have 3 seriously quality runs, 3 recovery efforts and one day off. After MacDonald Forest which just happens to coincide with the end of track season it's back to a normal week for the final training.



How am I going execute. I have cleared my calendar. Nothing but life and running exists for then next 6 weeks! Now that is living. :)