Curses Foiled Again

My goal last week was 50 miles. I came up about 14 miles short. Why you may ask...my nemesis reared its ugly head again. I thought I had rid myself of him but alas it was not so.

Saturday morning I got up around 4:30 and was out the door around 5 I believe. I made my way through the streets of Nyack to Nyack Beach State Park and Hook Mountain. Its where I have been doing my long run training training. As I entered the park I was surprised to see the deer that are usually up and about all sitting down sleeping or at least resting. I should have taken this as a sign. I grew up in the country. I know what this means. Anyway I continued into the park through the parking lots to the trail head.

Entering the trail head I switched on my headlamp and proceed to jump and hop and dodge the puddles from the previous evenings downpour. As the trail began to climb into the think woods, I got sinking feeling. I knew that it was basically because my headlamp just wasn't cutting it on the trail. It was dark, Really dark. I could barely see three feet in front of me. Of course it didn't hurt that it was foggy from the storm.

I decided discretion is the better part of valor. I turned around and headed back. As much as I wanted to put in the "last" long run I wanted even more to not end up hurt by running blind in the forests. I made it out of the park and was heading home when Michelle who was driving to the park to put in 10 miles and pick me up came along. I hoped in and we headed home. Mere moments after getting back the sky opened up with a dark deluge that lasted about three hours. It would have made the run so unfun and possibly could have made the darkness even more of a pitfall.

So the rain got me. But I will have the last laugh. This week is my new last long run week.

Sabado Gigante

OK that mighty day of reckoning has come. A true test for me and Michelle. I'm doing 20 miles to round out my week of 50 and Michelle is doing ten which will take her to some mileage but I have no idea what. As masochistic as it may sound I am really looking forward to it. The weather here right is less than desirable. Its rained all day. Its gonna make it very challenging.

I am looking to do it in 3 hours which is a good pace, starting out in pitch blackness on the trail (a muddy trail at that). I will let you know how it goes for both of us.

Flipped Script

The best laid plans ...blah, blah, blah. You know the rest. We all know the rest. I had every intention as did Michelle yesterday to head to our deep water running class. I stopped work a bit early, fed Mr. Torre and Zim and hopped in the car. There was no traffic heading towards the GWB. The bridge flew by and so did the trip down the west side highway. Headed down 50th street and parked the car. Walked down 50th toward 6th Ave and called Michelle. She didn't answer so I left a message on her work phone and the another on the cell. I waited at our usual meeting place until Michelle showed up and we continued walk until we got to St. Bartholomew's where our class takes place. We go through the "security" and then downstairs to the lockerooms. She goes in and then I head into the men's room. In a matter of minutes there is a knock on the door. Michelle says the door to the door through the women's lockerroom is locked. I said, "hold on a moment." I walked through the lockerroom and checked. Locked on this end too.

Needless to say we quickly realized there would be no class tonight. So instead of 15+ miles this coming Saturday its going to be veinte. It is what it is.

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

If the name doesn't say it all (which I'm sure it doesn't) allow me to explain. For me, when I am focused on a physical goal I am hyper aware of how I'm feeling. Every bone, every muscle, every ligament seems to have a Batphone to my brain. Last week..the tired overtaxed week, my muscles in my upper glutes were acting up. Of course if you follow the old adage and song connecting the "knee bone" to the "leg bone" it goes without saying that with my aching butt I soon had an aching back. That being said all is right in the world. My muscles feel loose and limber.

I am not one to really worry about things which means mentally I am very even keeled. No stress is how I roll. This makes me feel wealthy. It seems that so many people suffer from problems that arise in their head. They could in reality have no "real" problems but they end up inventing some level of angst. (Our business is going well too. That doesn't hurt. The design has slowed a bit but of course writing and editing side with Michelle has picked up.)

Yesterday Michelle sent me a little article about another person's (a nutritionists) first ultramarathon. The information was not new for the most part but its always nice to be reminded of certain things. Its refreshing to read something that verifies things that you know or believe. It makes me feel wise.

And Now We're Gettin' Down To The Nitty Gritty

After last week, where both I and Michelle took it easy, it was time to get back into it. And when I say into it I mean into it. When training for any of my previous races there would be points in the training where either injury, monotony or even just sheer exhaustion would force a low mileage recupe week. That was last week. It was pure exhaustion and it was a well deserved break in my opinion. I even took a break from the blog. Now with a little less than a month left to go the time has come for the final push. What the hell does that mean you may ask? Basically it means its time for the fifty mile weeks.

As hard as it may seem its such a mental boost to do it. Nothing takes the sting out of say running fifty miles than running fifty miles. This morning was 10 miles with of course the the usual free weight workout, core work and yoga. It was wonderful and its only the beginning...of the end.

The Door to the Home Stretch

Today is August 17th. Sorry I have been remiss in my postings recently. I have been sleep deprived for the past five to seven days which has cut into my writing capabilities. Anyway, albeit a bit inconsistent with my days I have been compiling the miles and prepping the body for the ensuing event. Speaking of which, that event is just a little bit more than 30 days away. The time has flown.

I am getting excited about it while at the same time trying to temper my enthusiasm. I have always been a person that gravitated toward adventure and events that tested me in one way or another. I believe any of us would be hard pressed to think of a more formidable opponent than mother nature. If you add in personal pressure well you have an adventure. People keep asking me how long do I think it will take me to run 50 miles. I have been very conservative with the numbers I am giving. For the most part I hate, hate, hate that question. It normally comes from people who don't run. I take it in stride and usually give a polite answer. I have been taking my best marathon time...adding an hour doubling it and then adding two hours to that. I won't say the number here just to not jinx myself but it is a double digit which will make for a very lengthy day.

A Light Hangover

Last week I must admit was quite nice but tough. I dropped down a bit below 40 miles just to give my body a rest (this week will be again 40 plus). My long run increased though right below 15 miles. After the run I had a bit of a hangover. Feeling a bit loopy from the miles. It was an interesting run as it was definitely dark when I began. This of course will be good practice for the actual race which begins in the dark. It would have helped to of course have had a headlamp as required for the race but whatever. I generally knew the route having done it a few times and the first mile-and-a-half is right along the water and thus illuminated by the moon and the rising sun.

From after the run through Saturday and even into Sunday morning I felt loopy and tired in feetsy area. It only made me think. The coming Saturday in September is going to truly, truly be an adventure.

I Can't Believe How Tired I Am

Again I must stress trying to run on four hours of sleep is a no-no. That being said I did not get my but outta bed this a.m. to put in 10 miles. It was the plan but the Yankees and the Red Sox marathon game (almost four hours last night) pushed us over the edge. The game was over just before 11 so getting home made it just about midnight before the head hit the pillow.

Tonight will be an early one because I have to do 13-18 in the morning before class.

Ass Kicking

The class last night had a new teacher, Robert. It was vastly different from the previous two weeks with Carolyn teaching. Not that Carolyn is a bad teacher its just vastly different. As Carolyn is kinda dry personality-wise Robert was peppy. As Carolyn is kinda laissez-faire with the positions and the styles Robert is very matter-of-fact and militaristic. Needless to say I like Robert's class.

Perhaps I'm a bit of a masochist but I like suffering when I know there is an attainable goal. The class was good with Carolyn teaching but great with Robert. It actually felt like a real workout. Its a rare thing to sweat while almost completely submerged in water in water. The previous weeks the workout felt like maybe three miles of easy running. Last night was definitely five miles of a hard pushing sprint-like run.

Back In The Drink

Its Wednesday so we all know what that means. Deep Water Running. Its pretty fun but I have to  get this whole flotation belt thing down to a science. The first week it was OK although the belt didn't stay where it was supposed to. Last week it was cinched up on me so tight it wouldn't move but of course I couldn't breath. This week I will have to take another approach.

The weekend runs were interesting. We were away. Out in Greenport, NY. Its a nice fishing town on the Northfork of Long Island. Michelle shocked me and ran with Saturday as I did the final of my five eight milers. (That 40 along with the Deep Water Running put me over the 40 mile mark for the week). It's pretty flat out there and although it seems that would make the run easier, but it didn't. Although its beautiful out there with all the cars zipping by going and coming from the ferry we really couldn't enjoy it. Also of course since we were on vacation we didn't get up early so the sun really beat down on us. Oh well all in the ways of training. Now I must prepare for the water.