This has been me the last three weeks. I feel great after a run but I don't want to go and I won't and you can't make me! Then at the end of the day I'm grumpy and shuffling out a wimpy little mile to keep the streak alive. When I do get out and run it can be either great or awful. Saturday we did a five miler on kinda-rolling single track, and I was struggling to maintain what is a pretty slow pace even by my standards, and huffing and puffing away like a steam train. (Falling within the first half-mile and banging my knee didn't help, nor did the kick in the foot from a horse aiming at my horse, but even excluding these factors it would have been very hard). This morning I ran with the Fog Dodgers and a triathlete, H, is in town for two months while her husband is on internship. While I have a strong suspicion it was slow for her, the pace was comfortably not-too-shabby. Not fast,by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely a run not a casual stroll down the trail.
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| Overlooking Ten Mile Beach |
I think part of my problem is missing going to places where I can get views such as the one shown above! The trails are not really what most people want to be tackling, and it just doesn't feel safe to go to a lot of my favourite places by myself. Maybe I'm being silly, but in the past I have not trusted my gut and it always led to bad things. The podcast I listened to that explained how most mountain lion attacks are not fatal did not help. Whilst I'm glad they are not fatal, I would really prefer zero mauling please and thank you!
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| Van Damme State Beach |
I also think I may just still be recovering from my previous very tough year. Escalating from my first trail half marathon to a 100-miler in just twelve months may have been a little ambitious. Between training hard, working two jobs, and upping pony's mileage in preparation for him beginning his endurance career, trying to have some semblance of social life and seeing my husband for more than five minutes a day in passing, I completely zapped all my reserves. I'll feel really strong for a couple of weeks, then it's gone. I can't even link it to a particular tough work out, or long client-filled day. Happy bouncy running riding life juggler to wannabe slob who'd really rather stay in bed or in front of the TV (the what now?) with my best buds Ben and Jerry, and of course some Jennyburgers for my exceptionally high protein requirements (hah!). After a couple if weeks I can usually find my routine again, and so the cycle goes on. Thinking of the big picture, I am dropping from the 50-mile at Dick Collins to the marathon, and will not be going to Rio del Lago. After the marathon I am going to take a month or so off to try and really recover, eat the good food, drink extra water, try harder for quality sleep. Hopefully by resting, and then cycling back up slowly (patience, patience, can you tell I don't have much?) I can come back stronger and wiser ready to tackle the amazing races I want to conquer. (Western States anyone?)
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| My trusty steed |
In the meantime, the next goal is getting Bugsy through his first fifty mile endurance ride healthy and happy. We're heading up to Humboldt Redwoods early on Friday so we can be well settled and rested to ride on Saturday. Definitely starting to get a little nervous. While I'm confident we're prepared and have been working up to this for some time, there's that niggling little voice in the back of my head reminding me that for better or worse, this horse is the way he is because of me. Please pony, help me to embarrass ourselves!
