Training for something ridiculous {like a 50k….or god forbid, something longer!} is an interesting experiment. When it comes up in conversation, people tend to overreact.
Why would you run that far?
Why do you want to do this?
Doesn’t that wreck your knees? {Standard, of course. But don’t worry– I CrossFit too so if anyone wants to rail on me for choosing activities that are “bad” for me, I’m sure that’s the easier choice!}
Regardless, I experienced a surprising revelation last week: I’m just not that worried about this race! Should I be worried about my lack of concern?!
For some reason, 31 miles doesn’t seem insurmountable to me anymore, or at least not like it used to. Will it be tough? Hell yes, and I’m ready for that. In fact, I’m looking forward to that miserable moment in the race when my brain tells me I’m a lunatic for my life choices. I’ve always treated mental road blocks as character builders, and I imagine this will be no different.
Having said that, it’s early. The race isn’t until the end of February so I have plenty of time to flip a switch and go into full-scale meltdown mode! At this point, I’m just trying to adjust to running more than I usually do.
So, what’ a regular training week looking like for me right now?
I’m still sticking to three runs per week. Many have expressed concern that three won’t be enough for my training, but both my brain and my body prefer it. Of course, that’s supplemented with two or three CrossFit workouts per week two. Basically, I’m attempting to train my legs to run while exhausted, and a solid 6 miler after a brutal WOD counts for that.
{Or the CrossFit workout last week? We sprinted 1.5 miles, did 150 burpees, and then sprinted another 1.5 miles. That was truly an ass kicker that did a number on my 10-miler the following day!}
More than anything, I’m trying to dial in back-to-back runs on the weekends. Sundays have traditionally been the day for my long run with a short jaunt the day prior. I figure this thing will take me anywhere from 8-11 hours, so I’m trying to eventually work up to 8-11 hours of running between my two weekend runs. Of course, that’s a ways out at this point!
I’m also fidding with my nutrition. I altered my diet this summer due to asthma-related issues, and these days, I’m largely eating whole feeds with an emphasis on eliminating processed stuff. Sadly, this includes a lot of running fuel. At this point, my fave trail snacks include Honey Stinger Waffles, Lara bars and Martha Bars. I’m sure I’ll chat about that later too, but it’s what I’m dealing with at the moment.
For now, I’m focused on the Moab Trail Half Marathon this Saturday. A dozen friends are running it too and for most of them, it’ll be their first half marathon AND their first trail race! The course looks like fun, so I’m just excited to get out and run through the desert. We’ll see how I feel afterwards and take my training from there!
********************