The MS50 Trail run is 31 days away.  One month.  We are in the home stretch of training.

Today, Groundhogs Day, is a rest day.  It was just on yesterday’s run that the ol’ legs started feeling “normal” again.  By “normal” I mean they didn’t feel like concrete blocks I was trying to drag around for 6 or 8 miles.  It was nice to feel light on my feet again.

Last Wednesday’s 30 Miler was a great run but it was hard on this ol’ gals body.  No way around that.

See, the sweet part about running Ultra’s is that you run on Trails.  Nice dirt paths.  Maybe some gravel or a few rocks to climb over, a few water crossings to splash through, but not mile after mile of asphalt and concrete.

Running 30 miles on asphalt?  You pay.

I paid.

Hahaha!!!

We are feeling alive again and ready to tackle tomorrow’s long run.  It is only 13.1 miles.  The distance of a Half Marathon.  Sweet!  Should be able to pound that out in a few hours and call it a day.

This entire week is a fall back week.  A week of recovery.  A week for my body to catch up with itself.  I’ve needed this week.  For the most part, I haven’t run a shorter distance that 20 miles for my long run since the end of December.

It’s been a challenge!

It’s been tons of fun!

I’m ready for this week of “rest.”

Next week is my last “hard” week of training.  My long run on Wednesday will be 24 miles.  In the grand scheme of what I’ve been running, that’s not all that bad.  Isn’t it crazy that when I look at a training run of 24 miles I don’t think a thing of it!?!  This is so messed up.  LOL!!!

After Wednesday’s 24 miler, I officially begin my taper for the MS50.  My coach says that to be physically prepared to race a 50 Miler, you need a solid 3 week taper.  I’m all for that!  I think my average weekly total by the time race day rolls around will be in the 30-ish miles per week.

Easy Peasy.

HA!

As I am in the final physical preparations for this race, it is time to be getting my head wrapped around just what I am asking my body to do on March 5, 2016.  My body is ready.  Is my mind?

Your body is capable of some extraordinary stuff but it’s not going to do it if your mind isn’t in the game.  If at mile 13 I let myself think, “I’m tired,” my goose is cooked.  I have to keep my mind focused on what I’m doing.

How’s my pace?  Am I drinking enough?  Fueling right? Keep my form upright. If I slouch, I’ll get tired faster~that, and I’ll look like a sack of potatoes in my race pics!  *vanity*  Find someone to chat with.  Nobody near by?  Talk to myself!  Look!  Is that a deer in the woods?  What a pretty bird!  How’s my pace?  Am I drinking enough?  Fueling right?  How’s my form…..

I HAVE to keep my head in the game.

FOCUS!!!

Yup.  I still have quite a bit of work to do before the gun goes off at 6:00 am.  12 hours, for somebody who runs my pace, isn’t a lot of time to cover 50 miles.

How exciting!!!

Let’s do this!!!

#IRun4Aiden