It’s been quite a while since my last blog and I apologize for that. We have some “things” in the works and I’ve been waiting for them to settle before blogging but it’s taking longer than expected and everything is still up in the air….rather than wait any longer, I thought we could revisit February.
February was a terrific month for training. Seriously! I haven’t had this much fun running in a long time. It was a tough month in that my mileage ramped up fast but it was necessary to get ready for my next event: Pistol 100.
First things first, after a fun 50 miler at Brazos Bend in December,
I had lackluster training 6 weeks between that race and Bear Bait. My longest training run between those two events was a whopping 9 miles. Yikes!
Both are great events and I love running them but I found myself under~trained heading into Bear Bait. Well rested, yes! Race ready? No. Oh well, right? Not everything goes exactly to plan.
During the week recovery from Bear Bait, I knew the 100 miler at Pistol was out of reach. I just couldn’t get myself 100M ready in a month.
After a lot of discussion with MFH (My Favorite Husband) I made the difficult decision to drop distance to the 100k. I was a sad panda about this but also greatly relieved. It was like someone had taken a huge load off my back and the joy of running returned! It was wonderful!!!
So, now that we had dropped distance, it was time to get this runner’s rumpatootis ready to successfully run that 100k. This is where my new coach came into play.
You know, when I sit and think about it, he’s a brave guy to take on the challenge of getting this middle age housewife from Mississippi 100k ready in 4 weeks. Seriously! Think about it!!! I’m guessing there are coaches out there who would have laughed in my face and said, “No Way!” Nope. Not this guy. We sat down and discussed goals, strengths, weaknesses…all that kind of stuff and then he got me out the door working my fanny off. So, here’s what I’ve been doing the past month:
My first long run was 12 miles and I thought I would D.I.E. Remember, I hadn’t done a double digit training run since November! I was supposed to hit 12 on Wednesday and I think 10 on Thursday? Doing this by memory because I’m too lazy to go back and look it up but I know I hit double digits on that first run and 8 miles the next day. I was exhausted and having the time of my life! YAY!!! Back to some real training! Woo~Hoo!!!
We bumped to 15 and 12.
The 15 was on Valentine’s Day. I remember this well because MFH brought me a donut in the middle of the run to celebrate. Who say’s romance is dead!?!
Then 20 and 12! In just a few short weeks I was back to my favorite long run distance!!! I love 20 milers so much!
I had a birthday on that 20 miler. I turned 57 years old. I ran through 2 thunderstorms that day and flooding. What a run!!!
I ran miles with a dragon!
On last week’s double digit long run it was warm for the first time in a long time!
The warm weather and sunshine was amazing!!! Unfortunately, we’re back to Siberia weather. They say, “Variety is the spice of life” and our February weather in Mississippi has not been for the faint of heart. It’s definitely kept us on our toes! Yesterday it was back to very chilly temps and wind. *Have I mentioned how glad I am Tailwind Nutrition made these great beanies this year!?! They’ve been a lifesaver! Thanks, Tailwind!!!
I’m officially in taper mode. Pistol 100 is a mere 10 days away! I’m so excited to go and earn a great award for my buddy Aiden!!! About a month ago, Pistol gave Aiden and I a shout out on their FB page. That was the coolest thing ever! I’m telling you, Aiden is the best of the best as far as running buddies is concerned! I am one #blessed runner to have him as my buddy.
It’s almost time to pack my bags and head north! I’m so excited about this race!!!
Thanks to all who encourage me day by day. It doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Now, let’s go grab some miles for Aiden!!!
#IRun4Aiden
