Cotton mouth on every outing, twitchy legs, mental gymnastics, unexplainable twinges, emoting for no reason, irritability, anxiety, doubt, excitement, uncontainable energy, the finish line in your head, list making, pace making, gear piles, shopping sprees...it's been a busy week.
I took Monday off, completely. Tuesday I did a short, strong 6.6 miles along with yoga and a short swim to try and keep things loose. Wednesday I climbed on my bike for the first time in weeks, it felt great. The weather that morning was more reminiscent of San Francisco than Boulder, but I loved it. Thursday brought a nice recovery run where I paid reverence to foothills and plains that have been my playground in this from the beginning, " third eye center, the light in me bows to the light in you". I have a story to share...
Back in April, before my comeback 50 in Fruita, I was running up the Kiln Trail and rounded the bend to find a wise looking old woman standing, facing the foothills, praying with hands clasped in front of her and bowing. I've seen her countless times in the morning around Wonderland Lake, she's ardent in her walking, bent forward, head down, pushing forward as if moved by powers greater than herself. That day on Kiln, she turned as I passed, our eyes met for the first time and she smiled and said, "it's been a long journey for you, but the trails will be good to you my son." I knew then I would find peace with myself and complete the journey I so desperately sought. It was a simple, non symbolic exchange, but I told myself, she somehow saw into my soul and knew me, knew everything I'd been through, everything I desired...who knows, maybe she did know or maybe I just looked like I was out for a long run. When I reached the top of Kiln only another half mile and turned around arriving shortly at the spot we met, she was gone. She wasn't at the bottom of the trail junction either...my hallucinations didn't start until a few weeks ago, but it is likely she wondered off the trail into the golden meadows on the foothills to find her own peace. After the race in Fruita I went back to the Kiln trail to give thanks just as I did this week,
I felt completed, assured in my preparation.
To the right, the sun is breaking through on Wednesday's ride. Friday morning I climbed back on my bike again, it felt so good to be riding. I squeezed in a short 4 miler at lunch and got my final massage today from Molly. I feel worked, but in a good way. I have seven days to recover. Everything is going according to plan for the most part. I'll hopefully arrive in Leadville late Monday night and get at least 3, maybe 4 good nights of sleep at 10,200 before Friday night.
There is no telling what race day will hold for me. I am grateful for the chance to partake in this journey, it has been something I will remember for the rest of my life and why I have this blog to remind me and to hopefully share with my children.
"A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky." - Crazy Horse
The Pain Chronicles are complete, I don't know what to call last week and the next two...maybe the "Serenity Chronicles". While I came off my last weekend in Leadville with the feeling that I just wanted three more weeks of "ramp", I don't have them, the race is in three weeks. I felt so good all weekend, but it's important to hold onto that feeling and not wish for anymore than my body has already given me.
That "feeling" is best captured in a recent exchange I had with myself: Do you want to run all day? Yes. Do you want to run into the night? Yes. Do you just want to keep running no matter what? Yes.
After a couple of really long, hard weeks, I know I probably need a break regardless. Even though this week totaled just under 60 miles, it felt as if I hadn't really run at all, which I guess is good. I took Monday off, tempo runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday off, Friday was a near 20 miler with almost 4,000 ft of elevation gain, Saturday was a 10 miler with Clint including a Green Mountain ascent and pickups at the end for just over 3,000 ft of elevation and Sunday culminated with an epic run in the Springs with my cousin Andy to work out some pacing for the race.
No matter the preparation, you just don't know about race day, but you can't think about that. I just keep replaying the earlier exchange about the "feeling" in my head over and over again. I go to sleep thinking about the course, I dream about the course, I awake thinking about, yep, you guessed it, the course.
This is a 10 year dream, squelched last year due to my recovery and yet here I am. Even If you had asked me as late as April if I'd ever run a 100 miler again, I'd of said no way.
The weekend culminated with an ascent up Pike's Peak with my cousin Andy. He'll be with me in Leadville, on course, pacing and we'd never actually run together in our lives. It was good to get the time in with him and do something I've never done, summit a 14'er. Pike's Peak is 14,100 ft. We had a good, easy jaunt from Elk to Barr Camp and then 4,300 ft of elevation gain up to the summit, a welcomed departure from more strenuous runs during my ramp up in training. We caught up on over 20 years of life, shared some observations and explored our family dynamics. We hitched a ride down to Elk and completed the day with an awesome burgerfest at Cy's.
Two weeks and counting, yes. I've got plenty of distractions, but do need to focus on some preparation stuff. All in all though, I feel good. I'll be rested for the race, injury free (other than stubbing my big toe this morning), fueled, acclimated and ready to have some fun. I only have to run 30 miles this week amongst some yoga, swimming and cycling.
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. - Albert Einstein
Back in April, before my comeback 50 in Fruita, I was running up the Kiln Trail and rounded the bend to find a wise looking old woman standing, facing the foothills, praying with hands clasped in front of her and bowing. I've seen her countless times in the morning around Wonderland Lake, she's ardent in her walking, bent forward, head down, pushing forward as if moved by powers greater than herself. That day on Kiln, she turned as I passed, our eyes met for the first time and she smiled and said, "it's been a long journey for you, but the trails will be good to you my son." I knew then I would find peace with myself and complete the journey I so desperately sought. It was a simple, non symbolic exchange, but I told myself, she somehow saw into my soul and knew me, knew everything I'd been through, everything I desired...who knows, maybe she did know or maybe I just looked like I was out for a long run. When I reached the top of Kiln only another half mile and turned around arriving shortly at the spot we met, she was gone. She wasn't at the bottom of the trail junction either...my hallucinations didn't start until a few weeks ago, but it is likely she wondered off the trail into the golden meadows on the foothills to find her own peace. After the race in Fruita I went back to the Kiln trail to give thanks just as I did this week, I felt completed, assured in my preparation.
To the right, the sun is breaking through on Wednesday's ride. Friday morning I climbed back on my bike again, it felt so good to be riding. I squeezed in a short 4 miler at lunch and got my final massage today from Molly. I feel worked, but in a good way. I have seven days to recover. Everything is going according to plan for the most part. I'll hopefully arrive in Leadville late Monday night and get at least 3, maybe 4 good nights of sleep at 10,200 before Friday night.
