As I mentioned yesterday, I have one last race before JFK - the Fire on the Mountain 50K, a week from Sunday. With my two marathons, I wasn't able to truly give in to the "this is a training run" mentality, and still pushed for sub - 4 times (although if I'd done terrible I would have claimed them to be 100% training runs). Hartford could have been run harder, but I'm glad I didn't, because returning to normal training this week has felt fine.
With FOTM, my plan is truly to use it for a training run. Usually when I say there's no time goal, it just means I have a secret time goal, but this time I really couldn't care less what time I come in. I even decided at work last night to run the day before, so I can really get one last hard weekend of running on tired legs in before I taper.
I felt this email exchange is helping to elevate me to true ultramarathoner status. I recognize I have a long way to go, but baby steps count.
Perry ran the dreaded Stone Mill 55 miler with me last year (much faster, and waited for hours for me to cross the finish) and for some strange reason he's subjecting himself to that torture again this year. He seemed to have some sort of ESP, and knew that I'd spent the day incredibly stressed over grad school and busy working at both of my jobs, so he was nice enough to share this with me.
I'll just walk whenever I need to, and keep in mind that I'm running it for fun. Because leaving the house before 4am on the weekend is always the start to a fun day. Abbi and Shelly are running too, so at least I'll see some familiar faces!
Right before I went to bed, Kara was nice enough to remind me that in 2008, it snowed the entire time during JFK and people were pulled from the course for hypothermia. Just to give me a choice of what to panic about that night.
Yesterday, I did a 9 mile run. The first six were easy, and the last three were at marathon pace (8:59, 8:56, 8:28). I've drastically reduced my ipod use during my runs, but I've gotten really addicted to the Maze Runner books and just started listening to the second one on this run. I know I can't rely on any of this at JFK, but at this point in training, I'll take anything that gets me out of bed to run. This morning Lily and I ran an easy 6 miles together. I know complaining about the humidity has been done to death, but it's mid October, why am I still dealing with more than 90% on my morning runs?
Let's all have a bitch fest, what's stressing you right now?
My main stress right now is waiting for my body to try to expel a large headed small person through a very small hole and then knowing the after effects will involve mesh diapers...and diapers for the baby too.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, I think it has snowed multiple years for JFK. Last year everyone was talking about how it was the most perfect weather they could ever remember for the race. I'm sure that will happen two years in a row. Yep.
No matter how I answer this, I think expelling a baby is going to take the cake, every time.
DeleteAgreed, after reading that I'm having a great week and can't complain about a thing
DeletePssh, you'll get no sympathy here unless you are gutted like a trout and then have to avoid the mesh diapers rubbing your infected incision.
DeleteOr if you get another broken tailbone. Then I'd probably agree you win.
How's that baby fever doing now, Alyssa?
I'm so glad you have friends to run with. I can't imagine doing a 50k by myself.
ReplyDeleteNo Hypothermia for you. Do I need to bring you extra socks this weekend? :)
Umm...looking at that map is making me think that perhaps I was delusional last year at FOTM. That doesn't look like anything I remember. So, yeah, just don't worry about it, it'll be fine! I don't even want to think about weather for JFK yet...stop freaking me out about everything!
ReplyDeleteThat map is terrifying!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the JFK weather yet. Kara told me the weather isn't accurate until like 24 hours beforehand, so it's a moot point until then.
Current stressors...are not much right now. Uh, not dying/embarrasing myself at NYCM. That's the biggest one. Work is stressful b/c it's new, but I still like it.
Oh crap. I'm also running FOTM as JFK prep and also did not look at a map or elevation grade or anything. It will be super fun times at mile 25! Cheers to ignorance!
ReplyDeleteUgh, nice elevation profile. I did my first ultra last month and it was "hilly" but I bet does not really compare AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteCurrent stress - work. Ugh.
No huge stressors for me right now, but I think that's God just being nice after the past month of extreme stress.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see our pr marathon training plan. I told mike about it and he is scared we will beat him.
hm.... stress? new job, moving the week before the wedding, and the f*ing wedding and getting bar exam results.... and then I am taking all of 2013 off from life. I'm not fun to be around these days.
ReplyDeletekara wins - i can't top that!
ReplyDeleteholy shit that's hilly! repeat "up and over" the entire race - that's what i like to say. sometimes it works and sometimes i tell myself to STFU.
Every time I read "Fire on the Mountain" I think of the Hunger Games! No major stress right now, but my Father-in-law and his wife are showing up tomorrow for almost 3 weeks. I'm sure that will get old kind of quickly.
ReplyDeleteThank God you told me that waking up that early is fun, because at this point I'm looking at two wake-up-stupid-early days this coming weekend.
ReplyDeleteFortunately this year I don't have to worry whether I'll get beat by you & Kara, like I did last year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not yet stressing about FOTM. Ill wait till the night before to start really freakin out. I think ill use a mantra through that first half to remind myself that Stone Mill is the real fall race. Wouldn't want to break an ankle and miss out on the 50milesOfun.
ReplyDelete