In awe

Tag: breath

  • Day439 Interlude

    My head is swimming with races. I hope I have not bored my readers with so many race reports. Yes, this is not normal, but racing is back in full swing.

    Many of the races that were planned for 2020 finally are taking shape this year or I already did them. As I mentioned a lot already – I ran the Laurel Highlands Ultra. It was a race I was afraid of initially because it was so long. Ya, but I ran also a 100 miler in February that was even longer than that and that seemed like years ago already. Finally, there was the Grayson Highlands Race, a 50 miler that I felt I was not ready for, but finished it.

    Somehow I squeezed in so many other races too, the Catoctin Half 50K and the Iron Mountain 40 mile – it was only 40 miles and I felt it was not worthy to be mentioned here. I missed out Camp Anderson this year. Finally I ran the Rock N the Knob last weekend (a race report to follow soon; written but not yet published), and surely it ain’t Camp Anderson. Oh same for the Senecca Race – it seemed so long ago. I did it. I couldn’t even recall all the races I did – like the Moon on the Falls or Lake Ridge two weekends ago.

    Up ahead I have Eu Claire Marathon in Wiscousin followed by a 50K and will close the year with a 100 miler at the New River Gorge. There is also the Devil Dog 100k to really cap it off, but we will talk about it once that gets closer.

    My friend has been talking about it – whether he will be there at the New River Rim Ultra. He was originally going to pace his friend but his friend is injured and likely would not able to run it. My friend is too fast to for me – and so I am reluctant to ask him to pace me instead of pacing hsi other friend. As pacer you need to find the right temperance and pace – I fear I might be thrown off pace by this friend. Also I have been to the course, it was not technical enough to require pacing.

    Breath. I have been thinking what is next for next year, and that my friends, I will reveal them next month as it has been a tradition of mine.

    Conclusion – it has been an unbelievable year. I got in my goal races and there are just a couple more and we will be done for the year! I am healthy so far. Pray I will be that way till the very end.

  • Recovery

    Day 136

    The ultra marathon took a toll on my body. I haven’t recovered from it. At least I am no longer sick. I think fever left for good last Thursday. I could go out and ‘run’ 27 over the weekend and did a Half marathon on Sunday. It was not so much running but walking. My 27 mile run took me 10 hours to finish. My half was a bit better, only 2.5 hours.

    I had a lot to say about the weekend. It was my first camping trip on my own. An important lesson is know where you are going. Before I set out, I thought I knew the place and all the turns but reality is I was only vaguely familiar and it was not good enough to give myself turn by turn from memory and of course I got lost. I had to make one U turn after another and back track. In the past, my friend who led me made it seemed so easy. It was not. I got off trail a few times without even knowing. Luckily, in the end, I found my trail and got to my destination.

    I had some weird encounter with couple other people who showed up at my camp. They didn’t stay but they disturbed me for couple hours.

    As for Half, it was hard. My body hasn’t recovered. I started with a slow pace of 10 min mile. And I thought I was consistent but my Garmin app showed that I slowed to 13 min mile pace by second half. I kind of knew too when everyone was passing me.

    It wasn’t my legs won’t run but that I don’t have the breath to run.

    I tried doing some running (4 miles) on Tuesday. I finished but it was very hard. I was running as slow as it can get.

    This weekend, I decided to take time off from running, instead, I will be biking. I hope a change up will help my body to recover.