-- cardio base fitness from three months of nordic skiing, plugged into legs that have not lost ground contact during those months;
- Build and taper in six weeks for a five hour trail run;
-- Last two weeks taper with lots of rest and mental "running" while hallucinating with feverish flu;
-- Work late and avoid sleeping too much the night before;
-- Grab the bag of decaf beans because eyes are still blurry with sleep.
-- Grab the bag of decaf beans because eyes are still blurry with sleep.
-- Go out hard, pacing with the fast guys;
-- Is this sweating from fever or am I going out a wee bit fast?
-- I don't understand why is my body doing this to me!
-- I don't understand why I am doing this to my body!
-- Is this what it feels like just before we die?
-- Okay, I might make it back alive if I walk out this excruciating iliotibial band pain;
-- Hey I can run uphill pain free!
-- Why so many downhills?
-- That was the hardest 11.? km of my life. Interesting.
-- That was the hardest 11.? km of my life. Interesting.
That was how spring began. Not totally a negative experience: I got to stand on the sidelines and cheer on my buddies and some of the earlier finishers. I got to feel the excitement of, and partipate in, our modest but vital trail running community. Really that is what it is about.
And then I started over. Five k'ers, six, eight, eventually up to my fourteen km loop, and beyond. Glorious distance at long last! Hallajulah! Twenty somethings, thirty somethings, beautiful, splendid and dazzling distances in the woods, on the hills, and even through some streams.
Now it continues. Be consistent like coach says. Remember to take days off. Ride the bike. Paddle. Strength train a little. Good stuff.
