onepinkfuzzy

Well, in the end, it turns out I can't do both races, due to financial contraints (even with just camping, the trip to Bishop would cost us $400, and that's $400 we need to spend elsewhere...) However, I can do the Kentucky Sugar & Spice 32 mile ultra!!! Johnny's dad will be flying us out and hosting us, since he wants to see us. So, surprisingly, the farther away trip is the cheapest. And we'd be going out there anyway, so might as well make it on the weekend of a race! Woo hoo!!! I am VERY excited.

Thank you everyone for your comments on whether or not I was crazy. I needed the reminders to listen to my body, stretch and HAVE FUN!!!

With that in mind, I have set up my training plan:

1. Work my mileage back up: focusing on long runs - two to three shorter, easier runs weekday mornings, one long run on the weekend. Three weeks building the long run longer, then the fourth week with a lesser run, as a recovery. I have a few races coming up, and I will use them as part of my long miles on the weekend, so some weekends I'll get two runs instead of one long one.

2. One light strength-training session a week, focusing on core and arms. This is to baby-step me into strength training, so following this race, I can possibly begin to add another session each week. I think this will help me get even stronger (keeping in mind that I would like to do Zane Grey next year).

3. One hour-long yoga session a week. Again, to baby-step me into the process. Hopefully I'll be adding more.

4. Stretching every day.

5. Hot tub at the gym!

I believe this will help me get stronger and stay injury-free. Especially since I am going to listen to my body more this time around.
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I had fun on Thursday - I did my first even fartlek run! I was supposed to go with Paki, but she cancelled, then I checked with Barbara, but her flight was delayed. Johnny suggested I just go. So 6 a.m. rolls around and I roll over to go back to sleep. Johnny says, "what are you doing? you sleeping?!" and I mumble something along the lines of "leave me alone." Two minutes later, I realize I have an entire hour that I could do one of two things with: I could attempt to sleep, or I could get up and run. I thought about which one I would feel better about and the end of the day - and I chose to run! ( I think April's Runners World helped, it had some great articles that I read the night before. I also think having closer races, closer goals is motivatin.) I had a blast. Negative splits, baby! I averaged 10:34/mile, WOW!!!! Sub-10-minute miles seems within reach. (And once I make sub-10-minute miles, you know I'll be looking at sub-9:30, then sub-9, and so forth. Too cool.)

However, I want to make sure I don't do a lot of speedwork in training for S&S! I think my eight-mile tempo runs last time around really hurt my ITB (or at least, not stretching afterwards!), and I'm already adding strength training/yoga to my load, and I don't want to over do it. Let me repeat that, I don't want to over do it!