Running With Jack

The week is slowwwwly ticking by, the pre-race jitters taking their toll. It is not that I am nervous about my upcoming 50-mile (80 km) race, no, more like anxious to get on the trail and see how I do. My training has been different this year, I did less hill training, but ran several faster paced long runs (marathons). I wish that more of the long runs where in the heat, but alas the weather stayed cool - at least up until a week ago.

The race starts at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday in Ruppurr, a suburb of Karlsruhe. The current weather prediction is calling for almost 90°F and sunny, with around 47% humidity – we’ll see.

Like always I have three goals for the race on Saturday:

Bad day: Finish under 11 hours
Good day: Finish under 10 hours
Race of my life: Finish under 9 hours 15 min. (10 min. PR)

I feel like my training has prepared me for a good race, especially if the last marathon was any indication. Unlike my last marathon, I need refrain from pushing myself too hard in the first half of the race, no matter how good I feel. Fifty miles is all about patient, steady, forward motion – I’ve learned the hardway.

I'm going on a short run tonight, maybe 8-10 km, then another 30 minutes on Thursday - just enough to keep Rigor mortis from setting in ;-)

Now if it would only cool down a little earlier at night so I can get to sleep...