Old Man Still running

The weather was so nice this morning. I'm thinking of running the Lake Mt. 50K in the next few months.

I ran a few miles on the powerline route. It was fine, but I could tell that those couple miles near Enoch Pass would still be pretty muddy. Basically the snow line. Under the snow line, out of the shadows it is pretty dry.

I was wondering how you "tapered" for 100 miles. Now I know----you don't! I am in awe. Nice week so far! I, too, hate Daylight Savings. Just when we get used to seeing the sunrise, it is taken away from us.

I was thinking the same thing as Kelli. yeah, I will wait until that thing bakes a bit. I am a bit nervous about getting lost on the Eagle Mountain side though.

Actually I am tapering. All my miles are easy pace, almost all slower than 10-minute pace. I'll run a 1/2 marathon this Saturday for fun and then take it easy until the big race.

OK, so how many miles will you do next week?

I do not feel so bad now. I thought maybe I was doing too many miles, but I have been doing them all much slower.

About 20 of these miles this week were just powerwalking. Next week probably only about 15-20 before the race. Mon-Wed.

I do not typically take days off before a marathon, but I know this is an entirely different ball game. I am trying to decide what the wisest approach is. I feel like if I do not do a couple miles the day before then my legs are really sluggish at the beginning. BUT I took 2 days off before Boston (just due to flying a red eye and having the day before the race be a Sunday) and I actually felt great. I think it is all in my head that I need to run the day before.

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, just thinking out loud.

No problem doing some easy miles the week of the race even the day before. I usually don't run the day before, mostly because I'm traveling. Sometime I don't run at all the week of the race. But in those cases, I get phantom taper pains in the knees, hamstrings, or butt. Annoying worries that last a couple days and always go away during the first couple miles of the race.

For 50s and 100s, you will rarely see anyone doing warm-up runs right before the race. No reason to extend the miles, you warm up in the first few miles. The distance is so long that warmups make no difference. I remember when I ran my first 5K several years ago after I had already completed many ultras. I couldn't figure out why everyone was running miles before the race.

The ONLY time I ever warm up before a race is a 5k----and my warm-up consists of running to 2 miles to the race and then standing around waiting forever for it to start! I do not believe in the warm-up. ;o)

I am so glad to hear I am not the only one to get weirdo phantom pains!

Looking forward to hopefully seeing you FINISHED at the race next weekend as we jog on by!

What type of bag do you use for a drop bag, BTW? Just a ziploc?

I now warm up for any race marathon or less. Mostly to get my lungs going since they are run at such a faster pace than trail ultras.

If I was running the 50, I would probably put a real bag at the ranch with alternative shoes, socks, foot-care stuff, etc. Just in case. I probably wouldn't use it at all. At the other stations I would have a zip lock that would have some my my fueling stuff that the aid stations might not have.

You will hit Elephant Head aid station three times, but you probably will run through it and not stop two of those times. Depends on need to fill the bottle and probably drop a flashlight. You probably want a ziplock there to drop the flashlight in. Since there will be a ton of bags there, put some bright color tape on it, or just give it to a volunteer and run on.

Or, you could put that major bag at Lower Frary since you hit that one twice.

Lower Frary is a good idea!!! Thanks for the thoughts and input! I will go track down some colorful tape, I know I have a bunch in all of my old teaching supplies.