Rhett

4 weeks

It's definitely feeling real now, and I'll admit I'm a bit intimidated by the corse. I've been reading past race reports, and almost every report talks about how steep some sections are both going up and down. And then knowing the elevation gets up to 10500 feet also scares me a bit since the highest I've been able to train at is 8300 feet. Hopefully that is close enough but another almost half mile higher is significant when it comes to oxygen levels. 
 

This week was a solid week of training. I ran 61 miles with a long run of 30 and I cycled almost 70 miles. I'm feeling pretty healthy except for a slight calf muscle tweak from the long run. It's not soreness. I actually didn't have any even the day after the run, it's definitely a little tweak but it's so mild I think I'll be able to run tomorrow morning. I'm going to be very careful with it though and if it is giving me any trouble, I'll abandon the run and cycle. 
 

This week will be my last high mileage week before I start my taper. I'm hoping to repeat what I did this past week just with a little longer on each effort. 

26 days

Let's start with the most important thing.  My calf did not bother me while running today!  I did an easy effort running up to the top of Cherry Tree gaining a little over 1100 feet over 6 miles, then ran down and back the longer way for another 8 miles, totalling 14 today with an average pace of 8:22.  Considering I ran 30 with crazy elevation gain on Friday, I was very happy with how easy today's run felt, and once again super stoked that my calf didn't bother me.  

25 days 

AM. 22 miles cycling. It was actually kind of chilly this morning. 
 

PM. I wasn't able to walk during lunch today like I usually do when I'm in Kingman on Tuesdays because it was cold and rainy. After work though I braved the cold and rain and ran on the Monolith Garden loop for 11 miles. I couldn't go up the Haulapai's because there is currently a fire up there and everyone but emergency personnel have been evacuated. I'm grateful it rained all day in Kingman. I hope that helps get the fire out. 

24 days

Recovery weighted vest walk Wednesday

After totalling 25 miles running over the last 2 days, I needed a recovery effort today.  I put on the 20 lb vest and did a hilly walk for a total of 9 miles and 820 feet elevation gain.

23 days

AM.  I rode to work today, getting in almost 30 miles on the way here.

Lunch. 1 mile walk.

PM. I'll be riding home tonight for 5 more miles.

22 days

I couldn't go to the Haulapai's because of the forest fire, so I ran locally. Unfortunately it was the hottest day of the year so far and I had my last super long run planned. I therefore got up early and started running around 5:00. I ran from the road up Crossman Peak and back twice and then once up past Bison Falls and back totaling 35 miles with 8000 feet elevation gain. When I finished it was 93 degrees. Good thing I started early because it got up over 100 for the first time this year today. 
 

Considering how warm it was, I was vey pleased with how it went. 

21 days

Legs felt really good this morning when I headed out for a ride. It was a nice shake out ride to recover from yesterday's 35 mile run. I got a flat about 20 miles in so I stopped an changed it. Then at mile 28 I got another!  That's terrible luck. I was I little less than a mile from home at that point so I took off my bike shoes and walked home. The bottom of my feet hurt by the time I got home. Maybe that will toughen them up and help me prevent blisters on race day.