How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Yesterday I planned to run 20-25 miles, followed by a 15 miler today. However, sore calves and low energy due to allergies forced me to stop at 6 miles.

Today I woke with my calves feeling better, so I went out for another try. I did the usual South Farms 12 mile loop, with an extra mile tacked on to get home for an aid station stop. The weather was mid 60's with a cool breeze and a  ruthless, steel-gray sky. The sunlight flitting through the menacing clouds made the day seem desolate and cruel.

My pace was somewhat quick and effortless, I was flowing along in a trance of calm emotion and not much thought. I sometimes looked down at my feet and watched the shoes extending forward, then pulling back just before ground contact. I wondered how I learned to run, how my mind and body could make such quick and complex decisions to propel myself forward. "I" choose to run at a given moment, and then something takes over - I watch, a pilot gazing out at the limitless horizon, steering the ship.

Running, it seems so simple, but I think there is more to it than I realize. I am a hunter, in search of balance, enlightenment, love, understanding, beauty, the back and forth of pleasure and pain. I set the journey in motion, and then, watch.

3 days after running 31.5 miles my body had some energy and no muscle soreness or fatigue, so I decided to go to the track and join 2nd Wind for some up-tempo running. 

This year I have concentrated on running long, to the exclusion of high heart rate sessions. No 5k's, I can't recall running a 10k, 2 7.5 mile trail races, 1 half marathon, a 28 mile fun run in snow, a 50k on hills and tough trails, and 40 miles in heavy heat. 

2nd Wind was doing 4 x 1600. After spending more than half a day running Sunday, 4 miles seemed pretty small, but I still decided to take it easy and not overdo things. I was not trying to reach a time goal for any of the miles, and I have gotten pretty good at not copying another person's track pace. I just follow my breath and work off of it, wanting to breathe harder than normal, yet still calm and in control. My legs had some pop, and I ended up running my usual style which is nice and easy the first 2 laps, then gradually pick up the pace until the end.

Paul was calling out the times when I finished each mile, my times were - 6:39, 6:42, 6:35, and 6:30. This is better than I expected because I was giving only 80% effort. This means my body is close to where it was last year while training for 5k's, the only difference being that I can now crank out 6-7 hour runs without much problem. 

I had to change my September racing plans because my wife is going to be out of town on the 12th, so I won't be running the 50 miler in Hell, MI. Instead I will be running the 50 mile North Country Trail Run in Manistee, MI, the following week. I registered today, made hotel reservations, and rented a car. I am set to roll for my first 50 mile race. I feel I am good shape, I have been slowly building up my endurance all year, and now my speed is starting to return.

My main goal leading up to the race will be to keep my knee as healthy as possible. There was only slight stiffness after the 31.5 miler Sunday, and it cleared up in 1 day. Even the knee seems to be getting stronger (for now) - hurray :)

Went to Kickapoo with Rachel and Maggie. R. & M. hiked while I ran the out and back trail. Because the bridge is still out I went to the end of the dirt road and turned into the #6 mountain bike loop, a hilly, twisting path which made me pant and smile. 

I was planning for an easy training day, but I'm not at Kickapoo too often so didn't want to miss a fun trail session.

AM - I took Friday off to let my body recover from 2 consecutive hard days. I thought about running the golf course hill under the moonlight, but I felt tired after watching 2 episodes of Jericho with Rachel and fell asleep before I could convince myself to get outside.

But, I somehow woke up at 3:45am, looked out the window and saw the moon, and got up and ran to the hill. The moon was still in the sky when I started running, but it was covered in a gloomy mist, so the light on the fairway was poor. I had a bit of asthma, which is normal this time of year, but after running up and down for 30 minutes it went away.

I got into a nice groove, listening to the sound of the trucks going by on the highway and the thoughts in my head. I was trying to clarify an idea which intrigued me, and it took 6 or 7 times running up and down the hill for me to figure out a 2 sentence solution. When it takes that long for me to figure something out, it usually sticks, so it was worth the mental struggle.

I notice that my creative energy is best at a very early hour, maybe it is because there is a lot of empty energy floating around in space because of all the sleeping people?

I worked the hill until I saw a faint light in the sky, then ran to the Cottage, where I work, to get some water and chia seeds. The sunrise was sublime and soothing, a delicate pink with feather-like clouds scooting around the horizon. There was left over pineapple in the fridge, so I ate a few chunks. I was surprised to see that I had been running for almost 2 hours. It felt like 60 minutes.

I decided to run 2 miles to Brookens and do strength exercises. I cut  through the railyard because that would lead me straight to Brookens. I also knew the wide open spaces there would allow a great view of the brightening sky. There were black and rusted railcars sitting idle in the weeds, and I stopped 5 or 6 times to admire peculiar vistas which would have made a good photograph or painting.

After Brookens I walked 1 mile home. It was 8:00am,  so about a 4 hour workout. I still have a lot of energy, so I am thinking of going to the arboretum in the late afternoon to run an hour or two of hills. I better take a nap beforehand!

PM - I took a 90 minute nap mid afternoon, then ran 1.75 miles to the arboretum. A light rain was falling, which made things easy for me as I ran up and down the hill. I ran an easy pace on the hill for 1 hour and 40 minutes, then ran 1 mile back to town.

No knee stiffness felt during any part of either run today, so things are going well right now. I did not feel overly tired, energy was at a high level, I guess 2 hour run segments have gotten easy for me.

I need to keep in mind that my knee felt awesome leading up to the Devil's Lake 50k, then during the early part of the race everything went to hell. I am doing everything I can to be ready for the upcoming 50 miler, I hope the knee behaves on race day.