Weekly Training Wrap - 1/9 – 1/15

"The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself" -- Unkown

I had a bit of a rough week. And, really, I've hit a bit of a rough patch in my training. Why is it a rough patch? I don't entirely know, but I have a few theories. The most prominent thing that strikes me is that I have trained for nearly 52 weeks now with little down time. What little downtime that I've had has been just enough to resume feeling like my old self, but not enough to really recharge my batteries and hunger for more training. Other factors that may be contributing to my slump include my stomach virus, winter doldrums, and taking my races and training a bit too seriously. If you follow my blog (or know me personally), you know that I tend to do that last one quite a bit. From time to time, I think we lose focus of why we actually do the things we do and need a fresh reminder. This feels like one of those times for me.

What does it all mean? I think it means that I need to take it easy for a bit, perhaps even take some time off. Additionally, I think it means that I need to refocus on my goals and what I love to do. My goal is Leadville Trail 100. And what I love to do is run long, preferably on hills and trails. So I'll spend a little less time time obsessing about MP miles and a little more time trying to find ways to get out on trails. And, I think I'll take two weeks off of formal training to regain a mental edge. That doesn't mean I won't run. It just means that from day-to-day I'll do what I want to do, not what a plan tells me to. Somedays I may just turn off the alarm clock and go back to bed. Maybe I'll even do that everyday for two weeks! Maybe I'll gain ten pounds ;)

The other big news of the week is that I signed up for the San Juan Solstice 50 mile trail run. This is a gnarly trail run often considered a shorter version of the Hard Rock 100. It takes place in some of the most beautiful mountains in Colorado (San Juan Mountains). With nearly 13,000 feet of climbing, this run is a perfect tune-up for Leadville 100.  Here is a sneak preview of the course:

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	11	GA pace
Tuesday	10	GA pace with 8 x 30 sec Fartleks
Wednesday	6	Recovery with Hill Sprints
Thursday	11	1 x 4 mile hill repeats
Friday	Rest
Saturday	6	Aborted LR - illness
Sunday	9	Easy pace
Total	52	About 3700 vertical feet gained