One Week

One week from today and I'll be lining up to race my first 50k.  Woo hoo!  I'm nervous but I feel pretty calm and ready to go.  Here are my goals:

• Have Fun!
• Learn from the race.
• Leave it all on the course.
• Keep focused by using strategies from my mental strength training classes.
• Finish!

In addition to finishing, I do have a time goal.  Now as I've explained before, I'm slow.  Very slow.  So with that in mind, my A Goal is sub-7 hours.  B Goal is 7:30 and C Goal is sub-8 hours.  What do I know about setting a time goal for an ultra?  Of course my speed and training is just one factor.  Is it too early to check the weather?  Showers, low 51/high 74.  Seems like perfect racing weather to me!  My only hope is that the temperatures don't go higher than this...

This week, I took taper to heart and came up short mileage wise.  I was going to run this morning because 1) I've really come to enjoy Sunday runs and 2) to make up some miles, but instead I decided to listen to my coach.  Here was last week's miles:

Monday: Day off (unplanned)
Tuesday: Day off (unplanned)
Wednesday: 6.06 miles
Thursday: 5.36 miles
Friday: Day off (unplanned)
Saturday: 8 miles

Total miles: 19.42 miles out of 24 miles planned.  For this week, I have four runs scheduled before the race for a total of 13 miles.  This is the scary part of taper...when you don't have a lot of miles on the schedule and the doubt that creeps in: that you can't go the long distance.  Thankfully (or not), I should be distracted this week.  Off to Steamboat for two-four days for 2 trials and a hearing.  And then possibly to Durango for a settlement conference.  Good for distraction.  Hopefully I can make sleeping in hotels restful and eating out healthy.  Have a great week!

Laura