Monday, October 3rd 2011: Rest. The benefit of doing the St. George Marathon on Saturday at mock-turtle pace was that I didn't feel one bit sore afterward. I took a rest day just to be safe.
Tuesday, October 4th 2011: 5 miles @ 10:25 minutes per mile. I ran so early in the morning that I must have still been asleep. I don't remember anything from this run.
Wednesday, October 5th 2011: 30 miles @ 11:56 minutes per mile. I ran on the Warner Valley dirt road. I heard that a storm would be coming into the area. Even though it was overcast when I started, it kind of looked like I would miss it.
During the long run I listened to talks from the recent Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints conference which kept my brain occupied. I had two destinations that I had never run to: the Warner Valley Dinosaur Tracks and Fort Pearce. The trip to the dinosaur tracks (around 10 miles) was fairly uneventful. I kept an easy pace and focused on never getting out of breath. I was happy that I took it slow enough to not break a sweat until around 10 miles.
The dinosaur tracks were okay, although probably not worth making the trip again. The coolest part was knowing that I was standing in the same spot that I dinosaur had stood thousands of years ago.
On to the highlight: Fort Pearce. I took a wrong turn and ended up wandering around for a few miles but finally found the fort after running about 15 miles. It was built in 1866 during the Black Hawk War. I've been reading a lot of local history lately so I was excited to check this place out.
I only stayed a few minutes then headed for home. There were darker storm clouds rolling in which made for good pictures but also made me nervous.
I started to feel a bonk coming on at about mile 20. I knew why. I wasn't sticking with my fueling plan. In ultras they say to eat 200-300 calories per hour. I wasn't even close to that. In my whole 30 miles I only had:
4 Gu packets
2 Vespa packs
1/2 peanut butter sandwich
60 oz. water
and then my saving grace at mile 20:
I also didn't drink much because I was nervous that I would run out of water. After I ate the Snickers my stomach tied up in knots but thankfully eased up after I walked a few miles.
At around mile 21 the skies opened up and the rain started pouring. Within minutes I was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Those were a long couple hours sliding around in the mud before getting back to my car. When I got back to my car I had run 27 miles. I was frozen and desperately wanted to be done. But even more than that I wanted to accomplish my goal of 30 miles. So I kept running. I'm glad I didn't give up.
Thursday, October 6th 2011: 10 miles @ 10:53 minutes per mile pace. I ran crazy early in the morning so I could be home in time to get the kids ready for school. It was cold enough that I could see my breath. It feels like we went right from summer to winter.
I decided I wanted to take a rest day Friday, so on Thursday night I did 4 miles slow and easy. Here is proof of how cold and miserable it has been the last few days: I RAN ON THE TREADMILL. Doing 4 miles on Satan's Sidewalk was so boring that I almost started crying. For much of the run I practiced fast walking since I'll be doing plenty of that during the ultra. Even watching a baseball playoff game didn't make the treadmill any more enjoyable.
Friday, October 7th 2011: Rest.
Saturday, October 8th 2011: 13 miles @ 12:12 minutes per mile. I ran around the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and left really early while it was still dark. It was cold and windy and I didn't get into a groove until the sun came up:
This week I got good training for the upcoming ultramarathon by running on tired legs. I figured out that starting last Saturday, during a six-day stretch (which includes two rest days) I ran 75 miles. That is the most miles I've ever done in one week. Not a single one of those miles was fast, but I'm thankful my body seems to be holding up well.
Do you like running in the rain?
Normally I love it, except on trails when it gets muddy.
Is the treadmill the most evil invention ever?
Why, yes. Yes it is.
Yes, the treadmill is horrible. They belong in research labs far away from the public. Watching TV or reading strikes me as the only upside.
ReplyDeleteRunning in the rain is fun if it is a hot summer day. Running in the cold and rain is not fun. I love me my water proof trail shoes.
I am excited about your 50 miler coming up. I am sure you will get your nutrition all figured out by then. Are any pacers or mules lined up with food as part of your plan? Are they allowed?
I took a page from your book and took a camera with me on my bike route to work. Got a lot of pictures. If you see a post out of me covering a route by pictures know that it was inspired by your work.
LOVED LOVED LOVED the first picture and the last picture!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on not giving up on your long run!!
Those pictures are just amazing.
ReplyDeleteSo impressed with your mileage. It makes me tired just thinking about the miles and the early, early mornings. And hanging in there for the last 3 of your 30 mile run...wow.
I really, really don't like the treadmill. And once, while in Chicago with my son for a volleyball tournament, I ran 14 miles on the TM so I didn't have to leave him alone in the hotel. Ugh...it was like 30 hours mentally.
Running in rain in warm weather is awesome. I did run in the rain in one winter race, but I think the course was so difficult that I stayed super warm the whole time.
Does your plan call for any 2 a day runs? A friend who did a 50 miler did some of those, too.
HIGH FIVE MAN! What an impressive week. We live in a pretty part of the country and you capture it perfectly in all your photos! Good luck in the training
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the long running! That is awesome!
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos! and I agree about the treadmill.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your ultramarathon training. I also love that you are taking your runs nice and easy and slow. That's exactly the way I roll as well :)Hurrah for conference talks!
ReplyDeleteAwesome Cory!! Great job on the 30 miles. That had to have been tough but you stuck it out and finished what you set out to do. So inpressive.
ReplyDeleteIf you think St.G is cold ut, county is 10 time worse. brrrr! Keep up the great work.
You already know how I feel about the treadmill. I'll take -18 over the treadmill any day. And I absolutely ADORE running in the rain. I did 5 miles on hills last week and it was pouring. When I got home I was freezing, but I was so so happy with an awesome run.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed that you still went that extra 3 miles after you got to your car!!! Mind over matter- that's what running these crazy distances are all about.
Wow, I wish I had those kind of views on my long runs! Your area looks incredible.
ReplyDeleteYou're not going to need the speed for the ultra... only the endurance and BOY YOU GOT IT!
ReplyDeleteWay to go on a ridiculous week of running! You're doing awesome, and this ultra is going to be no problemo for you!
ReplyDeleteYES to the tm. ahhhhhh. it seriously felt like i was running into a wall for 5 straight miles today on that thing. more importantly though is that you are incredible and i am so pulling for you as you prepare for this ultra. you are an inspiration to me! plus it feels pretty awesome to know that I have met and feel inspired by "a special kind of idiot" ;) keep it up Cory! you are rocking the training/prep for this ultra!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love that first picture...wow!! You should sell those to us bloggers (at a discount, of course :)).
ReplyDeleteNice mileage this week, fantastic!!!!
Congrats on the accomplishment - those are a LOTTA miles!
ReplyDeleteSo in the second picture - is that your Camelbak? When I first got to your page, I was kind of quickly scrolling down to see if this was the next entry after the STG marathon. In this quick scrolling, it *may* have looked a wee bit like a saggy bra on the outside of your shirt rather than your water reserves. Haha - I totally laughed out loud!
I can fully support a pom-pom hat or a faux-leather fanny pack, even buy you a rockin' sequin hat...but I draw the line at saggy bras. ;)
correction, 100 mile. I did not mean to diminish the effort you have coming up by halving it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome miles! I'm really impressed that you did a solo 30!
ReplyDeleteOK guess I'm the odd duck out, because I do not like running in the rain and I don't mind the treadmill. Although part of that is a trained like. When I was working and in grad school treadmill time was 1) the only way to get mileage in safely and 2) the only time I got to watch TV. So it was a learned association of fun. I would admit currently I don't like it so much.
ReplyDeleteOh and I know you made a comment many moons ago about this...so I wanted to let you know my review of Nathan hydration products is up...http://www.rojrunning.com/2011/10/product-review-nathan-hydration.html
I hereby award you an award for best photos in a blog. You wouldn't even have to write and we would all just show up to look at the pics and be jealous that our runs arent as great.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean by fueling. When the weather is cool and I run long I'm horrible at getting in the calories I need. I've paid the price for that a time or two.
I wanna do an ultra in a year or less, just need to know that my knees can hold up. I've had that front of the knee cap thing hurt like you had. It's odd.
Running in the rain is fun if its not a down pour or freezing cold. Years ago I thought I loved the treadmill. Then we moved here and I got outside. Now I only get on the treadmill if I absolutely have to.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am continually in awe of your pics.