Training

Well it’s official. Racing season is here and in full swing.  I just signed up for the Deadman Peaks 50 Miler in October (again) and La Luz is coming up in a four weeks. During or after each of those events I looked like this:

I had better start training.

I’m just kidding. Every run is a training run. Especially the recovery runs.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m much more mindfully following the guidance by the heart rate monitor on my Garmin. I still get confused/frustrated at times but overall I think it is going well.

Since La Luz is next up I’m trying to add as much climb as I can to my runs in preparation. Saturday I took a long route up to Pino Trail. I didn’t get very far up it before time was up and I had to turn around and come home, but I’m going to keep it up as it is a nice steady climb. And it’s pretty.

Then on Sunday I started running La Luz itself. Nothing big. Just two miles up and then two miles down. That’s not as easy as it sounds though as in those two miles there is 882 feet of gain. And it’s pretty.

 

It is also though a popular trail. In the two miles up and down I saw about 35 people. I’m all for getting people outside and off their asses I really am. But for this increasingly xenophobic old man that was fucking claustrophobic!

While I’m ranting let’s talk about trail etiquette. Downhill has the right-of-way. I know and I generally don’t care. If I’m coming down I stop for people coming up. If I’m going up I stop for people coming down. What I try to do every time is Be Polite and in return that’s all I ask.

There were a couple groups that did not even try to move or step aside or say a God-Damned thing! That makes me angry. Not Bruce Banner angry but come-the-fuck-on and at least feign a little courtesy. /rantover

Shit is getting real.

Another evolution in my training is the fact that I met with a nutritionist last week. It’s a benefit through work. I get to sit down with a nutritionist as often as I desire and discuss what I’m eating and when and what goals I should be having in order to perform the way I want to perform in my chosen sport. Performance nutrition it’s called and I’m very excited.

**Updated 7-13-16 I ran intervals this morning for the first time in forever. 4 x 1 mile with warm up and cooldown miles before and after. Tough but not debilitating. **

Training. It’s on now: