One week

One week to go until my first 100 miler. One week until the unplanned experiment will reveal whether one can run 100 miles in under 20 hours without having run more than 21 miles in training.

Of course, as I have said, the vast majority of this year has been training of some sort. From the tough 50k to running on jetlag in Korea to dodging crowds in Frederick, I have been training for races. I doubt anyone else's training plan for this 100 consisted of doing 10 x 400 at the track 2 weeks before the race though!

I am geting excited. If you know me, you know I rarely get excited until an event happens. Why? Because the let down of something NOT happening far outweighs the excitement I may allow myself to have prior to its happening. So, I balance it out in order to stay even-keeled. Yet, for this race, I am getting excited. It is uncharted territory for me. I have run a 50 miler and have run for 12 hours before but nothing this long in distance or over this long of a period of time.

But I think my experiences have prepared me for it. I am eagar to see what I can do. My goal is to run under 20 hours. Everything else is gravy.

currently the weather for race day calls for the possiblity of rain. That isn't too bad. could make the trail running a little treacherous but what is wonderful is that it only says there will be a high of 72 degrees. Sweet fancy moses if that stays true I will be uber happy. If I could find the umlaut I would have put it over "uber' that is how happy I am with that forecast.

I have a 15 mile run tomorrow and Sunday. My last two runs of any siginifcant size. then it is coasting away until I head down to Woodstock. Look out OD 100!

Old Dominion 100

I have begun training for my 100 miler (the Old Dominion 100 Mile Run). It is in two weeks. Whoops.

Honestly, I do not feel like I am all that far behind. I mean, ideally, I would have started 3 months ago and logged hundreds of hard miles, running in dark, on rocky terrain, etc. But I have not done things ideally. That does not mean I am taking this race lightly either, mind you. If I did not feel I had done enough to run this race I would not endanger my health. Like with Fiddy2, I know what Iam capable of doing and time proves me right and then some.

This weekend, I ran 21 miles (my longest non-race run ever) on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday. I wanted to do 20 miles on Sunday but I got bored and went home. I did not think the extra 5 miles would mean much at this juncture. You see, the reason I am not too worried abut my training is I think I have a higher base mileage than a majority of others based on not only last year but the races I have done this year. In addition, apparently I have also been blessed with the ability of quick recovery. So given my hard work from last year, the tough miles I have put in already this year in race conditions and genetics, I think I will be fine. Especially since I am doing everything I can to make sure I run a smart race.

I wish to do well and hopefully finish high but I also know all I want to do is “buckle”. For non-100 mile runners, this term refers to completing a race (usually of the 100 mile variety) in less than the prescribed time. In my case, it is 24 hours.

Having just had a friend complete the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 where the time to buckle is 36 hours, I feel like my race will be a breeze. As long as the temps stay decent, I should be a-ok. My goal is to average 12 minute miles which will put me exactly at 20 hours for the day. IF I go one second fast I will have run 100 miles in one day (the race starts at 4 AM on Saturday morning). That is my main goal. The buckle part is something that I just assume will happen.

I could be wrong. I could be greatly overestimating my training and my skills. But I guess I will learn the hard way on that one. Let’s hope not.

Congrats to Nattu for his stellar finish yesterday. In his days leading up to the Badwater 135, he used this as a training run. Ridiculous huh? Way to go Nattu!