After a rather lethargic Jed Smith 50k, it feels good to get back in the saddle for the Way Too Cool 50k. I have always tended to avoid this race for a number of reasons, which includes being quite a bit more pricey than other 50ks and having a "big marathon" feel with its slick, streamlined organization. It's also a bit of a drive compared to the great number of 50ks taking place in the Bay Area at any time of the year. That said, its been many an ultrarunners 1st foray into ultrarunning as well as being the 2nd race in the PAUSATF ultra race series. With an extra emphasis on trying to help Tamalpa score in the PAUSATF series this year, I decided to put it back on the schedule.
Way Too Cool should be the 1st true test of fitness with 3 months of training and about 9 weeks of running-specific training under my belt now in this new "running" year. I trained right though the Brooks Falls Trail 1/2 Marathon as well as the Jed Smith 50k while in the midst of altering my diet based on the Paleo Diet for Athletes. While it felt great running the trail 1/2 marathon, I felt lethargic and unable to push the heart rate above 150 during the Jed Smith 50k. I'm hopeful that the dietary adjustments that I've made in addition to the added training (including a nice 200 mile, 2 week stretch) will yield the step up that I'm seeking in this race. While certainly not completely dissatisfied with Jed Smith (I'll take the 3:33 considering it all) run on the American River Parkway/Horse Trails, I am doing a full 2 week taper for Cool that should leave me fresh and ready to go on Saturday.
I'm still trying to figure out a proper goal time, but going sub-4 seems like a good plan to start from. Who knows, maybe I'll use the heart rate monitor and let my effort dictate my pace as the race goes on. Here's to great weather and a great race for all the 750+ participants!
Monday, March 5, 2012
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8 comments:
Gundy, you've got a habit of making sub-X race predictions...sub-19 at WS100, sub-7 at FT50, sub-9 at Miwok, etc. ;-)
Sub-4 at WTC is no joke, it's a tough course from M17 on, if you go out too fast (another habit of your's), it'll kick your ass.
Run smart, good luck.
Hey Anonymous,
I'm not sure if you see it, but there is a subtle difference between a race prediction and a goal. Yeah, last year I ended up posting a 7:19 (again) at FT50 and 9:20 at Miwok. I'm not afraid to put out there what I want, but I also train hard to go get it. I was close enough to see it out there, but far enough away to need to make a few adjustments.
Since I assume you haven't seen me training (I often train alone), I will let you know that in the past couple years, I've dropped down from lean enough 171 lb. to 160 lb. in a much leaner frame. Just compared to Fall 2011, I'm racing 4-5 lb. lighter on a better diet.
That being said, Sub-4 is mostly based on a couple of other similar runners times on that course, but also a course profile that decreases the amount of climbing significantly compared with, say, the 1/2 marathon course I raced in Pacifica in January which had 3000' of climbing by itself. You obviously know enough about the course to know that it bottoms out half-way through and make a sharp upturn back up the walls straddling the American River. I am aware that the effort required in the 2nd half will be a test.
I'll print this out and put this exchange in my back pocket on race day (seriously). I don't believe in luck. I believe hard work, strength of body, strength of character and providence will ultimately rule the day. You can say a lot of things about me, but the one thing I never have a problem doing is putting all of myself into what I do out there.
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