Found The 50

It's been a while since I posted last but I'm thinking that could be the end of wide gaps between updates. Today I decided to run the American River 50 Mile Endurance Run. An article in Runners World about beginner ultra runners listed this race as "a good one for beginners". I was a bit surprised at the elevation chart (what a way to finish) but figured the total elevation was much less than some of the other 50s I was considering.

I realize this will certainly be a challenge but am extra motivated after my wife said that she would run it with me. She has done numerous marathons and two Ironman events but never an ultra. This is new territory for both of us. Challenge equals growth.

Injuries Suck - Especially The Dumb Ones

Earlier this week I hurt my back.  The day it happened I needed my wifes help to get dressed (that was fun) and getting in and out of my car was a challenge.  The part that pisses me off is that I hurt my back......wait for it.....while I was brushing my teeth.  Yes, I could not run for most of this week because I hurt my back brushing my teeth.  Simply bent over to spit and WHAM!!!  something got tweaked.

The hardest part of this injury was not dealing with the reactions from my family and friends when I explained what had happened, but rather dealing with the simple fact that I was not capable of putting in the mileage I wanted to this week.  It seems that since The San Francisco Marathon my schedule has been so busy that I'm just struggling to fit in runs.  My wife suggested I put together another training plan as I seem to do better if I have a daily goal instead of just seeing whatever I can squeeze in.  I think she's right and will setup a schedule after the Long Beach Half.

Getting injured sucks.  Getting injured while performing basic oral hygiene is simply pathetic.  :(

Going Off-Road - Sort Of

Realizing that most of the 50 milers are off-road I decided to pick up a pair of trail running shoes for the days my running takes me off the smooth black stuff.  Although I have had some trouble with the Brooks Ravenna, I decided to purchase the Brooks Cascadia 5.  The shoe gets great reviews from all the sites I trust so I tried a pair on during lunch today.  After work I headed out for a short 5 miles on dirt.  Now the run was certainly not technical, (it runs right next to the paved trail I frequently run on) but it was fun.  Looking forward to racking up some mileage with a friend this weekend and hopefully a longer run with a new trail running group I am looking at joining.  More on that later.

Kind of nice having to brush the dust off before jumping in the car for the ride home.  Think I'm gonna love leaving the pavement behind from time to time.

Sick Or Exhausted

Since running The San Francisco Marathon I've not been feeling like myself.  I did run a couple of times in the week following the marathon but did not push it as my quads were still sore.  The last couple of days I've had this sore throat and woke up today with a cough and zero motivation.  Just feeling "blah".

Mommyrun mentioned that after a marathon the immune system is definitely down for the count and that I'm most likely exhausted and need to TAKE A BREAK.  Yes, all caps there because she yelled :) .  I did some searching and found an interesting article that stated "Exhaustive exercise can suppress athletes' immune systems; for example, studies have shown that runners who complete a marathon are six times more likely to develop a respiratory-system illness than non-marathoners."


So here I am on a Friday debating whether I should take the entire weekend off and see what happens.  Muscles are definitely feeling strong but the body is tired overall.

Prevent Injury? I Can't Even Walk

After 550 miles of training under my belt I was able to complete The San Francisco Marathon and walk away with sore quads.  Everything else felt pretty good.  Last night I was putting my suitcase back into it's place in the garage when I stubbed my toe.  Correction.  Toes.  I ripped up three toenails and yes, they started bleeding.

After a few carefully chosen words (the kids were around) the pain subsided and I went limping off.  Go figure.  All those miles without a single blister then wham!  Might lose a few toenails because of this.  Feel like such a knucklehead.