This Saturday kicks off my journey to Leadville. Only 107 days away! The Collegiate Peaks 50 has been on my list and I'm glad I'll get to knock it off. There are a long list of fun folks that are going to be there, which has me just as excited to hang out as I am to run.
My loose plan for this race is to produce a solid effort, but err on the side of being conservative. Two loops at 25 miles and 4700' of elevation each. With the San Juan Solstice 50 coming up in six weeks, I can't really afford a long recovery that would inhibit me from getting in some higher altitude runs over the coming weeks. A big success for this race would be nailing my nutrition/hydration for all 50 miles. I typically have a rough patch in the late 20's and early 30's. I'm not sure if I can avoid that, but I do feel I should be able to minimize it.
Despite my conservative approach, I still want to shoot for a goal time of around 9 hours. Breaking nine would be sweet and a PR for me! This is assuming I keep up my nutrition, prevent my feet from blowing up, and don't crash and fall.
The weather is looking amazing! It may even be a little on the warm side. With the cool & windy spring we've had, I will not complain at all about a warm weather day running in the mountains!
I thought this was an interesting article that confirms that I'm not crazy (well, maybe a little) for running these long distances!
Psychology Today - The Tough Track
Worried about bears, mountain lions and other carnivores out on the trail? You're probably overlooking a creature that presents more of a threat. Not that you find many cows in the mountains! ;-)
When Cows Attack!
Sounds like we have pretty similar goals for Saturday. Hopefully it'll work out like that night in Leadville and we can drag/push each other to the finish line. Seriously happy about that weather forecast, too!
ReplyDeleteI'd be more than happy to "embrace the suck" with you that night! That's still my favorite video from Pb last year!
ReplyDeleteForgot to ask Chris, but have you heard from Kirk at all? I wonder what he's up to for running this year.
ReplyDeleteHaha - I need to go watch that again! Kirk captured a classic moment deep in the heart of the LT100... It makes me tired all over again to see it. He ran CP last year, but I didn't see him on the list this time. Not sure what he's been up to lately, keeping busy with the kids I suspect. He's a natural, though - doesn't take long to get right back up to speed again.
ReplyDeleteSub-9 is in the bag! You've been running great all winter.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope you're right Jim...and that I don't do anything stupid to blow it.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Jim P. Your training has been strong for months now. I think you're totally smart on focusing in on the fuel/hydration game. That will pay off huge down in Lake City and Leadville.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting you!
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