6/9/18

What a great run today. I don’t know if it was the excitement for my trip tomorrow or just everything clicking like it does sometimes. The pace wasn’t particularly fast but I felt good the whole time. I kept some energy held back for traveling tomorrow; travel always wears me down and I have a 10 mile run after I get settled in at the resort.

Overall, 16 miles at 10:23 pace. I ran the first 10 miles, only stopping to take a few photos, with no walk breaks. I have this new approach that I enjoy: I run without stopping when I feel like it and whenever I start thinking it would feel good to walk, I walk. There is some risk in this strategy because sometimes I go from feeling really good to feeling really bad pretty quickly. But I think as I get more fit, I’ll be able to better detect where I need to draw that line. I will never run nonstop until I have to walk, though. I know that approach is an invitation to the death march and I don’t wanna do the death march.

More on strategy/approach for the 100 miler: I’ve heard it many times, “Don’t bank miles.” Basically the same advice as, “Don’t go out too fast,” but for longer distances. I have a position on this advice, though, especially for how to run in serious heat. In the morning, when it’s cooler, I’ll be able to run nonstop and not get wiped out. As long as I’m keeping it relaxed, around 10 minute miles. When the temperature starts to climb, I’ll slow down and start taking walk breaks, all throughout the day. When night starts to fall, I’ll go back to running for however long I feel like it. This just makes sense to me. I’m not going to give up the only precious time I have to bring my average pace down. I look at it as, “Use it or lose it.” I can’t possibly run nonstop in the hot heat, but if I fuel well and often, I’ll be able to get through that difficult part of the race and move on to the night. It’s going to be three or maybe even four races in one: morning til about 11 or 12, afternoon, evening, and night. I have to face that afternoon and evening are going to be slower than I want, but I can make it up in the morning and at night.

I wore my new vest today and it is great. Not perfect but a big improvement. Having the front flasks and the reservoir is such a luxury. I wasn’t afraid to run nonstop because I knew I’d have plenty of water. And I can get into the stash pocket without taking the pack off. So good. I can even get stuff out of it and back into it without having to stop and walk. Only downside is that I had to tighten the straps a few times, but once I got them right they stayed put.

I’m super excited about Vermont. Can’t wait.