The hay is in the barn... Big Butts 50K is tomorrow~

The hay is in the barn and I’m finished with my training for the BIG BUTTS 50K!   I’ve done all the work, lost 15 lbs and I’m ready.  I’ve even run 28 of the 31 miles on the BIG BUTTS course.

My main concern now is not my body, but in my head.  I’ll need to run a smart race and not get caught up in the “stampeding crowd.”  By that I mean I should run the way I’ve trained and not let any competitor get inside my head and I choose to run faster. 

I’ve trained at around a 13:00/mile pace and that’s where I want to keep it!  If everything goes according to plan, I should finish in at 6 ½ hours or, with an 8:00 a.m. start time, around 2:30 p.m.

Today is a day of rest and preparation.

I think I’m ready.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Root hooks foot = face plant~

Big Butts 50K and I’m well into my taper.

Today’s final trail run of 9.5 miles was supposed to be an easy maintenance run.  For most of the run, it was just that.  However, with about half a mile left, my foot caught a root that been broken off and the raised sharp end faced in my direction. 

The root caught my right shoe and punctured the shoe’s top mesh and stayed.  I was literally hooked.  I went down without the root moving and my body briefly hung in mid air parallel to the ground just before as I bit the dirt.

The picture to the left shows my Brooks Cascadia shoes with the left shoe punctured near the little toe.  Fortunately, the root did not hit my foot and there was no scraping or injury.

It did however surprise and scare me.  I had to sit up and back the left foot out from the root to get free.  Although I had been running on the trail for over an hour and a half and my leg muscles were loose and warm, I knew my body would ache later.

I was lucky nothing else hurt and I had not injured myself here one week before BB50K! 

The remainder of my tapering will be run on paved roads to reduce any chance of injury from trail running.  My legs are conditioned for the 50K.  The next few days will be only maintained low mileage.

I think I’m ready.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Snake Jumping~

Recently, while running in the afternoon on the mountain bike trail, I was wondering how the run was going to go on a hot day.  I have been running on the dirt trail at least once a week as I train for the Big Butts 50K on July 28^th.

My theory is that if you train on the surface that the event is going to be run on, you’ll do better.  I think this theory is widely accepted as reasonable.  Especially on a dirt trail where there are rocks, roots, ditches, and gulleys on the trail.  In other words, an uneven ground with other variables makes for a very bumpy run.

The way the uneven ground makes the foot, ankle and leg muscles make constant adjustments and movements, the need to be flexible is important.  While training on these trails, the connective tissues and muscles slowly build up strength over time.

As you can tell, I really do like to run on dirt trails.  The animals are up close and there is something around every turn.  This brings me to the back to an experience I had this week running on the trail in the woods. Snakes.  Not just little bitties, I mean three to four foot snakes that were making their way across the trail when I came up on them.  There were three snakes, not at the same time.

I know that you are supposed to stop and back up whenever you see a snake.  That’s the safe thing to do.  But I was running along at a good clip.  When I saw each snake, I was already about to step on them.  All I could do was jump.  So, I hurdled each snake and high-stepped it down the trail, afraid that the snake would come after me.  This happened three times in one day. Maybe the snakes like the afternoon heat.  I’ll need to do some more research.

The trail offers up these kinds of adventures every time.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.