The Countdown Begins....

Yes, it's less than a week now until my first ultramarathon test. Saturday I will run further than I ever have before when I take on the Trail Mix 50k. My confidence is high with my training, as I feel I'm much more prepared for this run than I ever was when I ran my first marathon. I never ran more than 18 miles while training for my marathon. In contrast, I've run 20+ miles at least 4 times in preparation for the 50k, including a 25-miler a week ago. Yes, I'm ready and anxious to get this first test under my belt. I'm also looking forward to the opportunity of getting to meet some fellow ultrarunners.

Last week's training (starting to taper)

-Monday: 2.2 in 21:00; My lower legs were extremely cramped and in dire need of a thorough massage. OUCH!

-Tuesday: 9.4 in 1:31:13; 2 x 4.7-mile hilly loop. Again, my legs were badly cramped, but I kept plugging away. They finally loosened up after 3 or 4 miles and the rest of the run went smoothly.

-Wednesday: 6.1 in 56:20; A little recon run out to the Terrace Oaks Park trails to check on the condition. There's still large patches of snow and ice, and where there isn't snow and ice, there's nothing but deep mud. No leg cramps today. Hopefully they're behind me now.

-Thursday/Friday: R & R; The Wild are in the playoffs and I just had to watch the game Wednesday night. Too tired Thursday morning to get up and get out on the road due to a late OT finish.

-Saturday: 9.4 in 1:23:28; I surprised myself on this run. I didn't feel like I was moving very fast and felt a little tired (Late night again watching hockey which went into OT....AGAIN!). However, the watch said otherwise. I ended up running 8:52/mile pace. Not shabby. Once again, no leg cramps. I think it's safe to say I've shaken those now. Woo hoo!

-Sunday: Rest again after celebrating the wife's 36th birthday into the late night with friends. Took a little snooze while watching the Masters.