So the last couple months have been interesting to say the least. Life has taken over and updating my fun little runner's blog has not been a high priority. Yet again, I'm finding myself back dating a few key posts just to bring things up to speed.
Fortunately I've kept up my running... and training has come together for CIM ...or I at least I hope it has! Like it or not, the race is this weekend.
I wound up cramming in five good weeks of running, three of which were in the mid/upper 80's. Among them, I had a 7-day stretch that got me to 99 miles, and another that pushed to 106 miles. I'm really just trying to piggy back off my training from Moscow. This session was much shorter and easier than I usually put myself through. It's hard to compare my fitness level to September. However, the one thing I have going for me is the Naperville Half. And I'd like to believe I'm in better shape since then. 1:14:07 suggests I should have a good chance to PR CIM.
This doesn't come without worry though. I've run back-to-backs before, but I've never crammed in two fast marathons like this before. I'm not sure what'll happen. I'm not sure if I'm under trained or over trained. Specifically here's where I'm either lacking or over done things:
1) I haven't had a ton of really fast workouts lately. Like I said, the quality was OK. I had solid workouts before Moscow. But in the last couple weeks, I've had a few intervals but no monster/staple 20x400 or 10x800. No huge tempos (aside from the half). I have raced a lot though, that's for sure. Otherwise, I'm in the dark with my top end speed at the moment.
2) I also haven't had many/any hills recently. I've done a little light work on Cricket Hill, but that doesn't really count. You should actually be laughing at that comment. And again, there was Naperville, which was a hilly effort. Maybe a few of the uber-windy training runs could count has being simulated-hills? Aside from that, no major hills really since the end of the summer.
I say this because CIM is a hilly course. It's net down, but it's a challenging and strategic net down... in a sense, like Boston. It goes down sharp initially, followed by a lot of rollers and uphills. Guys go out fast, and then die when they have to run uphill later in the race. Hopefully I have enough strength in my legs.
3) On the complete flip side... and it be any more opposite from those two comments!.... I'm also extremely worried that I'm over trained and over raced for the year. As of this moment, I can say I feel flat. Plain and simple. Maybe that's my taper talking? (Or even lack of taper??)
I've had a huge year in running and I'm worried that I've over done it. I ran 17 races this year! That's big by anyone's standard. Since Moscow, I've raced four more times: Halloween, Naperville, IL XC 5K, and Turkey Day 8K... all very hard or even all in efforts. The XC race especially sapped me... I suck at XC! Total mileage for the year will likely be above 3,000... easily my biggest year ever.
Long story short... I feel tired! I realize that's what everyone says when they taper, but I really do feel tired. And my taper has been short due to cramming this abbreviated ramp. I can only hope these are pre-race jitters; I worry about doing an aggressive back-to-back that I've never tried before. I still have a couple more days to calm down.
Where does this leave me? I'm flying to California tomorrow. This will be my second time running CIM. I know the course, and I know how to run it. The weather looks decent at the moment. I had a great race there back in 2011. If I can chill out, relax, and rejuvenate myself over the next 60 hours... then it's mine for the taking and I'll throw everything I have at it.
It'll end in one of two ways: I eat the bear, or the bear eats me.
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