Training week nineteen recap

I just came home from the third of my back-to-back-to-back days of long runs: 13+ miles on Friday, 30 on Saturday, and 17+ today. All with significant hills. I feel tired, but not exhausted, and very satisfied. I'm looking looking forward to large servings of cheesy baked pasta and some bubbly pink wine this evening.

The numbers:

• 15 hours 27 minutes

• 75.8 miles

• 12,067 feet D+

All new highs, again. I might wind up on the local Strava club's virtual podiums for distance, total time, and climbing this week. At the end of week 16, I wrote that I was going to try to run over 200 miles in weeks 17-19. I managed 215.

Saturday's run was my longest ever. I spent 7.5 hours running the fourth, first, second, and third Quad Rock climbs. In theory, If I can do the fifth (up Mill Canyon), the sixth (up Spring Creek), and the valley flats in 6.5 hours, I'll be a finisher. I'm pretty sure I'm now physically capable of running 50 miles with 11,000 feet D+. I've trained well. I've figured out what gear I need. I'm running with people who've finished and they tell me that I'm on track. I felt confident that I had at least another two hours of power hiking effort left in me when I got back to the trailhead yesterday. Still, I'm sure I'm going to have to overcome some kind of extra adversity on race day: weather, or gear, or a test of my will to keep going through the unknown late race state of mind and body. I ran 60+ miles Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but it's going to be something else to do 50 in a single day.

Next week dedicated to recovery and family. I'm going to try to enjoy the feeling of muscles growing and spending more time with my kids while Ruth is away Monday through Wednesday.