Never Summer training week twenty-three recap
It was a light week of running.
4 hours, 3 minutes
22.9 miles
1614 feet D+
Allergy and a sinus infection have been getting me down and I skipped a workout last week because my head was stuffed up and throbbing and I felt fatigued. I'm taking medication for the infection, using an over-the-counter steroid spray in my nose, keeping my house closed up, running the air conditioner instead of the house fan, and spending less time outside sucking up pollen. I feel better already.
I've set goals for the race and made a plan simple enough to follow and evolve on race day. My first goal is to finish. My more ambitious goal is to finish in under 19 hours and 30 minutes. My stretch goal is to finish in under 18:30, to cross the line before 11:15 p.m. OpenSplitTime allows racers to make pacing plans based on data from previous years. I've done so for 19:30 and 18:30 finishes, made a spreadsheet, printed it out, and roughly laminated it using packing tape.
Zork style cheat sheet for the first half of the course, second half on the other side. I hope I don't forget to "go north" from the Diamond Peaks aid station.
My three drop bags are mostly packed. The one at the Diamond Peak aid station has calories and is for ditching gear that I may have needed before the sun came up. We're required to carry a headlamp from the Ruby Jewel aid station (29 miles) onwards, so I have one in that bag along with more Tailwind and gels. I'm leaving my biggest bag at the Clearly Canadian aid station, miles 38 and 44, with calories, a change of clothes, spare shoes, stormy weather gear, and a warm layer for the home stretch.
Waiting for the race to start is hard, but I know I need a few more days of rest before I'm ready to do my best. Four more sleeps to go. I'm not counting Friday night, since I expect to sleep poorly before waking at 4 a.m.