Quad Rock training week eighteen recap
Only six nights are left between now and the Quad Rock starting horn. I'm feeling pretty good after a relatively light week of running. Here are the numbers.
5 hours, 14 minutes
28.6 miles
2,933 ft D+
One of my goals for last week was to get a better sense of how much fast downhill running I will be able to do at Quad Rock. I'm recovering from a groin pull and running fast has been uncomfortable and even painful since March 23. On Tuesday I pressed the accelerator going up and down the A trail at Maxwell and my time on the descent was my best ever. Even better, I felt comfortable doing it. I did a few easy strides, short bursts of speed, on Wednesday. Saturday I ran 2.5 miles down the steep Towers trail at 7:30 minutes per mile, fast for me, with no pain at all. I'm not quite 100%, but I'm close enough. I'm going to go a little more slowly than that on race day unless I'm feeling unexpectedly good on the last descent before the finish.
Today I went for an easy five-mile trail run in a fairly new pair of Speedgoats, version 4, the shoes I've been planning to wear at Quad Rock. I'm going to wear them at the start and for most of the race to soften the pounding. In case I need more stability or want to feel faster in the last ten miles, I'm going to stash the Terra Kigers I wore at Maxwell in a drop bag at the Horsetooth trailhead.
The weather forecast looks quite good for next week. Monday and Tuesday may be wet, but not cold enough for snow. Then there's a drying and warming trend. Three days of sun and no rain should let trails drain and dry nicely. The current forecast for Saturday is 46 °F (8 °C) at the 5:30 a.m. start of the race and an afternoon high temperature of 72 °F (22 °C). Warm, but not hazardously so.
Next week I'm going to get lots of sleep, do some yoga, short easy runs, and one light speed workout. I've taken Friday off work to pack bags, make a nice meal, and chill.