Dirty Thursday

It’s only the second week post 50K race and I’m not doing very well at taking some recovery time. 🙁  I do feel pretty good and do want to continue to train for the 24 Hours of Utah (Moab) at the end of March.

So, I’ve taken the Ultraladies 50K training schedule and backed it up from the next race and the miles ramp up pretty quickly. I officially hit the exact, recommended training miles last week of 48. That included my longest road run yet!

Last Saturday, I ran 20 miles. Well, I actually incorporated a 4:1 run/walk strategy 1) to see how effective it would be to help me make the longer distance, and 2) to see if it would work to use as a strategy for Moab.  It’s surprising how little the walking effects your overall pace. I did the 20 miles in just over 4 hours, so right about a 12 minute pace. All things considered, I feel pretty good about it.

I was actually under 12 minutes and feeling good until mile 14, heading down one of the steeper hills on the route. That’s when my IT band decided to protest. It reduced me to much more walking and shuffling than I had planned. Was due to hit the 15 mile mark at 20 minutes under the 12 minute per mile pace. Actually hit it in just 2 minutes under. That tells you how much I slowed in those last two miles!! Once the route leveled out, it did get a little better, but it never stopped bothering me.

Fast forward to Sunday, hiked 10 miles – relatively easy. Tuesday, ran a 5 mile route during the day at 10:37 pace and then ran 3 more with our run club that night.  Then came Thursday.

I started the “Dirty Thursday” concept with our running club. I’m trying to get weekly time running on trails and not roads. So, every Thursday I find a local route and head to the hills. I have seen so many wonderful things that way. Sunrise over the mesa and mountains, desert tortoises, semi-wild horses, tarantulas, snakes, flowers….  There’s always something.

I had an 11 mile route planned that I’d done before. But, as it happened, it was our town’s annual Heart Walk and a great opportunity to expose people to our running club. I set up a table there, met lots of nice people, and then got caught up in the vortex to go the 3 miles across town. Of course that automatically meant another 3 to get back.  Ran both ways, relatively fast.

Still wanting to get my miles, I headed up to the dirt and started running up the hill. First part of the 11 is a steady climb for 5 miles. Long and relentless, especially if you don’t feel all that well. I had a tummy ache from the start – fearing I’d end up having my first trail bathroom issue. Managed not to, but by the time I got to the top of the hill, I felt pretty bad and very tired (never mind I’d already done 6 miles in town).

Next 2 miles go across the bajada on a series of rolling hills and rocky terrain. It’s my favorite part but I struggled. More walking than I wanted. Finally got back to the other dirt road which is all down hill. Still felt bad, but was easier coasting down. Got back to my truck and felt like I might toss my cookies. Drank some water, drank some protein drink, finally felt a bit more human after about 15 minutes and headed home.

Later that night, I was having more black licorice – which I’d had the night before. Tummy started acting up again which finally triggered my thinking. I know licorice can be a mild laxative so I looked it up. Turns out that licorice (the real stuff made from real licorice, which this was) also causes potassium levels to fall. Something pretty harmful to long distance running. Can cause lethargy, blood pressure issues, and even heart issues. Hmmmm….note to self.  Bummer because I love the stuff.

I logged my miles in Map My Run and was astonished to find I’d run 56 miles in just 6 days. Holy cow.  Good thing I’m traveling this weekend and probably won’t be running!