From NR: Another Letter

Dear Sam:

I know we've barely left February but you're running mileage close to your previous peaks for marathon training already. Feed me more!

Love,
Your body.

Oooooooooooh. That's why I'm so hungry lately! I spent pretty much all of last Sunday ravenous. Even right after I ate. There was a brief time after lunch when I was good, though :) Then I looked at my weekly mileage. So, time to add more food! A delicious mid-morning snack is a yummy french toast flavored bagel with homemade apple butter. Mmmmmmmmmm.

I'm feeling pretty awesome, though. I've been looking at various 50 mile training programs online and have been shocked at the low mileage proposed during the week. Since you're doing double long runs, they all seem to have super low mileage and three days off a week. I have two days off and I think I'm about to change that down, even, once I figure out a good way to do it without upping mileage too much at once. So I guess I'll keep going with what I've been doing . . . except I find I'm at a cross roads after this week. I ran 20 miles today and 6 yesterday - I like to count both weekend days since I'm so used to having one of them off :). Now what? For marathon training, once you hit 20 you do something like 20, 12, 20, 12 etc. Or, at least, the plans I've done have you doing that. I've got a long time before Grandma's (15 weeks yesterday) and even longer before Voyageur (21 weeks yesterday) and I should definitely be doing mileage over 20 but probably not for a while, yet. I also just had a step down week and don't want to do another one next week already. So. Do another 20? Drop down to 18ish and lengthen Sunday's run? Do 12 both days instead? I'll have to figure that out, I guess :) But even having this debate at the beginning of March is pretty awesome for me and I'm feeling rather like a rock star! It's exciting to be doing good mileage so early on so the goal is to keep it rolling and keep myself healthy!

Last weekend, I went for a fun adventure and did a long run with my buddy Lisa out at Gooseberry Falls State Park. I am continually amazed at how close to Gooseberry I am, now that I'm in Duluth! Anyway, that was 18 miles on snowmobile trails in mostly beautiful weather and pretty good trail conditions. We ran into 18 snowmobiles (17 on the way out) and every one of them was very nice - slowing down and moving way over to go by us. I ran 5 miles the next day which mad me feel super bad-ass since I'm so used to taking the day after a long run off. I've been slowly transitioning to get ready for double longs - I did a couple weeks of an easy 3 miles the day after and then 4 miles and I did 5 last week and it felt great! This week, I did 6 miles the day before my long run so I'm not sure it really counts but I guess it made me more tired for today so I'll go with it. Of course, I also have friends who last weekend ran a 50K on Saturday and then a marathon on Sunday . . . but I'm surrounded by rock stars like that, so I have to judge my bad-assness within myself, right? So here's to everyone's inner rock star/bad ass - no matter what level you're at!