Two Weeks to Go!

I've been terrible about updating, I know. For the 3 of you that read this: I apologize!

I've been busy writing papers, registering for the bar exam, applying for jobs...oh, yeah...and running!

I run the Ice Age 50-miler in two weeks from today!

I ran my last long run, 25 miles, last weekend. Then I started my taper. The week before that I ran a nice, solid 30-mile run. I've only run two runs of 30+ miles this training cycle. I'd hoped to do more but, well, it just didn't work out that way. That said, I ran a bunch of 26-mile runs (including two marathon "races") and, for the most part, everything has gone really well. I am injury free at least...and that is huge. I don't think I've ever even had a marathon training cycle where I was completely injury free. I mean, I have definitely had niggles and soreness and some nagging issues while training for this 50, but none that required that I actually "sit out" and wait to heal. So I may not have run as many miles as I originally hoped, but that I kept my injury-prone sprinter's body healthy is a huge win.

I am extremely nervous about the race. Several people have asked me if I have a particular time goal in mind. Um, yeah. The time I have to run to beat the cut-off(s)! Me completing a trail 50 in that time, 12 hours, is by no means certain even if I am completely healthy. Now, you may be doing math and thinking: wait, that should be easy. You can average 14 minute miles! Well, I hope so. But trail races, and ultras, are just so much different. You cannot just take your road time and average that out and assume that you can maintain it. First of all, trails are much more challenging. They slow you down for lots of reasons. Second, I have to do stuff like eat! And make pit stops! And address whatever may come along the way. Finally: It's FIFTY MILES. So in theory I think I can overall maintain 12-minute miles on the trail (2+ minutes/mile slower than my road marathon pace, faster on the flats, taking it easy on the hills)...but I will also lose time on pit stops and at aid stations. And dealing with whatever else comes up.

I am really just hoping for good weather. When I ran my 50K (55K) back in March, I felt great...but the trail was just a complete mud pit. I ran strong all day, but it was just slow going getting through the sticky goo. The hills and roots and rocks at Ice Age will be enough of a challenge...so I am sending all of my positive thoughts to Wisconsin in hopes of a nice day on May 10th.

So, to repeat, my goal is to finish before the cutoff, which is 12 hours. The race is being extra strict this year and the last 5 or so aid stations have strict cut off times. So if I don't make it to them by the required time, I will be pulled from the race. If that happens, it won't be because I didn't give it everything I had. I know I can do it. But things go wrong in races. And you just can't predict some of them. My only goal is to work my butt off and do my best.

Oh yeah: I met my fundraising goal!! I am so incredibly excited about this. I have never raised this much money before. I am so thankful for so much support from so many generous people. You can read all of their names here.

I am heading into 2 weeks of final exams: my last exams EVER, I hope. (The bar exam aside...that comes up in July.) I will take my last law school exam on May 8th, hop a plane on May 9, and run the Ice Age Trail-50 on May 10. Then I head back to Washington DC on May 11 to prepare to move and then I graduate on May 18. So much to do, but it's all exciting. OK, the impending exams aren't exciting...but being done with them most definitely is.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me through this training and fundraising. Really, I have been training for this race for almost an entire year! I signed up to run the JFK-50 last spring and trained hard through the summer only to get a quirky injury last August that kept me out for most the fall. I was unable to run JFK  and was only able to start training again in mid-October. Really, I have to be amazed that I have remained as healthy as I have since recovering from that nasty injury. I'd like to be more fit going into my first real ultra race (yes, I ran that 55K, but I wasn't "racing" per se)...but I will take what I was able to get out of this training cycle. My body did not love the ultra training, but it allowed me to plug along and do the best I could. For that, I am thankful.

I'll post a pre-race update close to race day, May 10.

"50 for 35": Thank You For Your Donation!

Because my fundraising site does not list everyone who has generously contributed to my "50 for 35" challenge, I wanted to post a list of names to thank everyone who has donated. If you do not see your name and donated, let me know! It does take a week or so for me to get updates on who has contributed.

"50 for 35" Contributors
Livhu Ndou
Michele Keane
Scott Hiza
Coley Mangrum
Kate Graham
Kate Baldwin
Madonna Lennon
Liz Schroeder
JoAnna Cobb
Brenda Schwerdt
Jennifer Mullins
Jeff Litman
Jeffrey and Hope Austin-Phillips
Jen McEwen
Barbara Russ
Kendra Carlson
Kelly Ohman
Mary Witte
Amy Shogren
Linda Goodman
Susan Hellman
Andrea Lien
Bjorna Jayson
Bonnie Russ
Genevieve Augustin
Kristine Bowers
Bliss Peterson
Annette Hansen
Lauren Beatty
Beth Cleary
Sara Vallie
Lori Baldwin
Pat Hellman
Carrie Dzuck
Andrea Knutson
Melissa Gaylord
Vivian Adkins
Peter Froehlingsdorf
Wendy Miller
Jason Fields
Beverly Haeckel
Pamela Russ
Grant Loehnig
Mark Anderson
Mickey Fisher
Sarah Seidelmann
Emily Betz
Santo Carfora
Olga Kogan
Kelli Slonim
Kei Terauchi
Neil Glazman
Angela Rowles
Annalisa Peterson
Mary Lee
Reghann LaFrance
Mary Elizabeth Stone
Leslie Beiers
Jennifer Wyss
Matt and Katie Hedman
Justin Haeckel
Sandy Schaefer
Christina Meier
Glenn Johnson
Will and Kyra Zhang
Kerstin Hokanson
Kendall Schoolmeester
Brenna Egan
Danielle Davis
Natalie Wolf

From me and everyone at Jacob's Ladder: Thank you!

Brief Update: A Couple of Races

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month! This will be brief, but heregoes:

On February 16th I was supposed to run a low-key local marathon but it was canceled due to weather. As such, I had to go out on my own that day to get in the scheduled 26 miles. It was my longest training run ever and went surprisingly well. I was tired, of course, but felt strong throughout.

The next week I got the nasty cold/flu bug that was going around and was out for a few days. As such, I "only" ran a long run of 20 miles that weekend.

The next week, ending on March 2nd, was another solid week and I managed to do another 26 on my own. This one felt even better than the first one. Slow but steady, I kept it easy.

Last weekend, on March 8th, I ran a super duper muddy 50K+ (it was 55K, or 34 miles according the GPS watches of fellow runners) and my goodness was that an experience! We'd had a big snow storm on Monday of that week and it had almost all melted by race day. We were running through a relentless vat of deep, sticky mud and it was hard to really get going at any point. Our shes felt like bricks! It was a fun but very challenging day. I felt strong, though and was happy with how my fitness held up. I'll definitely have to proceed much faster on the trail at Ice Age if I want to finish the race before the cut off. So here's hoping there are no epic downpours leading up to the race. That said, I will be tapered, rested, and have more adrenaline working for me on that day...so I am feeling OK about my pace.

Yesterday, March 15, I ran the Rock 'n' Roll marathon here in DC. I felt pretty good considering I'd run the trail ultra just a week before. I was sore, though, from my strength class at the gym - all the better for training, I guess - the goal, after all, is to be running on tired legs. I definitely had those. That said, I still felt really good all day. My bladder was a bit finicky and I had to stop a bunch of times to go to the bathroom. And, unlike when you're out on the trail, you can't just squat anywhere you want when you're on the streets of DC! (The National Park Service frowns upon it.) According to my GPS watch, I literally spent about 15 minutes not moving! (i.e., waiting in line). I have never had that happen before and I was thankful it wasn't a goal race. I ran nice and easy. To give you and idea of how different the effort level was, my final time was about 50 minutes slower than my marathon PR. It made for a fun finish, though, where I had TONS of energy left to finish the last mile strong. I had a fun day, but the race course was pretty crappy. No, it was really crappy. The first half was scenic, and probably 80% of the runners were only doing the half. After that it was just dreadful...running, for the most part, through industrial parks and construction sites. I have never really been impressed with the Rock 'n' Roll races - they are overpriced and there are just so many other great, independent events out there. I won't be doing this one again.

Next weekend = no race! Whew. The week after that, on March 30th, I am running another small, local marathon. That will be my last organized event before Ice Ace on May 10th. Only 55 days to go!