Grab your weakness by the horns

So base building is going well (except for the occasional foot or minor ITB ache) - I have several weeks under me at 15+ miles and carefully building from there.  I'm incorporating some hill repeats on my Thursday runs (oh wait, that's today - yipee!) mostly because I...am...terrible...at hills.  My mind says "engage!" and my glutes say "Engage what?"  I've been going to some yoga classes to stretch out that ITB and strengthen the tendons in my foot which have been wonderful, but another major weakness is my lack of core and butt strength.  Those cross training components will be added in next (didn't want to jump head first into everything at once).

But to find more motivation on these hill repeats, I just registered for "The Ascent" run.  Remember "The Bear" race I did a bit ago?  Yeah, this looks even more challenging and I am definitely not in near as good of hill run shape.  The race is 3.7 mi with an average grade of 6.1%.... and the subtitle for the race is "The Hardest Hill Climb in the South".  Oh Joy.  Alas it is in 2 1/2 weeks and so I am no serious threat to the competition but I'll be out there and I'll get from Point A to Point B with some walks in between for sure.

Race Bonus:  It's on the ridge across from my mom's so I guess it's kind of in my "hometown backyard" whatever.  Except I never ran when I lived in the mountains.  Definitely regretting that now.  But seeing as it's just down the street and the race is at 11am, I forecast some post race beers and burgers on the deck at Mom's in the mountains with friends :)

Check out the course map below:

Monday Morning Motivation

Thanks for the chuckle and motivation Runners World...

Week in Review: Base Building Week #1

Week 1 is in the books and I'm on my way :)

Here's the Week in Review:

• Monday-  2.21 miles easy
• Tuesday-  rest day
• Wednesday - 5.01 miles of trail running at Pilot Mtn with hills
• Thursday - rest day
• Friday - 20 minutes of raquetball followed by 1.07 miles on treadmill at Y
• Saturday - 3.02 miles moderate
• Sunday - 4.99 miles long run and 1 hour yoga

New this week - Cross Training at the YMCA.  I got a guest pass to check it out and did 20 min of Raquetball with hubby Friday and went back today (Sunday) to do an hour of yoga after my long run.  I forgot how awesome yoga is - getting centered, stretching, meditating.  <3!!  Plus all of the balancing positions really tested the stability muscle in my feet which are weak and why I keep getting tendonitis...

My dad called an offered to get me a 12 month YMCA membership for my birthday this month which I am super excited about.  I'm the kind of person that might not use a gym membership allll that much on my own dime, but will absolutely not waste it when someone else is paying so it is actually more motivating.  I've really enjoyed the few things I have done already and look forward to trying more classes and maybe even some swimming...

That's all for now!

So about that race...

I woke up Monday morning this week and realized that running NRT50K was pushing it if I wanted to do it right and do it healthy.  My base was nearly base-less and the training plan was too aggressive.  So before getting injured again (bonus pt - maybe I am finally learning?) I decided to scrap my plans at a 50K this fall.  Instead, I'll be setting my sights on a "Hometown" course if you will - the Salem Lake Frosty 50K held the first Saturday in January each year.

New race, new plan.  I have 10 weeks of "base building" now before the actual 50K training plan starts.  High mileage weeks fall after most of our Fall travel plans and tapering occurs right over the holidays :)  I've been apprehensive in the past about doing races at Salem lake because that is where a lot of my long run are and to be frank - 7 mile loops get boring.  But the Frosty 50K is a double out-and-back horseshoe course with some trail and some greenway.  I can roll out of bed and be at the race within 10 min rather than lugging myself across state lines and staying in a cheap motel with no sleep the night before.

KT Tape to the rescue!!

Also, to get me where I need to be (athletically) I need to be more than just a runner which means crosstraining!  I've got to work on endurance, cardio, core strength and flexibility.  Coincidentally, my dad offered to get me a YMCA membership for a year for my birthday next week.  Woot!  I've already printed out the class schedule and plan to head over today to check it out and become a card carrying member.  Those 5:15am cycle classes are going to kick my butt, but probably not as much as the sport conditioning classes (I hear they make you do wall sits!!  ahh!!!)

Oliver sporting his new trail pack!

 Hoping everyone had a great July 4th.  Being a Wednesday, we stuck around but did manage to get out the door (after a little foot taping) for a trail run at Pilot Mountain before it got too hot.  I did an enjoyable 5 miles on the Corridor Trail and Chris / Oliver went ahead to get a total of 6 miles in.  Oliver's reward was a dip in the Yadkin River to cool off afterwards.  It was his first open water adventure and after a few nervous minutes, he was running out into the middle of the river and paddling back.  <3 !