Ojai Training–Taper Time! (and a VLOG) ((what??))

In all of my post-LR endorphin high glory, here’s 3 minutes of rambling about the Oiselle Totally Trials contest, my serious fangirl crush on Amy Hastings, and y’all running/racing this weekend.

Yeah.

 

Ok lets talk training since promising not to jump on Amy was more important than saying more than three words about my running this week…

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Sunday  –  rest, heavenly rest

Monday  –  Easy 4 at lunch (yay ShowerPill)

Tuesday  –  TRACK PARTY REUNION!!! 6 Yassos for a total of 6.5 mi on the day

Wednesday  –  90 min easy Hatha at a real-life fancy yoga studio

Thursday  –  5.5 at lunch again (and another pill shower) – a hodgepodge of hills, speed, tempo… so not really a real run of anything at all

Friday  –  30 min of serious stretching and sticking

Saturday  –  15 mi LR with final 3 at or below MGP

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After last week’s disaster of an 18 miler I was getting pretty nervous about attempting another marathon so close to Eugene.  I know this quick turnaround approach is not ideal, but today’s run at least gave me some hope that I can show up June 3rd well enough to nail down that elusive BQ.

A few things I did differently this week :

• Fuel Adjustment – I have a dime-sized bladder.  Hydrating during runs is always a tedious balance of dehydration and peeing my pants.  Instead of downing two bottles with one nuun each, I drank one (22 oz) with TWO tabs.  Double electrolytes, half the chance of peeing mid-run in the bushes.      *this is something I’m going to keep working on, since skimping on fluid intake is not really a super smart idea
• Expectations Adjustment – Instead of beating myself up (“omg 8:45 feels hard? you have to run 8:10 on race day! how are you going to survive? you can’t pick up these last few to MGP? you’re doomed” )  I gave myself a free pass on pace this run.  I know the most important part now is showing up race day with fresh legs.  I proved to myself in Eug I am capable of running [almost] BQ pace on tired legs.  They’ll do it in Ojai if I let them rest now.       *funny how that all translated into a MUCH faster overall pace with the last 3 at sub-MGP this AM.  point taken, brain…
• Attitude Adjustment – I proclaimed a “run-devotional” to Facebook this AM :

I try to apply this to all of my runs (and life in gen), but this week it was really brought to my attention.  People dealing with injuries, bowing out of goal races, and struggling with real life problems (yes I’m talking about your bowels, Ali) who would KILL for the opportunity to run…

My friend Dan trained for the Cleveland Half (his first) all winter.  I like to think it was our side-by-side treadmill racing when I was home at Thanksgiving that tipped him into registering, but that is unconfirmed and not really important to the story.

So he’d been ALL JACKED UP and super pumped about the race.  He felt great and even said “now I get it – why you’re so into this shit – it’s legit addicting”.  And then he signed up for another race in June.

Mwuahaha convert.

And then Monday, I got this :

That’s a broken, casted ankle on race week.

So heartbroken.

Anyway, I tried to remember all of these run-lives being unwillingly put on hold while I was out on the trail today.  When it got hard I thought about how much harder it’d be to NOT be able to run right now.

And that was the kick in the ass I needed.  And that ass-kicking turned into a 7:40 final mile so, I guess thanks, all you poor un-running souls.  I appreciate your misfortunes fueling my runs.

? I have no excuse for how rude that sounds.

**  Yay or nay to the vlogging? As a disclaimer I can’t get any less awkward on camera and those shining #LRlove endorphins don’t come around that often

Sarah OUaL

p.s. Go tell Emily to kick 50 kilometers worth of trails tomorrow at her first Ultra. And that she’s crazy(awesome).