Inspiration and Ultras

Winter is still with us.  Today dawned sunny, but that sunshine masked cold temps and blustery winds.  Tomorrow promises worse as more snow is on the way. I figured that we'd get January sometime.  It just happened to be in February.  Alas.

Anyway, I braved the cold and wind and managed to complete my first speed session of the season.  Considering the conditions, it went better than expected.  Anyway, I keep reminding myself that foul winds blow on race day too.  Conditions for both of my 2011 marathons were nasty: a cold rain and wind.  Of course, both were in the Pacific Northwest.  Go figure.

Following Jeff Galloway's advice (Marathon: You Can Do It!), I planned to run my 4 x 1 mile repeats at a 9:30 pace.  As it turned out, I was closer to a 9:00 pace.  But, I felt comfortable throughout, so I'm guessing that it wasn't too fast. 

The focus of the upcoming week is a long run: 22/23 miles.  I'm been checking the seven-day weather forecast and trying to pick out the best day for it.  Right now, that looks like Saturday.  So, I'll adjust the week's schedule with that in mind. Instead of cross training tomorrow, I'll do a slow-and-easy recovery/maintenance run of one hour. 

I ate alone Friday night--leftovers!--and was thinking about my running/racing schedule following the May 6 Colorado Marathon.  I've begun to narrow down my choices and am leaning toward either the Pikes Peak Ascent in August or the Madison, Wisc. North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile in September.  Since I was spending the evening alone--the wife was out with colleagues--I watched two running videos: the race video from the 2011 Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon and "Unbreakable," a documentary about the 2010 Western States 100.  My wife also is a runner, and watched these with me the first time.  But, I know better than to suggest a reprise to her.  So, her absence worked for both of us.  For earlier comments about "Unbreakable," see here: http://runningthrutwenty12.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-for-hill-of-it.html

Both videos are great advertisements for their races, but "Unbreakable" is especially inspirational.  I don't watch many things twice, but I've now seen it twice and expect I'll see it several more times.  When you watch something  a second, third, etc. time, you notice new things each time.  The first time I watched "Unbreakable," I was drawn to the drama of the race among the top contenders--Anton Krepicka, Geoff Roes, Hal Koerner, and Kilian Jornet--the back stories of the four runners, and the remarkable scenery.   This latest time, I was struck by the gonzo sound track. 

Another takeaway from a second viewing is a deeper appreciation for the four main contenders.  On the first viewing, I marveled at their self-discipline, competitive spirit, and heart (as in courage).  I saw those traits the second time too, but I also saw in many ways the antithesis of the modern professional athlete.  These guys were unfailingly polite, soft-spoken, and selfless.  If ultra racing has any prima donnas, they were not present at the 2010 Western States 100. 

Back to my soap box:  Let's start a groundswell for adding a 100K trail race for the 2016 Olympic Games.  After all, they're adding golf.