Since my Bruiser meltdown and subsequent epiphany, I haven't run very much. I've only logged a couple short jaunts here and there. Nothing to write home or blog about. But, that's OK with me. I've decided that I'm transitioning from a rest phase into an easy base-building phase. I think some easy running will be good for me. I think in about a month, I'll start ramping up the intensity.
The only thing that's still bugging me is my swearing off of ultra running. And, the part that's bugging me is my ego. In short, you don't see many people driving around with a "3.1" sticker on their car, but you do see lots of "26.2" stickers. The marathon and ultra-worlds have a built in sense of accomplishment. "I ran a 50k last week," just sounds so much cooler than "I PR'ed in a 5k." If a run a marathon people, say "Whoa." They're impressed regardless of my time. If I tell them I PRed in the 5k, they could care. But, for me, right now, the long races aren't clicking. So, I need to get over that.
Looking ahead, I have two ideas. The first is racing more often. I always say, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a 5k. So, instead of just twirling felines, I'm actually going to run. I'm not going to go all out every single time. I'll use some as workouts. Others, I'll race. Either way, I'll be getting out there just for fun. The other idea is that I'm seriously considering snowshoe racing this winter. I just need to purchase some snowshoes. Well, running snowshoes. I don't think my clunky backcountry shoes will work so well. Looking forward to it.
So, not much running, but feeling good looking ahead.
7 comments:
I'll join you for the snowshoeing part...or snowrunning. That sounds like fun. Where might one purchase said gear for that?
Woohoo, looks like we found our Trail Monster Vice President for the development of Snowshoe Races.
Don't forget the XC skiing! I like your plan and admire your logical approach. Logic in running is something a lot of us lack.
I have a pair of these:
http://atlassnowshoe.com/product/run
A lot of people who do the snowshoe races wear Dion (so I've heard)
If you are actually going to race all out and want to be competitive, Dion is the only way to go. They are the minimal size allowed and extremely light weight. I started out in Atlas racers, and as soon as I switched to the Dions I started placing top three each time (as opposed to top ten prior to switching). Snow shoe races in this area are primarily 5K to 8K in distance, virtually a sprint! Light weight minimal snowshoe is the way to go! If you run any of the longer events (i.e. snowshoe marathons) you'll need a second pair of more sturdy racing shoes. Looking forward to seeing you at the snowshoe races!
Mindy - I think you need to go to one of the numerous snowshoe racing specialty stores.
Jeff - Do I get business cards with that?
Jamie - Definitely skiing, just no ski racing. Ski racing sucks.
Ian - I've looked at those...but...
Laurel - I've heard that the Dion are the bomb-diggidty. How did you make your mix n' match decisions between the deck, binding and cleat?
Don't give up on ultrarunning - you can do it pretty much forever, so there's no rush to jump back in. You're still young by ultrarunning standards - plenty of time. There's nothing but heartache in 5Ks, however - those fast twitch fibers are going, and they're not coming back. Just take a break from long races and build up the training base. You did kind of blow off running for 10 years - give yourself another year or so to make up for lost time.
I'm hurt that you'd choose snowshoe racing over ski racing, by the way.
Post a Comment