A beautiful Sunday. Second long run of the weekend, kept it easy after yesterday's interval long run. Stunning skies for the pup walk. Yoga practice 1000/1000 this evening. A moment of celebration for a goal reached - a thousand yoga practices.
After a cloudy, chilly run, the skies opened up during the pup walk around the pond.
Registered! The leaves are turning, the weather is getting colder, the time has come to register for a race to keep me warm through the winter! 80km/50miles coming up in May! Woot!
Beautiful run yesterday! All the runs are swishy now - swish, swish, swish through the fallen leaves!
Tallied up my running totals for the year so far. Will surpass 2022 on tomorrow's run. Aiming for the next nice round number by the end of the year. A little personal "most kilometres ever in a year" challenge to provide a little bit of interest in the off season! Starting to consider races for 2024 so this feels like good preparation. Beautiful fall running! Perfect weather for getting outside! #UltraTrail#GetOutside#Run#TrailRunning#AutumnRunning#Running
What a difference a week makes!
The shorts and tanks have been stowed away, the long tights, hoodies, and gloves have come out! Fall running at its best! Damp, cold, grey skies with spectacular leaves and the freshest air! Beautiful rainy runs this weekend!
Pup's first camping trip! She did so well with the long drive and the whole camping experience. Really good for the whole crew to #GetOutside and the first time I have gone with camping for a race trip.
On Saturday, I had a trail race. I pulled out 20km early due to GI issues at just over 57km. Beautiful run though, great scenery, and 1488m elevation. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. I was pleased with how I handled the GI issues as after I accepted I was done, I still had to keep going for another 20km to get to the next aid station so I could DNF. Despite the rough go, I still got to enjoy the insights you get from running far.
This week running, I have seen two snakes, one beaver (who scared the stuffing out of me sounding an alarm with its tail! Twice! ), so many birds (FIVE egrets in 200m today) and so many bugs! I enjoy finding ladybugs much more than eating gnats!
Double long runs done! I'm enjoying taper! I found this training block hard mentally (have I run enough, can I run that far, is this enough elevation) but I have gone over my kilometres and altitude for the last 18 months and the last two races and I am just starting to get out of my own way. I love the physicality of running, I love the meditative state of running, but I also benefit a lot from the working on your own internal discourses that you have to do to run far.
I can feel the change in the weather. Mornings smell like autumn cross-country season. Fitting as I taper for an autumn race. I am finding it interesting to stay in my HR zones as the temperatures drop. But I am enjoying the scenery. The leaves of one of my favourite maples have started to turn pink and there's still plenty of flowers blooming. #SeenOnMyRun#TrailRunning#UltraTrail#Run#Flowers#BloomScrolling#GetOutside
Well, hello taper!
I spent a lot of time on the #StruggleBus this weekend. So much negotiating ("another 500m of elevation and you can message the crew" or "see how you feel in three kilometres"). Saturday was my altitude day, 75 laps of the sledding hill. So glad I am done with the sledding hill for the season!! Sunday more distance, laps of the research farm. These grapes were ripening on the fence encircling the farm. 70% of race day kilometres and climbing over the weekend. The legs are good to go! While I am grateful for the mental and emotional preparation that laps provide, I'm looking forward to racing across actual mountains and not doing laps like a hamster on a wheel! #UltraRunning#UltraTrail#GetOutside#TaperTime#SeenOnMyRun#Run#Running#SummerRunning#WildGrapes