If I am going to be honest with you my journey started before the announcement on January 16, 2019. It actually began on November 5, 2018. Well, the training started then anyway. The spark of realization that I was actually contemplating this journey began several months before. Probably before I even realized there was a spark, maybe it was more like a glimmer.
So let me catch you up and fill in the blanks between November and January. I have my “A” race, my long term goal set which will not be revealed until later this year. Remember this is a journey so we will take this one step at a time. If each step is successful the next step will then be revealed and the training continued.
My first step or first race on this journey is the Pemberton Trail 50k near Fountain Hills, AZ in the McDowell Mountain Regional Park on February 9, 2019. http://www.bquickrunning.com/pemberton-50k/
As you may be aware from some of my previous posts I do NOT like winter! I do NOT like snow! I do NOT like the cold! So picking a race that will force me to train thru all of that makes total sense right? Right!
I was on a mission to find the right gear to make training thru the winter less painful. I already owned a few SmartWool tops that have worked really well for me. I did need additional top layers and found a fleece lined jacket and a fleece lined vest both by Fila at Kohl’s which I have been extremely happy with.
I really needed options to keep the booty warm which is always a big problem for me as I carry some extra padding there (better known as fat) which tends to hold the cold and make my running miserable. I purchased two pairs of tights. The Sugoi Midzero tight which has a drawstring at the waist and is lined with a light fleece and cost around $90. I then found a pair of tights at TJ Maxx for under $20 the 90 Degree by Reflex. No drawstring on these so I was worried about slippage which does happen a bit until I sweat enough then they stay put. I knew that one layer would not be enough so I made another pricey purchase of a SmartWool insulated skirt to go over the tights. The addition of the skirt made a huge difference in booty warmth and was really worth the $100!
As for the rest of my gear, I have a pair of Mizuno gloves that I absolutely adore. I have had these for several years now and would be lost without them. When your hands start sweating the fibers in the gloves get activated and actually warm up resulting in toasty hands!
I had always used a running cap or baseball type hat and covered my ears with a buff but when I changed that up and added an actual winter running hat I could not believe what a difference that made in my overall warmth. Add in the SmartWool socks and my winter running gear is complete.
Now on to my training plan. I am relying mostly on the plans and advice from two books:
Running Your First Ultra by Krissy Moehl
Relentless Forward Progress by Bryon Powell
The basic guidelines from both of these books are solid and I have found myself combining and tweaking them to fit into my life, abilities and the way my body is adapting to the stress of running the required weekly mileage. I highly recommend both of these books if you are looking to move in to ultra running as they both offer great insight and advice along with training plans.
Training had been going really well. I was staying pretty true to what I had planned for my weekly runs and I was feeling pretty good physically. I was maneuvering through flooded trails and sweating thru my layers.
Then BAM two weeks ago the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis took up residence in my right foot. I battled this 8 years ago on my left foot but it was not this bad.
So here I am two weeks out from the first leg of this journey and I am already being challenged to play it smart. If you recall, that was one of the questions I posed in my initial post The Journey. “Would I be smart enough to know when to stop?” Although I am not throwing in the towel at this early phase of training I am playing it safe and if this first race needs to be sacrificed in order to reach my long term goal so be it. This event does offer a 25K option and I will take it if I need to. I have come to terms with this decision already. Let’s face it, I will be in Arizona after all and it will not be hard to appreciate that!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post, I appreciate it.
Check back in for the race review and as always please share, follow and subscribe!
Click here to see my game plan for my PF recovery. http://katsbadassadventures.com/2019/01/29/plantar-fasciitis/