You can do anything for 14 hours...

My first week of Ultra Training - Take Two is almost complete. I ran three miles on Monday, three on Tuesday, and I was scheduled for three on Thursday and seven on Saturday. Since I had Thursday off and a busy schedule this weekend, I figured I would swap my Saturday run with Thursday's. I pondered where to run that wasn't on the road and the suggestion came to go to Barr Lake State Park, about ten minutes away from the house. We looked at a brochure we had at home and saw that there is a trail that goes around the lake for close to nine miles of distance. I figured, eh, I'll just do the nine!

I haven't gone that far since Mother's Day.

On Thursday morning I found myself digging up the camelbak and slowly getting myself together to head to the lake. I don't think I woke up until 8-something. Amateur. How many times in the past have I yelled at myself for not waking up at the crack of dawn in the summer to beat the heat?! Will I ever learn....

By the time I got to the lake it was 9:30 and already close to 90 degrees and H-O-T-T. It felt so hot that I spelled it with an extra T. Yeah.



I bought these Under Armour pants the other day at Dick's and thought I would give them a shot on the long run. Mine are neon yellow and awesome. Under Armour says they are compression fit and heat gear, designed to keep you cool. Well, all that is fine and dandy until the hot sun is beating down on your butt. Literally. I could feel the heat of the sun on my butt. Otherwise, I think the pants got the job done. I was comfortable and I love anything compression related for running. I might have to go get me another pair.

I was uncomfortably sore yesterday when I set out for the nine miles from the two runs and one crossfit workout of the week. I think my body is punishing me for leaving Cancun.

I decided that I would take the first two miles extra slow since they were two more than I planned on doing anyway. In hindsight, maybe I should have given myself the last two as freebies. Either way, I ended up moving at a snail's pace the entire nine miles. My body never fully loosened and I thought I was going to die from the heat and thirst, rationing out sips from my camelbak. I also experimented with baby food as a means for calories instead of the gels. It was disgusting. I'm pretty sure I made the same face as I make when I eat a gel though...so I call it even.

Does anyone else have the problem that I have? I took in the baby food about an hour in and I wasn't THAT hungry, but after I ate it all I could think about was food. I partially think it's my coping mechanism for long runs, start thinking about all the food I can have when I'm done...

And considering how many trees are at Barr Lake and the fact that I rarely found any shade....ugh. I just kept hearing my crossfit coaches telling me "You can do anything for fourteen hours" anytime I started to ponder the feat of 50 miles and all the training leading up to it....(my gym people and probably other crossfit people will understand. Any time we have a workout that folks complain about, they say 'you can do anything for twelve minutes..etc. Did I just say folks?!).

The trail was mostly okay. It's made up of dirt and rocks and some sections are a little too rocky for my liking. And chunks of the run smelled foul because of the low water. The cool thing is that I think I saw two golden eagles flying.



Can you see the bunny?


Cactus?!
Thought about hopping on him.
The trail was RIGHT NEXT to the train. Scary.

So after I finally got home, feeling disgusting with salt in my hair and dirt on my legs, I took a cold epsom salt bath and then a hot shower and pulled on some sweats. Either the compression, the epsom salt, the cold water, the nine miles loosening the junk, the chia fresca I drank, or a combination of above left me feeling not so bad today. Minimal soreness so far, which is awesome since I have three miles tomorrow morning (before the heat sets in) with my lady friend.

Happy belated 4th of July and enjoy your weekend!!!

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