Week Ending September 5

Mon - 6 miles (500'). Valley easy.

Tues - 5 miles (1,100'). Reservoir Ridge easy with FCTR crew.
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Jan: 252 (33,700')
Feb: 189 (33,500')
March: 488 (70,000')
April: 482.5 miles (72,700')
May: 439 miles (79,500')
June: 334 miles (49,000')
July: 279.5 miles (64,400')
August: 302.5 (50,100')

2010: 2,766 (452,900')
Avg: 346 (56,612')
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Weds - 6.5 miles easy (1,600'). Falls - Spring Creek - Wathen - Horsetooth.

Thurs - 6.5 miles easy. Pineridge social run with FCTR.

Friday - 13.5 miles easy (1,700'). 2:00. Bluesky Half Marathon route from home. My longest run of the week and it was a bit of a suck-fest. It was hot (of course) and my ribs were again preventing me from getting a full tank of air, which led to choppy running with a constant focus on my breathing and how my body was not getting enough oxygen, which made my legs feel depleted and on it went down the chain. I'm kind of resigned to the fact now that I'll be dealing with this rib issue in some shape or form come Wasatch. I'm also resigned to the fact that I may have to pop a couple of painkillers along the way to keep the pain from continually putting a 3/4 limit on my oxygen intake. This is not ideal, and a practice I typically avoid, but as long as I am judicial with the pill intake (if it comes to that), I should be okay.

Sat - 7.5 miles (1,800') easy. Horsetooth - Summit - Wathen - Spring Creek - Soderberg. Had originally planned a trip up Round Mountain, but failed to get out of bed, so kept things local with a summit of Horsetooth and a drop on a trail I don't run nearly enough. The Wathen descent is easily the smoothest and most curvacious in the whole Horsetooth/Lory trail system, and I quite simply don't give it the love it deserves. Anyway, today was my last trip to the summit of Horsetooth before Wasatch, so, as I did the weekend prior to Western, I took the opportunity to thank my running muse for its unyielding willingness to put me through my paces. Hung out at the top for a little longer than usual taking in the stunning 360s it has to offer with the simmering plains to the east, Longs and Meeker to the west, Laramie plains and Poudre Canyon to the north, and the beautifully hogbacked bluesky valley to the south. The Wathen descent came on legs that weren't nearly as fluid as I would have liked and my ribs were still a source of pain and breathlessness, but it was still a great day to be alive and in tune.

Sun - 5 miles (1,000') easy. H'tooth Falls loop. Ribs promisingly better, but I've been faked out a few times already with this injury, so we'll see over the next couple of days if the improvement is for real.

Total: 50 miles (7,700')

Kind of a blah taper week. Legs didn't feel in the slightest bit fluid at any point on any one of my runs the whole week, probably because I was so preoccupied with my ribs, so hopefully things will turn around a bit through the next few days of rest.

I really have no expectations for Wasatch. I could have a great day just as equally as I could have a nightmare sufferfest - that's the 100 mile distance. I never really know how to prepare for these things with regards to logistics, as it all seems so daunting when you think about it for too long, so I just have to keep reminding myself that it's no more than a one day supported run. A few extra items of clothing should it get cold up high, a light for the night portion, adequate fueling supplies, and then it's off to the races. Simple really.

For me the most important aspect is the race plan, and in my opinion that should also be kept as simple as possible. The plan, as it was for States, is to get to the start line and run according to how my body feels. I got a good day in Squaw, so rolled with it. I'll see what I have to play with in the first few hours from 5am on Friday and then go from there.

I'll certainly be taking (mental) splits with me to have an idea of how I'm running comparative to others who have covered the course before me, but more as a matter of curiosity than for any type of pacing help. As with any race of this length, you have to get yourself to the business end of the course (mile 75 in the case of Wasatch) before there can be any serious mental discussion of time possibilities. Charge too early and you set yourself up for disaster.

More than anything, I'm looking forward to checking out the central Wasatch Mountains - which are of course legendary for their beauty, brutality and ruggedness - and then hopefully being able to engage in bit of head to head racing.