back to running

A couple days ago, I was finally able to get rid of that deep rooted tired feeling that seemed to hang on forever after I got over the worst of the flu (it was so depressing to be so fatigued)! First thing I needed to do after that was to see if I could run -- a short jog on local trails showed I could but it left me very sore! What I've noticed more than anything else over the last 4 or 5 years is that when I take 2 weeks or more off from running, I lose muscle tone very quickly & the muscles get sore easily like they haven't been used in months! So although the muscle soreness was disappointing, it was expected. But, I was so happy that the fatigue feeling was not present while I was running. And, being overjoyed to be out in the forest, my mood quickly went positive!

So with running back in the picture, my thoughts returned to my once very ambitious Fall running schedule. With Stone Steps coming up in a week, I'm thinking it's much too soon to attempt a 50k right off, but then again, I really hate to miss one of my favorite events -- plus it's the 2nd closest trail ultra to Louisville at less than a 2 hour drive. With this in mind, I decided to go ahead & sign up for Stone Steps & proceed with training as much as possible, as long as the body cooperated . . .

And that means NO taper this week & entering a race this morning, the Outrunning Autism Family 5K Walk/Run. When I arrived at sign up in downtown Louisville, the only bibs they had left were the "WALKER" ones -- how fitting I thought! Surprisingly, I never had the urge to walk even though it sure was a struggle to keep up any kind of "running" pace. The city streets reminded me how much I do not like pavement -- among other things, it's so tough on the joints!

I've went ahead & turned in applications for all the races that I had originally planned on this Fall before getting sick. One thing though, while being in the funk with the flu, I missed out on signing up for the Mountain Mist 50k -- which WAS going to be my first race of 2010. The organizers had moved the application date back from November 1 last year to October 1 and the race quickly filled up (350 applicants) by October 12!! After I got lost in that race last time, I was planning on redeeming myself. I also thought it was the best & also just about the only ultra race within reasonable driving distance in all of January.


Next: A few years ago, I had a goal of breaking 6 hours at Stone Steps -- this year I'd be happy to: 1. finish the race; 2. break 7 hours. If I can reach that time goal, I plan on going ahead with the Pinhoti 100 in Alabama in November even though I won't/can't be in the shape I had hoped to be in before getting sick.