Let the Trial by Fire Begin

It's been a while since I have last posted, or frequented the blogosphere for that matter. I had pretty much limited myself to only blogging about my races, and sometimes about my running in between, because it was taking more time than I wanted to spend on it. Add that to the bad weather, smoke and pulled muscle in July, then I have most certainly not been active. In fact, I have only ran a combined 48 miles for last month and this month (30 last, 18 this).

It is amazing how long it takes to get yourself in to shape to be able to run a marathon and half marathon, to improve your pace and run comfortably. What is even more amazing is how quick you lose the endurance and fitness. For me, even though I have run intermittently, I feel as though I have returned to my pre 2007 fitness and am running an uphill battle again.

So I have had to not run the Headlands 50k coming up this weekend, even though I know I could finish it. It just wouldn't be fun at all, and would probably be painful. So I am running a crash course training. I ran earlier this week in the the trails around Lexington Dam for 8 miles. It has been a while since I have ran hills, and it showed. It took me 1hr31m to finish, something that had previously taken around 1hr20m. So on paper it looks slower, but not too bad, but in reality it felt a lot worse. Very out of shape. But it felt great none the less.

So instead of the trail 50k this weekend, I have opted for a flat half marathon in Mountain View. I've ran this before and it took me 1hr50m, my previous best for a stand alone half (with only the first half of the Napa Valley Marathon coming in faster). I am certainly not expecting to set a PR, which would also be a Course Record (CR). What I am intending on doing is giving my legs a crash test and shock them into condition. Why? Because I've got the Stevens Creek 50k coming up on September 7th, one that I most certainly will run since this 50k was my very first 50k I ever ran last year. I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not return to the scene where my virgin trail ultramarathon legs were broken in.

Hopefully this time I will not get lost for an hour and find myself wandering around steep hills wondering where I went wrong.

I love trials by fire. I did this with my first marathon in 2006, and with my first 50k in 2007, as well as my first triathlon in 2007 (with a mountain bike). Should be fun.