Two miles of walking — all the while, hamstrings tender and calves begging to cramp — brought an unceremonious conclusion to Saturday’s final long run in preparation for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Run.
There was suffering — plenty of it — for the first 14 miles, too. The humidity was thick, and temperatures tipped 101 degrees. That was the idea of a mid-day training run, however. It was about preparation for the final half of the race when the sun likely will be beating down on a course that offers no shelter from the elements.
It’s important to be prepared for everything, and I’m pretty sure I’ve covered all of the bases during the past few months. Only time will tell. I hope I’ve done enough to prepare. I believe I have, but we’ll know the answer definitively two weeks from today.
Hard training officially ended at about 3 p.m. Saturday when I walked out of the woods at Shawnee Mission Park, 16 miles and 3 hours and 20 minutes after I started.
Tapering officially is under way. There will be no double-digit mileage days for the next two weeks; only easy runs to keep the legs fresh and moving until race day July 15.
Two or three easy runs and some strength training will be part of the routine this week, as will packing my bags for Saturday’s departure for Colorado. Then the final week will consist mostly of a few hikes in the mountains while my lungs get ready for the limited oxygen. (A quick side note: the High Park fire near Fort Collins was officially 100 percent contained yesterday!)
Race day is approaching. The hard work is done. It’s almost time to go!
WEEKLY TOTAL:
28 miles running
YEARLY TOTAL:
677.32 miles running
Chris Wristen 