Getting ready for the Kismet Cliff Beast of the East mountain race in 2 weeks (registered), and hopefully squeaking in the Pisgah 23K next Sunday too. It was an awesome summer of fun and running went rather well. GPS mileage hasn't looked great, but I've been spending an inordinate amount of time deep in the woods running up and down obscure hills. The time on feet is there. The elevation is there. The couple of times I've tried, I've still got decent road speed. I'm looking forward to testing fitness in races!
Week of 9/4/17 to 9/10/17:
GPS miles: 62.6
Let's call it: 67
Time on feet: 9 hrs 32 min
Elevation (non-barometer watch): 6,562'
Synopsis: Really great work week and then petered out on the weekend. I'm fine with it. It's good to listen to my body and train accordingly. After some research, I purchased a new trail shoe for technical stuff/mountain runs: La Sportiva Bushidos. I've used them 3 times and like them. They are a bit heavier than what I typically wear (10.5oz), but that hasn't been an issue. I find I have more confidence descending on tricky footing which is exactly what I need to improve in this area. I will continue to run in them before my upcoming races: Pisgah 23K and Kismet Cliff Beast of the East.
Yes! Pisgah looks like a go for Sunday. We are going to a party at the Puddin's on Saturday night, so I'll need to behave and also drive up super early on race day. I've done this before and it's a pleasant drive. It will be great to continue my tradition of doing the Pisgah races (10 in a row?) and hang with my brothers and other local runners I've befriended over the years. It's a bit intimidating to think about the 23K. Running all out for 15ish miles of hilly trails is exhausting. I'm not sure what to expect timewise, but I will do my best.
Week of 9/11/17 to 9/17/17:
Through 4 days:
GPS miles: 31.9
Let's call it: 36
Time on feet: 5 hrs 4 min
Elevation (non-barometer watch): 4,104'
Looking for a couple of more days on rocky hilly terrain and then shutting it down to taper mode.
9/14/17: I've had a little too much fun running technical trails and hills through Thursday. Oops! At least I'm getting used to the new shoes. I will take it easy Friday and Saturday (this will be my mantra).
