Two weeks ago I turned 37 years old. And what I am, what I stand for, is Passion and Love, Grace and Peace; living everyday like its my last, living to to the fullest, and attempting to get the best out of me that I can handle.

Its been 2 months since my last race and training for Ironman Coeur d’Alene has been building steady. I am 5 weeks out from the Trail Trashy 50miler. My goal is to cut over an hour off my 2018 50miler in Sonoita, AZ and break 10 hours at the desert race North of Las Vegas.

Running has been priority following Hansons Marathon Method for Mon-Fri and then a Boulder based training plan on the wekeends that had me run 22 miles last Saturday, South of Tucson in the Santa Ritas. I built 17hr training weeks in prep then averaged 21 during Base 1. Last week was rest and test week and on that Friday planned on setting a 5K PB. We watched The Bachelor the night before and I drank almost a bottle of Chianti. This was the first time drinking on a Thursday this year. I woke up and had waffles, 2 RedBulls, and 2 pieces of toast. I wrote 19:35 on my hand from the AkChin 5K and PB I had won in 2018. I also wrote pace and 6:13, fastest 2021 mile. I put on my Altra racing flats, my Hansons Elite singlet, put the A/C to 60 on full and warmed up for 2.85miles, walking .1 mile and then speeding up to 9.5mph for the first .5mile. I picked it up another. 1m at the half but at 1mile wanted to hold it there so I could absorb it. I increased .1 again at 1.5mile thinking only 9min and change to go. I had to wait till the 2.5m to pick it up again with less than 4min to go. My stomach was in pain from the hard breathing but i pursued. I picked it up with .1 to go amd with .03 had this shot to my head that nearly had me stop while also holding in my bowels. I made it through surpassing my goal and a PB. During the run I thought of those who run so much faster in amazement. I just dont know how they run that fast!

Looking at the Jack Daniels VDOT calculator, I should be able to run a 19:09 based off of the November 3:03 marathon. But, I am not training for a 5K or doing any speedwork now.

Regardless, today was a good day and its nice to push yourself and find your own limits. Hopefully with more work, I will push through them.

Fast forward a week and its Sunday 4:30pm. I am on Zwift for 1hr recovery spinning at 140watts. This weekend was pretty big. Bachelor and Pizza Friday night gave me the carbs for a 4hour bike ride at a strong power of 237watts and 203TSS followed up with a 10mile run later in the day. Some beers and some Scotch to cap the night.

Up at 8am, ate Frosted Flakes with Cows milk, 2 pieces of toast, and a medium RedBull. We drove to Madera Canyon Road to the Rt62 turn off. Fiona started with me on the steady accent. I didnt eat Clif ShotBloks till mile 8. At mile 9.5 I had climbed 2,000′ through the beautiful Box Canyon noticing a clear and dry massive waterfall. Onto the Arizona trail, same route as last weeks 22miler. Now going farther I now found myself on the Old Pueblo 50Miler course where I was just 2 years shy running my first 50miler. I knew what to expect with a technical accent up to 5,800′ and here, climbing 330′ in mile 12 was where I started to feel the altitude. I went farther than 13.1 to get a photo of snow covered Mt Wrightston where my friends were running at the same time. I had memmories back to the Ultra, remembering the pain I was in. I was ignorant and not preparred. Now, I will be much better preparred.

I started the decent averaging 10:25/mile till then and started craving the Coke from Fiona at Mile 17. It was fantastic and told her to meet me 5miles down the road. I decided to push hard to really make the legs suffer and was holding 8min miles on the non-paved road that Fiona was scared to drive on. Another Coke and I had the wings to drop a 7:15/mile on mile 24 thinking that my aerobic engine is pretty damn strong not having to stop except for Coke, realizing that these trail runs are building the strength I need to get me through a 10 hour, 50mile run.

The pool was closed which sucked and is hammering my swim this week but then thought about the athletes in Texas who now have ice skating rings for pools and no zwift.

Today was around my 40th all time marathon run and these days the distance is now just a day out. It is really not a big deal. But the journey from my first ever 20mile run from Hopkinton to Heart Break Hill, Newton Massachusetts in March 2008 in the lead up to my first marathon, Boston gives me a sense of humility and proudness that has kept me committed to endurance sport for more than 13 years and for that, I am thankful.

I recoveres with an almond milk, VEGA Recovery Sport, and PlantFusion protein shake and another coke. After the bike will be another Epson Slat Bath and an hour in yhe Normatecs. Base 2, Week 2. Training continues.