May 11th- May 17th

 "Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." - Willie Nelson

Really working on positive thoughts this week as I get packed and ready to leave for South Africa on Monday 5/18.  Easier said than done to shut up that internal negative voice that seems to pop up ever so often.

"You will never feel proud of your work if you find no joy within it; your best work is always joyful work." - Stevie Wonder

Monday:

9 AM:  Was planning on doing an easy 30-60mins this morning but my legs are even more sore than yesterday from Quadrock, 2nd day DOMS is s a bitch.  Decided to take a day off to let them come around some more.  Did do a lot of walking around the building at work to try and help them loosen up some.  

5 PM: Lifting 50 mins.  Vasa lift class with Paula. Light lower body, felt good but still super sore.  Got into the air boots for 30mins when I got home as well.

Tuesday:  

6 PM:  9 miles averaging 6:45 pace.  Warmup/ Dash-n-Dine 5k/ Cooldown all together on my watch tonight. Helps the brain when I have no idea how much farther to go in a 5k so I just combine them all so I can't do the math while racing. I know dumb. Ran the 5k in 18:11, slower than normal but that was on purpose. Ran the first 2 to 2.25 miles at marathon effort (5:40 to 6min pace) then once I hit the concrete on the way back I upped the pace down to 5:20s-5:30s passing about 4 people. I even wore trainers instead of supershoes in order to get out of my brain to race all out. Finished 8th overall and 2nd master. Legs were aching after this, still not all the way recovered from Quadrock but they feel so much better today and I needed to move them like this so they could remember how to turn over again after all that slow vertical from Quadrock.  Yes I am acting like a grumpy old man in the photo below on purpose.  LOL

--  Finished book 14 of the year tonight as well.  I am 6 books ahead of schedule to read 24 this year.  Sure I will knock out 1 or 2 more next week with all the time I will be on a plane.

Wednesday:

10 AM:  9.3 miles w/ 400ft of vert averaging 7:20pace.  Easy cruise from work making a new loop which I liked a lot. Legs still feel the weekend, especially after the 5K last night but they are coming around. Quads are just sore but not sore to the touch anymore and hips are still sore, otherwise all good!

5 PM:  Lifting 50mins-  VASA Lift class with Paula- upper body focus

Thursday:  

9 AM:  9.25 miles averaging 7:15pace.  Easy cruise from work around Sterns and coming back from behind Good Sams Hospital. Did mix in some 4x30sec strides in the second half of the run. Feeling much better today but can still feel the quads, DOMS is still a bitch. Plan on getting them needled this afternoon to loosen them up, along with a few other problem spots to get ready for next week. Running out of time.

Friday:

9:30 AM:  12.7 miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 7:35pace.  Easy cruise from Coalton. First 9 miles with Taylor then rest solo. Hips and quads a little sore from needling last night but otherwise all good. Tried Hyperlite for the first time on this run with 2 scoops in a 500ml bottle. Takes a while for it to dissolve and is super sweet. I think I am going to make 500ml bottle at Cape Town but divide it between 2 350ml bottles diluting it a little bit so it is not quite so sweet. That would give me 100g of carbs plus the gels I take. If I use gels with sodium I think I will get enough so that the cramping I had at Quadrock won't be an issue. Starting to get it figured out, will test this on tomorrow's run.

They posted some new signs heading into Rocky Flats.... 

5 PM: 50mins lifting at VASA lift class with Paula.  Super light on the leg lifts with the marathon in 9 days.

Saturday: 

8 AM:  16.75 miles averaging 7:15pace.  Last so called longer run.  Just a bunch of loops at Davidson Mesa so that I can have an aid station every 3 miles.  Testing the new Hyperlite high carb drink again with 3 gels.  Think that will work good next weekend.  Mostly all easy but did do 10mins at towards the end of the run at marathon pace/effort.  Ready for the full on taper... 

2 PM: Walk 1.25 miles in 20mins with Venus since Paula is down south running a trail half marathon.

-- Another one for the board from JT.  I think 80% of them up there are from him.  LOL

Sunday:  

-NOTE:  Weight check in:  166lbs @ 7.2%... Flat over last week which is perfect.  Last weight check before the marathon.  Just need to watch how much I eat as I will not be running nearly as many miles this week and I won't be lifting at all.

9 AM: 8.2 miles w/ 700ft of vert averaging 7:30pace.  Easy miles from Coalton Trailhead while playing water boy for the main group from Boulder Track Club as they were doing the whole Dirty Bizmark loop.  Did a couple of out and backs to hit all the hills around Coalton.  Super chill for the taper is now in full effect.  Ran in the new proto shoes I am testing for Speedland called the GS:TAM2, first run in them.  Can not share photos yet but if you want to see them come run some trail miles with me.   Leave Monday for Cape Town.. LFG!!!!

-- 10mins on the legs with the Theragun and 25mins in the hot tub after the run as well.  

Booked it down to Golden to have lunch with this dude (Don).  Ready to be done with this marathon and get back to trails which is all we talked about.  He just finished his marathon last month and just started training for High Lonesome 100 this week and once I return I will be going all in trying to get ready for Hardrock in 6 weeks, so we will be running a lot together in the coming weeks to get ready for our races and crewing each other as well.

Total Weekly Numbers

Finally here, leave Monday morning to head to Cape Town which is just over 24 hours of total travel, not looking forward to that part of this trip, this will be my longest trip I have taken so far.  Think I have talked enough about it that I am not going to rehash it all here again but just super thankful for all the support everyone has given me.  From Paula talking me into this, to Don/Tash for talking the RD of Tahoe 200 into deferring my entry, to Rebecca for giving me race credits to defer Tahoe 200, to Taylor/Veronica for jumping into training with me once in a while, gear from Deathmarch and of course to everyone else who supported me going for this goal in this dumb sport of running that I love.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!  Anyways, follow my Instagram and Facebook stories the next week to see where this adventure takes me.  I did upgrade my cell phone to work over there so feel free to drop a text or call.  Chat with you all on the other side!!!