Last week's goals: - swim x 2: FAIL. 1 only
- run x 5: win with 6
- core/strength x 2 (already done): win
- mobility/stretch x 2: win
So whoever said the course was all runnable at Seaton Soaker is either a mountain goat or a jackass. Apart from 2 huge very technical single-track climbs (plus assorted others - 444m of elevation gain for the 25k), there are SIX staircases and a river crossing.
Of course all of that was complicated further by the rain and wind, which kept things chilly and turned the course into a mud pit. There were places on the return leg of the out-and-back (which varies slightly in the last 3 to divert you through the water crossing) that I had to walk simply because I was going to fall on my head if I tried to run them. As it was, I was one of the apparently few who managed to stay upright the whole time - lots of muddy runners and bloody knees spotted on the course and at the finish.
Not hugely happy with my time, but I felt quite weak and tired right from the start - I guess ~75km in my legs from the 7 days prior might have something to do with that, and I think the wet weather may have been a factor, too. A couple of friends of mine DNF'd at 25k (they had signed up for the 50k and are both very strong ultrarunners) because their asthma was playing up in the rain. I noticed myself death whistling a lot more than I would have expected and suspect that I may have a touch of exercise-induced asthma (my dad was full-blown asthmatic), so that may have contributed to my effort level feeling absurdly high for the way I was running.
I am, nonetheless, satisfied with the way I kept pushing right to the finish. There were several times that I really wanted to give myself an excuse to walk a bit, but I buckled down and even managed to pass some people right up until a few hundred yards from the finish...which was a damn tease, because you run up a hill and are facing the finish arch, but then they make you run another lap around the field, first!
This week's goals: swim x 2
run x 3
foam roll x 1 (done)
core/strength x 4
Ran another 13.75km on Sunday but yesterday my left ankle was feeling sore and I only got about 4hrs of sleep Sunday night, so I took an unscheduled rest day: just foam rolled before going to bed early. Feeling better today so I'll get back at it, but there will be no running this weekend. I'm spending it here:
We paddle in Saturday and paddle out Monday. I can't freakin' wait!
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ill advised racing inc.