After Pikes Peak marathon - it's time to run forward

“Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you” - Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

My goal race of the year is in the books.   I didn't run as fast as I wanted to, but I won an age group award and that was one of my goals.  It's too soon for certain - but as of now - I don't think I will do it next year.  Of course, I may change my mind.

Instead I may focus on a Boston Marathon Qualifying time - which for my age group is 3:25:00.  I ran a 3:25:34 PR a little over 2 years ago - which gives me hope of the potential of a BQ.   But that is next year, between now and then I have a couple of other events shaping up.

I signed up to pace the 4 hour group at the local American Discovery Trail Marathon on Labor Day.  I have not run as a pacer before, but I am actually looking forward to it and feel quite confident of running a steady 9:08 - 9:10 pace for 26.2 miles on a course I have run before and run on parts of it very frequently.

That run will be a training run however, as I am looking further ahead to a race in late September that will take me longer than I have ever run before.  50 kilometers.  It is after all only 5 miles longer than a marathon, should be easy to do that.  I am kidding of course.  I expect 31+ miles on a hilly (Over 5000' gain) mountain trail to be just as tough as the PPM, possibly tougher.

I have recovered well from this past Sunday.  My quads were fine by Tuesday and really didn't hurt much at all on Monday.  Any residual soreness I have had has been my right calf - still occasionally spasms, a little wierd.  I went for a 3 mile hike up Mt Herman late on Tuesday, taking my time and enjoying a new (to me trail) that gained almost 1700' in less than 1 1/2 miles.

My first run since PPM was this morning, 3 1/2 miles at 9 min pace - which felt very comfortable - on the Santa Fe Trail.  So I am looking forward to easing back into running, building on my current fitness and trying my hand at my first "ultra" distance in about 5 weeks.

Oh yeah, then a week or so after that I have my gall bladder surgery scheduled.  That should be fun too.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!