I realized I haven’t posted any training logs since early April; looks like the last one was right before the Grizzly Peak Marathon. Well, I’ll post all my monthly logs since:

April: 141.51 miles with 13 days of rest (ran 1 race, trail marathon)

May: 180.46 with 12 days of rest (ran 1 race, trail half-marathon)

June: 174.76 with 11 days of rest (ran 2 races, trail 50k and a 9-mile XC race)

July: 140.15 with 11 days of rest and 4 days injured

August: 170.51 with 13 days of rest (ran 1 race, trail 50k; also: 20 of those miles were hiking miles in the Sierras)

September: 198.28 with 8 rest days and 4 days sick (ran 1 race, a trail 55k)

Year-to-date mileage: 1590.11

I wanted to get more miles in the last 2 months but some morning runs definitely were cut short or totally cut out, I figured that sleep and recovery were of the utmost importance, especially around days where I knew I’d either be going hard or really long. I didn’t skimp on any long runs or speed work but I did miss a 12-miler that was supposed to come after a 25-miler, I’ve heard the importance of those b2b long runs will definitely help my legs late in the race.

I’m now 13 days out from running my first 50-miler, and I’m both super excited and super nervous. I’ve got an awesome pacer (my friend Carl, my favorite training partner who happens to be a 2:55 marathoner) so the last 13 miles I’ll have a huge emotional boost. Add the fact that my girlfriend and a couple other friends are going to crew for me and I’m going to be a happy camper… er, runner.

I think my main goals are to:

1) have fun.

2) control my pace early in the race- I have to have to have to come out and keep it slow, I know what I do when armed with a ton of adrenaline which has caused me some misery at later stages in races, but I have to slow it down early on; I’m thinking I run the first 2 hours at 12 min/mile pace and then start to crank it up.

3) don’t worry too much about times and splits and all that; obviously I’d like to do 11 hours (to qualify for the 2013 Western States 100) and I have a rough goal of under 10 hours- if I start tripping out about all this shit then I have to refer myself back to goal #1.

4) EAT EAT EAT. Ultras are also eating contests. I have to eat early and often. 300 calories an hour is the goal. Also, salt salt salt. Can’t stress the importance of salt and electrolytes, but mostly a ton of sodium. I get that “white film on the cheeks” thing because my sweat is mad salty, and that makes me look like a crackhead.

5) DRINK DRINK DRINK. Gotta have 2 water bottles this time, one with straight h2o and another with ice water. I’m going to REI later this week to get another bottle, I think I’ll get the one that’s like a belt and the bottle slips in and out of the back thing.

Anyway, that’s about it for now. I’ve been listening to a bunch or podcasts over at ultrarunnerpodcast.com. Listen to those on your long runs, a lot of great tips and tricks and funny shit.

Also, here’s the website of the race I’m doing: firetrails50.com.