That's "me" at :27. The 50K Poser.
I have really been struggling with feeling of inadequacy these last few months. I don't have the right to claim the moniker of "UltraMom." I know (and know-of) many many people that run way more and way longer than I do. Often juggling it against greater family/work/social commitments than I have. (Take Christie, for example.) I've "only" run two 50Ks. Last year. I have yet to do a 50M or 100K, or the belt-buckle-worthy 100 miler. (And those are just the typical beyond-marathon distances. See below for a few of the better-know events longer than 100 miles.)
Falling and breaking my wrist has turned out to be tougher for me mentally then I thought. I actually didn't lose *that* much conditioning while restricted from running while in a splint for three weeks. I probably could have picked right up in my training plan for doing a 6-hour timed event at the end of March. I could have walked more. Resumed running longer, sooner, more often. But I lost my Mojo. It was still cold. It was still icy. The last thing I wanted to do was go and fall *again* especially under the spectre of a hospital bill the size of a VW Jetta.
In blog-land this is when I'm supposed to be all inspirational-like and tell you how I have/am overcoming these feelings and on track to bounce back for my best year yet! But I can't do that. I'm running two (maybe three) times a week, for weekly mileage of about 10-15 miles. (By comparison, in the months leading up to my two 50K's, I had several 40-50 mile weeks, and several 100+ mile months, with a peak 150-mile month.)
In my defense, I am working more. I'm a contract instructor, and last year I had more free time. Bad for the pocketbook, but great for running 150 miles a month! (And at my pace, that is a significant time investment, let me tell you.) But despite the greater demands on my time, I still have a bad case of Lackadaisical.
I did run a 10K event a couple of weeks ago, and I have a plan to ramp up to a 25K (~16 mile) event in the middle of June. The secret to success is no secret -- I need to return to the practice that got me to 50K twice last year -- "early to bed, early to rise" and "Just Do It".
I can do this.
For Independent Study:
The origins of the Belt Buckle for 100 mile races -- Gordy Ainsleigh and the Western States 100 -- http://youtu.be/629q81fPqYMA few runs ~longer~ than 100 miles:
-- The Spartathlon -- http://www.spartathlon.gr/en.html
-- Badwater Ultramarathon -- http://www.badwater.com/
-- Race Across USA (one of many transcontinental options) -- http://raceacrossusa.org/
-- Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc -- http://www.ultratrailmb.com/
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