Day 85 - Monday!! Day off! Trying to recover from this weekend. I am not sure what the problem is with my knee. I'm not liking the uncertainty at all.
Day 86 - 5am - Track workout! I'm going to go slow.....yeah sure, I say that every time I run and some how I screw it up. I get there ahead of Dennis and put in 2 miles before he gets there. I'm running about a 10:30 pace checking my knee as I go. There is no pain at this point. Dennis shows up and I tell him about my knee and where it hurts. He immediately says, "oh it's your I.T. Band". Really? That's all it is? I tell him more about the pain and how it is on and off. He says, "yeah it's your I.T. Band". I call Holly Wick, co-owner of Athletic Soles in Petaluma. She says, "yes, it's your I.T."., "I want you to use the roller and roll on it twice a day until it makes you cry". Then she says, "there is a friend of mine here who just completed an ultra and is a nurse. Let me ask her about this". " Yep, just use the roller and don't over due it on your runs". Then Holly let's me talk to Jenny, the nurse/first time ultra finisher. In 5 minutes I had so much information about the process and strategy of running an ultra that I started feeling better about this week and the next three weeks leading up to the race. What started out as an unsettled week has started to turn. I'm not out of the woods yet but it looks a lot better.
Day 87 - Wednesday - P90X day. Just upper body work. Push ups, pull ups and ab ripper. Oh no it's St Paddy's day! Change the workout to corn beef and cabbage.
Day 88 - 5am -Track time! I put in 9 miles on Tuesday and felt good afterwards. So I think I'll put in 9 today. The run goes just as planned. No pain in the knee. I run a slow pace. Dennis and I get caught up in some good conversation that last for the three miles we are together. People asks, "what do you guys talk about?" I tell them you have to come out and run if you want to find out. So far no takers. This is probably a good thing as some of the topics are a little dicey.
Day 89 - Friday - Day off heading into the last long weekend. This weekend is a scheduled 4 hour run on Saturday and a 5 hour run on Sunday. Last weekend I had the same schedule. I changed the 4 hour run on Saturday to a 5 hour run. On Sunday I couldn't even run for 5 minutes. So not sure what to expect for this weekend. I have been rolling my I.T. Band hoping that will correct what's wrong. My goals for this weekend are 4 hour run on Saturday and I hope to be able to run at least 2 hours on Sunday. I will run 5 miles per hour and see how that goes. 5 miles per hour will be my target for race day.
Day 90 - 7am - Dennis and I take off for a 15 mile loop that will take us over "the hill" twice and then back home. I will run another 5 miles after that to complete my 4 hour run. The run starts good and we make it up and over the hill and start back up again. We are keeping a slow steady pace running a 11:30 per mile pace. We do a little walking up the hill on the second round. We make it up over the hill and head for home. My knee still feels alright. No pain! We actually are way ahead of schedule and I put in a 5 minute walk. It's odd to walk this long. I've never done it before and it takes getting used to. It felt good, muscles start to relax and loosen up. I finish the 15 miles 2 hours and 50 minutes. I get some food and something to drink and head out for another 5 miles. I run walk the entire way to help keep me under control and not get out control by going to fast. The good news no knee pain! I could feel something a little different in my right knee that isn't in my left knee but it wasn't pain. Today was a very successful run.
Day 91 - 9am - I head out to the town of Olema to run trails. I figure if I can run, this is a beautiful place to run and it will be all dirt. If I can't run I will hike for the 5 hours. There is this one particular trail that starts at the visitors center and heads out to Arch Rock. This is a rock that sits a 100 feet above the ocean that has outstanding views and wildlife. Out and back from the parking lot is a 9 mile run. It's up hill halfway out and then a nice easy downhill to the rock. The run starts out good, no problems and I actually feel loose and ready to run. I make it out to the rock and stop to take in the scenery. It's beautiful and the temperature is mild to warm. I start back and make the first of three trips out and back. I'm running on schedule and I stop at my car to get food and water. A short break and then back out for another trip. My knee feels good as I head out. I am actually very happy that I've made it this far considering last week I couldn't run around my car. The second trip goes just as good as the first. I have passed some people 4 times now and they have this funny look on their faces as I keep going by. I finish the second trip and feel good. My knee acts up a little but in some cases it goes away on its own and others I have to stop and walk. My motto for the second trip and the rest of the run was "run when I could walk when I have to". I need to run another hour and twenty minutes to complete the 5 hour run. I have run 18 miles so far and really want to make it to 25 miles for the day. I head out for another trip towards the rock but I will turn around just a little short of the rock and head back. I can't believe I've been able to run this far and for this long and I don't feel beat up. The soft trail I'm sure had something to do with it. I complete the 5 hour run. 25 miles in 5 hours after running 20 miles the day before and I can still walk. As I was walking back to my car afterwards these two ladies who had been out walking the same trail and had spent some time out at Arch Rock were getting ready to leave stopped the car to ask me "how many times did you go out there?" I told them and the one lady says, "damn".
Week Thirteen Totals - 63 miles!!!!! I can't be happier about this week. I really didn't expect to get anywhere near this mileage after the previous week and still working through an injury. I now start three weeks of tapering. I'll run approximately 38 to 40 miles this upcoming week and even less the week after. I can't believe it is just three weeks away from race day.
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