Sehgahunda Trail Marathon - a wonderful run! Wonderfully organized! All around 10! Thank you volunteers for all the effort you put into an inaugural run...sure to visit you again!
More on this report at the end of this.....
My training weekend....this past week and weekend were about allot of things - but two very important - fueling and heat. How to handle both. So, I ventured off on many solo runs in the woods in temps and humidity...above 80, close to 90 to be an experiment of one - myself.
Sometimes we can learn a system that works for us - which can work for awhile, but then be in need of a change because its not working anymore. Or, we get a little bit slack and loose on important things. My comparison, my kids - I can have a system that works for them and me, and then they change, they grow up, they need different motivations, maybe a closer eye on them, a new system to motivate and keep things rolling forward. Change is good...keeps you sharp, keeps you growing, keeps you outside of your comfort zone.
For me, this change was in need of reevaluating my fueling. What worked in the past is in need of change. My body and miles feel very strong yet my fueling is not sustaining for what I am putting it through. This past week was a major breakthrough....and I am stronger both mentally and physically for it.
One of my long runs this week I weighed myself before and then after. I was out for 5 hours - and lost 6 lbs even though I was regiment about drinking and fueling...I guess it was not enough for the energy I was expending - this made me realize that I need some adjusting.
So I upped things a bit on both electrolytes, fueling and a bit of food. Monitored it how I was feeling, the temperature outside, my heart rate and my sweat. Something I am not good at doing since I generally like to go on full zen.
The next three runs that were long which ended with 20 today and yesterday a total of 40 (including the Sehgahunda Marathon) I lost 1 or nothing. Perfect. not only that, but my body was not weak at all in the runs nor the next day recoveries. It feels like another ahaa moment.
I am always still learning - and these are bits and pieces you can take from others...yet we are all so different in the way we operate that it is hard to compare. Its important to be intuitive to your own chemistry. Never did I think ultra running would go so deep into learning....and I am loving it for it. You have to look at your falls and see what went wrong and correct it...there is always a reason, its solving it which is the challenge.
Now getting back to the Sehgahunda race......I loved it! I loved the rolling ups and downs, the creek crossings, the roots, ....I loved the moments I was alone and the moments I had a few around me to talk. I loved coming out of the woods to the aid stations and feeling like a rock star have the volunteers call out your name and be at your service. Everyone was wonderful. Temps were a bit warm, but I loved that for the training of heat. My obsession of the Finger Lakes Trails continues and I am glad that I was able to experience yet another part of it.
I hope to run into many of those I met yesterday again...always neat to see new faces and learn new stories of other runners!
And looking forward to yet another day out on the trails...this next week will be warm - bring it on! Its all good.....
Excellent, Jill! I heard it was a great race and I was so jealous of all of you who got to have fun while I was working. Keep obsessing about the Finger Lakes Fifties . . . you know you want to do it! I want to see you tear up the course - you'll love it! Keep up the strong work. Cowgirl up! Chris
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