Race Week!

After two tough training weeks, not only I am excited to race, but I am excited to have a down week! I have never been a high mileage runner and usually peak at around 50-55 during marathon training. The last two weeks I hit a 60 mile week and a 68 mile week. I added double days and some longer repeats (i.e. 3x2 mile and 3 mile tempo with 3x1000 after) along with a tough 18 miler out on the trails. I am excited to be increasing my mileage and building my strength. Although my legs have been feeling beat up, my workouts have been great and my confidence has been too.

After the first week I was feeling pretty beat up and decided to bite the bullet and get a deep tissue massage. Chris has been trying to convince me to get one for months now, so I had him set up an appointment for me with Todd Neider. Having never had a deep tissue massage, I was a little terrified of the pain I was about to go through. He started with my quads and the pain only got worse from there. As I suffered through his knuckles, elbow, thumbs and forearm I couldn't help but think how nuts we runners are! :) After the massage he told me that my left hamstrings were extremely tight because the fascia and the muscles were stuck together. I was given homework to Trigger Point my hamstring throughout the week. I went back yesterday to have him work on my legs one more time before the half-marathon and am happy to report that the hamstring is doing much better.

I am feeling pretty ready to rip out a fast time this Sunday. I've cut my speed work down to one workout and easy runs to round out the week. I have been going over my race plan with Coach Dad and I am feeling confident about it. I have been studying the course, which is flat and fast and set up perfect for a PR. I am also excited to be running as part of a new elite team, SRA Elite. It is a recently developed team that has a ton of talent to represent it. I believe that I fit in much better than my previous team and know it will help me be the runner that I want to be!