Skip to main content

10 days to Go........

With just 10 days to go until the Las Vegas Marathon, I'm starting to feel even more excited and fairly confident of a good race in "Sin City" on November 15th. 

Since completing the TransRockies Run back in August of this year, Vegas has been my main focus and I have to say that training has gone extremely well - even with a move to Phoenix and experiencing 100 degree temperatures when first arriving which was during a crucial point in my training program. I was feeling fit and ready for TransRockies after a summer of running on the trails, but marathon training has meant a switch back to mainly roads with lots of speed work and tempo runs, but it would appear that my body has adjusted pretty well and I have found that my average pace on my easy runs is now half a minute per km faster than it was a few months ago.

Although training has gone well, it has also been extremely tough, especially the long weekend runs, simply due to the desert heat. Back in Calgary, I could happily run 20-25km without needing to take on board too much fluid, but here in Phoenix, even on a 10k easy run, I'm finding that I need to drink a good litre of water to make sure I reap the benefits of the sessions and to ensure that I don't overheat and become dehydrated. During the 30km + runs, I've had to choose routes where I know there is a water fountain so that I can refill bottles or my camelback, neither of which are ideal when some of those long runs have involved elements of speed work. It's not so bad carrying a backpack when running trails and I have tried to stick to them as much as possible, but with training for a road marathon, road running is a necessity to prepare my body for the trauma it will face when running on tarmac for 42km - carrying a backpack alters my running style and sometimes I have woken up the following day with achy muscles as a result of attempting to pick up the pace when on road.

A few weeks ago we bought a treadmill to help get the maximum benefit from my speed work. I'm not a great fan of the dreaded treadmill as I much prefer to run outdoors and battle the elements, but I have found it a blessing this past month or so and feel as though it really has helped with my preparation for Las Vegas. I've been able to run with air con and a fan to keep me cool (although I've still been dripping in sweat!), and I've had drinks to hand throughout which has meant I can focus on just running instead of worrying about running out of water and wondering when I'll next be able to refill my water bottles. The furthest I've done so far is 2 x 18km tempo runs, and I was really pleased that yesterday's 18km tempo was 3 minutes faster than a couple of weeks ago.

Runs with Pups :-)
My easy runs are still done outdoors and in a previous life, I would take Wilson and Brandy with me on those runs as they were generally at a pace that both dogs could cope with. I haven't been able to run with the dogs as much as I would have liked since I arrived in Phoenix, but earlier this week, a storm system moved through the valley which brought 2 feet of snow to the north of us in Flagstaff, and cooler temperatures and rain for us here in Phoenix. It was still around 65-70 degrees but with the cloud cover and a cooling breeze, I seized the opportunity and headed out with both pups for the first time in over a month, 

As soon as Wilson saw his running harness, he got really excited and his usual howling and barking started which set Brandy off with her crazy darting backwards and forwards around the house. They both knew what was coming and there was absolutely no doubt that they were extremely excited.

We ran an 8km out and back route to Deem Hills and although they still found it on the warm side with tongues lolling as they trotted along beside me, I could sense that they were extremely happy and were enjoying every moment. We stopped for water at Deem Hills as the ice in their neckerchiefs was almost melted, and I gave them a good dousing with the cool, refreshing water whilst they had a good drink, filling a poop bag with water and carrying it with us so they could have more if they needed whilst we were heading back home.

A warm Brampster
It was so nice to run with them again and all 3 of us were beaming with delight and happiness on arriving back home an hour or so later.

Today's run was another easy run but although the weather was still cool, it was too far to take them with me, so instead we spent some time at the local community park. Unlike many other places here, this park has a huge grassy area and whilst dogs are not allowed off-leash there, we still had fun running backwards and forwards and playing with a ball even though they were on leashes. Wilson and Brandy loved it and they spent considerable time rolling around and cooling off in the lush green grass before we headed home where they then slept and groaned in contentment as they nodded off.

It's certainly been a great couple of days - I've ran with my pups and I've had some really good speed sessions as I now move into the final week of my preparation for Las Vegas. It's now taper time, my body and mind are feeling ready, and I'm just hoping that the positives thoughts and the feeling fit, strong and healthy last so that I get the result I'm looking for in Las Vegas.





Enjoying the cooler weather

Happy boy :-)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tackling the Iron Horse Ultra - 100-miles :)

Training leading into the Iron Horse Ultra had gone well, and even though I knew that getting close to my course record of 21 hours was quite ambitious, I honestly thought that I would be able to do if I had a good day But those of us that are runners will know that whilst running is a physical sport, there is also a mental element to running well, especially when it comes to racing those longer distances. It was the mental side that let me down this time, although it wasn't during the race that I struggled but rather the weeks leading up the race itself, and in hindsight the signs were there that I wasn't going to be able to perform quite as well as I was hoping.  Let me explain .... I like to think that for the most part, I am a good person, and I treat people with the respect that they deserve. Although some things do wind me up in life, I tend to be very laid back and easy going, taking things in my stride and trying not to make a big fuss about things. I'm also an intr...

Sinister Seven Ultra

 I knew going into the Sinister 7 Ultra that I wasn't as well trained for mountain running as I was this time last year. Twelve months ago, I ran the 50 miler with relative ease, finishing in a little over 12 hours and even making the podium with a third place finish, whereas this year, I hadn't been to the mountains once, and I knew I was in for a hard time. Regardless, I headed down to Crowsnest Pass with the goal of just finishing the race, even if I was DFL and only just made the 30 hour cut-off. After a rather soggy and cooler spring and early summer, July brought heat warnings and hit temperatures in Alberta, and the forecast for race day was calling for highs of 30+ degrees - it was going to be a hot one! I did the best I could to prepare for the heat, continuing with my lunch time walks at work, and then running after work when things seemed to feel even warmer than earlier in the day. I even did my longer weekend runs just after lunch during the hottest part of the day...

Crown King Scramble 50km

The Crown King Scramble 50km was everything I expected it to be, and more. With great organisation, a tough course, outstanding scenery and lots of jolly good fun - and the fact that I finished soaking wet with sweat with salt stains across my face and all over my clothes, covered in dust and dirt from head to toe, absolutely starving and in desperate need of an ice cold beer, with tired, heavy legs but a big smile on my face - they were all sure signs of a damn good race. The race started at 6am alongside the shores of Lake Pleasant just as the sun was about to pop its head above the nearby mountains. The air was still quite cool although it was certain to warm up as the morning went along, with temperatures well in to the mid 80's expected later on in the day. The atmosphere at the start was a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation as we all knew what lay ahead - 50km or 31 miles of uphill running, climbing from around 1500 ft at Lake Pleasant to nearly 6000 ft in...