Feeling Good

Nueces is only 10 days away and I'm enjoying my taper. I put in a hard(for me) last two weeks before the the taper running 195 miles in 12 runs. I think the taper helps just as much mentally as it does physically, this week anyway. I know next week I'll be anxious to run and have a hard time keeping the miles low. I feel strong, injury free, and confident. I'll  keep this post short since I'll have a race report in about two weeks. I'm excited to run in a USATF championship race and meet some other like minded nuts. I train alone 99% of the time so some social interaction is welcomed. I'll be wearing my UltrAspire Twitch and Cell combination along with a 20oz handheld. The MBS system UltrAspire has is the first one I've ever used that doesn't bounce and annoy me. I'm happy I have such great gear, there are plenty of other things to focus on during an Ultra than gear malfunction or irritation. Wish me luck!

Good News/ Bad News

Its been a strange last two weeks of training. At the end of my second 80 mile week my right knee started feeling a little tender. I've ran every step outside this year no matter what the weather. I believe this is what caused the soft tissue damage in my knee. Doing back to back 20 mile runs in 4" of snow, slippery sidewalks and roads, and negative temperatures may have been a little ambitious. I've been running in the Montrail Bajada and Mountain Masocist, both have a sticky rubber outsole and great lug pattern. That said, I was slipping a bit on the hills and I think that's what caused my knee tenderness. I just finished a easy week with two recovery days in a row. I've ran on the treadmill the last two days since we've gotten over 20" of snow in 48 hours. I did a tempo run yesterday with 6 of the 11 miles at 6min pace(max for my treadmill). My knee felt much better and I felt that I could hold that pace forever. Did an easy 9 today with no tenderness or pain, good thing since I'm running 30 miles in the morning. I have two more weeks to kill it in training then a two week taper leading to Nueces 50 mile. I did get some exciting news on Friday...I was accepted as an Elite Immortal for UltrAspire! I am really excited about this since hydration and storage are always really important. I feel they are making the best hydration products on the market right now and I'm privileged to be a part of their company. I'll update my training on here in two weeks...getting really excited for a great 2013 racing season!