Deep Thoughts by GSisler

Almost there... Well, not exactly, but at this point, it's close enough to know that there's nothing I can really do at this point to change things. 30 days until the first of the four-100 milers that I'm going to try to do.
The training has finally started to go well, but I'm way behind where I wish I would be. The Sonoma 50 on March 27th (which turned into the Sonoma 12 due to a calf injury) really, really put me behind the 8-ball. Up until then I was knocking out a comfortable 50km every weekend and was feeling good. The shooting pain in my calf that made me pull out of the race put an end to that, and a 6 week rest/recover program by Dr. Callister gradually got me back and ready to go. The Silver State 50 miler on May 15th gave me back some confidence as I felt good and could have run a lot further at the end, but still, a lot can go wrong in the last 50 miles of a race, I was only half way there!
Now, it's really just about getting as strong as I can mentally and physically. I really don't think that I can do a ton to improve my endurance in 5 weeks, but I do think that there's a lot I can do to mess things up. The key will be to remember that it's a lot easier to try and do to much and really screw things up then to do to little. I'd rather be under-trained and healthy, then hurt!
I just got in my shipment of Inov-8 shoes and gaiters. I figure that even if I don't run another step between now and then, 400 miles on a pair of shoes in rough rugged terrain is a lot to handle, might as well have a backup! The gaiters are a no brainer, I'm not even sure why I ran without them before. They weigh nothing, are easy to get on/off and they keep rocks out of my shoes!
This weekend is going to be a weekend to see the course. They have training runs up on the course and it will be 30 miles on Saturday, 20 miles on Sunday, and 20 miles on Monday. I think I'm just going to run the 30 and the 20 so I can avoid the drive back on Monday of Memorial Day from Tahoe. Plus, if I make it 80 miles, I've got a feeling that from that point on, the excitement of the finish line can pull me through (adrenaline can last for 6 hours right???)