I'm hoping that the proximate cause of sketchy runs this past week is humidity. Running outside has been akin to running in a steam room. Even a couple of longer outings were more of a struggle than they should have been. This morning, on a relatively easy 5 mi. run, I went into oxygen debt on the only monster hill on the course and had to walk a couple of hundred yards on the flat after the summit in order to catch my breath. Granted, it is always a taxing hill. But somehow the leg and lung combination needed to push through the task just wasn't available today. I'm supposed to pace a friend for 25 mi. in an ultra in a couple of weeks. If the weather remains like this, he may be pacing me. I have a 12.5 mi trail run planned for Wednesday (it is supposed to be about 10 deg cooler then). I am hoping to find that my weariness of late is simply weather-induced. Time will tell...
Speaking of the ultra; if you are looking for a great and challenging trail marathon, 50 mi., or 100 mi. race, the Hawk 100 is the group of races for you. In its 4th year, the Hawk brings trail and ultra runners in from around the world to run the Clinton North Shore loop. The loop is roughly 25 miles with approximately 90% of it under canopy. The 50 and 100 mile runners do the loop 2 and 4 times, respectively. The marathoners have a bit of a run added onto the front of the race and then run the loop as well. The Lawrence Trail Hawks are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. The aid stations (and bag drop locations) are well-staffed (many with ultra runners who have done the race in the past) and loaded with food (including a great selection of vegan options - something you don't find at all races). To find out more, go here: http://www.lawrencetrailhawks.com/races/2014/sep/13/hawk-100-mile-50-mile-marathon-fourth-annual/
OK - Since I'm talking about ultras, I don't want to neglect another fantastic local series of races put on by Eric Steele and his company, Epic Ultras. Last year I ran the Hawk 100 marathon and then ran an Epic Ultra 50k a few weeks later. Epic has race planning and staffing down. They are very well-run events. The people behind the scenes are very responsive and enthusiastic. When I ran the race, it seemed that they made special efforts to get to know each runner. Epic strictly limits the number of competitors for each event. That makes for a very pleasant experience, although some of their races sell out quickly. If you want to run in the upcoming Flat Rock, for instance, you'll have to wait until next year. There is the Prairie Spirit 50 mi. and 50k coming up. These two are done on rails-to-trails, and are fun, flat, and fast. For more info go here: http://epicultras.com/our-events/
One more OK - Since I'm talking about running, I don't want to leave out a great local race for those who prefer to spend a bit less time running and who may prefer asphalt and concrete to dirt, rocks, and gravel. The Kansas Half Marathon is coming up November 2. It is a fun event and raises money for a good cause. Put on by Silverback Enterprises, a respected race/event company, the race is the largest of those I've mentioned in this blog. And, since it's a shorter length and occurs later than the others listed above, there is still a bit of time to get some solid training in before November. You can find out more about it here: http://www.kansashalfmarathon.com/
Finally, I got asked a couple of times this week why my book, RUN, is selling at a higher used price on Amazon than a new price. My answer: I have no idea. To get it new, used, or in Kindle version, go here: www.amazon.com/author/allenlevine
No comments:
Post a Comment