Recovery week, whatever the hell that is.

File photo:  Boulder Reservoir

I remember way back when I started running ultras and my first 50k (Rattlesnake 50k four years ago this month).  I finished 5th with good company: Sean Andrish, Mark Lundblad, Alex Barth, and Brian Schmidt (of course, I didn't know who those guys were back then) and couldn't walk for a week afterward.  Here I am now eating 100 milers like candy and wanting more after just a few days.  After finishing Grand Mesa 100 Sunday morning, I took three days solid off, not even my normal 3 mile walks.  There are the dull muscle aches and more acute pains, like where the collars of my shoes bore into the ankle and nearly made me gasp for air in pain towards the end of the race.  One thing I've learned since my first 100 last September is to be patient with myself and not stress about these pains.  After Bear 100 my ankle was swollen like the elephant man and hurt like hell.  I was like, "oh great, now I'm injured.  Should've never run a 100."  It's 100 miles in a day!  Of course there will be lingering pain.  The body, at least mine, seems to retain everything in the days following a 100.  I'm swollen from my feet to my fingers and feel bloated and fat for 2-3 days.  This is when I take it easy.  As soon as I notice the swelling is gone, I'll get out for an hour run.  That first run is uncomfortable and awkward.  The second one is better.  Today I ran 24 miles (today's my birthday and thought about running my age, 29, but was a bit worn out), just six days after running 110 miles at 10,000 ft altitude.  It felt fine.  I was a bit lethargic because I wasn't planning on running that long and only brought one Power Bar (burned 2,500 calories and consumed 240 - even the bright people with whom I work could figure out that there's an imbalance there).  I ran to the Boulder Reservoir and did laps there, rationing out my Power Bar a little bite each lap.  Good run with no residual effects from last week's race.  I'll finish the week with 50-something miles.  While plodding along today, I figured out that I've run 70,000 ft of vertical climb in the last 45 days.  Bam!

After spending way too much time on them, I've got my ambitious splits set up for Leadville.  If I show up with some energy, I think I've got a good shot at keeping up with them.  I know the course pretty well and will have a great support crew and greasy fast pacer and I don't want to let them down either.

Looking to head down to Leadville next week and run from Twin Lakes out to Winfield and back (miles 39.5 to 60.5).  If anyone is interested in joining me, give me a holler.