Mt. Diablo 50-Miler and +Ramblings

In all the excitement I forgot about another race happening this weekend, the Mt. Diablo 50-Miler. A race that had been rescheduled due to the extra long rainy season that we had this year. Pretty damn awesome. Olga was actually thinking of running Miwok 100k then getting up the very next day and doing Mt. Diablo 50m. She's crazy like that. I bet that if she didn't have to fly home Sunday to pack for her trip to Russia she would probably be on the starting line up come Sunday morning. I was tempted myself, it would have been an epic weekend. Fortunately common sense prevailed. My shotgun (being all over the place) approach to training and racing has been fun but I love how I feel with this new smarter, saner approach. Nothing makes me feel better on a run or on the bike than when I punch the gas and the engine growls, the pistons crank faster and the tires chew up the ground. My new training that stresses rest as well as high intensity workouts has got me feeling like a champ on the track, my spin classes and long endurance runs. Swim training starts next week by the way at the YMCA pool, starting with the hot tub

Anyway, in endurance events I find the machine metaphor works best. You drive that body while constantly reading gauges; energy, pain, fatigue and overall well-being. Protect the mind and spirit at all costs. When the mind and spirit goes, well then you're probably toast:) Until then however keep your sheeet movin', RFM (Relentless Forward Movement) Like they say in the Western States 100-Miler, "look at the eyes, look for the ones that look like their spirit is separating from their bodies", those folks they sit down then pull out of the race if they don't improve. Ah the beauty and pain of endurance sports. Why go "short" when the fun begins in the "long" and I say this with respect to everyone's capabilities. Short and long is relative.

But I ramble on and such ramblings are better suited for my personal journal, which has seen more use these last few days.