I have a lot of topics to cover today, so I'll just dive right in. I've got Spartan Race this weekend and I'm still tapering. I have not lifted since Sunday (I pushed another new squat PR. SWEET!) and my last run was Saturday. I'm really concerned about feeling weak or tired, but I think I'm going to be ok and just try to trust in my training. It's weird. I've got this itch to train, but I have to store all of the that energy up for Saturday.
I went to Yoga yesterday, I've got another session scheduled for tomorrow and, if I'm lucky, I might be able to squeeze in one more session on Friday. I want to try and be as limber and loose as possible. I also want to use the quiet time of Yoga to help increase my mental focus for the big day. Don't confuse me for some type of vegan, hippy weirdo. I don't get stoned while listening to dulcimer music and whiffing incense, but I do believe Yoga plays a vital part in any training regimen and should be a part of every endurance/distance athlete's schedule.
While we are on the topic of distance athletes I would be remiss if I did not mention that I signed up for my first half-marathon today. I will be running the Baltimore Half Marathon on October 13. I'm excited and nervous. The furthest I've ever run is 12 miles and I injured myself pretty bad doing that. Since then, the longest run I've done was 11 miles and it wasn't pretty. I know I can do it, but there is definitely a bit of a mental barrier there that I will need to overcome, this is one of the things that makes Yoga invaluable.
October is going to be a bit of a busy month for me. The week after Baltimore, I run my final race of the season, Rogue Runner. I'm not really thinking about Rogue Runner right now, nor am I thinking about how I'm going to structure my training for these races. I just want to continue to focus on what I've got going for this weekend and taking a short break before I get back to training. Quite honestly, the thing I'm most looking forward to is having a few cold beers and a really unhealthy meal after the race this weekend.
As I mentioned previously, October is going to be a busy month, but the Torres household isn't going to be as busy as we had previously anticipated. Unfortunately, my training partner and wife, who was working herself up for the Marine Corps Marathon, has injured herself (she has a stress fracture in her left leg). She's my inspiration, my support system and the leader of my 3 person cheering section.
I can't come close to comprehending how devastating it must have been for her to get that news this past Tuesday and having to pull out of a race that she had been looking forward to since the beginning of this year. She's been training like a maniac for this race and this was her white whale. I tried to console her as best I could, but I knew that no words I offered could give her back the lost opportunity and make up for the time and effort that she had sunk into this race.
So, in true Roy fashion I told her to "rub some dirt on it, man the fuck up and quit crying." Just kidding, but that would have been pretty funny if I did. In all seriousness, I know she's going to rock that bitch come October 2013. She's already deferred her spot until next year and is looking for ways to train around her injury. She's a beast I tell you.
I figure I'll close on a little bit of a more upbeat note. My mom, who is in her 50's, went to Colorado last week. Not only did that psychopath run the Pikes Peak Half-marathon on Saturday, but she ran the full marathon on Sunday. For those that don't know, the ascent up Pikes Peak is 13.32 miles, starting at 6300 feet above sea level with an elevation gain of an additional 7815 feet. According to their website, trees can't grow above the 12000 ft level due to how thin the air is. When I spoke with her on Friday, we were talking about the race and I said "Yeah... Uhhhh... Fuck that." Kudos to her.
Well, I think that's enough for today. I'm going to try to provide an update on Saturday night while Spartan is still fresh in my mind, but there's a good chance I may be too busy indulging in Chicago Style Pizza, bratwurst and a few of the finest seasonal craft brews that our good friends at Sam Adams and Fat Tire have to offer. So until next time, as always, train hard, have fun and be safe.
Thanks for making me cry. Love you.
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