American River 50 Mile

Alas, the lottery Gods have chosen my fate and blessed me with 2 of the 4 lotteries I entered this season. Gorge Waterfalls 50k and Lake Sonoma 50 mile will be enjoyed by others but remain on my bucket list.

American River 50 Mile will take the place of Lake Sonoma in April as I build towards Western States. AR50 was my first 50 mile run, and while the course has been altered I am looking forward to improving my time (9:49). 

Now that my schedule is set, I just have to survive the holidays and put my nose to the grindstone. Having a go at these distances without a coach is an exciting prospect. I am already feeling more in tune with my body as I lay the foundations for base training. I feel confident and motivated. Running is fun again, which is good, because I am not very good at it at this point in my fitness.

I have been hearing podcasts and opinions on cross training and strength conditioning occupying a larger part of training for ultras. I have to be careful not to try to incorporate too many different philosophies into my training plan this winter. I could easily sabotage myself. More strength cannot hurt though. Stay tuned for how all of this manifests...