In my previous post on the importance of goals I promised that I would share my current goals. I am at that veteran runner stage where goals are sometimes hard
to set. Last year I had thought maybe I would go after my marathon PR, which I
still feel has some room for improvement, just because that is what I was used to doing. I even entered a marathon last year.
However, it became clear as I was training for the road marathon that I really
wasn't enjoying it like I used to. Part of the reason for the DNF I had at that race
was that I just wasn't into it -- the training or the racing.
What I was enjoying
was the trail running that I started doing last spring here in Michigan. My
previous trail running had been in the California mountains, which are
absolutely awesome, and in Florida, which is a big, hot, sandy swamp. Although I had
loved trail running in California, I did not know much about Michigan and had
no idea there were so many beautiful trails.
It was love at first run on the trails up here. The trails
are soft, not too rocky (at least not compared to So Cal), and the greenery and
wildlife are beautiful. In my mind, trails will always go hand in hand with
ultras, so when I decided late last spring that road marathons were not doing
it for me, ultras was the direction I turned.
I was entered to run my first trail marathon in August and the 50k at
Woodstock in September. I was starting to feel motivated and passionate about running again. Then in July I ruptured my spleen on a trail run -- 4
days in the hospital and 8 weeks of no running. That set me back a bit.
As I was on the couch for 8 weeks, I spent a lot of time
thinking about what I really wanted to do in my running. One of those "someday
I will" things I have had in mind for almost a decade is the desire to run
the Western States 100.
It occurred to me, as I watched the year click down toward the big 5-0, that if
I was going to ever do that, I better get after it.
You are probably thinking, "Oh, then her goal for the
year is the Western States." Well not quite. You see, getting into Western
States is a long process. First a person has to qualify. That involves finishing
another 100 miler, or a 100k race under 14 hrs, or a 50 mile race in under 11
hours. Once one qualifies, then the runner can submit his or her name into the
lottery. The number of entrants is limited to 369, but some of those spots go
to previous years' winners and other specially qualified runners, so the actual
number of spots is less. The lottery is a long process. It can take years. If you are interested in
the process, you can check out their site.
So, yes, entering Western States is a goal, but it is a 3 to
5 year goal for me. I am not the kind of person who likes to be unprepared. I
don't just want to run Western States; I want to try for the silver buckle that
comes with a finish under 24 hours. The odds are already stacking up against me
because I am getting older even as I type, but I am going to give it a shot. Once
that long term goal was set, it was easy to work backwards.
With that in mind, I had to ask myself "How do I get
there from here?" The answer is that I need to get into shape to run a
qualifying event. I decided to make it a
two to three year plan, depending on how I progress and handle the mileage.
This year, 2012, is the year of the 50k. The following year will be 50 milers
and 100ks, and the next year 100 milers. I know that seems like a long build-up
but remember that I want to "race" these not just finish them, and it
takes me longer to build mileage than it used to. I would like to have a year of solid 40 to 60 mile weeks before I attempt the 100 miler.
Then I turned my attention to 2012. What did I want to do
with those 50ks. Well I knew the answer to that question immediately. When I
heard we were moving to Michigan, I was on the internet trying to find out if
there were any running clubs or good races up here, and I came across the
Dances With Dirt site. If you have never heard of Dances with Dirt (DWD) , you really need to go to the site and read a little bit to get the flavor of the whole experience. The Dances
with Dirt series is a set of races put on by Running Fit. It is a pet project of their
"head goat" Randy Step, who is an awesome guy and a really crazy race
director.
The courses are all in places with colorful names: Green
Swamp, Gnaw Bone, Devil's Lake, and Hell. The courses range from difficult to
absolutely ridiculous, including stream crossings, bushwhacking, swamp
crossings, dirt ladders, and whatever other surprises Randy can arrange for his
dedicated runners. The best part is that the races are a series: Bloodied,
Boned, Bruised and Burned. If a runner completes four ultras in the series within
a single year, there is a buckle.
Now, I have mentioned before that I am a sucker for bling. I
will run myself nearly to death for a cheap plastic medal on a tacky ribbon, so
you can imagine how I felt the first time I saw that buckle. I had to have it.
My goals for 2012 were set.
The races in the series go like this: Green Swamp, FL (March 24),
Gnaw Bone, IN (May
12), Devil''s Lake,
WI (July 14), and Hell
(September 22). If I successfully
complete the fourth race, the belt buckle will be awarded at the finish line of
my "home" race in Hell.
Here is the plan. My odyssey will start with the DWD Green
Swamp, sort of. Actually I fell victim to the FOMO I mentioned in the previous
post and have entered a "training race" a trail marathon at Land Between Lakes in Kentucky , which is
on the way to Florida, and which will be my last long training run before the
50k. That run is March 10. My goal in
that endeavor will just be to get that long run in at a sensible pace that does
not leave me fatigued for the 50k (IT band willing). You will see that I like to use trail marathons as some of my long training runs for the 50ks. It is fun to get those long training runs done with company and aid.
I have a secondary goal that I should also mention. I still
love road running and was not ready to completely give it up. I also did not
want to lose all my road speed. The half
marathon is my favorite road distance, so I am keeping a few road half marathons in my
schedule (Martian and Bayshore). I don't expect to set any PRs at these races, as my PRs at the half
are times that I could only hope to reach with dedicated training for that
event. What I am hoping for is to establish some "over 50" PRs for
myself and maybe place in my age group if possible. Because of that you will
notice that there are a few half marathons tucked into my upcoming races. Those
are on my "down" weekends for the ultra training, the weekends where
I would have run only 12 to 14 miles anyway.
So that is how the next 9 months are shaping up for me. I hope to take you along on the journey by providing video logs and
race reports. I have to admit I am a little scared and am wondering if four 50ks are biting off more than I can chew, but only time will tell.
How about your goals? What do you have planned for the
upcoming season?
Lori, that is awesome! It will be an exciting few years working towards your goal. I hope to see you at a few of these races....DWD Hell for sure, even though training might be difficult for me the few weeks prior to the race. My one goal is to complete a 100K before I turn 60. Time will tell.
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