It's Labor Day Weekend and within seven days of the Moose Mountain Marathon. I am still running and evading injury so it looks like I'll be on that starting line. The training is going well. I was able to run almost 12 miles in an hour fifty on trails at Sibley State Park. My Achilles and calves did not bother me even once. They were not excessively sore the next morning. This is a huge victory in my world and it can only mean I was able to maintain the correct form during this long run. The way things are going I wish I had 4-5 more weeks of time to train for this race, but I'm thankful for where I'm at.
I need to think hard about a race plan for next weekend. I am not at my fittest, nor strongest, and have never ran this race before. I've done some running on the Superior Hiking Trail and have learned the challenges it presents. I've also done a couple backpacking trips on it. The best word for the terrain is rugged (which is used frequently on the race website). Some parts are simply unrunnable for most runners. So the course will slow you down, wear you down, break you down, that I can be sure of. The best approach for my race is to probably start as slow as possible and then slow down more from there. I will probably wear a heart rate monitor to keep tabs on my effort level. It became clear to me that at the Zumbro 17 this past spring I ran the uphills way too hard. I was neck and neck on the uphill Strava segments on that course with guys who beat me by 10-15 minutes. The only conclusion I can draw from that is I paced them very poorly and robbed myself from possibly a faster overall time. I've been working on it but I am not a strong downhill runner. Uphills have always been my forte. I hope to even those things out at the Moose Mountain Marathon and the heart rate monitor could help. Also, in the race plan is to set the ego aside. I will try not to get carried away with hopes of top ten or even top twenty. This will be an event to survive, recover from, and live to run another day. The final goal of this race is to enjoy this event. I want to take in the beautiful Superior National Forest mixed in with some views of Lake Superior. I am a huge fan of these races and like to be able to watch the other athletes in action, not just read their results.
I've got my gear mostly figured out. The the three extremely important wear-tested items in my arsenal are shoes, socks, and shorts. These things can literally make or break your race. I've got my Salomon Speedcross 4 shoes with a previous race and about 200 miles on them. Depending on how wet the course is I will either use Drymax or Smartwool socks. Finally, my new favorite shorts are the La Sportiva Rapid. They've been excellent at avoided chafe. I'll probably carry a Nathan 18 oz handheld water bottle and some gels to bridge the aid stations. I need some kind of hat to keep the bugs (drawn to my tall position and moose-like hair) from feasting on my scalp.
It seems like I'm good to go, but always learning. Now to allow my battery to recharge with some rest/relaxation this week to be ready for the challenge.
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