Turn your rut into a groove.

am--4.25 Mixed up the morning run a bit and threw in a couple hills and Lava Cove. It was a beautiful morning. 

pm--3 A little exploratory desert run w/ Matt and Ben to work out the last few kinks on the Z100 course. 

pm--5.5 A nice little run w/ a progressive pace. 

am--7.25 A nice little jaunt up by the little league fields to do some Ironman spectating. Then I went down into Green Valley and back. 

pm--7 Marked the Gould's Rim section of the course. I guess we'll see what Friday and Saturday have in store. 

pm--2 Ran a couple miles in street clothes to finish marking the course. It was fun to get out and run a bit. I'm getting kind of nervous. 

There isn't a ton to say. Signing up for a race like this is scary, and the buildup is a real rollercoaster ride, but I made it to the starting line. I thought I had a fuel/hydration plan that would work--Clif shots, S-Caps, and water. It did work for about 18 miles. Then the heat came. My stomach, or more specifically my bowels, took a turn for the worse and backed up. I couldn't stay on top of my hydration. By mile 35, I had dropped from 170 pounds to 153. The EMT, or at least that's what she was supposed to be according to the highlighter tat on her shoulder, told me it wasn't a problem because I didn't gain weight. So I kept going. Things really started to fall apart between 35 and 42. I was barely holding on at 42. It felt so good to sit down for a while and dring some broth. The precursors to passing out happened a few more times before the aid station at 51. I had to sit down and gather myself a few times to get up the biggest climb on the course. By this time, it was getting dark, and thankfully my wife, who was "pacing" me to the next aid station, had my headlamp. Just before we reached station 6, someone yelled at us. He was without a light on the north rim of Gooseberry. So we went back to him and helped him in. When we made the aid station, I was cashed. 

Overall, my first attempt at a 100 was pretty surreal. I didn't ever really think about miles until I realized that I was overheating at halfway. I met some cool people--Eric, Cory, and Hector--and had some great conversation. Some learning happened. I don't know if there is another adventure like this in my future--it's too close to think about right now--but the take-away is much more positive than negative. Congrats to Matt for putting on a great inaugural event. 

pm--3.25 Went out for a little jaunt w/ the fam. The legs feel pretty normal. Not much residual fatigue at all. Not sure what that means, but I do know that it feels good to get out and run. 

am--5 Truncated morning run due to a meeting. Still feeling pretty good. 

pm--4.25 A nice little jaunt, alternating between 1.5%, 3%, & 5% incline. I like running. 

pm--3.5 A routine similar to yesterday, farting around @ different inclines. I'm just easing back into it. On a side note, stoner rock/jam bands sound really good right now--Allman Bros., Black Crowes, Derek and the Dominoes, etc. 

pm--5 Afternoon desert miles w/ Tom out by his new house and the airport. It felt good to be out in it today. 

pm--5 An easy run, working to a stouter pace. Just getting some zip back. 

am--6 Usual morning route. I'm going to try to jump the miles up a bit this week--40ish?

am--7 I ran a nice little run @ various inclines, mostly between 3% and 5%. I'm going to hit something in the afternoon because I didn't get out yesterday due to the business of life. 

pm--3 Easy tready miles followed by core routine--front planks, side planks, leg lowering, metronomes, crunches, Jane Fondas, and one-legged spelling. 

pm--6 A nice quicker pace run w/ 3 tempoish miles--mid 7's--in the middle. The legs feel a bit tight. 

am--16 Got out on the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder and the Rim Trails w/ Cory and Ben, my 100-miler buddies. The run was very nice, and the temps were excellent. In the end, I felt worked over. Go figure. 

pm--5.25 Feeling kinda funky in a bad way, but I still got a run in tonight. It actually capped quite a great day, traveling and decorating graves. On a side note, I'm not sure I'm ever allowed to live anywhere but Santa Clara. The interment of my mom's family on the hill above Santa Clara goes back 4 generations. 

am--7.25 Ran towards the already risen sun into Green Valley and back behind Sunbrook. This is a nice little route. I didn't get out until 8:30ish, but it was pleasant out. 

pm--7.5 I ran a few on the tready and then ran to the in-laws for some swimming. I had to give some blood today for work. It makes me feel a little off. 

am--9 Turned the usual morning run into a run on the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder extension. The desert is a good place to be in the morning. 

I also hit 1,000 miles for the year today.