South Dakota Bound

When I was planning my Javelina Jundred training, I was hoping to do the 50 miler at the Lean Horse in South Dakota. And then one of my staff booked her vacation that week so I couldn't take time off to go up there. :( I was a tiny bit upset because I really wanted to add South Dakota to my list of states.

Well, I'm not going to Lean Horse but the stars have aligned to let me go to South Dakota!

Woo!

This Sunday, I'm running the Leading Ladies Marathon in Spearfish, South Dakota. And it kind of fits my year of Animal Racing because the theme this year is The Lead Mare and the painting they are using for the medal is amazing! I can't wait to see it. Oh, and I got this email after signing up which I think was a wonderful touch:

Love what she said about creating your own adventure! That's exactly what I'm trying to do this year. It's going to be a quick trip because I can't take any time off but the marathon starts at 6 am so I think I will get some sightseeing in on Saturday and Sunday. I'm taking my camera! I AM SO EXCITED. :)

So this is kind of last minute, I know. You know what the best thing is? That I feel like I can run a marathon at the drop of a hat. I love where I am right now in my running. I feel amazing!

The hardest part has been rearranging my runs to fit in the 24/12 that was planned for the weekend. I thought about flipping it but my flight leaves at 5:47 on Sat morning so there wouldn't be enough time. What I decided to do instead is move up next Tuesday's run to Monday to get the back to back in. And Saturday's sched 12 I'll do on Thursday this week. So the middle of the week will be 14/10/12 but then only 6 on Fri and 3 on Saturday. This way all the mileage will be covered for both weeks and it will taper slightly to Sunday. However, this means I won't be racing the marathon on Sunday. I'm okay with it. Mostly.

I did cut way back on my planned bike commutes for this week though so will go into it a little bit rested. I think I need another cut back week because I was a little tired this weekend. In fact, I ran but didn't ride at all. Shocking, right? These are the stats for last week:

Running - 81.3 miles (7 runs)
Riding - 76 miles (4 bike commutes)

That was my 2nd highest running weekly mileage ever! Looking at the numbers, I feel a little rest/cut back is deserved. Don't you think?

One last thought...last night, I had dinner with one of my favorite runners/running inspirations. We were talking about his amazingly packed race schedule and it wasn't just about a lot of races but difficult ones too. I thought it sounded a little bit intimidating... and also a lot of fun. And I thought that while my schedule isn't as difficult as his, I think it's pretty darn good. The rest of the year is going to be a wild ride! I fully expect the Leading Ladies Marathon to be a part of that. :)

Have a great week!