48 hour window

As Sunday evening rolls around I am exhausted. Ultra running is similar to painful events, like childbirth, in the fact that you forget what it feels like and then you sign up to do it again. Tonight as I sit here and type I can feel the twinge of soreness in my quads. I inhaled a pizza and cupcakes like it was my second job. Minor blister surgery was performed twice this weekend. I become slightly narcoleptic at various times mid-afternoon. Yep, the memories are suddenly a little less dim.

I am trying to blog after every long weekend warrior running sessions. If I concentrate during the run on events to blog about it hurts less. This weekend was our first official "48 hour window" weekend. While we have researched the web and asked other ultra runners for plans and tips we came up with the "48 hour window plan" on our own. So far, it hasn't let us down. That being said I don't think I'll publish the plan....... yet :). We basically work up to the distance of the race in a 48 hour period. For example, this weekend we ran 10miles, 18 miles, and 12 miles within 48 hours. This totals 40 miles for the weekend and we will peak in a few weeks covering 50 miles in the 48 hour window. Many logarithms and calculations went into this formula....uh, yeah. What's funny is that Elissa and I really do train and race well together for reasons that aren't obvious or typical. It's not about pace or endurance as much as it is that where one of us lacks the other makes up for it. For example, Elissa just has it when it comes to running. She is a mental rock. I have never, ever heard a negative word out of her mouth during a run or race. This edge, I honestly believe, is a secret weapon. You psych her up enough and she will honestly out run just about anyone. She just has the "it" factor. Then there's me....not so much "it" factor. A lot more work than natural talent. I have to train hard to hang with her. My contribution to our running is the planning. Elissa calls me her coach. I figure out all the training- hills, distance, fuel, etc. So basically I tell her what to do and she gets me through it. I think I got the short end of the stick here, but I'm happy in the last painful miles to have someone yelling "you can, you will, you want to!!!!"

Our runs this weekend were really good for the first 48 window. The weather was about as good as you can hope for in late August. Our 18 miler on Saturday was supposed to be a 20 miler, but due to the many miles of steep hills we weren't too concerned about the 2 miles we bagged. We decided to try Newton shoe technology and we got our first pair of Newton Isaac S and ran all the miles in them this weekend. I am a believer! I was a Chi Running convert a few years ago and these shoes compliment it perfectly. A little blurb from the Newton website:

The genius behind the Newton running shoes is the patented Action/Reaction Technology™. When using the ultra-efficient Land-Lever-Lift natural running gait of a midfoot or forefoot strike, the technology absorbs and then returns energy back to you. It's a revolutionary way of building a running shoe based on Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion: "For every ACTION, there is an equal and opposite REACTION

How it Works
When your midfoot/forefoot LANDS on the ground, the technology's four external actuator lugs are pressed into hollow chambers inside the shoe's midsole via an elastic membrane (ACTION). This movement absorbs shock.

As you LEVER inside the shoe, the lugs release their stored energy and propel you forward through a burst of energetic return (REACTION) from the Action/Reaction Technology™. You then LIFT your knee and begin a new stride.

Most running shoes use various forms of air, gel, foam or plastic to counteract the foot's impact and response with the ground. But none of these materials capture and return energy like our Action/Reaction Technology™. With independent laboratory testing, 9 US Patents (other US and foreign patents pending), two Ironman World Championships, numerous world records and personal records, Newton Running shoes are superior to any other running shoe technology. http://www.newtonrunning.com/

The only downside to these shoes is they are the ugliest shoes I have ever laid eyes on. Check out that hot baby poop green accent. If I ever have to do correctional work on the highway these shoes will complete the outfit.

One weekend down, seven more to go! Run, eat, run, sleep, run, eat......REPEAT!