2017 hasn’t really gone the way I’d hoped thus far in my own personal running department. I half heartedly trained for my third attempt at the Barkley Marathons and since lost some valuable motivation amongst some other stressors I’ve previously written about.
I wanted to update on where things have been the past three weeks, as it has been markedly different. I jump started my recent training binge with a Sunday evening 13 mile trail run capping off an 18 mile week. I hurt and was sore the next day as I put in another 12 that day. This all led into the following weekend where I ran 76 miles over three days along the Western States 100 course.
That first week I ran 80 miles, then stepped up to 88 miles the following seven day span. I also cracked 100 miles in a seven day stretch ending that Saturday. I was off and running.
Of course, this gave me an unrealistic mental trajectory thinking I could move up to a 100 mile week. My body had different plans.
I still got in 65, but the miles were long and difficult and a lingering pain in my left foot told me to take the pedal off the gas.
As I look ahead, I’m hoping to continue the trend of at least one day off per week and listening to my body as I am now less than 5 weeks to my next race and my fourth time  running the Hardrock Hundred.