Crunch time

Sawtooth is a little over seven full weeks out. Crunch time.

When I ran it in 2011, I had two 50K's and a 50 miler under my belt by the end of July. That won't be happening this year due to circumstances far more important than 100 miles through the woods.

That said, I feel more confident in myself now than I did in 2011. My legs feel strong and muscular, my torso and hip girdle carry better and further and my shoe choice is far superior to what it has been. The New Balance 110's are about the perfect trail shoe, putting my MT10's to shame, traction wise. The latter still have the best shape and last of anything out there.

As usual, I haven't run as many miles as I had hoped. - 665 (recorded) YTD miles, 375 of those since May 1 when I got my 5 AM's back. I'll probably need to get lucky to hit 1,000 prior to toeing the line. But I have done more speed work and been happy with the runs I have been able to do. Longer tempo runs feel good, and I've hit a few marathon pace runs of longer distances that have carried me through a workout.

I have also gotten into the proverbial flow, vibe, etc. many more times this summer than I can remember. All of a sudden, I'm running on fresh legs, rejuvenated while far from home, and picking up the pace only to hold steady until I reach my front door.

The only thing left now is to do race-specific training i.e. hills, trails, hiking, and long, slow distance. Weekends belong to the 20 mile run, and weekdays belong to the hills that lead me out of my river valley. Everything else training wise just needs to fade away (speed work) or maintain (core and hips).

I don't have a specific time goal for Sawtooth, as I am going to run to be comfortable and not let my mind wander with the clock. I'm confident in my ability to maintain forward momentum without an LED glow pulling my eyes toward it. The goal is to finish, everything else be damned.

But I'd like to run sub-32:00 or sub-30 - both of which I think I'm capable with a smart, controlled run. I need to get to the nighttime, control the darkness, and push on at the new light. Simple, right?