MMTR 50 Prerace Thoughts (writen at 10pm before the race)

I was going to write this yesterday after my structural geology midterm, when I was frustrated at everything and taking my aggression out in a passive and unhealthy way. I had it all worked out in my head, “Sometimes the best taper involves hurting your ankle, not running for a week, and screwing up a midterm so bad you may lose 60 points from one annotated diagram...it seems to build up the most aggression, which I will not unleash on the trail.” But then I decided to stop having  a pity party for myself and just run. I knew it was Thursday, I knew I had 50ish miles to run Saturday, I knew my ankle was still in a lot of awkward pain, but gosh darn it sometimes when it seems like your life is falling apart in almost every way you just have to run. So I tore out of my bed, slammed my laptop (that had Gilmore Girls playing on it) closed, and laced up. I was gonna run to the gym, bust up the abs class (of course a 45 minute core workout two days out is a perfect idea, right? Right!), and run the long way back home. That planned proved to be the most ingivorating and revitalizing 3 miles anyone has ever run ever. EVER.

And that was when I realized how much running means to be in all aspects of my life.

I love running. It felt so good. I was renewed, the sidewalk alone the edge of campus filled with bus exhaust and bewildered freshmen became my euphoria. I was literally laughing out loud it felt so splendid.

I then proceeded to finish out my Thursday night by watching the middle of Unbreakable and then making deer burgers, kale, and beets for dinner with Fletcher, and passed out asleep before the AM hours.

Then today came. I woke up in a panic because it was 8:03am and I hadn’t finished my differential equations homework or mineralogy lab. But then I remembered it was THE FRIDAY BEFOR MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST!!!!!!! Why wasn’t that getting me excited…..because I had to go to math at 9am and geoscience fundamentals at 12:45pm…I’d have to pack and get gels and cut my toenails (TMI sorry but that’s the truth) after class at 2:30pm in a rush because I hadn’t had time to pack all week because of exams and labs and blah blah blah life life life… but it all fit together and I was mildly stoked by the time class let out and I was pedaling as fast as possible back home! I literally trew all my running clothes in my backpack and went to buy gels from Frank but I didn’t have enough money because I’m a poor college student (just kidding) so I payed him 8 dollars in 1’s and like 23 pennies and he spotted me the rest. Then I sped to pick my lovely friend KELLY SUMMERS! up and we had a blast driving hereJ

(Even though it took us 3 hours because traffic was so bad)But we made it, crazy college times and all. It’s hard to take 19 credits, run ultras, work, and balance healthy relationships, but making it all work is the best and life is totally perfect right now in every way.

So we ate pasta and listened to Clark and Horton talk about this special 30^th running (omg!) and with a “one to three TEAM!” from us Hokie Ultrarunners, we all dispersed off to our evening accommodations. And now it is 10:30pm (can’t sleep) and I am chillin in bed in my hotel room getting PUMPED to run my 2^nd Masochist on it’s 30^th year.

Goals:

Realistic time goal given the conditions: 9:30, break my 50 miler PR of 9:36 (Cheat Mtn ’12)
Lofty goal: sub 9 would be sick!!!

FINISH LYNCHBURG ULTRA SERIES 2012 IN ONE PIECE AND HAVE AN AWESOME TIME FROLICING IN THE WOODS AKA MY HOME!!!!!!!

See ya at the start line! (p.s. this probs won’t be posted til after the race but whatevsss, gotta capture these prerace jitters!)