Post-50k

I'll just pretend I've been updating this all along and begin in medias res. Last week I ran the Texas Trail Runs 50k at Huntsville State Park. It was fine. I finished, my groin didn't implode, and the toenail I jammed into a fat root at mile fourteen hasn't fallen off yet. I was more concerned about the fate of H and the kids at home than I was about anything related to my own race (they fared well, of course). I had hoped it would feel easier, though. Really, it should have felt easier since it was meant to be a long training run and not a goal race. I finished in 5:58 (which involved much scurrying in the final mile to make sure the clock didn't strike 6:00). That's about average for my 50k efforts so far, but all of those races were on much tougher courses, with actual hills. There was some piteous walking between miles 20 and 25, but I picked it up a lot over the last three miles. I was ready to be finished. I wanted to collect my finisher's hoodie before they ran out of my size, and I could hear the voices of two chatty women not far behind me. Although I was feeling lazy, I wasn't lazy enough to let two women pass me. Guys, sure; I let a few men go by with impunity.

While I was running, I had pretty much made my mind up not to run Rocky Raccoon in February. 50k felt very far; 50 miles seemed impossibly farther. I barely ran in the two weeks preceding the race because of groin pain, which was a pretty sizable hiccup in my training. But now I'm back on the fence. If my pelvic stuff doesn't flare up too much, and I'm able to get in a few more weekend runs, I might be fine. Or not. I don't know. Oddly, I'm finding it harder to get away for runs as the kids get older; I thought it would get easier.

I ran 10 easy miles with a friend this morning on the roads. I should probably run tomorrow, but I'll be busy watching the kids jump themselves silly (during what's supposed to be nap time) at a party at the inflatable place. Maybe Huck will finally exhaust himself into a good night's sleep--but that's a story for another blog.