I think I can do it...

Saturday was Tough Mudder.  Similar to last year, but somehow we took almost 4 hours.  I guess we did wait more at the obstacles, etc. for team members to catch up.  Not a lot, but I guess a couple minutes at each one adds up.

Most memorable for me was standing on that 15' platform and hearing 3,2,1 and somehow figuring I just had to take that jump off to the trapeze bar ahead, then somehow I got it, hung on and reached the bell on the other side before dropping to the water below.  I have no problem climbing or standing on that platform, but the idea of jumping off is not something my body wants to do and that dang bar was just insane...  But I did it somehow!

Also, don't let Mike pick a log saying "yeah, we want the biggest one you got, that 400+lb one!" especially when he didn't realize we had to take it down into a gulley, through a couple walls and some mud and back out again!

I made it up the monkey bars and somehow grabbed the trapeze bar, but completely failed to reach the lengthwise pipe on the other side.

But in all it went pretty well.  That said, I did find myself again thinking that I didn't necessarily care about the rest of the races this year...

BUT...  I woke a bit tired on Sunday, but actually feeling pretty well...  Yeah, I had a few scrapes and cuts, but mentally and physically I was feeling overall better/more capable...

So Monday I headed out for a 16 miler and wore my thicker NB Minimus Trail Zero V2's.  Supposedly minimal, but there's WAY more shoe to them.  So I have the good and bad...  I've lost my ground feel, but my feet which are still a bit off/on with lingering pains to a degree also don't seem to be getting much negatives from it...  So I can plow over my rocky road and not even notice golf ball sized rocks wherever they end up...  As long as I don't end up going stupid it should be OK.
Although the other double sided part is that since they don't fit like a glove, I ended up with a nice blister in my (lack of) arch on my left foot after maybe 6 miles in.  I stopped back at the garage around mile 9 and wrapped it with some electrical tape.  It survived.

But in all, I felt quite good at the end of that 16 mile run...

And Tuesday's 6.5 mile run was a bit more rough, I still think it's doable...


And looking at the calendar...

Basically, it will all be done one way or the other in 2 months and a week...

-Howard 5K this weekend

-22 Miler Monday(let's hope that goes well...  I should probably think about a paved route for that one...)

-A 16 miler the following Monday which will be taper week for 8.5 mile Hardcore Mudd Run Saturday and 13.5 mile Dam Good Trail Race Sunday....  I think I'm going to consider that pretty close to the 24 mile run that would otherwise be for the following Monday...

-Another 16 mile the next week which leads to the Spartan College Classic.


--POOF...  1 month and the bunch of "smaller" races is done...

-So...  basically 26 miles of suck the Monday after Spartan and we're done worrying...  3 weeks of taper.

Then October bops in and we do 26 flat paved miles...  Guess I'll aim for the 4:40 pacer and see how it goes...

Then Green Monster the following weekend at a decent walking pace overall and I made it!


I can do this...