Run

• 56m 03s
• 3.64 miles
• 15m 24s /Mi

Gambril State Park
Ran the blue Catoctin trail. Still trying to run as many sections of it as I can to prepare for the 50K. Today's section was pretty brutal. A long rocky descent then a climb with a little better surface. Made it to the yellow trail and ran a bit of the combined blue/yellow before I hit the 30 min and turned around. Pretty big neg split mostly due to the difference in surface. The initial descent was too rocky to actually run. The return descent was quad crushing but runnable. There were 3 or 4 places today where someone just looking down and not paying a lot of attention could have gone off trail. I am definately getting better at following the blazes and feeling much more comfortable with the idea that I might actually be able to do this race without becoming totally lost. Registration is tomorrow!

Found a trail marathon in Roanoke for this Sunday so will adjust my workouts for the next two days. It looks like fun, has a 1000 foot climb at mile 18. Wow!

Bike

• 20m
• 5.00 miles
• -----

Warm up prior to p90x leg workout

Run

• 1h 00m
• 6.00 miles
• 10m /Mi

Worman's mill hood after work
Not very motivated to do this but made myself go out. Then I almost bailed several times, even ran by the house at just over thirty minutes but talked myself into going just a bit farther. Eventually I hit the house just as the watch beeped six miles and right at an hour. For a lot of reasons I get an atta boy for this run.

Sport

• P90X Legs & Back
• 1h 00m

Swim

• 51m
• 2400.00 yards
• 02m 07s /100 yards

ft Detrick
First day in outdoor pool
Was looking forward to wearing my wetsuit but it was so hot all weekend that the outdoor pool was actually warmer than the indoor pool is. Always forget how enjoyable swimming outdoors is. Times posted in the outdoor pool will always be a touch fast cuz the pool is 33 yards. So every 100 yards is only 99 which means today I was 24 yards short. There is also one less turn required per 100.

Bike

• 20m
• 5.00 miles
• -----

K Factor on trainer
Decided to just get the blood moving a bit after work. I am so out of cycling shape that 20min and I'm in a full sweat and I promise that I'm working but not THAT hard. Should have gotten the bike put on the trainer months ago and I would probably have done many of these mini sessions.

Run

• 3h 57m
• 20.00 miles
• 11m 51s /Mi

C&O Canal from Brunswick
When I left the house this morning I was thinking maybe 10. I knew it was going to be hot so I took a lot of water and ice. Knew I'd be doing out and backs to refill water. Even with it being hot I took way more water then I needed for 10 miles. Maybe subconsously I knew I was going to go long. The thought couldn't have been buried too deep in my mind cuz it surfaced during the first mile. Very soon after I started I began thinking of doing 20 and I didn't have to think very hard on it.
Miles 9 & 10 were tough but today was one of those runs where you feel horrible and just go through the mental checklist to figure out what is wrong, fix it, and move on. I did a very good job of that today. Made it through that rough spell and felt good throughout the rest of the run.
Was very surprised how muddy the trail was today. Going out past the campground was horrible. The other direction was better but still muddy. Wore one of my new pairs of Gel Kayano's so they got well initiated, but they felt great.
No back pain again! Hurray for spinal injection!
Very pleaeed with a 20 miler two days after a hard 25 mile single track run.

Run

• 1h 01m 40s
• 4.06 miles
• 15m 11s /Mi

Catoctin trail
Decided to try to find a new section of this trail today. Took a wrong turn on the first attempt and finally found it on the second attempt but it took a long time to finally get there. However, it was a beautiful drive up a dirt mountain road. Once I started running I quickly discovered that I am much more fatigued from yesterday's run then I thought I was. Decided to just try to hang on for 30 minutes out and then turn around and head back. Only seen two miles of new trail but it was relatively runnable (for Catoctin) with only one trail intersection that was very clearly marked. Check off four miles of the Cat 50K where I should be OK.

Run

• 4h 59m 19s
• 24.50 miles
• 12m 13s /Mi

Prince William State Park, Quantico Virginia
Practice run for the oss/cia 50 mile night run to be held on June 23rd. Definately wanted to see this trail during daylight so when the race director sent out an email that they would be doing a practice run I jumped at the opportunity.
Had a great time today. A great group of people and beautiful trail. This will definately be a challenge to make the time cut-offs running this at night but it is doable. Since I had no idea how to follow the trail today I had to stay with the group which meant I was not able to do a run/walk interval. Since I'm used to such short intervals (3:1) it makes it a bit hard to push all the way through a run this long. We did walk the uphills. The group ended up splitting into three groups. I was in the middle group and ran point for the group most of the day. I am actually much more comfortable running out front then I am following. The two guys that were with me were very good about not making me feel pressured to pick up the pace or press harder.
Craig is in France so the plan was for me to run this today and then we would go back in two weeks and do it again so he can see the trails. Nice idea but there is NO way I could follow those trails without someone who knows the trails well. I'd be lost in 10 minutes.

Swim

• 43m 19s
• 1968.50 yards
• 02m 12s /100 yards

ft Detrick
Last day for indoor pool,

Next up 25mile training run on the OSS/CIA trails of the 50 mile night run. Anxious to get a chance to run these trails in the daylight before I tackle them at night.