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Fuji Trail + Gold Lake Trail

June 8, 2013 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 80? Not too hot...

Comments:
Spent the morning working on the June column (The Brain/Central Governor! It'll be a good one), did strength, sat around...

I was all packed and ready for this last long run, the idea being a Fuji/Maiden double, like BGD/I did during Waldo "camp" last year. But I waited for things to heat up. I also waited, wondering if I might delay it 'til the next day....I still felt very heavy. But, around noonish, I decided to go for it, and packed up the car.

On the 75min drive up, had the heat on - not a ton, but it was warm in there. Drove past the Waldo Road and onto Gold Lake Road. I figured I could "ice bath" in the lake afterward if I parked there. Actually parked at the Maiden TH, and took off for there. I decided to do Fuji first, do that up/down, then do Maiden and that big loop around to the Finish.

Felt very tired and stiff on the first 3/4mi, from the TH down to Gold Lake, then the connector trail back to Waldo Rd. Started shuffling up the Fuji trail. On that initial climb-up, there were several downed trees - maybe 20 - in that first 2 miles, before it climbed up to the next "plateau".

While the downed trees disappeared, SNOW took its place. F. Slow level, as it turned out, was about 6K'. By the time I got to the lakes (Birthday, Verde), the trail was 90% snow. I kept running, though. But after the 10th post-hole, including one where I actually twisted my right knee (thankfully no "PAAAAAP!"), I resigned to walking all the snow.

So there I was, slow-hiking uphill on snow, the HR maybe around 100. Ughz. The snow kept getting shittier. I thought it could be fine when the trail opened up, but that could be another mile. So I said, "Fuck it", and turned back. Another good 40min of straight walking - even then, it was hard not to post-hole. Fuck.

Things were runnable again past the lakes. Just past that, on my way down, I came across a guy I passed and chatted for a bit. He had about a dozen sleighbells on his walking stick and pants, which was funny.

About a half-mile later, it was back to dry trail (and downed trees), but the stride felt GOOD. Felt really efficient and smooth on this downhill.

By the time I got back to Gold Lake (1/2 mile from the car), I'd gone maybe 8 miles in nearly two hours. Fuck. Deuced at the CG, then decided that I'd run a couple miles on the Gold Lake Trail, to at least get double digits. Ran up trail, feeling OK, but progressively more fatigued. It was a little more warm but really no problems. Ran into more downed trees. Thought I'd run 'til I saw Mt Ray Trail (2mi, per the sign?), but I ran for 21:00 up trail and saw nothing, so I turned back. Felt OK on the return, but sluggish on the dirt road back to the car, reminiscent of pacing duties at Waldo last year!

You could say that this run was a total bust. In some ways, it was. But what I thought early on was, "This snow and these downed trees are good - it's going to keep my intensity down". I know I'm still really tired. That said, maybe this was a blessing to NOT run long and hard!

A few skeeters milling around at the car, so I hopped in right away and rolled down the hill. Had the heat on 100% full blast and it didn't even feel that hot. Stopped at Brewers Union for an English pint, then hopped in the car for the drive to EUG - heat full blast again.

I had - and have - thoughts about re-doing the long run today, but I'm not going to. I'm done. I wish I could've had a more motivating, quality "last run", but I have to have faith and trust that I'm super-fit and that I don't *need* a beastly long, steep, hot/cold run to prove that.

At this point, my biggest fear is to make the mistake SO many guys make: going into WS worn-out and over-trained, then flat-out suffering for it (and have AJW be right, needing a headlamp at the River!). It would ruin that day. That said, I want to be 110% rested, even if that extra 10% means a dip in my fitness. Yet...I don't think that will happen, should I keep up with my awesomely successful short-distance work (e.g track, tempos).

Watched "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" back at home (WS prep!), then read a whole bunch out of "Lore of Running" before bed. Pretty good day.