Hard to believe it’s come already! Tonight as I try to wrap up some work-related activities, I keep getting up to gather my things for my (ultra-)marathon road-trip!
After work tomorrow Helen and I will set out for yet another running trip together. I’ll admit that the experience of traveling someplace is all part of the joy of it. I have my cooler and the marathon toaster all ready to go, along with bagels, peanut butter, bananas and gatorade.
My goal is 7 hours for the 50K (I did notice that gmap-pedometer only shows it as 28 miles…). Judging by race results of past years, this doesn’t seem overly aggressive, but I don’t want to push myself too hard. When I attempted the Buckeye Trail Winter 50K several years ago, I finished the marathon distance in just over 6 hours. The only 50K I’ve completed took me 8:02. Therefore, I think that a one hour PR is a perfectly acceptable goal 
I will assume that like the Winter version of this race, there will be pb&j sandwiches at rest stops. I’m also bringing along trail mix, gu, jolt energy mints (which I’ve never tried before…) and protein bars. I’ll have my camelbak to carry it all.
The weather on Saturday is for a high of 88F, so I’m already anticipating it will be a shorts and sports bra day. Especially with the camelbak on, I anticipate being rather warm. I did pick up sunscreen, bugspray and a disposable camera, so I think I’m set!
The one thing I’m trying not to think about too much is the lack of reference to drop bags. At the Winter run, we did loops and passed the starting point, so I dropped a jacket at one point and swapped shoes at another. For the Crown King Scramble, we labeled bags and they magically appeared at the point we requested. In this case with the course being an out-and-back, it seems I’m stuck with whatever I start with!
I have a lot on my mind lately with work and some other initiatives going on, and I’m really looking forward to the time outside. I anticipate I’ll be like a new person at the end of it — perhaps a dehydrated, slightly sore person, but a new one!
p.s. Edmonton marathon is exactly a month away!
