Another Easy Week

This Saturday is the Orcas Island Fat Ass. It's a 50K or a 25K. I assume that those of us doing the 25K are running the Half Ass? Would that be correct terminology? I originally added the Capital Peak run, Pigtails and Orcas as kind of holding points - not really races, not intending to do the full distance, just as something to hold my fitness level over the winter. Oh, and because Eric was going to run, and you know me, I'm not hanging around the house while he's off at a race! The funny thing is, they've turned into complete events of their own for me. They have equal value and weight to a marathon in my mind. I started out feeling intimidated by the whole trail running concept - in the woods, in the mud and in the snow. Capital Peak knocked that out of me. Then I was intimidated by the 50K distance at Pigtails. I did it, but I'm still not really relaxed about that distance. I'm excited and ready for Orcas. The 4000 foot elevation gain has me wondering - but not in a fearful way, more in a challenging way. I guess I feel the same about the Mt. Si 50K - challenged, but ready to take it on. I have a whole new confidence level.

I ran yesterday morning with the Run Club. It was another kind of first for me - I got up and taught Pilates at 6:00 am (with a focus on leg work), then hung out in the Y lobby till 8:00 when the rest of the group arrived. Jenny, Jamal and I ran - I'm guessing about five miles. I didn't give the Garmin time to catch a signal, so didn't get a distance. We were out for an hour, with a couple of good sized hills in the mix. We followed that up with coffee at Starbucks. We didn't get the whole gang out for the run or the coffee, because not everyone got the holiday off. Eric had to work, but squeezed out an hour to have coffee with us. That was the first time I ever followed Pilates with a run, and it felt just fine.

Having learned my lesson in the last two big runs, I'm going easy this week. I rested today (I had to be at work at 7:00 am) and I figure five or six miles for each of the next two days. I'm skipping the track Thursday night, and doing Pilates on Friday (minimal leg work this time). I'm going to try really hard to get at least seven hours of sleep every night. I want to go into this run rested!