The Desert Tortoises, which at this point could be known as the Ragner 9, will get together exactly one month from Wednesday. On Aug. 8, we're going to get together and run a 10K. While I would have preferred to have found an actual race, we're going to run 6.2 miles to determine our potential pace times and sort out the relay race, which from then will be about two months away.
I want to show well on that day and in the Ragnar Relay itself and I know the whole ordeal will be demanding, from the training to the race and the logistics of it all. It's all tough... good, but tough.
But I'm going to try my best to train for this in sections. First, I'm going to try and get to Aug. 8 in as great shape as possible. It's kind of a downer though because from Aug. 10-14 I'll be in Mexico City for work (just a solo trip this time) so I'm not sure how much running I'll be getting in down there. I don't even know where I'm staying at yet. But after the Tortoises get together, then I'll begin the second and more difficult part of the process, which is to throw in some longer runs, as in double-digit runs, as well as some other types of runs I'm not looking forward to.
The first is a pre-dawn run. If I'm going to run in the middle of the night, I think I should train in the middle of the night, at least once. I've thought about possibly setting my alarm for 2 a.m. and getting out of bed and running four miles. I dread the thought of that but I think I need something like that.
Another run is a second run, as in a day. Train hard in the morning, well, train as usual in the morning but also throw in a second run in the day. Makes sense, since I'll have to do that anyway. Maybe I could run a six-mile run in the morning, run two or three easy miles in the late afternoon and get my butt out of bed in the middle of the night to complete the cycle. Ouch!
But that's still a long time coming. I've got lots of things to keep me busy from now until then. One of them is the local running group. I'm set to head out there and see what it's all about. The only problem is that A) I'll be tired, got a late night of work on Saturday that I'm not really looking forward to and B) I've got to be in Phoenix by 1 or 1:30 P.M. Sunday, and I have to drive there. Luckily the first meeting only requires you to run one mile, and I actually have no worries about that. It's just the lack of sleep I'll have and then the time crunch I'll face in heading out to the Valley of the Sun. It's about a four and a half hour drive, so I'll need to be on the road by about 8 or 9 Sunday morning.
Anyway, the Lopers will also help me in my running. I've no idea how just yet but I know I will benefit from it, so my training plan for the Ragnar will likely be influenced by them as well.
3 comments:
It sounds intense, just thought of getting up at 2 am and running is enough to make anyone tired!
I've run at 4:30 am and it was one of my all time favorite runs. The neighborhood is sleeping and the whole world is quiet. All you hear is the thump thump thump of the sound of your feet hitting pavement and the rhythmic cycle of your breaths. It was very therapeutic and meditative. I should do it more often. But at 2:00am, nah...I'll leave that to you!
That's a lot of training! It definitely sounds demanding!
My son is intrigued by the Ragnar Relay (he runs track). He asked me to tell you that he would love a chance to design a logo for your shirts when you settle on a name (for free, of course!!). He's interested in graphic design and would enjoy having a new project to work on. If you've already lined something else up, I totally understand. You can leave a comment on my blog and let me know.
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