Ready or Not, Time to Taper!

Time's up!

Today was the last long run before the HURT 100. It feels a little odd to even write that right now, because I'm not sure if I'm truly ready for this challenge or not. But hey: ready or not, our big mileage is in, and now it's time to heat train and taper.

We'd planned to go 50+ miles today, as a final loooong run, but that didn't end up happening. Sarah and I headed out for a first loop at 6 am, and then Kristel (yes the same awesome runner who took 3rd place in her very first 100-mile race) would join us for three hours starting at 9:30, and then Sarah and I would head out again on our own to get in more miles, and more vertical feet.

It didn't end up happening that way. We did have a lot of fun...

Kristel helped us get the miles in!

Ashley, Sarah & Roo, on our last long run before the HURT 100!

...and then my hip flexor really started to bother me.

Coming down from Arthur's Rock it felt like some kind of tender sinew was being grated away by the sharp bone underneath. Is that what was happening? I don't know; I am not a medical professional. But that's definitely what it felt like. So we cut the run short, after about 6 hours on the trail. I came home and iced my hip for a while, and tried not to worry about it.

I'm still trying not to worry about it. I'm giving it a few days' rest, and will then start heat training at the gym. I'm confident in all the training we've done, and I am sure all our climbing is going to help us face the challenge of the HURT trails. But will it be enough? Only time will tell. Ready or not, it's time to taper.

See you on the trail!