Marathon Des Sables Food

Interesting suggestion for the food to carry for the week of the Marathon des Sables race:

http://blog.irunfar.com/2009/03/food-for-marathon-des-sables.html

Hiatus

Been sick for several days - too sick to even consider a run. (So, I havent run since last Saturday's long run.) I have attended yoga a couple of times this week, so I'm maintaining some sort of activity. Of course, I am in the "taper" period leading up to the Dec. 5th race, but this is more than a taper...! We'll have to see whether the sickness has really debilitated me, or if the period of rest was actually a benefit, when I get the running shoes back on (hopefully tomorrow...)

An interesting experiment on the whole tapering philosophy!

North Face Endurance 50k Prep

Now it's official: I have managed to gain entry into the North Face Endurance 50k race on December 5th!

Now, question is, have I done enough preparation at this stage to even consider running 50k (i.e. ~33 miles -- considerably more than the 26.2 miles in a marathon, my previous longest run)? I completed another 2-hour run in the Park today (translating to probably 16 miles or so...) Problem is, I'm now almost within 2 weeks of the race, so it's almost time to taper...

So, my tentative strategy for now is to attempt a very humble race -- take it as slowly as possible, walk sections if/when necessary, and do everything possible to get to the finish line without really killing myself.

Today, I also did a test-drive of my new trail running shoes, the North Face Rucky Chucky. Jury is still out -- they certainly feel rigid & seem to grip the road (though roads dont provide a real test for trail running shoes) but I can feel the extra weight, and they seemed to sap my strength a bit as the miles went by.

Mini Meals

I found an interesting menu of mini-meals (a so-called "idiots' guide"...!) They seem like an interesting way to get in some carbs (and a bit of protein too) or to replenish following a big exertion:

1 cup vanilla yogurt + 1 cup fresh fruit (60 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides over 40 percent of your daily calcium needs

1 cup orange juice + 1 banana (52 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: packs almost 200 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C

1 slice banana nut bread + 1 cup skim milk (about 45 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: gives you 25 percent of the Daily Value for calcium

1 PowerBar energy bar + 8 oz PowerBar Endurance sports drink (62 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides plenty of sodium and potassium to keep you well hydrated

Smoothie of 2 cups skim or soy milk + 1 1/2 cups strawberries + 2 Tbsp soy
protein (about 50 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contributes about 5 grams of fiber

1 1/2 cups multigrain cereal + 1 1/2 cups skim milk (54 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contains over 100 percent of the Daily Value for iron

1 bagel + 1 banana + 1 Tbsp nut butter (about 75 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides 12 grams of protein

(from active.com)

Moab Red Hot 50K!

I had a slight rush of blood to the head, and signed up for the Moab Red Hot 50K+ race in February. I've no idea at this point whether I'll be able for it, or logistically hot I'll manage it, but I'm optimistic!

Nov 10: Gaining Confidence

I'm running more, and gaining confidence (and strength, I think.) I completed the run from home (Hayes & Central in SF) all the way to Stinson Beach via the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Mill Valley and the Dipsea Trail, with only a few limited stops. Very happy with it -- fairly comfortably ran 22+ miles (though, to be completely honest, the punishing inclines in the Dipsea Trail were torturous.)

At this point, I'm not at all sure I will follow through on the commitment to do the Marathon des Sables (presuming that the opportunity actually comes up.) However, I am becoming a lot more eager to test myself on some ultra trail runs. As I said, I have already added myself to a waitlist for the North Farce Endurance Challenge 50k race on December 5th. Not sure if that's going to work out. But, failing that, I am considering the Coastal Trail Runs trail marathon the following week. This should be a similar type of race (albeit not with as much associated coolness!)