Unprepared

I've really enjoyed my recent 5k training. I've loved those fast track workouts. Love the 37 or 38 second 200m and 75 second 400m repeats. Running fast is fun. And the 5k training has paid off with a drastic reduction in my 5k PR. I went from 18:29 to 17:46. Forty-three seconds is a large chunk to chop off of a 5k time. What's crazy is that I really believe I could chop off at least 30 more seconds if I specifically trained for a 5k for the next few months. 5:25 per mile doesn't seem as crazy fast as it once did. And there is just something about racing a 5k. You can take silly risks because if it doesn't work out, you can race another 5k next weekend! It's a fun, no pressure, let it all hang out kind of a race. I used to despise the 5k, but now I view it as fun, plain and simple fun.

But I don't think that's the best preparation for a 50 miler.

It has dawned upon me that I have signed up for a race this weekend for which I am unprepared. I mean, I've known for a while that Saturday, November 19 would arrive. I just haven't done very much to get ready. Since I skipped the fall marathon this year, I let my buddy Matt talk me into signing up for this.

So here is my Dizzy Fifties race day strategy... Run the first 5k comfortably. Then, hang on for the next 46.9 miles. If it's too miserable at 50k, just stop running and get a 50k finisher's award.

Also, I'm focused on a March 3, 2012 marathon, so I'm just running through Dizzy Fifties. I'm not tapering and I'm continuing to do my marathon prep. Today I did a warm up with 6 strides, 5 tempo miles (6:15 pace), and a cool down with 4 strides for 10 miles total.

And maybe I'm not as unprepared as I think... I've had a few 75 mile weeks, and an 85 mile week. But no single run has been over 17 miles. We'll see. I should have learned from last year that you can't fake your way through a 50 miler, but I'm going to try again this year.