Weekly Totals: 48.36 miles (of running) and 13,196 feet of vert
Reflection: I started the week feeling a bit wrecked but took an extra rest day that helped me recover so well. It was very nice to get out on one of my favorite bike rides up Hyalite and I felt really strong on all my vert at the end of the week. After 9 consecutive M laps I finally felt like I was getting my climbing legs back. It’s about time! Power hour on my second long run was a confidence boost that I can still run hard on tired legs and getting to volunteer as course sweep with Twig at the end of the week was a nice end cap.
Monday
6x6minute hills @ Waterworks in Missoula: 7.64 miles and 1,611 feet
Notes: It was hard for me to do a hill workout somewhere new. I went here on the suggestion of my friend Alice and it was a great spot but being unfamiliar with it I just didn’t know when I was going to run out of a hill or how steep anything was going to be. The Foothills trail in Bozeman is almost exclusively where I have done all of my hill work for the past two years and it is going to be sorely missed. Anyways, this was a great workout, I had to walk a tiny bit on the steep parts of the last couple reps.
Tuesday
1 hour EZ with Twig on the Foothills: 3.94 miles and 1,066 feet
Notes: For some reason I waited way too long to get out the door and it was HOT by the time we got to the trailhead. My body felt like crap and Twig was obviously very hot as well. We took it extra easy, I took many breaks to try and give her water. We turned around early at the fence and went to Bridger Creek for Twig to cool off after. My shins were kind of hurting and it made me a little nervous.
Hyalite Bike Ride Cross Train: 19.54 miles and 1,522 feet of vert
Notes: I suck at riding a bike but getting to go up Hyalite road when it is closed to cars for a month is such a treat. I would have been doing this more but the weather has not been conducive. This ride is one of my favorite Bozeman springtime traditions.
Wednesday
45 minute road run: 4.82 miles and flat
Notes: Ever since running my half marathon I’ve been focusing on trails as much as I can which is very nice and translates directly to my 100 mile race. Since I’m not great at running uphills and everything is a hill around here it feels like I haven’t been doing much actual running lately. This road run was so refreshing and I love getting the chance to wear my cushy Nike road shoes. The shoes have really changed the road game for me lately. I think the Half Marathon forced me to make peace with the roads for a little while. This run was refreshing and I never thought I would say that about a road.
Thursday
Extra Rest Day!
Notes: The only time I left the house today was to walk Twig. It was such a good recovery day. I really needed this to get to my long run tomorrow.
Friday
9 M Laps – 5 hour long run: 17.57 miles and 7,293 feet
Notes: I was sad that it snowed a good bit overnight when I had beautiful trails to run on all week. I went to the M because I knew I could get significant vert there and I invited some friends to join. Twig did 4 laps with me and Louise did one. This is the most M laps I have ever done consecutively and it actually felt really good. I’m trying to get at least 100 lifetime efforts on the M before I move from Bozeman. This knocked out a good chunk of that. Something about running in circles is a little bit addicting. It was interesting to see the trail change over the course of 5 hours. First it was snow filled, then a mud river, then it almost drained off. My feet were wet the entire time. I would have loved to do one more but I had to go home and get ready for work.
Saturday
3 hours with Power Hour in the middle: 14.37 miles and 3,012 feet of vert
Notes: Started with a pavement run in my road shoes down the path to the M, changed into my trail shoes for power hour which consisted of two M laps that I PRed on, one more M lap for good measure bombing down the steep side as best I could, and then finished back up in my road shoes on the pavement again. I felt so good getting to try and go for some fast laps especially after yesterday and I was really happy to pull off some faster times on tired legs. I spent the pavement portions enjoying the new Noah Kahan album.
Sunday
Expedition 12k Course Sweep with Twig- A Hike : 7.87 miles and 1,781 feet of vert
Notes: I love to volunteer with our local community as much as I can. It was really nice that Twig could do this with me. She was attached to me at the hips via a hands free leash all day. I won’t lie it was a big struggle with her but I feel like by the end she was starting to pick up on it! We pulled all the pin flags out of the ground as we went and got to hang out with the local run store owners after over a burger at Bridger Brewing. I love the state park this race is at so much. Lewis and Clark is one of my favorite places to run.
Des Hikes Thru 