With Twin Peaks Ultra just around the corner, I am in deep do-do. Saturday I was able to squeeze in a ten mile out-and-back up Holy Jim Trail in Trabuco Canyon. It was a slow struggle up the mountain that convinced me that I’ve never been more out-of-shape or unprepared for a running event. Never! While running that long five mile uphill on Saturday, I seriously considered not running Twin Peaks on the 18th. I thought that I might just work it instead, or possibly pace another runner. I thought about this long and hard on the giant switch back often referred to as Holy Shit or Holy Cow. But my mind kept wandering over to the logistics of getting aid station workers and sweepers on and off the mountain for Chimera. What would you do? Would you show up and try a race you have no business running? Are you that crazy?
What I’ve decided is this: If I don’t make the twenty-one mile mark in six and a half hours, I’m dropping to the 50k option. Under no circumstances am I going to go onward to the fifty miles if I can’t make this time. And I won’t make this time unless some sort of miracle occurs. And so, the 50k I shall attempt. And it will be the longest 50k I’ve ever run – that is, if I can do it. To get my sorry butt to the start line, I decided to go into Twin Peaks with this mindset: This will be my first long run getting back into shape.
In the meantime, I took in some wondrous beauty during the best ten mile out-and-back that I have: Holy Jim.
Sounds like a doable plan to me. I would probably have gone for the 50k if it was me. Having said that, I am missing a 62k race on the 25th because I am not ready. The main reason I am skipping it is that I have to fly down to Cape Town to run it and don't think it is worth traveling 1400km to run a race I am not ready for. Saving the money for next year rather.
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