For this week, I set a record in number of massages per week (with two) and managed to run less than 4 hours total. I also did a couple gym sessions with cross-training cardio, strength and core work, and heat training. Ok, to be honest, my heat training hasn't been more than running with extra clothes on and sitting in the sauna! I'm confident that it's the right approach for now though -- plus, I'll be upping my sauna time in the weeks leading up to the race. If anything, I'm certainly acclimated to modesty-averse European saunas now! My long-run on Sunday was an incredibly short two hours -- which actually does feel like a short-run these days! It was very, very hilly though. I climbed up the Albisberg, my favorite hill near Zürich and ran along the range to the famous Uetliberg. This makes for a nice 90 minutes of mostly up and I couldn't resists capping it off with a run up the tower.
Great views of Zürich from the top ...
The final shot shows the range where I do nearly all of my trail running -- from left center to right center (and then off-screen). This is the Albisberg -- it runs parallel to Lake Zürich on the western shore.
In one month I'll be running through the Sahara. It hardly seems possible. My training and form is close, but not there yet. Every night I study list after list of things that I need to pack, to calculate (calories per day), to buy, to remember, and to do. I'm still not sure which shoes I'll run in, when and how I'll find someone to sew the gaiters on (in German!), how I'll fit everything in my backpack, if I have purchased enough food and sports supplements, if I can find my compass, etc. All I know is that on March 26th I'll catch a train to Geneva, where I'll board a flight to Ouarzazate, Morocco. Before that, I'll surely have sorted the rest out. The beautiful moment will be when I've completed my sign-in the day before the race and it'll just be me, my new comrades, and the desert -- no lists, no Blackberry, no action items or to-dos, no pressing decisions to make -- just the result of months of preparation, a strong will, and a great sense of support from those afar and with me in the desert.
Thanks for your great comments and emails after my last post. Your support has been amazing and really helps me at those tough moments when I'm alone in the mountains facing tough conditions and looking for inspiration to push me along.
I hope your March is off to a great start and that you're finding equal bliss in your pursuits.
All the best,
Jeff
3 comments:
I still can't believe how a 2-hour run seems "short" to you now. I'll never forget how you couldn't even jog a half-mile with me right after we got married. What a change! And I'm so proud of you for making it :)
That video is a hoot! If you need any Euro sauna tips, I'm a real pro. We're thinking about you and are with you in spirit during every second of your loooooong runs. So proud of you!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work! Stay the course. quack, quack;)
PS. Thanks for letting us "join" you along the journey thru your blog!
Great job Chef! It's hard to imagine that it's only a few short weeks away..... At least you won't be running UP hill all of the way. Oh, but there is the desert....
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