Thursday, October 8, 2009

Going All The Way

When I started this running thing I had a plan: marathons one year, 50k the next, 50 miles after that and so on... If I followed this plan I would get to the distance of all distances, the 100 miler in 4 years or so, probably well prepared and well trained. One thing I forgot about when I thought about this plan was that I usually don't follow plans.

I've been thinking about my life and health alot this last week as my mom was having some heart problems and had triple bypass surgery yesterday morning. She has diabetes, is overweight, and has heart disease. It was the same with her mom. So the events of the past week got me thinking about my health, how much I love running and how it's changed my life. It's been a pretty stressful week leading up to the surgery and getting out there in the forest, and running with a friend was a saviour. I want to stop this cycle for myself but mostly for my daughter. I plan on doing this by staying active, not smoking, and running. A lot.

Which brings me back to the plan. Now that this years' season is coming to an end I'm starting to think about next year... which actually got me thinking about the year after that... In the Midwifery program I am actually only in classes for the first year and a half. The final two and a half years (including the summer of 2014) I will be in clinical placements, where I will be on call, well, all the time. So training for ultras could get to be a bit complicated when you have to go to a birth and your 30k deep in the forest. So I'm thinking my plan is going to have to get fast tracked. It just makes sense training wise as I'll have more time (never enough time) to get the miles in. In the spring and summer I can get a 50K and a 50 miler in there, then go all the way at the end of the summer, or fall as I would love Haliburton to be the one, but I'm going to have to think about that one since Hali is a bit of a tough course.
So there. I've said it. I want to do 100 miles in 2010. I still can't believe I'm saying this out loud. I guess I should tell my husband.

5 comments:

  1. So what did your husband say? 100 miles scares me - I an thinking of 50 for next year and then see how I feel before I commit to 100. But it has to be Haliburton - it is such a special place.

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  2. haha! I still haven't talked to him about it. The 100 mile scares me too. Once I see the OUSer schedule for next year, I can plan a little better. I will see if I can do a 50 miler early on in the spring and go from there.
    ...Yeah, it really does have to be in Halburton.

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  3. Sorry to hear about your mom. Hopefully she will be fine. My dad had a triple bypass a few years back (he's still fine, although still smoking like a chimney. Moron.) and I have similar feelings about running.

    This was my first year running ultras and had a similar plan. I did a few 50ks, the Sulphur 50 miler but I just couldn't take it up that final notch, to a training mileage that would have allowed me to run 100 miles at Haliburton. I don't think I was ready mentally either. Next year though, I want that Haliburton buckle.

    Good luck with the training.

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  4. Ya know your post title is "Gong all the way" - not "Going" - was this a little Gong Show Freudian slip?

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  5. haha! No that was a typo, although I was considering leaving it.

    JD: It's a rough go. She had a heart attack Feb. '08 but kept eating badly and not exercising... hopefully this time.
    Getting the mileage in is definitley going to be the trick...We'll see.

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