Peak week happened!

So yesterday we ran 28 miles, wow! Huh, I don't think I ever explained what I was traning for. People are probably thinking I'm crazy. I probably am. The race is called the Red Mountain 50K. It started six years ago, taking its second year off because of lack of sponsorship, I think. It was back on the third year and has steadily grown since then. I am the last person to have done it every year so I feel a responsibility to keep doing it. The 50K is an amazing race and is really well put together. For those of you who are baffled by the distance, it is 31 miles. Yes, that's an ultramarathon. Like I said, it's an amazing race. Sometime I'll tell you about the year it was sabotaged and people got lost.

Anyway, back to yesterday. We literally ran like half of the county. It was a great run. No matter how well prepared you are for it, the upper miles seem to beat you up a bit. My husband was really struggling toward the end but I've decided that it's because he just doesn't have enough recovery time for his body to fully recover, between work and training. Our planning was a little crazy too. Our last mile and a half was uphill. I should have thought that one through a little better. We have discovered how much we really like coconut water on a long run. It's available readily now at convenient stores, mostly in the Naked brand but some carry it in brand specifically marketed to Spanish speaking individuals. Any brand is great. Coconut water is naturally high in electrolytes and its light flavor is refreshing.

I read an article about a year and a half ago when I was in a sports medicine class that cited a research study done in Europe. It said that consuming non-alcoholic beer after a long run can actually be good for a runner. It has to be non-alcoholic but it's true. Non-alcoholic beer is high in polyphenols that can help to boost a compromised immune system do to building for a race. Its alchoholic counterpart doesn't work because of the dehydrating affect of alcohol. Needless to say, my brother and husband couldn't wait to get done so they could drink their O'Douls. I can't stand the smell of the stuff so I don't drink it Chocolate soymilk is my recovery drink of choice. My brother has been fighting a cold so he was especially looking forward to it.

Well, we did it. We made it through peak week and even did it right! Next week we'll taper and continue for a few more weeks. Then, it's race day, the day we've been working toward since January.

Thanks for checking back with me and come check back again soon. Have a good one!