Strength Training

One thing I have done differently this year is incorporate 1-2 days of leg workouts into my weekly training routine.  Sarah and I have been meeting Wednesday mornings at Global Fitness and doing a program I designed for us.  It's ass kicking!!  Lots of single leg work, proprioception, balance and power.  It was the last time we did the Two T's run (about 7 weeks of strength training) that we  both commented on how our legs normally fatigued sooner on hell hill and that the strength workouts are paying off!

Well, I hunkered down and did my last strength session before Chuckanut this morning.  I find that if I don't do it right when I arrive at the gym, my day gets busy or I prioritize work or family.  So I always feel happy when I just get it done and after my workout this morning, my legs are vibrating!!  I will pair it with the 10km tempo run again this week.  Hopefully the first half of my run will loosen the legs enough to push the 2nd half.  And if not, it's still 10k on tired legs and hanging out with the awesome PACE peps!!

I have to share a piece of inspiration from a friend of mine.  We were emailing re: my preparation for Chuckanut and the Alps and I just really appreciated his perspective in this line and thought that more people than just me could draw motivation from it:

"And honestly, there may be some serious benefit to not being fully prepared for the Nut - your "unpreparedness" for the Nut (unprepared as you may or may not be) is gonna be much like ANY day after Day 2 in the TA, right?  It'll be all about pacing, and patience, thinking ahead, and ropin' it in..."

Good stuff... good friend!  It's outlooks and support like this that make us all believe we're capable of more than we think!

(found this photo from 2006 when Trent and I ran Chuckanut together.  It was my FIRST 50k!)