Prep Day

Tomorrow is the race, and today I have to get everything ready.  I've decided to drive up tonight and sleep in the car.  This way I can sleep in tomorrow, and don't have to get up at 5am for the 3.5 hour drive.  I also soaked my feet in ice water for 20 minutes one last time, fearing the torture they will be subjected to tomorrow.

Food

• Bananas for breakfast and the night before. I want to load up on potassium to help with the soreness.
• Yogurt and granola for breakfast
• Protein powder for breakfast
• Two sugar free Powerade for after the race
• Two 20oz jars of green tea for the ride home
• Trail mix for the ride home
• Plenty of ibuprofen to reduce swelling and inflammation during the race and after
• Glucosamine, multivitamin, and fish oil supplements
• Two gallons of water

Gear for the very cold night

• Sleeping bag
• Extra blankets
• Camping sleeping pads
• Long underwear
• Down jacket
• Fleece gloves
• Extra change of clothes
• Toilet Paper
• Sunblock
• Bug repellent
• Plastic bags for my muddy clothes 

Race Gear

• Vibram Five Finger KSO Trek
• Injinji Outdoor Series Trail Toe Socks
• CLC Black Work Gloves
• Black Nylon Shorts
• Black Nylon Shirt

Four Mile Warm Up

I thought I should run tonight, as a warm up for the race on Sunday.  I haven't been running for 1.5 weeks, due to pain in my Achilles tendon.

I also wanted to see what it was like to run with a 1.5L generic Camel Back.  I did a mile in my neighborhood, and stopped to drop off the pack.  It was annoying the way the water was swishing around with each step.  The weight of the bag didn't bother me, but I'm sure it would have halfway through the race.  Of course, by then half the water would have been gone.  I decided to not wear it because there will be water stations, and I don't want it in the way during the obstacles.

I just did a four mile run, and I ditched the Camel Back at a friends house after the first mile.  I will not be bringing it with me for the race.  It flopped around too much and felt constricting.  As for the Achillies tendon, it started to ache a little bit; however, I suspect this was from inactivity, not from damage.  I did another ice water soak for the tendon and my overall foot health.  I also took a dose of ibuprofen to help with any swelling in my feet from the run.  I'm feeling pretty good about the shape I'm in for the event.

Ice Cold, While Overheating

I did four miles tonight.  It was 80°F while I was running, and that was not fun.  I can't imagine how people run in the heat.  I guess it must be something you have to get used to, like running at altitude.  I'm much more accustomed to running in cool and often windy weather.

During the first mile, my Achilles tendon on my right foot was killing me.  I stuck to a very slow jog, out of fear that I was injured and may make it worse.  After the first mile, it started to feel a little better, so I pressed on carefully.  I barely picked up my pace, because it would kill me to have to miss out on the race from injury.  I also noticed the pain in my left foot coming back, but not in a sharp way.  It was more of an aching of the tendons in the top of my foot, between the second and fourth toes.  Because of these pains, and how my feet have felt since last Thursday's big run, I decided I should soak my feet in ice water for 10 minutes.  When I found that I didn't have enough ice, I through some frozen cold packs into the bucket.  Not only did that help the water line come up, it also made the water almost unbearable.  My feet did feel better afterwards, so I think I'm going to start doing this every time I run.  My biggest fear is that consistent running will lead to shot knees and ankles by the time I'm 40.
According to Achilles Tendon, footwear with extra cushioning under the heal can help an injured Achilles tendon, by decreasing the amount the tendon stretches and limiting the calf muscles' range of motion during strides.  This is a temporary fix, and should not be continued after the tendon is healed.  I do have some shoes with a high heel, and I plan to wear them throughout the day, instead of my VFFs, for the next few days.
I also took some glucosamine today.  I'm hoping it will help my joints, although supplements have recently come under fire.  First they were good for you, now they are said to be ineffective.  What if they are wrong in them being ineffective? They are cheap, so I'm going to keep taking them.  If they don't actually do anything for me, I will just urinate them out with no harm done.  Also, I'm going to take a dose ibuprofen to help with any swelling in my joints, and potassium, eaten as bananas, for the soreness.

Two Really Hot Miles

After what I thought was sufficient time off, after the big run last Thursday, I did two miles in the heat.  I don't know if it was from being tired, the heat, or a combination of the two, but it was hard today.  I had set out to do four, but had to call it quits after only two miles.  My feet are still sore from the big run, and now I'm getting a little worried.  It's not just that they are sore, there is pain in between my ankles.  I loaded up on ibuprofen, and took it easy the rest of the night.

Well Deserved Day Off

Yesterday's big run killed my feet.  The rest of my body feels okay, so my training is paying off.  My feet are pretty sore, to the point where walking is difficult.  Instead of wearing my Vibram Five Finger shoes all day to help work out the lactic acid, like I usually do, I opted for some very stiff soled indoor soccer shoes.  The idea was to immobilize my feet, so I could actually move around throughout the day.
I ate some bananas and cooked up some sweet potatoes, so the potassium would help with the soreness.  I also took ibuprofen all day, to reduce any inflammation in my ankles and feet.
Aside from that, there was no training today, just pure recovery.