Tapering and the Rest of the Salads

9 days ago was my last "long run", though with my new training approach it really wasn't all that long at 3.5 hours. Since then I have been tapering, resting, recovering and training for Saturday's race - The Howl at the Moon 8-Hour Ultramarathon. After last weeks long run I shifted my attention to yoga/stretching and lots of self massage to get things flowing and loosened up. Though it was less of a priority, I also did a couple of sessions in the gym and an interval session. For this week, on Monday, I did a 5K earlier in the day and then a strength workout later in the afternoon. Tuesday was a 20 minute high intensity session in the gym. Today is full recovery with some low intensity yoga. Tomorrow will be a short interval session and stretching. Friday is a full recovery day; at most I will do a short, easy yoga session. Other than that, it's hydrate, fuel, rest/sleep as much as possible, pack and make all the final preparations.

Over the past few weeks I have been joking about the race day weather. You see, for my last 2 trail races I've had 1) snow and cold temps and 2) rain the entire week prior to the race making for a VERY wet and muddy course. So, for Saturday, I figured it's either going to be raining, lightning, and generally nasty, OR it's going to be HOT and humid. According to today's weather, it's supposed to be in the 90's and feel like 100! Par for the course... I feel prepared for whatever mother nature throws our way and while it may impact how far I'm able to go, it certainly won't be an excuse to do my best.

I want to thank all those who have donated to the Wounded Warrior Project in support of my race. In addition to the checks, I also have a handful of folks who have pledged a dollar-per-mile which really motivates me. Thanks, guys!

I'll let you know how it goes and offer some insight into my training and preparation for this event. Just let me say, it's been far from the "conventional" approach to endurance training.

Salad #27
Fresh greens - thanks Kyle!
Egg whites
Slivered almonds
Purple onion
Craisens
Walden Farm's dressing

Salad #28
Raw spinach
Chicken breast w/Asian seasoning
Sesame seeds
Slivered almonds
Mandarin oranges
Ginger dressing

Salad #29
Greens and spinach
Extra lean hamburger - for shame... beef! Yum...
Carrots
Celery
Sunflower seeds
About a teaspoon of bleu cheese
Walden Farm's dressing

Salad #30! Jody's fav.
Greens and spinach
Chicken breast with buffalo wing sauce
Almonds
About a teaspoon of bleu cheese
Carrots
Celery
Ranch dressing

Hope you have enjoyed the "30 Salads in 30 Days" series. Thanks for the comments and emails sent in!