Back to Back!

In preparation for my upcoming 100K on January 09, I had to run a "long one" or a back to back (two long runs on consecutive days). I decided on the back to back. The "Gang" was headed to a Fat Ass run this past weekend and I, because of family commitments, could not attend. As it turns out I was able to get out Saturday and Sunday morning for two 20 milers. Long runs or back to backs are necessary to prepare yourself for an ultra. I have really never run back to backs in training, preferring to run one very long run before my event. These past few months I have felt exceptionally well and was fortunate enough to put two long runs together. You have to find what works best for you and what you are able to fit in to your schedule. We are all different and have commitments, responsibilities,and LIFE that confronts us. Do the best you can!
As it was a last minute decision on Saturday, I went out alone. It's great running with company, but sometimes it's also great running alone. Although I enjoy conversation, running alone allows conversation with your own thoughts. Yes, I wore my head phones listening to my iPod, but my thoughts were my own. And listening to "MY MUSIC" conjured up memories from my past. My iPOD is filled with music from my childhood and teenage years. Music that brings back memories from 7th grade, High School, and my first girl friend! The pretty little girl who smiled at me in Biology class. The vacations I spent as an adolescent visiting Family in Southern California, the religious retreats in the Texas Hill Country during my Tennage years, and so on.
Sometimes my mind relaxed and I just gazed at the beauty of nature on this cold misty day.
A spider’s web strung on bushes and laid across the trail. Dew gently resting on blades of grass. Even the weeds looked pretty in their bright shades of green. Wet rocks of all shapes and sizes displayed a shiny appearance. Birds flying about through the trees.
A great way to Meditate.