Heart Rattling Week VII

Mon - 0hr - rest

Tues - 35min/ 4m/ 300' - Easy run at Fisher Farm

Wed - 60min/ 7m/ 600' - Lake Norman St Park - nice easy run on the Monbo trail.  I really don't know why I don't run here more.  It's closer to my house than Latta and all singletrack.

Thurs - 0hr - complete lazy bum.  Should have ran, but like I said, just being a lazy bum.

Fri - 28min/ 3.1m/ 150' - Denver XC - felt really sluggish today, but at least it was a planned easy run and I usually run extremely well the day following a sluggish run, which is good considering Rattle My Heart 50k is tomorrow!!!!!

Sat - 6hr5min/ 31.1m/ 6200' - Rattle My Heart 50k - What a day on the trails!  Weather was perfect and I felt nearly perfect all day.  More info on this run below.

Sun - 0hr - Body felt pretty rough after yesterday's 50k with 12,000' net elevation change throughout, so I took the day off.

Totals =

Time - 8hr8min
Miles - 45.2
Vert - 7250'

I really wanted to feel fresh for the upcoming Rattle My Heart 50k this weekend so I decided to keep my mileage during the week low.  Come Friday night, Hannah, Stephen, and I headed west to Asheville to hang out with the Hill's and the Harrison's.  Melisa cooked up some delicious paella and we ended the night playing "Things" which quickly got ridiculous.  Saturday morning came I couldn't wait to get on the trail.  This run is one that I have always put high on my list as a favorite.  The weather was perfect and after the group photo, we took off and of course began climbing up the Rainbow Trail.  Andrew and I ran most of the first half of the run together from Rattlesnake Mtn, over Kitsuma/Youngs Ridge, and up the road to Graphite.   This is where I picked up my cousin Stephen for his first mountain run with our group.  On up Heartbreak Ridge we went, at what seemed like a good pace at the time until we finally hit the toll road and realized that it had just taken us 1:50 to make it up this beautiful trail with 3500' of vert in its 7.5 miles.  Once at the top, I was in a mood to take a nap and actually laid on the side of the Toll rd for about 30 seconds.  Then it was time to start descending the gentle grade but horrendous terrain of the Mitchell Toll Rd.  Stephen and I were both hoping that the Trestle switchbacks would soon appear.   Once they did, we were flying and having a blast.  I took a gel as a precautionary measure to stave off any potential bonk and not 5 minutes later after we got of the switchbacks I started bonking.  With less than 4 miles left and 30 minutes to make it under 6 hours I couldn't go any faster than 10 minute pace it seemed.  Stephen had dropped me and I was just holding on.  I didn't get my energy back until Lookout trail/rd where I caught back up to Stephen who was feeling the steep downhill of this trail.  I had already missed my goal of 6 hours by this point but still decided to bring it in fast and finished the day with a time of 6:05:30, 5 minutes faster than last year on a course that was about a mile longer this year.  I have to say that I am still very satisfied with that time.  After the run, everyone gathered around Tim's fire until everyone rolled in and then we took the party over to Ole's for a post run feast that my appetite didn't seem ready for.  It was a great day on the trails though and another great run with WNC Trail runner.