Coming Back

It's always nice to get back to familiar territory and today I was out on Lime Creek.  I perhaps set myself up for a tough day because we made the quick trip over to Chicago over the weekend and goofed up any semblance of normal/adequate sleep.  I mentioned that I ran in Galena by searching for and finding an old race course from the 1980"s.  I recalled that, at the time, the hill was one of the most difficult that I had ever run.  It now pales in comparison to what I've experienced in Colorado.

Very interesting the way Galena fits into the hillsides around it.

Yep, Buckhill Road was the culprit.

Every time you turn a corner there's more hill and another corner!

I was pleased with how I could run the hills but my legs definitely felt the burn that evening.  So when I woke early on Sunday, I headed out for some more.  The scenery of the area was stunning and Sunday added a bit of fog to the landscapes.

Today I wanted to get a longer run in but, as I stated, I was not 100% recovered from the weekend.  The early loops went well and I was practicing using boiled potatoes, peanut/butter and jelly sandwiches, and my homemade energy gel.  I also brought some electrolyte tablets that are going to be sponsored during the SD race.  Again, the tabs seemed to cause some stomach problems for me (same as the 30 miler at Pilot Knob).  But I stabilized when I slowed down and especially after I ate some more sandwich.  I chose to call it a workout after 20 miles and not go too deep into the hurt locker this close to the race.  I'm wanting to sharpen between now and the 23rd but not at the expense of today's effort causing me to start recovering from a race-type push.

A parting shot of the prairie at Lime Creek that is showing a great comeback from the early spring intentional burn.  And another visit with a Fox Snake in the grass!

20 miles this AM and a hike yet tonight.