Trail running, bro



 Contois giving me his headlamp this morning


~7.5 mile run in 1:24min at 4:50am. Started on Riverlin St. Single track and connected to the Powerline trail. Went all the way to the hill and turned around to come back to the cars. Pace was slightly over 11 min miles


COMMENTS

• General: Really solid run today. It was unbelievable how slow our pace was because I could've sworn we were cranking out 9 minute miles the way I felt. My legs were really tax'd from the deadlift PR right from the get-go. These type of runs are only going to make me a better trail runner because anyone who has been on the powerline trail knows how technical it can be and how much elevation there is throughout it. Let it kick my ass, it's only going to help in the future. Forgot to also mention in the last 5 minutes of the run I ate the most shit I ever have on a trail run. Not only did I topple onto the ground but I also rolled nearly 20 feet over rocks before I stopped. My badly bruised left knee tells the story well.
• Nutrition: Not too good today.
• Body: My left achilles was really hurting after the run but felt better as the day went on. Seems like I get injured everytime I run. Probably because I never let the injuries heal fully..... (Hey Ben you're a jackass)
• Sleep: 5 hours. Gotta love waking up at 4:30.
• Reflections: Planning on a good rest day tomorrow. Lots of ice on my sore spots and elbows, sleeping in and an epsom salt bath. The reason I used Contois' head lamp today was because my great mother decided that since I didn't bring my bag down to the basement the other night that she would chuck it down the stairs, which successfully broke my headlamp. We're continuing to play the blame game but hopefully I'll get a new one soon. Also spent a lot of time trying to pick my first 100 mile race today. Keeping things in mind but still have no idea.

Side note: If you don't know what the picture is at the top, you may not get the joke. The picture is a famous scene from the movie about Helen Keller where she feels and understands what water is for the first time (or something like that..... lol don't judge me). Contois lent me his older headlamp that is pretty dim and I had some rough times especially in the single track section. In all seriousness I thank him for lending me it but I did make a crack during the run about how I felt like Helen Keller trail running.