The week ended not with a bang, but a whimper. However, overall it was a good week.

Monday: 7 mi, road, 138 bpm
Tuesday: 6.3 mi, trail (SHT starting @ Highland/Getchell), 144 bpm
Wednesday: 5 mi, road/trail (including 8x Chester Bowl ski hill), 146 bpm
Thursday: rest (yoga)
Friday: 20.4 mi, trail (SHT, Sawbill to Temperance to Oberg to Sawbill), 152 bpm
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest
Total: 38.8 mi

I had a great week of running, capped off by a weekend of doing nothing. I had planned for Saturday to be a rest day, as I was heading down to the Twin Cities overnight, but I had also planned on running Sunday after returning to Duluth. I didn’t. Oh well.

Friday’s run was VERY important. I was pretty nervous about the section of the course I ran, starting from Sawbill and heading back to Temperance River where I turned around last week, then ran through Sawbill (stopping at my car to throw some stuff away and refill my sports drink bottle) to the Oberg parking lot, then turned around and went back to Sawbill.

The profile looks a little scary.

Yeah, that climb out of Temperance scared me. But it wasn’t really that bad! Carlton Peak gets fairly technical at the top, but it isn’t a straight up climb, and none of the climbs are too frightening. (Photo from the race website.)

Here’s what the elevation profile looks like from my GPS data. MUCH more manageable, no?

I ate a lot more during this run. I had 2 protein bars, 4 gels, and about 32 oz of sports drink. I didn’t feel like I truly bonked during this run, like I did last time, and I didn’t have any horrible, frustrating rage. Man shall not live on gels alone, I learned. I think I have a good idea of what I need to carry with me during the race, and I’ll supplement by stuffing my face at aid stations as I am able.

I’m starting to get excited for the race, and almost maybe a little bit confident, or at least much less pessimistic. I’ve got food, clothing, and gear nailed down already, and I’ve got one more date with the course (and my friend Moose Mountain) this Saturday. Less than 3 weeks to go!