(Summit of Terrapin Mountain)This Saturday I'll be running the first ever Terrapin Mountain Marathon (26.9 miles). This is another tough mountain run (my favorite kind), with over 7500 feet of gain and loss. I'm not familiar with the course at all, but the elevation profile shows this one starting out with a very big climb. I figure it will run much like Promise Land (50k) , and should take about 5 or 6 hours to finish. The half-marathon course record is 1:39 -- but the marathon is a different course altogether. There is a 9-hour time limit, which means that this one is not your typical marathon.
One mysterious part of the race is being referred to as "Fat Man's Misery." Apparently this is a narrow crack that we have to negotiate through. The RD told us to bring gloves. Huh?!?
(He's not fat)My training for this one has been centered around intervals and hilly trail runs. Last week I had a very strong run on a hilly section of the AT. I was able to run some of the steeper hills. The last time I ran this section was a year ago, and I wrote in my log then that some of the hills kicked my butt. This past weekend I felt stronger then I ever have on that section. It was a great run.
So, the taper for Terrapin Mountain has begun. I did not run on Monday. I did a nice 4-mile hike Tuesday with my family. Today (Wednesday) I will run at lunchtime, then nothing more until the race. Clean eating and rest is the agenda for the end of the week. Just not too much eating, or else I might get stuck in "Fat Man's Misery."
Run hard out there.
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