Phase One: build through the high miles with tough, hilly/mtn runs and continue the 100+ mile weeks.
Phase Two: alternate hills/mtns with some speed or faster paced intervals, probably on the roads.
Phase Three: fast, relaxed with recovery and melt faces and devour souls. Cuss yea!
Monday - Hustled to Stratton for a morning Mtn Therapy session. My goal was to spend 2 hours on the mountain and climb as much as possible.
Holy cuss cuss, it was tough, but more so bc of the humidity. Visibility on the summit was 30 meters. Very successful morning session, and I totally mushroom slammed the work!
In the afternoon, Greg, Najem and BDavies came out and we rolled a 12 miler. We did the Sap Lines in reverse and ran a quicker pace. I felt awesome for this run as it was the lightest of light work.
Tuesday - headed to Keene with Greg, Fyffe and George for a flat 10 miler on the rail bed. I work up feeling fine but felt like donkey cuss the way out (it is an out and back). On turning around I felt awesome which was a confidence booster.
In the evening I slipped in an easy 5 miles at Grafton Ponds with my girls. It was lazy and felt great to cover some ground ad steal a few more miles.
With Poland the ultimate goal, it's important I roll every run with a purpose. These shake out miles are great to feel good!
Wednesday - Voltroned with the morning crew of Tuesday in Pisgah for an 8 miler around Kilburn Pond. Those guys are getting after it ad racing the next day so they are looking for a low key run. It was great. I felt a little humanesque and was fine with 8.
In the afternoon I banged on a 6 miler out in GP. Ran honest on the single track then soaked the legs in the river. Great day!
Thursday - today is very important to me, as it is my girl Ellie's birthday! She's the best friend you covet. 
There is a local 5k in town and I had a bunch of my students and future XC runners running so I ran with them. It was cool to run with them and see 11-12 year olds run so cussing well. BFXC will be legit. All in all on the very hot day I bagged 14 with a huge warmup and bigger cool down.
Later in the day, the Fyffes, Najem, StephCott and Emily came out to chill and BBQ by the river at my private beach. Great day.
Friday - I needed to get any miles I could as I was going to a two day cluster cuss bachelor party for my lifer Phelps.
I was only able to steal 7 before I hustled down the Charlemont MA for some camping and wild shenanigans. There were so many shenanigans to be had I felt like pistol whipping someone.
Only 7 effects my big week but its for a lifer and my loyalties are too deep.
With Loon looming on Sunday, some light miles won't be the worst thing in the world.
Saturday - dear cuss... My body hates me. I don't drink or fornicate with drugs, but the bachelor party was fueled with liquids that inhibit the growth of humanity and add fun to by brethren. Long story short, played of ton of games and I got parts of my body sore that I don't know could be sore: or example, the game is cornhole, where you throw bean bags into a slanted wooden box with a hole in it. My mothercussing forearms are ruined (but I did find out that its just more activities I'm awesome at); followed by Poleish Horshoes, which is frisbee throwing at a target balanced on ski poles, back of my wrists is sorer than a fluffer from he industry; followed by Kan Cuss Something, where you chuck a frisbee at a cylinder and have to hit it or slam I in the top; followed by beach volleyball on the sand (this killed my legs); and all are played with a beverage in your hand. I went to bed on very hard ground, very very cussingwoke late. My poison of choice was Dr Pepper.
Longer story short, I ran 5 miles with Mark Miller and JPhelps, before starting the whole day over again but this time it started at 9am. By the end of this day I felt like I ran 30 miles on pavement in the sun. Cuss. Tomorrow is a step to the ultimate goal and the objective is to do everything I can to get to the top, race as much as I can and be competitive.
Sunday - Loon Mountain Race, 5.3+/-
I woke up feeling tired but surprisingly ok (especially considering the last 30 hours) and headed to Loon.
I have heard of this races difficulty and I'm not about to down play the toughness of it, but I wanted to live it and experience it myself. A common theme people have is "death," when discussing it. I will say, I will show no signs of death, I will conquer and I will be successful. Loon is a bigger piece of a huge puzzle and since I am a bit fatigued, from the miles and alternative lifestyle, it will be great for my prep for Poland.
Once I was all registered I went and warmed up with Eric MacKnight. I felt horrendously flat and I could only hope that the uncuttable mane of manliness surrounding my iron rod of godliness would be enough to conquer foes.
Seeing Eric Blake was cool and damning at the same time. I would have loved to had prep'd for this race and gone in feeling awesome to see where I would have stacked up, but the ultimate goal is not today. Got to fight with the tools you have.
The race started and the pace was out hot. The first mile has a bit of downhill and flat in it and it was like watching wasps get all riled up. The usual players I was concerned with were there (don't be offended if you read this and you are not on my radar, and if you are offended, train harder!) with Brandon Newbould, Kevin Tilton, EMac, and many others (happy, I included you).
Newbould went after the lead early and looked like a wild beast just unleashed from Hades. This pumped me up and got me going and made me forget about any excuses of fatigue, being tired or anything else.
I jostled positions with EMac and another dude, but by 2 miles I could see the future (or people's fate) and settled in. By 2.5 I moved into 3rd (behind Blake, who looked like he had the rage virus as he crushed the climb, and Brandon). I started catching Brandon very very slowly, and every downhill he would open a small gap but I closed on the climb each time. Brandon is a great dude and I want to see him be successful, so when i passed him I tried to fire him up, I hope it helped. But let's not forget, it's a race, and just like Larry, MJ and Magic, there're friends, but want to beat each other with the same ferocity that binds them. So I but small efforts in here and there as I pulled away and hoped it would be enough to sustain my place and keep 2nd.
Loon has the I famous "Upper Walking Boss," which is supposedly 1000m of unreal climb. I will attest and say that it is an unreal climb, holy cuss cuss, what a cluster cuss of a cussing climb. This was the soul purpose of going to the race. My buddy Greg suggested I get some hills with tough climbs ad possible speed/power hiking, to simulate what could be out there at Worlds and UWB was it. I was going to run until my stride length was inches then power hike the rest.
This holy war of vert comes after 4 miles of climbing and right before a steep downhill, (which I ran like a raped ape). Which got me thinking... I envisioned the climb was whispering a song to me as I climb, Nirvana's, "Rape Me." The climb wanted to be abused and conquered by me and just kept telling me over and over again:
"Rape me my friend
Rape me
Rape me again"
I was set into power hiking mode mentally, and could see Blake ahead. The climb is tough and he was power hiking and running. I was most efficient while power hiking and felt that I was closing the gap (I kept telling myself this, and it was highly motivating). To catch Blake looked improbable, so to limit the percent back was my mindset).
"I'm not the only one"
I wasn't the only one suffering, everyone else was, but I was going to be the only one! Last Hero Only Hope!!!
Hate me
Do it and do it again
Waste me
Rape me my friend
The climb hated me as I geared up it and powered through, and also encouraged me to repeat my efforts again and again, in due time I would have wasted the climb as a memory of success.
My favorite inside source
I'll kiss your open sores
Appreciate your concern
You'll always stink and burn
My favorite inside source was my mental ability to encourage myself to triumph any challenge out in front of me. I really think I can do anything (except give birth or any other lady only thing).
The climb would not be kissing my open sores as I kneel for no one or no thing!
I'm glad the UWB appreciated my concerns and efforts this day as the climb made me stink of excellence and did add a burn to my legs.
Rape me
Rape me my friend
Rape me
Rape me again
Upon my final efforts to the top, I completed your challenge as I conquered every step and was successful. Thank you UWB for the encouragement and consent to abuse you repeatedly.
It was symbiotic, and a def love hate relationship.
But the race ain't over here... At the top of the UWB you have about 500m left and 450 seemed like a very steep downhill. No one was going to catch me and I wasn't going to catch anyone, so I just needed to finish and I changed gears and finished strong.
I was very fortunate to finish 2nd and very grateful for an awesome day on the climbs with awesome people.
On the cool down (EMac, Brandon, Todd Callahan and another dude) ram down the mountain and saw a larger black bear. This was awesome and made the day that much better.
Total miles for the week: 101...
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