Ultra Running: Trials of the Trail 

Here is a story about how to use the report feature of sweat365 to stop panic, embrace truths, and build a running base.

I am once again setting out to properly and effectively train to run the Western States 100 mile endurance run.  I spent the better part of the last year doing the same thing, to only have the race cancelled due to wildfires burning in N. California. As runner preparing for the biggest race in my running life (again) and coming off an injury that sidelined me for 2 months I was afraid. 

Yes I was in a full panic; until I pulled my report for October of 2007 from my archives.  This is where “embrace truths” comes in.  The total mileage that this “ultra runner” logged last October was 21.45 miles.  That is a tough one to swallow, the ugly truth that this site does not lie about the miles you log.  How did I go from such a sad showing last fall to being fully prepared to race 100 miles I one day by June? 

That leads me onto building a running base, and how I have already used Sweat365 as an instrument of inspiration.  I wrote in my blog that I would make October better than September, asking my friends to keep me accountable.   This morning instead convincing myself I would find time to run at some point in the day, I did something different.

I decided to take a look at the sweat365 and do whatever workout someone else had posted.  It was fun not knowing what workout would be in store for me, but I was game. On the home page there was a post of someone who had just done their morning run.  This was enough to get me out the door.

Once the decision was made to run before my day was taken over by work, I went longer than my cyber friend had gone to complete my longest run since my injury.  As soon as I came in the door I jumped onto the site and sent a thank you to the runner who inspired me to move.

No panic is left since I know I will easily top last year’s weak effort of 21 miles in October; what was I doing last year that seemed so much more important than running?  Oh I remember a week of that I was sitting on a beach in Mexico.  See me embrace that truth, watch me build my base.