Discussion: Oil creek

Hi john
I am wondering if you have done/will do any running over the past couple of weeks or are you just planning to rest yourself until race day? I am interested in your approach to this one. Good luck with it. Dave

Hi, Dave.

I'm 50/50 as to whether I'm running Oil Creek. I've really struggled to recover after Eastern States in August. Just need to give my body and mind a rest.

I'm taking it easy right now, just some easy runs, but more because I'm tired than as a strategy before a big race. If I was focused on Oil Creek, I would have had long runs last weekend and this weekend with higher weekly mileage as well.

For a big focus race, I will train hard up to two weeks before, run one last quality workout 10 days out, and then reduce volume leading up to the race. But at the moment I'm feeling a bit beat up and weary.

Whether I run Oil Creek or not, I will chill out a bit now until mid-November and then start a 20-week cycle to run a fast 50K/M in April or May. So, just taking it easy at the moment.

Hope you're doing well.

Afternoon john
Yes I am doing fine thanks. Trying to get back some speed after a summer/ spring mostly spent weight training sans running. Trying to decide whether to run the batawa 6 hour race(any opinion on that?) or Hamilton marathon (like I did last year). Won t best my time from last year so prob go with batawa. I think you did that race 2 years ago (25km) right? Third place, maybe? Do you usually bounce back quicker from a 100 or are there extenuating circumstances keeping you from fully recovering this time. That oil creek race looks really intriguing. I have been checking out their website. The 100 km looks perfect (tho it sold out in 6 mins!!!) or the daunting 100 miler. Trails look awesome in the videos I have seen. Hope you can fing your strength again in the days ahead to be able to compete. Talk to you later.

Batawa was fun. Very low key. If my friend wasn't at the finish area no one would have even acknowledged that I was done or anything. Very anticlimactic. So don't expect a finishing medal or anything like that. Some nice hills and trail sections so I think the 6-hour race would be nice.

I usually bounce back quickly from races so this is a bit different. I think the muscle damage, the hypothermia and the mental fatigue from being out for so long and dealing with a bear and snakes just took a lot out of me. So, rather than dig too deep a hole that could take months to escape from, I'm just taking things very easy right now. It's good to challenge yourself but the running still needs to be fun and life-giving otherwise it's not worth it.

Your last sentence there is so important to remember. Unless you're preparing for the Olympics, running is a fun, healthy, challenging and possibly competitive hobby. If it starts becoming something else, you have to question what you're doing. Wise decision on Oil Creek. Your legs might have done the race but your heart definitely wasn't in it.

Thanks, Barb.