Some runners have this attitude where they are insulted if you call them a jogger. They are a runner. I’m so much worse than that. I don’t workout, I’m in training. It’s a fantasy I enjoy, a 62-year old man’s delusion. Judge me if you want, but I’m happy.

I consider this last week to be my first official training week for the Bandera 100K. The previous week was a recovery week from the Boulder Marathon. It’s not too much of a stretch to say I’m in training, because it’s rare I ever track my miles. I think doing so leading up to the ultra will give me some confidence knowing I put in the miles. I put in 51 miles.

More importantly, I did strength training 3 days this last week. That’s a lot for me. Not every runner considers strength training important but I do, especially for my age. My goal is to continue a routine of 3 days a week up to race day in January. I have a 3 month pass at the Longmont Rec Center, mostly for their sauna but it makes sense to use their weights there too. I could join a gym but I’m a public school kind of guy. I like the rec center.

Which means I also got in 3 days in the sauna. What I’ve read on acclimating to heat and humidity is to spend 30 minute sessions 3 days a week in the sauna. That’s harder than I expected. It’s exhausting, sitting there in a steam bath. I have experience racing marathons in the Texas winter and the humidity is tough; probably harder for me coming down from the dry Colorado air. I’m hoping this works.

For the next 3 months, expect this blog to be a steady stream of ultra training reports. Oh, and that’s my new running hat in the photo.