Race week, where I'm supposed to do some sort of thing called a "taper"

And here we are again...I did a switcheroo from the World's End 100k to the Chesterfield Gorge Ultras (where I'll also be shooting for 100k), and for a couple of reasons.  First, I have to work on the Friday before the race, so the WE race would have been a logistical nightmare, between the drive, setting up a camp and checking in for the race, etc.  Second, I've been training with John for his Western States endeavor, we run well together, and when he signed up for this race I was much more intrigued.  Third, there's a bunch of other people I know going to this and running different distances, and I'll be able to see them during the race as it's an out and back along the gorge (which I've never been to)!  And lastly, my partial refund for one race basically paid for the other, so that was almost a wash.

All that aside, I'm excited about this race!  It's directed by Amy and Brian Rusiecki, who also RD at 7 Sisters, another of my favorites, and are both accomplished Ultrarunners themselves so they know what us folks need :)

Why I lose time at aid stations :)

I'd misread the start times and thought that the race started at 8, but that's the shorter race.  We start at 6.  Whoops.  Driving up the morning of not being an option, I decided to book a hotel room nearby, probably better than leaving my house at 3 a.m.!

Anyway, here's my week:

Monday - 0.  Memorial Day food overdose.  And family time :)

Tuesday - 5 miles.  Gravel track fun with Faith.  Supposed to be a structured run for Faith with me just tagging along, but it was uncomfortably warm so we bailed into a nearby neighborhood where it was much cooler.  Still, had a fast final loop around the track to finish things out!

Wednesday - 3 miles.  Beach run at Napatree Point in Watch Hill, arguably one of my favorite places in the world.  Perfect day to take advantage of sunny skies, a cool breeze and low tide.  Maybe saw a dozen people the whole time.

Thursday - 7+ miles.  An "easy" run with Faith at Bluff Point.  Easy, as in just cruisin' along until Faith decides to haul ass up the only real climb on the loop, and then innocently ask "Did I just do that?"  Ha!  I forced a slowdown for the rest of the run, and still ended up with my third fastest time there.  Whoops!

Thanks, Faith!

Friday - 0.   Travel to MA.

Saturday - Chesterfield Gorge Ultra!  Report to follow.