This Is It....

Tomorrow marks the official day one of the Ultimate Ultramarathon Training Plan (according to Bess & Abby) in preparation for the grand pooh-bah of my running career to this point: The Bel Monte Endurance 50 Ultramarathon. Just seventy three (yes, 73) days from tomorrow, I'll lace up my sneakers and embark on a journey up, down, over and across 50 miles of trails central Virginia.

I haven't been doing a great deal of running to set a nice base for the start of the official training. The last month has involved:

- record cold and down-right bone chilling weather- the temperatures the last two mornings have been below freezing....COMBINE. 15F on Sunday, 16F yesterday. NOT running weather, if you ask me.

- nearly 10,000 miles of travel (to destinations domestically and internationally)

- two minor but annoying head cold/cough like sicknesses (probably due to the combination of the two aforementioned factors)

- very sporadic running

Although the ultra has been on my radar for a while, it has always been a thing of the future. Lots of statements akin to "when I'm training for the ultra..." and "that would be good for the ultra..." have come up, but it always seemed a distant concept. Not anymore. It's now baby. (Well, tomorrow.)

It's undoubtedly going to be difficult. I know that going in. A trail race, a 50 mile trail race at that, is different in many ways from anything I've ever done. The training is more strategic and specific compared with a marathon or even triathlon. The mindset must be to "just finish" rather than achieve any PRs or top finishes.

There will be a lot of running (and some walking), many sore muscles, probably some bumps and bruises (I've been known to be a bit clumsy on trails), and lots of dirty clothes. But I'm prepared for it and anxiously looking forward to the challenge that the training and race will bring.

Here goes nothing. Or something. Or everything.