FOMO is not my friend!

Prior to receiving the news that Western States was in my future (and, by extension, Vermont, Leadville and Wasatch) I had pretty much banked on a winter/spring racing schedule that would include Bandera 100k, Rocky Raccoon 100, and possibly some other late spring road race. I had maintained a training schedule through November that would have me ready to race in January and hopefully allow for a 100 mile PR attempt at Rocky in February.

From a training standpoint, December got off to a good start, beginning with a modest recovery week that included some extra strength work in the gym and some sessions on the spin bike to promote some active recovery. My plans for the next few months hadn't changed yet so I felt that I was in a great position to start ramping my mileage back up in preparation for the races that lay ahead.

That was all pre-Squaw. Now that I am living in a post-lottery drawing world, things have been decidedly different. The last few weeks of December have been mediocre at best. I have had a few decent runs, but nothing over 10 miles. Not all of this has been by design - a busy travel schedule and a case of the winter crud has forced me to make some accommodations in my training. When I have hit such a slump in the past, a quick and easy solution has been to put a race on the calendar. I'd simply pick a race a month or two out and get back on the training wagon. Done!

The problem is that the old rules don't apply now. I have to embrace this slow time as a sort of "off-season" (a task that is supremely difficult for me to do) and realize that there is a bigger picture here. I can't fall into the trap of thinking "well, so-and-so runs a ton of races, so I should too!" Taking time off is difficult for any athlete committed to their sport but this period of rest and recovery is a necessary part of the process.

So while I'm in R&R mode, I will catch up on my sleep, spend some time on a few other non-running hobbies, and even volunteer my time at a few of those cool winter/spring trail races. I'll spend a little more time working on core strength, fine-tuning my diet, and getting ready for the time when training intensifies and the miles ramp up again. It'll be here before I know it. In the meantime, I'll try to fight the FOMO (fear of missing out) and stay as far away from Ultrasignup as I can.....