Conditioning on Track

Well, it's about time for a status check.

In short, my conditioning is on track. I'm working out 5 days a week, primarily cardio, but also some strength training and core building. I had hoped to do some skating when in Austin last week, but the ice storm and winter weather prevented that. So I hit the gym, which has become a home away from home for me. I think since I'm over my first hurdle, I should start doing some long slow distance (LSD) training. I've also got the Miami EsSkate to look forward to in 17 days.

I've also learned about a few other areas:

Nutrition - Being vegan, I do worry a bit about fueling myself during the race, and also staying healthy over the next 6 months during my training. However, I've been reading a bit more about endurance athletes over at Organic Athlete and am getting some good tips: a recent addition to my diet is Dates.

Competition - It's probably a bit too early to worry about the competition, but I feel inspired knowing that there will be some very strong folks out there. A recent registrant to the race hails from Denver, and has accomplished at least one 50-mile run in the past. I'll be thinking about him in my next workout. Unrelatedly, I wonder if anyone has googled me yet :) Here, you can see the registered teams.

Climate Conditions - I also checked out the altitude and the average temperature in Montreal in July. Luckily, Montreal is at sea level, though that may help Mr. Denver. As for the weather, the temperature averages beween 65 and 85 degrees over the 24 hour period, which seems fine. And there are about 16.5 hours of daylight, meaning I'll be skating in the dark for about 7.5 hours. Thanks Weather Underground!