my longest long run, other goals and hamstrings

Tomorrow I will run for 6.5 hours at Murphy Hanerahan park. Rain or shine. I actually enjoy the rain after the intial shock. Other than last week's 6 hour single-track long run I only put in a 14+ mile hilly run near my property adjacent to lake Shamineau and Crookneck lake in Scandia Valley (near Motley). During that last long run I was paying more attention to my music than the ground and kicked a root. HARD. This is the second time in 3 weeks I've accomplished this on the same trail. Each time it was full force during extension with my right foot and I aggravated my high hamstring condition that I've nursed for the last 6 months. Each time it was a full face plant into the trail, no time to roll. No rocks thank God.

Lessons: no more iPod on anything but road or treadmill, don't be complacent. And if I'm in a rooty/rocky section I'm now obliged to repeat my new cadence, "watch the ground, don't fall down. Watch the ground, don't fall down". That's honestly what I say over and over again. I cringe at the thought of injuring my hamstring or any body part to the point that I throw away the last 6 months of training. If you haven't had the high hamstring injury, bend over and have a friend boot you in the ass with a work boot as hard as possible over the lower glute on the bone.

So having recovered from a couple weeks of so-so mileage other than the long runs and a few middle distance runs, I'm back in it full swing. After Saturday I'll follow up on Sunday with a 2 hour run and take Monday off. Next week...60 miles total with a long run of 7 hours.
The only cross training I've done this week was doing bicep curls to fatigue last night while watching the last half of the Steelers Titan game I had DVR'd, and chest and tricep workouts during the week.

I've enjoyed each of my long runs more since eclipsing my longest exercise duration of about 4.5 hours about 4 weeks ago. Now each long run is a record for me and that feels good. Barring (re) injury I feel pretty good about Wild Duluth and then Murphy 2 weeks later. Some of my optimism is ignorance I'm sure. The plan (wisely advised) is to approach WD50K as a training run, take my time, get 31 miles under my feet. I'm registering for the 50 miler at Murph (my stretch goal) but after the WD50K "gut check" I'll step down to the 50K at Murph if I feel I can't do it safely. And if Cindy and Les allow changes to races prior to race day.

By October 3rd, I will have an 8 hour long run under my belt. That leaves 2 weeks to taper for the Wild, then run the Wild, and then 2 weeks of moderate-to-low mileage before Murphy. Probably more low than moderate to be honest.

Before Murphy I want to be 180 pounds or less. I'm about 190 right now. 175 would have me ecstatic. 180 is not overly ambitious -I don't think- and 175 isn't beyond the realm of possibility. My "ideal" weight and ultimate goal is to maintain at 165-170 pounds. I started at 227 pounds not being able to run a mile on a treadmill not long ago and I've lost damned near 40 pounds.
This is good.