i2P Amazon Taper

It’s been a busy few weeks getting ready for the Amazon!

Two weeks ago The Cyclist and I ran the Great Race 10K. It was my fourth Great Race and The Cyclist’s first ever 10K. We took it easy and ran together and we both had a great time.  He was happy to finish after spending the prior two days driving across country and I was happy he could tolerate spastic race Kat who likes to cheer for everyone and be too perky. I’m glad I have a partner who enjoys some of the same physical pursuits that I do and I’m so proud of him for his first race!

Last week I had my peak weekend for Amazon training- 2×6 hours. On Saturday I hiked the Laurel Highlands Trail, which was the site of my first ultramarathon. It was a perfect day- about 55 degrees and sunny- and I enjoyed beautiful scenery as the trail overlooked a river and was surrounded by verdant trees and large rock outcroppings. It is a very hard hike- the trail guide estimates that people will only be able to travel 1.5 mph because of the drastic elevation changes and technical terrain. I was the only person I saw without trekking poles! I hiked about 18 miles with about 5,000 feet of elevation gain on brutal roots and rocks.

Sunday I stuck closer to home and spent 6 hours hiking on some local mountain bike trails. The Cyclist has been SO supportive of my training, gifting me audiobooks for my long hikes, lending me gear like steripens and knives for the expedition, and helping me find new gear like a venom pump (really, I am now the proud owner of a venom pump). After finishing 12 hours of hiking on Sunday, I came home to find bread and cheese for me to snack on before my shower and by the time I got out of the shower he handed me a beer and some fresh super healthy stew he had made to help me recover. I am the luckiest girl in the world and now I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to trek through the Amazon!