Snowshoe marathon - not gonna happen

I spent the past two days in a skiing clinic. Well, I actually spent 1.5 days in the clinic. We skied hard the first day and it really took a toll on me. The focus of the clinic was steep terrain and gladed terrain. Our group was 10 very solid skiers plus the clinic leader. I might have been the worst skier in the group, but I was able to keep up with everyone; my form just wasn't as good as the rest of them.

The second day of the clinic, I was feeling old and tired when we started skiing. Just before lunchtime, on a tough tree run, I fell 3 times. I was skiing defensively, with my weight back, and that's a recipe for disaster in tough terrain. So, at lunchtime, I told the clinic leader that I needed to cut the day short.

Last night, I was trying to think about how I could still do the marathon on Saturday despite feeling so tired from being sick. I was trying to rationalize it in my head, and then I got hit by a coughing fit. It's clear that I'm not healthy enough right now to do the race. Maybe I'd get through it, but it wouldn't be fun. And, pushing that hard while less than 100% might leave me sick for weeks. So, I'm going to skip the race tomorrow.

I saw my chiropractor this morning for the first time in a few months. My left hamstring and piriformis have been very tight, and he worked his normal magic on those. He also found a spot high in my back that needed an adjustment. He said that he could see something as he walked behind me to the treatment room. He said it might have come from one of the falls I took skiing this week. I will see him every few weeks between now and Western States.

So, my legs feel much better right now, but I am tired from the skiing and being sick. Today will be a rest day and I will end up with a zero mile running week. I think I end up with one week like that every winter. Hopefully, by Monday, I'll be ready to go again.