當我寫這篇文章的時候，剛好是義大利時間 3 點。你可能會問我半夜 3 點不睡覺在幹嘛？不，千萬別誤會，我不是才剛從酒吧回來。偷偷的告訴你，其實我才剛剛完成一個 90 分鐘的 easy run。你可能會問，為什麼我要挑那麼晚的時間做訓練？在本週五（6/23）晚上 11:30，我將會在 Lavaredo Ultra Trail 的起跑線上準備出發；這是一場 120 公里要爬升 5,800 公尺的比賽，是屬於 Ultra Trail World Tour 系列賽中的一場比賽。因此，很自然的，這週我必須讓我自己很習慣在這個時間還保持清醒，同時，我也訓練自己習慣帶頭燈跑步，畢竟開賽之後，有 5.5 個小時都必須跑在黑夜裡。

It is 3am here in Italy as I write this, you may be asking what I am doing up at 3am? Nope, I have not just got back from a night out drinking at the bar, in honesty I have just got back from an easy 90min jog. By why so late? Next Friday (June 23rd) at 11:30pm I will be on the start line of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, which is 120km with 5,800m of ascending and is one of the races on the Ultra Trail World Tour. So, naturally this week I am getting the body use to being awake when normally it would be asleep, I am also training running with a headlamp which I must do for the first 5.5 hours until daylight.

賽道試跑影片（影片來源：Ruth）

我到歐洲的時候是 5 月底，參加了 Zegama 的比賽。如果你對 Skyrunning 的比賽有一點瞭解的話，你一定會知道這是一場什麼樣的比賽。他是一場山地馬拉松，在西班牙的 Basque，總爬升是 2,750m。在這一場比賽，我得到第 7 名，這真的是一場很強度很高的比賽，晚一點也會提供賽事心得給大家。既然我已經到了瑞士的 Saint Mortiz，然後我到了義大利的 Dolomites 來完成一個訓練週期。

I got to Europe at the end of May and raced Zegama, and if you are familiar with Skyrunning you will know it’s “the race” to do. It is a mountain marathon with 2,750m ascending in Basque Country, Spain. It is on the Skyrunning World Series, and here I placed 7thi in a really competitive field.  A race report will come on this later…. Since then I have been in Saint Mortiz in Switzerland, and then in the Dolomites in Italy training over the course.

Saint Moritz, Switzerland（圖片來源：Ruth Croft）

Dolomites, Italy（圖片來源：Ruth Croft）

上上一週，我完成我的訓練週期而進入到訓練的比賽期，在最後一個週日的課表，是一個 7 個小時的 long run。這個課表要長距離的爬坡，再長距離的下坡，基本上來說，技術上不會太難。身體當然會覺得有點累，因為我再上週的訓練量大約是 100 哩，而總爬升約為 7,000 公尺。所以經過這次訓練，就進入到減量期了。

Last weekend I finished up my training block leading into this race, which ended on the Sunday with one last long run of 7 hours over the final section of the course. The course has long ascents and descents but not overly technical. The body felt tired but that was to be expected as I had clocked 100miles and just under 7000m of climbing over the week. So now the taper has really begun.  

我對這次的比賽有什麼期待？當然，這還是很難以預測的：我從來沒有參加在晚上開始的 Ultra race，從來沒有比超過 13 小時的比賽，從來沒有比過 120 公里等等，這場比賽對我來說有太多的從來不曾發生。但是，對我來說，120 公里是我從 100 公里比賽前進的下一個進程，只不過多 20 公里啊（雖然我相信我比賽的那一天，我絕對不會說只多 20 公里這種話）。當然，我們站在起跑線的時候，總是想著我們我們之前在訓練的時候，其實應該要多做一點間歇課表，多做一點 long runs 或是強度課表等等；但是我在學習不要對自己的賽前準備有所懷疑，學習相信整個來時路，並且接受我做的已經足夠。誠實的來說，我瞭解這會是個很痛苦的過程，但是這就是為什麼我們要參加這種比賽──測試自己的心智，然後看自己如何昇華自己來面對最強的對手，包含去年 UTMB 的冠軍 Caroline Chevrolet。

How am I feeling going into this race? Of course, it is the unexpected, I have never done an ultra that has started at night, never raced over 13 hours, never raced 120km ……. That is a lot of “nevers”.  But for me 120km is the next step up or the progression on from 100km. It is just 20km more (although I am sure on race day I will not be saying “just” 20km more…). Of course, we always get on the start line and think we could have done more speed sessions, long runs, strength work, got more vertical in etc., but I am learning to not have that doubt in my preparation. Learning to trust the process and accept that what I have done is enough. I know in all honesty, it’s going to hurt, there are going to be bad patches, but that’s why we do it, test the body and test the mind, and see how I can stack up against some of the best competition, which will include last year’s UTMB winner Caroline Chevrolet.

該準備的工作都已經完成了，起跑線即將在望，身體無傷的我準備要開始迎接這次的挑戰。現在到週五之前，這對我來說是一場等待的比賽，等待在 Dolomites 的 long long race。

The work is done, the start line is in sight, the body is injury free and so I’m ready to go.  Now it is the waiting game is on until next Friday for a long long race around the Dolomites.

起跑線即將在望，身體無傷的我準備要開始迎接這次的挑戰（圖片來源：Ruth Croft）

原文出處：【Garmin 的越野女王 Ruth】寫在 6/23 的 Laverado 超級越野賽之前

以上內容由 Garmin 贊助刊出。

＊跑步心得 盡在運動筆記＊