Thinking 'bout Next Weekend's 50k

It's been a pretty busy few days her at the ranch, what with graduations, school ending and general end-of-year activities, so fortunately given eh tapering I am doing prior to next Saturday's race I am not feeling too guilty about taking a few days off (yesterday and today). Tomorrow I will "right the ship" and put in a moderate run before severely tapering leading up to next Wednesday; the last short run prior to the race.

Other than the psychological (mis) perception that I'll lose fitness in the interim, I am trying now to just stay healthy and injury free until running next weekend. I have trained well and the die has been cast relative to my success or failure in completing the race. The only additional preparations left for me to consider are the logistics of the run.

To the right is a minimized map of the course which, according to the web site's description will be

"starting and finishing at the POTOMAC CAMPSITE located off Potomac Road. You will be doing multiple loops in the FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST, utilizing forest trails, roads and pastures. While racing across grazing pastures watch for the cows and cow pies. There will be short stints on shaded, dirt roads. Cooling ponds will be located sparingly along the trail... The 50K entrants will do the same (as those running the 25k) 15.69-mile first loop, plus one circuit of the 15.53-mile loop..."

The very informative Finger Lakes 50s Blog also has a General Course Design Walk-Thru available for review. My primary concern fear is getting lost on the trail (as has happened before albeit in a different race), so any information/dirctiosn I can allow to seep into my skull prior to the event is helpful.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!