Climbing Skyscrapers and Ramping Up the Miles
Date: 3/1/15
Current Weight: 180 lbs
Long Run This Week: 20 miles
Total Miles this Week: 64
I started my 12 week countdown to Zumbro the week of 1/19/15. My program this time around is quite simple - hit at least 50 miles per week every week, and do tempo/speedwork as part of 2-3 runs each week. As I get closer to the race, I will aim to get on terrain more similar to the Zumbro River Bottoms area where the race is held, but in the midst of winter, sometimes the best you can ask for is a bike trail with a few reasonable hills.
The winter in Minnesota has been mild compared to last year. We've had a good number of stretches of weather above 20 degrees. The up side to that is that It's been overall great weather for running! The down side is that the constant melt and re-freeze has lead to the trails being very icy, sometimes to the point you can barely walk them, much less run them. I love trails and the variation in terrain, scenery, and unique physical challenges they provide, but my real struggle isn't in navigating the trails in races, it is in taking full advantage of the most runnable portions of the course at a decent pace. To improve that consistency, the roads are the ideal setting. That's my "glass half full" thought for the day.
In the last five weeks, I've stuck to my goal of 50 miles per week and have run about 320 miles, almost all on the roads. I've opted to run 5 days per week, rather than what I did last year, which was 6-7 days per week. I feel my biggest area for improvement is extended work at a tempo pace, and I've worked on incorporating this into several of my runs each week for sessions lasting as much as 20 miles. Running these longer durations with a tempo goal has helped me become more comfortable dealing with minor distress and discomfort during runs, which is of utmost importance in ultra-endurance events. It's also lead to me feeling very fresh at the end of my medium distance runs of 10-15 miles, a good sign that my aerobic base is improving and I'm recovering faster.
Last week I hit my peak mileage for the year thus far, with 66 miles during the week. While I think the mileage itself was within my body's limits, the intensity of the running paired with the mileage pushed me over the edge. This was likely made worse by a erratic sleep schedule and poorly managed stress. These elements combined led to me feeling a bit over trained this week (i.e. tired, sore, low on energy). Since I know my true peak week should be 4 weeks out from the race (two weeks from now), I took it down a notch this week, and will come in around 50 miles for the week. I also toned down my intensity this week and just listened to my body. I was able to get back on the trails, as they are becoming more runable with a light snow pack and less ice. Next week I will do similar, but with adding more trail work and a longer duration long run into the mix.
Yesterday I did a fun little charity event called the Cystic Fibrosis Climb for the Cure at the IDS Tower in Minneapolis. This was recommended to me by a client who has family affected by CF. I entered the "Fitness Challenge/Timed" division and ended up tying for 2nd in 8 min 15 sec, out of 189 competitors in the division. If that is a sign of my aerobic fitness, I must be doing something right in my training. When I reached the top I immediately thought "that was fun, but a lot quicker than easier than I thought it'd be!"
Current Weight: 180 lbs
Long Run This Week: 20 miles
Total Miles this Week: 64
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| Mid-run coffee break at Dunn Bros Coffee |
The winter in Minnesota has been mild compared to last year. We've had a good number of stretches of weather above 20 degrees. The up side to that is that It's been overall great weather for running! The down side is that the constant melt and re-freeze has lead to the trails being very icy, sometimes to the point you can barely walk them, much less run them. I love trails and the variation in terrain, scenery, and unique physical challenges they provide, but my real struggle isn't in navigating the trails in races, it is in taking full advantage of the most runnable portions of the course at a decent pace. To improve that consistency, the roads are the ideal setting. That's my "glass half full" thought for the day.
In the last five weeks, I've stuck to my goal of 50 miles per week and have run about 320 miles, almost all on the roads. I've opted to run 5 days per week, rather than what I did last year, which was 6-7 days per week. I feel my biggest area for improvement is extended work at a tempo pace, and I've worked on incorporating this into several of my runs each week for sessions lasting as much as 20 miles. Running these longer durations with a tempo goal has helped me become more comfortable dealing with minor distress and discomfort during runs, which is of utmost importance in ultra-endurance events. It's also lead to me feeling very fresh at the end of my medium distance runs of 10-15 miles, a good sign that my aerobic base is improving and I'm recovering faster.
Last week I hit my peak mileage for the year thus far, with 66 miles during the week. While I think the mileage itself was within my body's limits, the intensity of the running paired with the mileage pushed me over the edge. This was likely made worse by a erratic sleep schedule and poorly managed stress. These elements combined led to me feeling a bit over trained this week (i.e. tired, sore, low on energy). Since I know my true peak week should be 4 weeks out from the race (two weeks from now), I took it down a notch this week, and will come in around 50 miles for the week. I also toned down my intensity this week and just listened to my body. I was able to get back on the trails, as they are becoming more runable with a light snow pack and less ice. Next week I will do similar, but with adding more trail work and a longer duration long run into the mix.
Yesterday I did a fun little charity event called the Cystic Fibrosis Climb for the Cure at the IDS Tower in Minneapolis. This was recommended to me by a client who has family affected by CF. I entered the "Fitness Challenge/Timed" division and ended up tying for 2nd in 8 min 15 sec, out of 189 competitors in the division. If that is a sign of my aerobic fitness, I must be doing something right in my training. When I reached the top I immediately thought "that was fun, but a lot quicker than easier than I thought it'd be!"
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