Back to Training with Renewed Focus and Goals

Date: 8/23/14
Current Weight: 176 lbs 

Total Miles Last Week: 79 (biggest mileage week ever for me)
Long Run This Past Weekend: 14.5 miles at the MN River Bottoms

Tony @ MN River Bottoms Stream Crossing

My spring/summer running season came to an unofficial end on July 5th with the Afton Trail 50k. The past few months have been a great introduction to ultra running. I experienced four unique event locations in a very special way. You never really connect with a memory of a place quite like when you push you body to the limits while you're there. Trail running has been a catalyst for me in realizing just how important these types of experiences are to me. I look forward to experiencing hundreds of other places around the world on my own two feet. It has also opened up my horizons for other activities that I never thought I would take interest in because of my desire to find new ways to experience different places.

Afton 50k was an amazing run, and a unofficial finale for the training I had been doing since late fall of last year. It also represented a rest from a racing schedule, and a refocus on training itself. Since Afton, my schedule has looked like this:

2 Week Cycle Alternating Every Other Week

Week 1 ~30-40mi
Monday - Rest or easy 4-6 mi
Tuesday - Tempo work @ half marathon pace 4-8 mi (often split into a morning and evening run)
Wednesday - Hill Work @ Theo Wirth Park 10-14 mi
Thursday - Off or easy run ~4 mi
Friday - Tempo work @ half marathon pace ~4 mi
Saturday - Easy Run
Sunday - Long Run (10-20mi) OR hills work at Highland Park (6-8mi w/ 10 ski hill repeats at max effort)

Week 2 ~ 60-70mi
Monday - Easy 8-10mi
Tuesday - Tempo Work @ half marathon pace 4-8 mi (often split into morning and evening run)
Wednesday - Hill Work @ Theo Wirth Park 10-14 mi
Thursday - Easy pace 6-8mi
Friday - Tempo work @ marathon pace ~8 mi
Saturday - easy 8 mi
Sunday - Long Run 15-20 mi

I have been doing this cycle for five weeks now, and it has proved to work very well for me. I am seeing big improvements in my speed and efficiency. The primary difference between my current routine and my previous is that I am focusing on giving each workout a purpose, rather than just focusing on miles. The best part is that my body is recovering better than ever. I credit that to improved running form that places minimal impact on my body, as well as a diet rich in nutrients that aid in post workout recovery (whole grains and fruits for carbohydrates to replenish lost glycogen, tons of vegetables for anti-inflammatory properties and to boost recovery, eggs and fish for protein with whey supplemented once per day pre and post workout). I have also been diligent about doing my best to get a consistent seven hours of sleep each night. Although many argue that seven is not enough, I find that it is ideal for me as long as it is consistent.

So what is next for me in terms of events? My next big focus on deck is the "Wheels Off Half Marathon" in Duluth, MN on 9/13. It runs a good chunk of the same course as Grandma's Marathon, with a split onto I-35 towards the end. I am looking to beat my half marathon PR from this past January that I set at the Securian Winter Run Half Marathon, where I came in at 1:42 minutes (~7:42/mi). I have been building confidence in my tempo work, focusing on paces between 7:15-7:40/mi. If I have a good day on 9/13, getting my new half marathon PR is very do-able. I also just ran the Urban Trail Half-Marathon in St. Paul today (8/23). The course was changed a bit this year, and was maybe even a bit harder than last year. It features about 4mi of road sections with the rest being a mix of single track and cross country ski trails. It is without a doubt a tough course with tons of elevation change. I was able to improve my time from last year by over 24 minutes, coming in at 1:58. My year will finish off with an event called Icebox 480 in River Falls, WI. This is a timed event where participants have 8 hours to run as many miles as possible through woodland single track trail. Tony and I will be doing that one together, and from the sounds of things, it may get a little competitive between the two of us.

We are looking to next year and starting to pick out races that will likely be our focus for next spring and summer. My main focus for early next year will be a trail 50-miler in the spring (likely Zumbro 50 mi) and a good showing at FANS 24 Hour. 

I have a goal to get back to posting on here on a weekly basis with updates. With the increase in running and being busy with my job, I haven't quite had the time to sit in front of the computer for non-work related reasons ...plus it's just been too darn beautiful outside to be sitting on my butt! That being said, I'll be putting up at least a short update on a weekly basis. Thanks for reading!

Here is a course map of the event I did today: