On Saturday, I did a very hilly, snowy trail run with CRUD. Probably not the greatest training for ATY, but sometimes it it is nice to just do a long fun run in the snow. For the Saturday long run, we started in the Garden of the Gods, ran up Rampart Range Rd a few miles, took a steep trail down into Glen Eyrie, took another trail over to the "scar", and ran up to the top of the scar, which is an old surface/strip mine.
CRUD Gang at the top of the Scar
From the scar, you basically run off a cliff and pick your way down to another trail that then winds down towards the Flying W Ranch. We then ran back into Glen Eyrie and then through the Garden of the Gods back to the start at Balanced Rock.
Today's run was the coldest so far of the season; 7 degrees when I left the house and about 20 when I finished. Unlike Saturday, however, it was beautiful; sunny with a bright blue sky, and several new inches of snow on the ground.
ATY Prognosis
Looking back over my training, I've run 1016 miles in the last 17 weeks (when I started keeping track) for an average of 59.8 miles per week. During that time, I've mainly done slow running with a few hill tempo runs and one long up-tempo run (marathon in 2:51). I will do one more higher mileage week of about 70, then back off the last 2 weeks. When I taper, I typically keep running the same intensity and distance on my runs, but I just take more days off. I think the less miles you run (like me), the less you need to taper because your legs shouldn't be feeling dead. While I have hit my mileage goal (60 MPW), I have certainly not done the quality stuff I'm used to. However, I also realize that it is pretty rare for everything to go perfect in training before a goal race. If I waited for everything to be perfect in training, I'd probably never make it to a starting line. Note that the 60 MPW compares favorably with the 4 month lead-ups to both my LT100 wins, which were 46 MPW and 50 MPW.
For the race, I'm still feeling good about my goal of 165 miles. The race will also be giving me an official 100 mile split, since it is likely to be the fastest 100 I ever run. I'm shooting to go through 100 miles in 12:55, and then hope for the best for the remaining 11 hours. 65 miles in 11 hours seems doable but who knows what it is going to feel like. I'm also a bit worried about the lack of daylight. A full half of the race will be run in the dark.
Mon 12/3 – Complete day off. Sick.
Tue 12/4 – Walk 1:00:00. Still feeling bad.
Wed 12/5 – 45:00 on treadmill, 7:50 pace
Thu 12/6 – 1:35:00 Cheyenne canon (35:10 season PR) tempo and then down Columbine trail.
Fri 12/7 – 1:00:00 treadmill, 7:50 pace.
Sat 12/8 – 2:45:00 GoG, RRR, Scar. Walk 20:00
Sun 12/9 – 1:55:00 Palmer Lake. Cold and snowy; 7 degrees!
Week – 8:00:00 / 55 miles
6 comments:
When you walk, what's the intensity? Just a stroll in the woods with the dog, or do you actually push the pace?
brownie - well, it often is a walk in the woods with the dogs, but I move right along; probably 15:00 or 16:00 per mile when flat, slower on hills but my heart rate still gets up there a bit.
- paul
During a long race do you look forward to the dark? Is it easier or harder mentally for you in the dark? Just curious. My longest races have been 50k so I don't really know. I did run a local 6hr that started in the evening recently and it seemed like the distance went by very easily. I was fresh though.
Shane,
For me, it is def. harder in the dark. I did a long run on the track recently that went from light to dark. As it got dark, I started slowing down without even realizing it, even though I wasn't really tired. Once I realized it, I picked it back up to my previous pace but if I'd been on a trail, I would never have realized the slowdown.
- paul
Paul,
Thanks for the posts on your training! as a fellow 55 mile per week average guy (who tries to be competitive in ultras) too I am both pleased and surprised.
Looking at your tremendous success previously at the long races. Can you tell me what kind of road marathon shape you were in before a big race like LT100 win?
And how does your fitness now compare to the build up prior to those great races?
Loomdog,
Normally, while I only run about 50 miles per week, I do quite a bit of quality miles. For this build-up, mainly due to my hamstring problem, I've done no real quality workouts. But, I don't think the quality stuff is as important for a 24 hour race in which there are no hills and the pace will always be slow. For my previous hillier 100s, I have always approached it as a bunch of shorter races, interrupted by walking and even seated rests (at aid stations). So, I might have been running much harder for parts of the race, but also much easier for other parts. For this build-up, I've focused on getting as efficient as possible at the goal pace of about 8:00 - 8:30.
Before my LT100s, I was probably in around 2:30 - 2:35 marathon shape. In fact, I basically trained as if I was going to be running a marathon. Before the 2005 Vermont 100 (16:14), I was probably in the worse shape I've ever been in before a big race, and I really suffered like never before. Probably about 3:00 shape then. Right now, I'd probably be around 2:45. But, as recently as last Feb/March I was in very good marathon shape and ran a 2:40 on a very hilly Umstead course). At that time, I was probably in about 2:27-2:28 shape.
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