The mileage for the week seems a tad low with no true long run, but a deeper look will show some good quality. Only one road run, which was a tempo session, and the rest were in snowshoes or on trails. I'm definitely not hitting the speed goals of the Pfitz plan, but I'm modifying it to do what I enjoy and am certainly building strength. And, in many ways, it's those modifications that are informing my decision for my plans after the Gator Trail 50k. It's definitely dangerous to look too far beyond that race, so I'm trying to incorporate some workouts that will most closely reflect what I'll face that day, i.e. a lot of laps, to keep my focus.
Onto the numbers...
1/16, Sunday: 8.5 - 1:47:16, Bradbury Squall & White Out courses on snowshoes. Met a crew of Trail Monsters at Bradbury Mountain State Park to check out the courses for the Bradbury Mountain Snowshoe Series. Conditions were terrific with plenty of snow to good around. We broke trail on Krista's Trail and then lost the trail. We ended up running into a point, totally lost the trail, and turned around and ran back out the way we came. We decided to head back into Krista's Trail in the opposite direction eventually linking up (somehow) with the trail we made from the other direction. It wasn't how I planned it, but it made a great loop and it's always a blast to break trail on snowshoes...especially in good company. We finished the Bradbury Squall course, and then Ian and I headed out to run the Bradbury White Out course. It was a great run, and I felt strong throughout. That being said, I'd have enough when we finished the two courses, so a tour of the Bradbury Blizzard course will have to wait for another day. When I got home, I ate a quick lunch and headed out with D and the kiddo for a ski at Pineland Farms. It was our first time skiing with the kiddo in the backpack, and she loved it. Great day!
1/17, Monday: 5 - 50:13, Topsham Snowmbile Trails to Lovers' Lane. D had done this same run earlier in the day and reported fairly firm conditions. Well, since I out weigh her by almost 50 pounds, I found the conditions somewhat less firm. :) Wanted to keep this a very easy run, and that's reflected in the time. Felt good overall, though.
1/18, Tuesday: 15.25 - 2:39:00, Beautiful Loop. D was looking to get her long run in, and, hopefully, on trails. I opted to join her at Bradbury Mountain State Park to give her a tour of the Beautiful Loop, since she had never run it before. Flakes began falling as soon as we arrived at the park. Val joined us for the first 4.5 miles, which was great. This loop is awesome and really rugged with plenty of hills. Trail conditions were firmer than I expected, and we moved along well for the first few miles. We had a bit trouble finding the trail after the first crossing of Allen Rd., and the hills before Elmwood Rd. slowed D a bit. Plus, by the end of the run, there was at least an inch of new snow, slowing our progress. Pace is really irrelevant on this loop, though, because it just so much fun. I felt very strong throughout, and although not the mileage I'd like for my weekly long run, I consider it harder than 20-mile road run.
1/19, Wednesday: 11 - 1:22:08, Brunswick Bike Path, tempo run. Plan was for a 3-mile warm up, 6 miles at half marathon pace and a 2 mile cool down. Could have done without the wind, snow and snow/slush on the bike path. Not perfect conditions. Oh, and I don't know what my half marathon pace is right now, but I know what I'd like it to be, so I went with that. The hardest mile of the whole workout was the first, as I had trouble getting up to speed, and I consciously eased back a touch in the final two miles. In the end, I was only one-second off my per mile goal average for the 6 miles. Very pleased with this workout. Splits: 7:00/6:50/6:54/6:50/6:52/6:53. The only negative is that speedier runs on the road certainly tighten my hamstrings.
1/20, Thursday: Off
1/21, Friday: 5.25 - 1:04:06, Mt. Ararat snowshoe loop. Back to the same loop I ran last week, but it was a lot like starting over as two snowstorms had come and gone burying the loop once again. However, the top six inches were picture-perfect untracked powder. Just a ton of fun. Plus, I got to watch a gorgeous sunset. Unfortunately, as the sun set the temperature also dropped. The beautiful powder had stuck to me and especially my gloves. My hands iced up. Not so pleasant. Otherwise, an awesome run even if it is just a half-mile loop.
1/22, Saturday: 2.25 - 41:38, Krista's Trail, Bradbury Mountain State Park. With the first race in the Bradbury Mountain Snowshoe Series, the Bradbury Squall, coming up on Sunday, I wanted to get out and mark Krista's Trail, a .75-mile singletrack section that I assumed would be untracked. I was right. It was clear that it had snowed twice since the last people had been through there: that was the Trail Monsters on our Sunday run. I dropped the flags and shuffled along. It was slow going. Beautiful, but slow. With the loop completed, I reached the Tote Road and realized that I needed to head home so D could get to work. Daddy duty day! I'd hope to run the whole course, but I need to get that loop marked. Mission accomplished.
Totals:
Miles: 47.25
Trail: 36.25
Road: 11
My hope was to be over 50, but it's not always in the cards. Part of it is perspective, I guess, as this would have been my second biggest mileage week of 2010. My hamstrings are still tight, but have been upgraded from "Damn, that hurts" to "Kinda tight." I know that running on the roads does seem to aggravate them, even at an easy pace—just another example of "roads suck." Overall, though, I'm feeling strong, and I feel like I'm building a solid base. It's not speedy, but I think it's speedy enough. I'm halfway through my eighteen-week training plan for the Gator Trail 50k, and I certainly haven't follow the plan letter for letter, but I never expected to. Up next: first snowshoe race of the season, the Bradbury Squall.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Training 1/9-1/15
This week didn't turn out quite as I had hoped due to the trials and tribulations of work, travel and general life scheduling. However, one of the keys this week was to be sure I was fully recovered from my marathon distance run at the GAC Fat Ass. (I'm pretty certain I'm not Italian.) Things seemed to be falling into place nicely early in the week, but the end of the week has left some question marks.
Onto the numbers...
1/9, Sunday: 5 - 44:31, Weldon Farm Road with D. Necessary recovery run. This run was a tale of two bodies. I actually felt relatively springy and had no muscle soreness, two great signs, but my hamstrings were awful. Strange because they hadn't bothered me all that much during the previous day's long run.
1/10, Monday: 5 - 50:50, Brunswick Town Commons. Instead of doing a medium-long run today, I wanted to be certain I was recovering properly, so I took another easy day. Unfortunately, the normally very mellow loop in the Commons was sketchy ice and ankle breakers most of the way. Even with screw shoes, the footing was treacherous, and I had to pay close attention with each step. This kept the pace very slow, and I was bummed to not be able to roll through the Commons as easily as I normally would. My hamstrings felt much better, however.
1/11, Tuesday: 6.5 total, 3k snowshoe race. Second week of Nordic Meisters was a mirror image of the first week: I ran the workout in reverse, starting with the longer warmup. My strategy was to take stock on the warmup to determine how hard I would hit the race portion. I felt great, including my hamstrings, so I decided to crank it up a notch. I ended up running 17:55 for the 3k, which was considerably faster, but I know there was a lot more in the tank. The limiting factor on my speed was not me, but rather the snow conditions. Even though the trails are firm, the snow cover is fairly lean, which means that the sidehills (of which there is a large amount) are not really filled in, making them very tricky. And, not wanting to kill myself during a Tuesday workout, I focused on staying upright rather than hitting those sections hard. It got dark during my cool down, and I was pretty chilly by the end.
1/12, Wednesday: Off. 14-16 inches of snow fell.
1/13, Thursday: 5.25 - 1:07:22, Mt. Ararat Snowshoe Loops. According to the Pfitz Plan, I probably should have hit the roads today for a medium-long, slightly up tempo effort, but with road conditions still poor from the previous day's storm, I opted for a snowshoe run. And, in reality, how could I not get on the snowshoes after such a big storm? I "groomed" a .5 loop around the Mt. Ararat trails, and after the third lap or so it became quite runnable. About 1/3 of the loop includes a snowmobile trail, so it was nice to take advantage of their "grooming" as well. Although, with so much new snow at once, the snowmobile trail is also quite soft. Great to get out in the snow, and would have done a couple more laps if I'd had more time. Worst part of the run was carrying my snowshoes home with wet gloves...brrrrrr. Do they really need to plow that .35 stretch?
1/14, Friday: 5 - 42:16, Mt. Ararat High School Loops. Back to Mt. Ararat today, but this time on the roads around the middle and high schools. I was really short on time after a day of meetings and travel for work, but before D go home with the kiddo. (I made dinner still dressed in all my running clothes.) I obviously hadn't eaten enough during the day as I felt flat and had no energy. 8-minute miles on this completely flat loop were a struggle. Plus, I'd been either sitting in a car or in meetings all day, and my hamstrings let me know. My stride felt awkward and forced. Just not a good run.
1/15, Saturday: 11 - 1:33:16, Meadow Cross + River Road. 4° when I left the house in a foul mood. I had originally hoped to get in at least 18 today, but we didn't have enough time for both D and I to get all our miles in before she headed to work and, frankly, I wasn't really up for it. Not a bad pace for a cold morning with no mojo, but I never really enjoyed myself on this run. Normally, I'll have a "this is awesome" moment on every run, but not today. Trudge, trudge, trudge. My hamstrings were a mess and are seemingly riding a roller coaster of tightness. I was completely frosted over by the end, so at least I looked hardcore.
Totals:
Miles: 38
Trail: 16.75
Road: 21.25
Like I said, decent start to the week and then clunkers the last two days. I feel like I was smart with my marathon recovery and the last two days are their own issues, but it's so tough to tell. Aside from the hamstrings, the bummerness could be mental as I didn't want the mileage to drop that much this week, and I never got a long run in. I'm hoping for more consistency. That being said, I did have two great snowshoe efforts midweek, so what those workouts lack in mileage they make up for in strength/intensity/awesomeness. Hoping for a rebound next week.
Onto the numbers...
1/9, Sunday: 5 - 44:31, Weldon Farm Road with D. Necessary recovery run. This run was a tale of two bodies. I actually felt relatively springy and had no muscle soreness, two great signs, but my hamstrings were awful. Strange because they hadn't bothered me all that much during the previous day's long run.
1/10, Monday: 5 - 50:50, Brunswick Town Commons. Instead of doing a medium-long run today, I wanted to be certain I was recovering properly, so I took another easy day. Unfortunately, the normally very mellow loop in the Commons was sketchy ice and ankle breakers most of the way. Even with screw shoes, the footing was treacherous, and I had to pay close attention with each step. This kept the pace very slow, and I was bummed to not be able to roll through the Commons as easily as I normally would. My hamstrings felt much better, however.
1/11, Tuesday: 6.5 total, 3k snowshoe race. Second week of Nordic Meisters was a mirror image of the first week: I ran the workout in reverse, starting with the longer warmup. My strategy was to take stock on the warmup to determine how hard I would hit the race portion. I felt great, including my hamstrings, so I decided to crank it up a notch. I ended up running 17:55 for the 3k, which was considerably faster, but I know there was a lot more in the tank. The limiting factor on my speed was not me, but rather the snow conditions. Even though the trails are firm, the snow cover is fairly lean, which means that the sidehills (of which there is a large amount) are not really filled in, making them very tricky. And, not wanting to kill myself during a Tuesday workout, I focused on staying upright rather than hitting those sections hard. It got dark during my cool down, and I was pretty chilly by the end.
1/12, Wednesday: Off. 14-16 inches of snow fell.
1/13, Thursday: 5.25 - 1:07:22, Mt. Ararat Snowshoe Loops. According to the Pfitz Plan, I probably should have hit the roads today for a medium-long, slightly up tempo effort, but with road conditions still poor from the previous day's storm, I opted for a snowshoe run. And, in reality, how could I not get on the snowshoes after such a big storm? I "groomed" a .5 loop around the Mt. Ararat trails, and after the third lap or so it became quite runnable. About 1/3 of the loop includes a snowmobile trail, so it was nice to take advantage of their "grooming" as well. Although, with so much new snow at once, the snowmobile trail is also quite soft. Great to get out in the snow, and would have done a couple more laps if I'd had more time. Worst part of the run was carrying my snowshoes home with wet gloves...brrrrrr. Do they really need to plow that .35 stretch?
1/14, Friday: 5 - 42:16, Mt. Ararat High School Loops. Back to Mt. Ararat today, but this time on the roads around the middle and high schools. I was really short on time after a day of meetings and travel for work, but before D go home with the kiddo. (I made dinner still dressed in all my running clothes.) I obviously hadn't eaten enough during the day as I felt flat and had no energy. 8-minute miles on this completely flat loop were a struggle. Plus, I'd been either sitting in a car or in meetings all day, and my hamstrings let me know. My stride felt awkward and forced. Just not a good run.
1/15, Saturday: 11 - 1:33:16, Meadow Cross + River Road. 4° when I left the house in a foul mood. I had originally hoped to get in at least 18 today, but we didn't have enough time for both D and I to get all our miles in before she headed to work and, frankly, I wasn't really up for it. Not a bad pace for a cold morning with no mojo, but I never really enjoyed myself on this run. Normally, I'll have a "this is awesome" moment on every run, but not today. Trudge, trudge, trudge. My hamstrings were a mess and are seemingly riding a roller coaster of tightness. I was completely frosted over by the end, so at least I looked hardcore.
Totals:
Miles: 38
Trail: 16.75
Road: 21.25
Like I said, decent start to the week and then clunkers the last two days. I feel like I was smart with my marathon recovery and the last two days are their own issues, but it's so tough to tell. Aside from the hamstrings, the bummerness could be mental as I didn't want the mileage to drop that much this week, and I never got a long run in. I'm hoping for more consistency. That being said, I did have two great snowshoe efforts midweek, so what those workouts lack in mileage they make up for in strength/intensity/awesomeness. Hoping for a rebound next week.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Training 1/2-1/8
In the first full week of 2011, I ran more miles than any single week of 2010. It's unrelated to any type of New Year's resolution, but it does reflect what I plan to get done this year.
Onto the numbers...
1/2, Sunday: 6 - 47:48, Brunswick 6. Back from the dead after a couple days off due to a nasty cold. This loop was a new loop I'd never run before, so it was a good way to start fresh. My plan was to keep the pace really easy and was surprised it was as snappy as it was. Good sign. Still some tightness in my left hamstring.
1/3, Monday: 10 - 1:17:36, Woodside Road. This is a classic loop from Bowdoin College, but I ran it from home, doubling the distance. Not only is it classic, but it's also a bit hilly, especially from my house. Goal pace was 7:50 or so, and was pleased with the 7:44 average, especially on a very windy day. I didn't feel 100%, but I certainly didn't feel bad. My guess is that most of that feeling was mental, since I was not liking the road running. Left hamstring still tight.
1/4, Tuesday: 6.5 total, 3k snowshoe race. First week of Nordic Meisters at Great Glen Trails, and I'm happy to be able to take advantage of the snowshoe division again this year, since it's more specific for my training. My goal for the race was a tempo type effort. I ran the course easy as a warmup (12:10/mile), then slightly harder in the race. (19:38, 10:30/mile). The surface was fairly firm, but very uneven, so not as quick as it first appeared. Happy with the effort. I ran the 2.75-mile Aqueduct Loop for a cool down, a cool down with 461 of elevation gain. Good stuff. Mentally, it was very good to get off the roads. Both hamstrings a bit tight.
1/5, Wednesday: Off
1/6, Thursday: 8 - 1:02:19, Meadow Cross Road Loop. Shockingly relaxed and easy for 7:46 per mile. Uneventful run overall. Hamstrings felt much better today, which I'm attributing to two decent nights of sleep in a row.
1/7, Friday: 5 - 43:11, Highland Green Road. Blah. My original plan was for a trail run, but I ran out of time, so I hit the roads from home. Physically, I felt fine, but wasn't mentally there. No big deal as it was a scheduled easy day.
1/8, Saturday: 26.2 - 4:08:10, GAC Fat Ass at Bradley Palmer State Park. Great day on the trails. D and I headed down to my parents' house on Friday evening, so it was just a quick 15-minute drive to Bradley Palmer in the morning. We met up with Jamie and Kate right away, and off we went. My goal for the day was at least 3 laps, but I hoped to get 4, depending on the conditions. The trail surface for this event varies wildly from year to year, and on Saturday it was pretty firm with not much loose snow. However, it was very uneven with myriad "ankle breakers" along the course. So, not perfect, but they could have been a lot tougher. Screw shoes worked perfectly. D, Jamie and I ran the first two 6.2-mile laps together, and the miles came very easily. When the first two laps came and went so quickly, I was confident I'd get all four. A huge reason for the ease of the first two laps was the conversation with those two, and it felt great to be running with people. Plus, the atmosphere creating by the GAC crew for the entire event is awesome. After the second lap, D decided to back off the pace a bit, and Jamie and I headed off without her. Snow started to fall at some point in this lap and would continue to intensify for the rest of the run. It was in the third lap that I decided that I might as well tack on the extra mile and half and make it a marathon. I was feeling terrific, so I saw no reason not to go for it. (Admittedly, this was my "best case scenario" going into the day.) Jamie ran a bit of my fourth lap with me, so he could get an even 20, leaving me solo for my final miles. Once alone, I must have picked up the pace a bit, since my fourth lap was the fastest of the day. I didn't pay much attention to my watch or my splits, but we were just under and hour for each of the first three, and I pulled in the aid station at 3:54:xx on my final full lap. I asked the race officials what I needed to run to make it a full marathon and then headed off into the snow. I finished the marathon in 4:08:10, and, in all honesty, it felt very comfortable. My hamstrings were a bit tight by the end but not painful or limiting in any way. Thanks to the GAC for hosting such a great event. I ate a super roast beef, an order of chicken fingers, an order of onion rings and a Dr. Pepper post-race. Gotta refuel!
Totals:
Miles: 61.5
Trail: 32.5
Road: 29
A great week. Not much else to say. I guess this is what real training feels like. My hamstrings are a bit troublesome, but they should work themselves out with some good stretching and foam rolling.
The only glitch in my training plan is that because of my snowshoeing, upcoming snowshoe races and general distaste for road racing, I don't have any real measuring stick for my training. I'm not going to ever really know where I am. Am I slower than I think? Am I faster than I think? With no plans to run any kind of certified road race, I won't really know. It's a bit disconcerting, but I'm coming to terms with it. Yes, I'm following a plan, but I running what I want to run. (See: 1/8, Trail Marathon. That's certainly not in the plan.) Mentally, though, I'm certain this is the way to go, since the main component of the plan is to have fun with it.
Onto the numbers...
1/2, Sunday: 6 - 47:48, Brunswick 6. Back from the dead after a couple days off due to a nasty cold. This loop was a new loop I'd never run before, so it was a good way to start fresh. My plan was to keep the pace really easy and was surprised it was as snappy as it was. Good sign. Still some tightness in my left hamstring.
1/3, Monday: 10 - 1:17:36, Woodside Road. This is a classic loop from Bowdoin College, but I ran it from home, doubling the distance. Not only is it classic, but it's also a bit hilly, especially from my house. Goal pace was 7:50 or so, and was pleased with the 7:44 average, especially on a very windy day. I didn't feel 100%, but I certainly didn't feel bad. My guess is that most of that feeling was mental, since I was not liking the road running. Left hamstring still tight.
1/4, Tuesday: 6.5 total, 3k snowshoe race. First week of Nordic Meisters at Great Glen Trails, and I'm happy to be able to take advantage of the snowshoe division again this year, since it's more specific for my training. My goal for the race was a tempo type effort. I ran the course easy as a warmup (12:10/mile), then slightly harder in the race. (19:38, 10:30/mile). The surface was fairly firm, but very uneven, so not as quick as it first appeared. Happy with the effort. I ran the 2.75-mile Aqueduct Loop for a cool down, a cool down with 461 of elevation gain. Good stuff. Mentally, it was very good to get off the roads. Both hamstrings a bit tight.
1/5, Wednesday: Off
1/6, Thursday: 8 - 1:02:19, Meadow Cross Road Loop. Shockingly relaxed and easy for 7:46 per mile. Uneventful run overall. Hamstrings felt much better today, which I'm attributing to two decent nights of sleep in a row.
1/7, Friday: 5 - 43:11, Highland Green Road. Blah. My original plan was for a trail run, but I ran out of time, so I hit the roads from home. Physically, I felt fine, but wasn't mentally there. No big deal as it was a scheduled easy day.
1/8, Saturday: 26.2 - 4:08:10, GAC Fat Ass at Bradley Palmer State Park. Great day on the trails. D and I headed down to my parents' house on Friday evening, so it was just a quick 15-minute drive to Bradley Palmer in the morning. We met up with Jamie and Kate right away, and off we went. My goal for the day was at least 3 laps, but I hoped to get 4, depending on the conditions. The trail surface for this event varies wildly from year to year, and on Saturday it was pretty firm with not much loose snow. However, it was very uneven with myriad "ankle breakers" along the course. So, not perfect, but they could have been a lot tougher. Screw shoes worked perfectly. D, Jamie and I ran the first two 6.2-mile laps together, and the miles came very easily. When the first two laps came and went so quickly, I was confident I'd get all four. A huge reason for the ease of the first two laps was the conversation with those two, and it felt great to be running with people. Plus, the atmosphere creating by the GAC crew for the entire event is awesome. After the second lap, D decided to back off the pace a bit, and Jamie and I headed off without her. Snow started to fall at some point in this lap and would continue to intensify for the rest of the run. It was in the third lap that I decided that I might as well tack on the extra mile and half and make it a marathon. I was feeling terrific, so I saw no reason not to go for it. (Admittedly, this was my "best case scenario" going into the day.) Jamie ran a bit of my fourth lap with me, so he could get an even 20, leaving me solo for my final miles. Once alone, I must have picked up the pace a bit, since my fourth lap was the fastest of the day. I didn't pay much attention to my watch or my splits, but we were just under and hour for each of the first three, and I pulled in the aid station at 3:54:xx on my final full lap. I asked the race officials what I needed to run to make it a full marathon and then headed off into the snow. I finished the marathon in 4:08:10, and, in all honesty, it felt very comfortable. My hamstrings were a bit tight by the end but not painful or limiting in any way. Thanks to the GAC for hosting such a great event. I ate a super roast beef, an order of chicken fingers, an order of onion rings and a Dr. Pepper post-race. Gotta refuel!
Totals:
Miles: 61.5
Trail: 32.5
Road: 29
A great week. Not much else to say. I guess this is what real training feels like. My hamstrings are a bit troublesome, but they should work themselves out with some good stretching and foam rolling.
The only glitch in my training plan is that because of my snowshoeing, upcoming snowshoe races and general distaste for road racing, I don't have any real measuring stick for my training. I'm not going to ever really know where I am. Am I slower than I think? Am I faster than I think? With no plans to run any kind of certified road race, I won't really know. It's a bit disconcerting, but I'm coming to terms with it. Yes, I'm following a plan, but I running what I want to run. (See: 1/8, Trail Marathon. That's certainly not in the plan.) Mentally, though, I'm certain this is the way to go, since the main component of the plan is to have fun with it.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Training 12/26 - 1/1
Um, yeah, training...yeah...um...
This week was supposed to be a step back week, but not nearly this much of a step back. Long story short: I'm sick. I only managed to log 15.5 miles. The only decent run of this week was a snowshoe "run" on Tuesday in the fresh snow. The rest were garbage miles or no miles. *grumble*
However, this week, I did go over 1500 miles for the year. Not a lot for a lot of people, but a significant jump for me from 2008 (1053) and 2009 (1118). And, since I probably didn't run 500 miles combined from 1998 - 2007, I'll take it. That being said, I planning on even more in 2011.
And, I guess that's my wrap up post for 2010. The way I'm thinking about my training right now, I'm not really looking back. I have ALOT of work to do, so I'm focused on the year ahead. (Of course, it would be nice if I could shake this damn cold/plague and actually train.) I posted my race schedule (so far) at right, and I hope to add to it. As I mentioned, the Gator Trail 50k is my focus right now, and I'm already signed up for MDI in the fall. I'm not certain how I'm going to approach MDI yet: whether it will be a fun run or a goal race. I'll make this decision as I get into the summer, which will be informed by my spring "endeavors," which will be decided based on my results/recovery from Gator Trail, which will be determined by my training. Like I said, I better shake this cold...
This week was supposed to be a step back week, but not nearly this much of a step back. Long story short: I'm sick. I only managed to log 15.5 miles. The only decent run of this week was a snowshoe "run" on Tuesday in the fresh snow. The rest were garbage miles or no miles. *grumble*
However, this week, I did go over 1500 miles for the year. Not a lot for a lot of people, but a significant jump for me from 2008 (1053) and 2009 (1118). And, since I probably didn't run 500 miles combined from 1998 - 2007, I'll take it. That being said, I planning on even more in 2011.
And, I guess that's my wrap up post for 2010. The way I'm thinking about my training right now, I'm not really looking back. I have ALOT of work to do, so I'm focused on the year ahead. (Of course, it would be nice if I could shake this damn cold/plague and actually train.) I posted my race schedule (so far) at right, and I hope to add to it. As I mentioned, the Gator Trail 50k is my focus right now, and I'm already signed up for MDI in the fall. I'm not certain how I'm going to approach MDI yet: whether it will be a fun run or a goal race. I'll make this decision as I get into the summer, which will be informed by my spring "endeavors," which will be decided based on my results/recovery from Gator Trail, which will be determined by my training. Like I said, I better shake this cold...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Till We Meet in Hell and Training 12/19 - 12/25
Week 5 of my official training plan. All systems go...
Onto the numbers...
12/19, Sunday - 10.5 - 1:30:00, Till We Meet in Hell. Trail Monster Valerie had the tremendous idea to host a run/race on some of the trails she runs regularly at USM in Gorham. She mapped out a 1.15-mile course and invited/challenged us to run it as many times as possible. The course was much tougher than I had expected with some steep drops and climbs in and out of some gullies, plenty of twists and turns and some solid climbing. Oh, and really, really fun. My plan was pretty simple: run hard. At the start, I headed out behind Blaine and Andy but could only keep them in sight for about 1.5 laps. I ran mostly alone, except when I was lapping people, which seemed to be mostly on the even numbered laps and barely saw anyone on the odd numbered laps. Strange. After the first lap, I set a goal to keep all the laps under 10 minutes. Mission accomplished, and I was very pleased with my effort. I got in 10.5 miles and finished third overall. Valerie and Jeff also devised a handicap system, which I could not even begin to understand. I liked the system, though, because I also finished third with the handicap and took home some beer. Post-run, we all gathered at Sebago Brewing in Gorham for food and more good times.
Here are my splits:
Lap 1: 9:38
Lap 2: 9:45
Lap 3: 9:30
Lap 4: 9:51
Lap 5: 9:58
Lap 6: 9:51
Lap 7: 9:42
Lap 8: 9:48
Lap 9: 9:29
Final .2: 2:25
12/20, Monday: 5 - 43:45, Brunswick Town Commons. My quads were sore, but despite that my legs will felt springy even with the previous day's effort. Nice, easy recovery run.
12/21, Tuesday: 9 - 1:12:19, Highland Green Gold Course. Crazy, warm weather made me cranky, but the run was solid. Kept a solid pace for two laps of the cart paths of the golf course. This loop would become a staple of my training, if there wasn't so much golf being played out there.
12/22, Wednesday: 4 - 37:09, Powerlines. Some snow finally came to Topshizzum, so I found an excuse to finally use the screw shoes. I wasn't really into this run. Just felt off and disinterested.
12/23, Thursday - Off
12/24, Friday: 18 - 2:25:32, Georgtown, Rowley & Newbury. I had originally planned to go long on Thursday, but weather and scheduling knocked me off that. Thankfully, I was able to get it in while visiting my parents for Christmas. Admittedly, I was not really sure how this run was going to go, but I turned out great. I was a bit creaky for the first two or three miles, but I really found my rhythm after that. Legitimately, felt better at mile 15 than mile 3. Really happy with how this run went.
12/25, Saturday: Off, Christmas
Totals
Miles: 46.5
Trail: 28.5
Road: 18
Another good week, but I'm looking forward to a step back week this week. I've been handling the bump in mileage and intensity pretty well, but I know that some rest will be good. I'm also really looking forward to getting out on my snowshoes.
Onto the numbers...
12/19, Sunday - 10.5 - 1:30:00, Till We Meet in Hell. Trail Monster Valerie had the tremendous idea to host a run/race on some of the trails she runs regularly at USM in Gorham. She mapped out a 1.15-mile course and invited/challenged us to run it as many times as possible. The course was much tougher than I had expected with some steep drops and climbs in and out of some gullies, plenty of twists and turns and some solid climbing. Oh, and really, really fun. My plan was pretty simple: run hard. At the start, I headed out behind Blaine and Andy but could only keep them in sight for about 1.5 laps. I ran mostly alone, except when I was lapping people, which seemed to be mostly on the even numbered laps and barely saw anyone on the odd numbered laps. Strange. After the first lap, I set a goal to keep all the laps under 10 minutes. Mission accomplished, and I was very pleased with my effort. I got in 10.5 miles and finished third overall. Valerie and Jeff also devised a handicap system, which I could not even begin to understand. I liked the system, though, because I also finished third with the handicap and took home some beer. Post-run, we all gathered at Sebago Brewing in Gorham for food and more good times.
Here are my splits:
Lap 1: 9:38
Lap 2: 9:45
Lap 3: 9:30
Lap 4: 9:51
Lap 5: 9:58
Lap 6: 9:51
Lap 7: 9:42
Lap 8: 9:48
Lap 9: 9:29
Final .2: 2:25
12/20, Monday: 5 - 43:45, Brunswick Town Commons. My quads were sore, but despite that my legs will felt springy even with the previous day's effort. Nice, easy recovery run.
12/21, Tuesday: 9 - 1:12:19, Highland Green Gold Course. Crazy, warm weather made me cranky, but the run was solid. Kept a solid pace for two laps of the cart paths of the golf course. This loop would become a staple of my training, if there wasn't so much golf being played out there.
12/22, Wednesday: 4 - 37:09, Powerlines. Some snow finally came to Topshizzum, so I found an excuse to finally use the screw shoes. I wasn't really into this run. Just felt off and disinterested.
12/23, Thursday - Off
12/24, Friday: 18 - 2:25:32, Georgtown, Rowley & Newbury. I had originally planned to go long on Thursday, but weather and scheduling knocked me off that. Thankfully, I was able to get it in while visiting my parents for Christmas. Admittedly, I was not really sure how this run was going to go, but I turned out great. I was a bit creaky for the first two or three miles, but I really found my rhythm after that. Legitimately, felt better at mile 15 than mile 3. Really happy with how this run went.
12/25, Saturday: Off, Christmas
Totals
Miles: 46.5
Trail: 28.5
Road: 18
Another good week, but I'm looking forward to a step back week this week. I've been handling the bump in mileage and intensity pretty well, but I know that some rest will be good. I'm also really looking forward to getting out on my snowshoes.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Dead, Alive or Indian Food?
Ken Ober loves that reference.
Well, the answer to the question is that I am, in fact, alive. Very much so, but life, work and thankfully, training have trumped blogging. On the life end, the kiddo continues to grow, do more things and, generally, be excessively cute...when she's not being...well...a kid. Work is...well...work. And, training is going very well. So, here's a post about it. Maybe now, my wife and Jamie will get off my back about being a bad blogger.
Since I last posted, much has happened on the training front. Initially, things took a turn for the worst as over the span of three weeks, I ran a total of 45 miles. I was ill, and I just couldn't shake it. (See the aforementioned kiddo.) By the middle of November, I was able to get back to our regularly scheduled program, and then starting the week of November 21, everything changed.
That week marked week one of an 18-week training program. This represents a major paradigm shift for me. From my return to running in late 2007 through May of this year, I had a "it's enough as long as I get out the door" mentally. Well, at Pineland, it was evident that that attitude wasn't going to cut it. I adjusted my training somewhat over the summer by upping the mileage and mixing up the type of runs. The results were positive, culminating in my performance at the Pisgah 50k. At this race, I proved that I could complete an ultra, and it was, in reality, a huge relief. But, I was really just flying blind, and upon further reflection, I know I can flat out run stronger. The only way I see to do this is to "train for real." I picked the brains of both Jeff and Jamie after their stellar fall marathon performances, and I picked my next goal race. I'll be racing (not running) the Gator Trail 50k at Lake Waccamaw State Park in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina on March 26. (Doubles as a visit to D's parents.) For a training plan, I'm using Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning, courtesy of Jamie. Hence, the 18-week schedule. And, away I go.
Now, Pfitzinger's plan is great, but it doesn't account for trail running and snowshoe racing. Not a chance I'd be dropping either of those from my schedule, so I'm doing some heavy modification. But, that only makes sense, since I'm training for a trail 50k, not a road marathon. However, I'm confident that the basics of his plan will work for my race and that the schedule of long runs and speedwork will pay huge dividends.
So, how's it going, so far? It's going very well, and I've easily moved past the "just get out the door" mentality. In fact, when I missed a planned run, I get cranky about it. I'm adjusting well to the mileage increase and have been pleasantly surprised with how fresh I've felt.
Here are some highlights:
Week one (32.5 miles): This was Thanksgiving week, and we were actually in North Carolina visiting D's parents. We took a morning to check out the Gator Trail course, which was a great move. I've had something to visualize whenever I've been feeling less than great on a run. For the 50k, we'll run 6 laps of the 5.2 mile course, which is at least 90% trail with a one short road piece and one boardwalk. It's fairly flat, but it does get sandy in a few places, which will be tricky (read: slow and annoying). Unfortunately, this was the only trail run of the week, and my left achilles was sore.
Week two (35.5 miles): I arranged two back-to-back off days to rest my achilles and that was all it needed to feel fine. Long run for the week was 12.5 miles on the Cathance River Trails and beyond, through which I discovered a new trail.
Week three (45.75 miles): Big jump, but with no achilles issues, I went for it. I struggled through a 4-mile tempo effort in the wind and snow on Monday, but the numbers were right what I wanted. Put in a solid 14 miles on the roads later in the week. Unusual for me to run that long, so far out from my goal race, but, like I said, paradigm shift.
Week four (42.25 miles): Missed a day due to work and travel, or I would have been closer to 50. However, all these miles were on trails, so the difficulty quotient more than makes up for it. Again, flexing and stretching the Pftiz Plan. I bookended the week with two very hilly runs, one at Bradbury Mountain State Park and one at the Green Hills Preserve. Highlight of the week was a 14.25-mile "Double" Cathance run.
I'm now in week five and still rolling. The only complaint is my ankles/top of my feet. I have some soreness here throughout the day, but I, generally, don't feel it when I run. This week is my last build up week before an easy step back week, so my hope is that the rest will resolve it.
So, that's the big news. I've set some pretty big goals for myself for this race, and as the training progresses, I'll find out just how much of a reach my "A" goal is. But, no, I'm not divulging those goals here. I may outline them pre-race, but you'll definitely hear how I stacked up in my race report. Right now, I'm just enjoying the training, and looking forward to snowshoe season. And, of course, beyond the Gator Trail 50k, I have a few ideas planned out as well. Those will depend on my training and race recovery...for another post.
In the meantime...here is the most requested tune in our house:
Well, the answer to the question is that I am, in fact, alive. Very much so, but life, work and thankfully, training have trumped blogging. On the life end, the kiddo continues to grow, do more things and, generally, be excessively cute...when she's not being...well...a kid. Work is...well...work. And, training is going very well. So, here's a post about it. Maybe now, my wife and Jamie will get off my back about being a bad blogger.
Since I last posted, much has happened on the training front. Initially, things took a turn for the worst as over the span of three weeks, I ran a total of 45 miles. I was ill, and I just couldn't shake it. (See the aforementioned kiddo.) By the middle of November, I was able to get back to our regularly scheduled program, and then starting the week of November 21, everything changed.
That week marked week one of an 18-week training program. This represents a major paradigm shift for me. From my return to running in late 2007 through May of this year, I had a "it's enough as long as I get out the door" mentally. Well, at Pineland, it was evident that that attitude wasn't going to cut it. I adjusted my training somewhat over the summer by upping the mileage and mixing up the type of runs. The results were positive, culminating in my performance at the Pisgah 50k. At this race, I proved that I could complete an ultra, and it was, in reality, a huge relief. But, I was really just flying blind, and upon further reflection, I know I can flat out run stronger. The only way I see to do this is to "train for real." I picked the brains of both Jeff and Jamie after their stellar fall marathon performances, and I picked my next goal race. I'll be racing (not running) the Gator Trail 50k at Lake Waccamaw State Park in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina on March 26. (Doubles as a visit to D's parents.) For a training plan, I'm using Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning, courtesy of Jamie. Hence, the 18-week schedule. And, away I go.
Now, Pfitzinger's plan is great, but it doesn't account for trail running and snowshoe racing. Not a chance I'd be dropping either of those from my schedule, so I'm doing some heavy modification. But, that only makes sense, since I'm training for a trail 50k, not a road marathon. However, I'm confident that the basics of his plan will work for my race and that the schedule of long runs and speedwork will pay huge dividends.
So, how's it going, so far? It's going very well, and I've easily moved past the "just get out the door" mentality. In fact, when I missed a planned run, I get cranky about it. I'm adjusting well to the mileage increase and have been pleasantly surprised with how fresh I've felt.
Here are some highlights:
Week one (32.5 miles): This was Thanksgiving week, and we were actually in North Carolina visiting D's parents. We took a morning to check out the Gator Trail course, which was a great move. I've had something to visualize whenever I've been feeling less than great on a run. For the 50k, we'll run 6 laps of the 5.2 mile course, which is at least 90% trail with a one short road piece and one boardwalk. It's fairly flat, but it does get sandy in a few places, which will be tricky (read: slow and annoying). Unfortunately, this was the only trail run of the week, and my left achilles was sore.
Week two (35.5 miles): I arranged two back-to-back off days to rest my achilles and that was all it needed to feel fine. Long run for the week was 12.5 miles on the Cathance River Trails and beyond, through which I discovered a new trail.
Week three (45.75 miles): Big jump, but with no achilles issues, I went for it. I struggled through a 4-mile tempo effort in the wind and snow on Monday, but the numbers were right what I wanted. Put in a solid 14 miles on the roads later in the week. Unusual for me to run that long, so far out from my goal race, but, like I said, paradigm shift.
Week four (42.25 miles): Missed a day due to work and travel, or I would have been closer to 50. However, all these miles were on trails, so the difficulty quotient more than makes up for it. Again, flexing and stretching the Pftiz Plan. I bookended the week with two very hilly runs, one at Bradbury Mountain State Park and one at the Green Hills Preserve. Highlight of the week was a 14.25-mile "Double" Cathance run.
I'm now in week five and still rolling. The only complaint is my ankles/top of my feet. I have some soreness here throughout the day, but I, generally, don't feel it when I run. This week is my last build up week before an easy step back week, so my hope is that the rest will resolve it.
So, that's the big news. I've set some pretty big goals for myself for this race, and as the training progresses, I'll find out just how much of a reach my "A" goal is. But, no, I'm not divulging those goals here. I may outline them pre-race, but you'll definitely hear how I stacked up in my race report. Right now, I'm just enjoying the training, and looking forward to snowshoe season. And, of course, beyond the Gator Trail 50k, I have a few ideas planned out as well. Those will depend on my training and race recovery...for another post.
In the meantime...here is the most requested tune in our house:
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