Just wanted to post a quick training update for this week. If you read my last post, you know that I was on a ski vacation last week and was quite happy to have run 65 miles (with 6 of 7 runs above 8000ft). The week before that was low as well, only reaching 75 miles because I spent a weekend out of town attending a friend's wedding. So this week I decided to just play it by ear and see how I felt. But I also knew, with only 3 weeks left until the Mad City 100k, this would be my last big week of training before I needed to start tapering.
Monday's run confirmed that my legs were indeed tired from a week of snowboarding and running at altitude. I still felt out of rhythm on Tuesday, but wanted to hit the track anyway. Sometimes a little track work is just what the legs need to blow out the crap and feel fast again. The workout was 2x2mi (10:40, 10:37) w/2min easy + 1 mi (5:11). I left the track with confirmation that my fitness was just fine. I just needed some time to get back into my routine and feeling normal.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were all easy runs where I continued to search for my normal stride. Each run got progressively better, but I've definitely got a little tightness in the lower back and hamstrings.
Saturday I planned to meet up with a local ultra runner, Harvey Lewis, and run easy with him for a while and then take off when I needed to do so. I wasn't even sure how many miles I would try to get in. I was just going to see how I felt. We ended up joining up with a couple other guys who were running a 10 mi hill tempo loop. It wasn't what I had in mind, but the pace was mild, so it wasn't a big deal. After the hill run, Harvey and I headed off on our own with no particular destination in mind. We were just running and talking. Before I knew it, we were dropping into downtown Cincinnati - a place I hadn't yet explored on a run. But I was feeling good and I decided that it would be fun to visit Kentucky. So we crossed the Ohio River and ran a little on the other side. By this point we were close to 20 miles in to the run and I was still a long way from home. Harvey had run great to make it this far with me, but I was unintentionally picking up the pace and our average had just dropped to sub 7 min pace. He backed off knowing he was going to pace a half marathon the next day, and I headed home. Eager to get home, I really started rolling. My last 4 miles were around 6:20 average pace. And I was 3:06 for a total of 27 miles. I think that's the longest non-race training run that I've ever done.
That put me at 80 miles for the week. Might as well try to hit 100 even with Sunday's run. So I did. On a flat, mindless out-n-back run, I started tight and slow, but loosened up nicely for the second half and finished just over 2:15.
So, 100 miles for the week at an average pace of 6:45. Very pleased with the weekly total, and especially this weekend's work. Less than 3 weeks to the 100k champs and time to start tapering.
What kind of time do you think I'll be able to run for the 100k?
Crowther went 7:15 last year (2nd) and I think you are in better shape than that. Given the course in Madison I think that sub 7,
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