Pre-race thoughts from Winschoten

 
It's 5 AM here in Winschoten the day before the starting gun at the 2011 World Championship 100k race is set to be fired.  I slept well, but since I woke up to use the restroom this morning I have been unable to fall asleep.  I really do enjoy my taper time, but I notice that I don't need as much sleep when I'm tapered.  So I'm taking this as a good sign that I'm recovered and ready to race.  Anyway, with thoughts racing through my head, I figure it's a good opportunity to write some of them down here.

The Heineken brewery was one of my favorite places to visit in Amsterdam.

I left Amsterdam with my family two days ago and arrived in the small town of Winschoten after a 3 hour train ride.  It was a hectic day making our train transfers and bus pickup with all of our luggage and no ability to speak Dutch.  Fortunately, many Dutch speak English quite well and we finally made it and were able to settle in at the athlete village yesterday.  

I also was able to get out and run a lap of the 10k loop course yesterday.  The course is flat.  Completely, flat.  It is mostly asphalt, but does have some old, rough brick pavers that might be a little unusual to run on.  And it is quite twisty and turny as it loops through the city center and residential areas.  The best I can do for a map right now is my GPS track from yesterday.  Ignore the first and last half miles and you basically have the loop that we'll be running 10 times tomorrow.

It rained on me yesterday during the run (surprise!), but we're in the Netherlands so what can you do.  But the forecast for Saturday is mostly cloudy with a high of 76 deg F.  That's quite a bit warmer than it's been around here recently so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.  Hopefully I haven't lost my summer heat acclimatization yet.  I also wouldn't rule out a passing rain shower, because that's just how it works here in Holland.

The race starts at 10 AM for us, so that means it will be 3 or 4 AM for most of my friends in the States when the gun goes off.  I'll post a few links for those insomniacs out there and other who want to check in when they get up in the morning.  I have no clue how well updated these sites will be and have been less than impressed with the information available online so far, but maybe it will be there when the race starts.

http://www.iau-ultramarathon.org - live updates and news, right now check out the media report in the news section, also follow IAU on twitter @iaunews

http://www.runwinschoten.nl/ - website of the local organizing committee with start list

IAAF preview article that you might enjoy

My cell phone data connection here has been spotty, but hopefully I can have someone in my crew updating my twitter account (@rundavid1) so that might be something you want to check out as well.

Today the schedule includes team pictures, opening ceremonies, an athlete parade, and a pasta dinner.  And then just a few more hours until we get this party started.  Team leaders tell us this is the best team on both the men's and women's side that the US has ever brought to a World Championship 100k.  No pressure though.  The men will try to step up a level on the podium and take home the gold medal this year.  I don't want to give too much strategy/information away because I'm old school like that and you never know who might be reading this stuff, but I expect this race to be fast.  If you know me, and have seen how I run my best races, I'll be sticking to what works for me and looking to make things exciting late in the race.  My body and legs feel good, my confidence is high and I am well-supported.  I just have to run.

Five Years

Today I arrived in London.  Although in vacation mode right now, in a week I will be in the Netherlands for the World 100km Championship race.  I am blessed and honored to have the opportunity to join 5 other guys in representing the US against a field of some of the best ultra runners from around the globe.  It seems only fitting that the day I departed the States was a milestone in my running career.

Yesterday was five years.  Five years in which I have run every single day without fail.  1826 days in a row (don't forget the leap year).  More runs than that since I ran doubles over some of that time period.  21030 miles logged.  4200 miles per year.  350 miles per month.  11.5 miles per day.

There is nothing magic about five years.  There is nothing magic about running every single day.  It's not necessary.  For most runners, it's not even recommended.  But to me, it is symbolic.  It represents a commitment I made 5 years ago.  I had finished my collegiate eligibility and I had a decision to make.  Did I want to continue running competitively or not?  I took some time off that summer to see if I missed the training or if I found other passions to consume my time outside of work.  I decided to give it a shot.  I was going all in.  And that's when my streak began. 

My running goals have changed significantly over the years since I made that decision.  I initially intended to pursue the US marathon Olympic Trials qualifier which was 2:22 at the time.  When the standard was subsequently lowered to 2:19, I felt it was placed just outside of being a realistic goal for myself.  Then I discovered trail racing and the ultra running community which eventually led me where I am today.  Though my racing focus has shifted, my commitment to be the best I possibly could be has never wavered.

It's been a long road filled with many ups and downs.  Who knows how this 100km race will turn out for me and the US team?  All I know is that I will toe the line ready to give it my best shot.  The work is all but done.  So I approach the race with confidence, knowing that the commitment I made five years ago has led me to this race.

Taper Time

I was super excited to receive my Team USA gear this week.  Thanks USATF!

Throughout my running career, I’ve heard many folks complain about how difficult it is to back off the training and rest.  They claim to get restless and fidgety, bouncing off the walls with excess energy that is usually absorbed by intense training.  They can’t wait to be done with their break and get back to work.  I don’t understand.  I certainly don’t have this problem.  I’m beat and it’s time to taper.  And you know what?  I am absolutely looking forward to the rest.

If you are one of those people who can’t seem to enjoy your recovery, maybe you weren’t training hard enough in the first place.  Or maybe you need your head checked.  Maybe it’s the fact that downtime for me still means at least 50 miles a week and not stepping completely away from running.  Maybe you don't understand how important proper recovery is to advancing your fitness level.  Or maybe it’s just me.

I’m ready to not feel like a zombie anymore.  I’m looking forward to having fresh legs again.  I want to step out the door and run easy because the schedule says I’m supposed to, not because my body gives me no choice.  And I’m looking forward to the easy runs that turn into light tempos just because it feels good.

Rest is an integral part of the training plan.  If you train hard, but don’t allow your body to recover, then you never have a chance to rebuild and become stronger.  So go ahead, relax a little.  And don’t feel guilty.  You've earned it, right?  I know I have.

That’s my rant for the week.  Now let’s talk shop...

Monday was just easy mileage coming off of last weekend’s back-to-back long runs.  I headed to the track Tuesday but kept things very controlled.  6x1600m w/400m jog recovery averaging 5:10.   The legs were definitely tired, but it wasn’t a hard workout. 

After an easy run Wednesday, I cranked out another quality workout on Thursday.  3x5k in 17min (5:30 pace) w/2min recovery on a flat bike path.  That was a toughy.  Lots of little things were conspiring together trying to ruin this workout.  I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I had to push a little harder than I would have liked to keep this one on pace.  I did this workout as a dress rehearsal in my Team USA uniform just to make sure no unexpected issues cropped up on race day.  That was very motivating for about half a mile, but reality set it in shortly thereafter and I found that the team USA singlet unfortunately does not confer superhuman abilities. 

I took it easy Friday and got in 20 miles on Saturday but actually felt a little better.  Sunday was a 25 mile long run which I normally would have tried to run in a progressive fashion, but felt that a little discretion would be wise on this particular day.  I thought there would be little to gain and a lot to lose if I tried to force my tired legs through a hard effort this close to the World 100k.  I was tired, but I made it through with a little help from some friends.

That closes out one of the most aggressive weeks of training in my running career reaching 110 miles including two hard speed workouts on just 7 runs.  But more than that, the past 3 weeks have been an incredibly solid period of training that has left me understandably tired.  It’s now time to bring down the mileage and ease off the speed just a bit. 

I’m confident, fit, and excited about the 100k.  I really believe the US men’s team has a good chance to improve on last year’s second place finish to Japan, and I hope I can be a scoring member of the team that brings home the gold.

Strictly Business

With less than one month to go before the IAU 100km World Championship race, the last couple weeks of running have been the heart of this training cycle.  I have one more week of big miles and tough workouts before I start my three week taper for the race.  Although the last few weeks of training have been some of the most aggressive that I have ever done in my career, I feel quite good and I am very confident in my fitness.

Last week, I touched 100 miles (in singles, of course) with three quality runs.  The first was 3x3200m on the track with 400m jog recovery where I averaged 10:45 for each interval.  With just a single easy day after the track workout, I did a 9 mile marathon pace run on a flat bike path.  Although I managed a decent 5:38 pace for the workout, I was uncharacteristically inconsistent in hitting my splits.  To cap off the week, I followed an easy 17 miles on Saturday with a 24 mile progression run on Sunday.  The Sunday progression run started pretty mild as I was just enjoying the company of the group run, but I began getting to work after half way.  I averaged 6 flat pace for the last 10 miles and closed with a 5:30 final mile.  The weather really started to improve toward the end of the week, and I acknowledge that I probably couldn't have pulled off this level of quality running if the temperatures were still in the 90s.  

The past week, which ends today in my training log, was a great week of training as well, but with only two quality workouts.  On Tuesday, I did 4x2mi on the roads with 2 minute recovery jogs.  The average pace wasn't quite as impressive on paper as last week, but when you consider the fact that I did full 2 mile repeats on a lightly rolling road course, it was really a pretty good workout.  Not to mention an additional interval.  I took three easy days before doing 12 miles at marathon pace (5:37 avg) in the middle of a 20 mile run (6:06 avg) on Saturday.  That was a big step up from my last marathon pace workout which was just 9 miles long and I maintained the same pace.  But, it's not 100k training until I follow that workout with a 25 mile long run on Sunday.  I was very pleased to be able to maintain 6:43 pace today and log 106 miles for the week.

That's how I do 100k training.  206 miles over the last two weeks averaging 6:30 per mile pace.  I don't get caught up in the super long training runs, but rely on consistently high mileage at relatively fast paces to condition the body.  I guess we'll find out before too long how well my training philosophy works.  I'm healthy and confident right now, and think I'm faster than I was in April, but I'm not ready to make any predictions just yet.  One of my teammates on the US 100k team, however, is setting some serious goals.  Andy Henshaw has his sights on the American record of 6:30:11.  That's a cool 6:17 pace for 62 miles, folks.  The course and competition will be conducive to taking a shot at the record, but I don't think I'm ready to be quite that aggressive.

On a side note, I wanted to mention that I've been trying out the Saucony Kinvara 2's in my faster workouts to see how they might work for me in the 100k.  At 7.3 ounces, the Kinvaras are significantly lighter than the 11.6 oz Nike Pegasus that I wore at Mad City.  I was looking for something in the lightweight trainer range because I don't feel comfortable going to a racing flat for the 100k.  I've got about 50 miles in them so far and they haven't resulted in any deal-breakers like blisters.  The lower profile has caused a little tightness in the calves, but I think that will dissipate as I get used to them.  I'll keep you posted.

I'll check back in a few miles down the road...

California Dreamin'

Sorry that things have been so quiet here on the blog lately.  There really hasn't been much to talk about as I have been busy getting the 100k training done over the past few weeks.  I do want to tell you about something fun I did last weekend though.  I know I haven't made a big deal out of it, and I might not have even mentioned it, but I signed on to run with the GE corporate team at the 2011 US Corporate Cup Relays way back before I knew I was going to be running the 100k in September.  Basically, the meet is the corporate version of the track and field national championships.  I really wasn't sure what to expect but I'm glad I went because it really was a lot of fun.  And it was held in San Ramon, CA this year, about an hour east of San Francisco.  If you've been training the last few weeks in the eastern half of the country, then you know what I mean when I say that the trip was worth it just to get to run for 4 days in relatively cool and dry weather.

The meet itself is set up to be very team focused so that employees from all ages groups really have to contribute in order for their team to win.  Most of the events are held on the track (or in the field), but the events that I raced, the 5k and 10k, were off the track early in the morning.  They were kind of hybrid road/cross-country type courses with 50% or more of the race on a crushed gravel trail.  The courses weren't  what I'd call flat, so times were going to suffer a little bit.  But the weather...nearly perfect.  Temps were in the mid 50s at dawn and the humidity was low as well.  I needed to warm up in my track pants and jacket.  I could go on, but let's just say I'm beginning to understand the attraction to California.

The men's 5k went off after the women at 7:30 AM on Saturday.  Forty-one men from companies such as Lockheed Martin, AT&T, ExxonMobil, Texas Instruments, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and of course GE toed the line.  It was apparent early in the race that GE had fielded the strongest team by far.  I settled in behind a group of 4 GE guys plus another runner from Unum.  I was happy to let the pace go out relaxed and work into my own rhythm.  As we closed in on one mile I decided it was time to push the pace a little and take over control of the race in preparation for a long, gradual hill.  I was able to power up the hill and extend my lead without over extending myself.  Having crested the hill, well in control of the race, I chose keep some energy in the bank and cruise in the remainder of the race.  I was all alone as I entered the track for the last 250m of the race.  I was trying to concentrate on relaxing and enjoying the moment instead of kicking it in.  I crossed in the line in 16:03 with almost 30 seconds to spare over 2nd place.  GE swept the first 5 places.  While I crossed the line first, I was a little disappointed to learn that the times were WAVA age-graded and an older GE teammate, Stuart White, actually scored higher than I did.  I congratulated Stuart on his "win" and jokingly told him that I wouldn't let it happen again in the 10k.

The 10k was Sunday morning again under ideal weather conditions and was just two loops of the 5k course.  The men and women started together this time at 7AM.  Unlike the previous day, my GE Aviation co-worker and training partner Eric Bair was in the race.  He sat out the 5k on Saturday so he could blast a 4:28 mile on the track.  The 10k began much the same as the 5k, but Eric came with me when I separated from the pack around a mile.  We rolled up the hill together and I held back just a little as I wanted him to stay attached as long as he could.  I split 16:28 for the 5k with Eric still in tow.  That would have earned him 2nd place in the 5k the day before.  Soon afterward though, I pulled away for good.  I felt strong and decided to start seeing what I still had left in the legs.  I flew up the hill and pushed it back to the track.  I ran a big negative split the second 5k in 16:09, finishing with a 70 sec lap on the track and clocking a final time of 32:37.  And true to my word, I also won the WAVA age-graded contest.  I will admit though, that my buddy in the 45-49 age group had a higher average score from the 5k and 10k, so I have to give him the distance running MVP award for the weekend.

I'm very pleased with how I felt in both races.  I am super strong right now but I just don't have that finishing speed.  That's OK though.  I'm not supposed to right now and it wouldn't help me in a 100k if I did.  I did a 6 mile cool down after the 10k and then ran another 3 miles just for fun a little later.  The legs didn't get sore at all and I really didn't feel very fatigued.  The weekend served as a great reminder that any workouts that I've struggled through recently have been a result of the oppressive heat and humidity as opposed to a lack of fitness.  I also got a quick massage at the track and felt like my muscles were in much better shape than they were a few years back when I got  more regular treatment.

The GE team had a great weekend as well taking the top place in our division.  There were some great individual and relay performances that were really enjoyable to watch.  I must admit though (and you can tell from the 10k start picture above) that GE had the strongest and deepest team by far.  Very few other companies are supporting teams like GE does.  The USCAA track meet used to be a pretty big deal.  But recently support has dwindled and left the event just a fraction of what it once was.  Hopefully as the economy recovers more companies with return to supporting teams.  It's a fun event and I'd hate to see it slip away.  I met a lot of great people and made a bunch of new friends.  I hope we get to do it again.

Switching gears, let's do a quick training update.  Since the Blast, I've run weeks of 87, 94, and 101 miles coming into last week.  I still managed to get in 81 miles last week which included the 5k, 10k, and travel.  I'm planning to head back to better than 90 miles this week.  And after returning to Cincinnati this week, I paced an Earth Drummer teammate to a 2:09 800m.  Apparently I have little speed left.

As I alluded to earlier, the weather conditions in Cincinnati have made training quite tough lately.  I'm finally starting to acclimate a little better and I'm making adjustments like running earlier in the morning to avoid the heat as much as possible.  Hopefully this weather pattern will break for August and allow me to get in a solid month of training before heading to the Netherlands.  Speaking of which, we've started making travel reservations and the trip is becoming more of a reality.  I've got official USATF paperwork to fill out now which makes it all feel legitimate.  I'm so excited to have the opportunity to run for this great country. 

Thanks to Tom Leonard for the pictures from the track meet.  More can be found here.