OK, so I've told myself I'm not running this week.
9/3/13 - Gina and I road biked 11 easy miles.
9/4/13 - Gina and I rode 19 miles to Green Hill Park and back.
9/6/13 - Kenny and I rode the marathon course at the cove to check the trails. We cut out 2 trees.
9/8/13 - Ran 4 miles in five fingers and then later in the day road biked from home down Grandin Extention, up Sugarloaf, Roselawn, Crystal Creek to the BRP, took the parkway to Vinton and headed back through downtown. This was tough but felt pretty good.
Total for the Week;
4 miles running
24 miles mtn biking
63.5 miles on the road bike
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Race week 8/26/13
The legs have been feeling dead. So I'm taking it easy this week.
8/27/13 - Ran the 6 mile loop and 1 mile cool down.
8/31/13 - Iron Mtn 30 miler.
This is a low key race down in Damascus VA. There are 50, 30 and 16 mile race options. A number of mtn junkies were headed down. The course is a rugged trail race that is mostly on the Iron Mountain Trail. The rest is on the Creeper Trail.
Last year I was 3rd in 4:34ish and I have hopes of getting in at a similar time but hoping to come in faster. The weather for the race was mild temps, high humidity, and rain later in the day. I was hoping to finish before the rain hit.
This race goes 4.75 miles on the Creeper Trail before hitting the first single track trail. I remember hitting this section really fast (for me) in 2012, running 7:30 pace. This year I averaged 7:45 but spent most of this time in 2nd place wondering why no one else was running faster than me. It was weird. I hit the trail in 3rd and ran the mild ups and flats and then hiked the steeps. I ran more of this than last year.
The course is pretty rocky but mostly runnable. I choose to run with one handheld out to the turnaround and then pick up a second handheld there. I ran with a few packets of Heed and drank it most of the day. I think I drank around 140oz in the race. Had 6 PB and jelly quarters and 2 waffles.
Throughout the race I felt like I was running more than last year but was slightly slower throughout the race (the confirmation of overtraining). The conditions were a little muddier than 2012 but overall I felt like I ran more of the race, didn't deal with cramps, and ran the last very technical downhill better than last year, but this all added up to me being about 15 minutes off of last year's time. I got passed by one runner on the way back and finished 5th in 4:49ish.
I saw the handwriting on the wall, last month, at Catoctin but wanted to chalk it up to a bad day. But the feeling of not having the normal leg power or turnover was an effect of training not a bad day. Sometimes you get it with the first hint, other times you need to be hit in the head to get the message.
All in all, nothing to complain about, and I'm happy with the result, I just know that had I followed a little better planning I wouldn't be in a situation where I need to take some time off and would be reaping the rewards of my training.
On Sunday we had planned on riding our bikes up the Creeper Trail to White Top and Back - 34 miles, but we got out 5.5 miles and the sky fell. It was raining like crazy, so we turned around and headed back for an 11 mile ride. Better than nothing!
Total for the Week;
37 miles running
11 miles cycling
8/27/13 - Ran the 6 mile loop and 1 mile cool down.
8/31/13 - Iron Mtn 30 miler.
This is a low key race down in Damascus VA. There are 50, 30 and 16 mile race options. A number of mtn junkies were headed down. The course is a rugged trail race that is mostly on the Iron Mountain Trail. The rest is on the Creeper Trail.
Last year I was 3rd in 4:34ish and I have hopes of getting in at a similar time but hoping to come in faster. The weather for the race was mild temps, high humidity, and rain later in the day. I was hoping to finish before the rain hit.
This race goes 4.75 miles on the Creeper Trail before hitting the first single track trail. I remember hitting this section really fast (for me) in 2012, running 7:30 pace. This year I averaged 7:45 but spent most of this time in 2nd place wondering why no one else was running faster than me. It was weird. I hit the trail in 3rd and ran the mild ups and flats and then hiked the steeps. I ran more of this than last year.
The course is pretty rocky but mostly runnable. I choose to run with one handheld out to the turnaround and then pick up a second handheld there. I ran with a few packets of Heed and drank it most of the day. I think I drank around 140oz in the race. Had 6 PB and jelly quarters and 2 waffles.
Throughout the race I felt like I was running more than last year but was slightly slower throughout the race (the confirmation of overtraining). The conditions were a little muddier than 2012 but overall I felt like I ran more of the race, didn't deal with cramps, and ran the last very technical downhill better than last year, but this all added up to me being about 15 minutes off of last year's time. I got passed by one runner on the way back and finished 5th in 4:49ish.
I saw the handwriting on the wall, last month, at Catoctin but wanted to chalk it up to a bad day. But the feeling of not having the normal leg power or turnover was an effect of training not a bad day. Sometimes you get it with the first hint, other times you need to be hit in the head to get the message.
All in all, nothing to complain about, and I'm happy with the result, I just know that had I followed a little better planning I wouldn't be in a situation where I need to take some time off and would be reaping the rewards of my training.
On Sunday we had planned on riding our bikes up the Creeper Trail to White Top and Back - 34 miles, but we got out 5.5 miles and the sky fell. It was raining like crazy, so we turned around and headed back for an 11 mile ride. Better than nothing!
Total for the Week;
37 miles running
11 miles cycling
Training Week 8/19/13
This is the week before the Iron Mtn 30 Miler. I'm starting to wise up to what my training has been telling me. I have a nagging issue with my right piriformis that will continue to get worse if I don't take some time off to let it recover. It is hard to handle when you are constantly thinking of new adventures to plan. Anyway this race will be the last running race of 2013 for me. It will also mark my 30th Ultra.
In addition to this, I have been overtraining. My training results are getting worse, my attitude about running is poor, and the piriformis issue is part of it too. The main error I think I've made is not taking much time off my feet following my Ultras. I've been running a race and then due to feeling pretty good following it, getting right back in to the normal schedule.
My new plan will be to take a week off from running after an Ultra. I'm not against getting on the road or mtn bike but taking a week off my feet. I'm sure I'll revise this new plan during my non running phase but these are the key points for now.
8/20/13 - Ran the 6 mile loop and did a 1.5 mile cool down.
8/21/13 - Ran 6.2 at the Cove. Up Hi Dee Ho and then down Buck and then Hotel.
8/23/13 - Ran 10 miles around Grandin Court and the Greenway.
8/24/13 - Rode 30 miles on the road bike. From home onto the BRP to Vinton and back through downtown.
8/25/13 - Ran 7.75 on an abbreviated Lewis Gale Loop.
Ran 31.45 miles and rode 30.
In addition to this, I have been overtraining. My training results are getting worse, my attitude about running is poor, and the piriformis issue is part of it too. The main error I think I've made is not taking much time off my feet following my Ultras. I've been running a race and then due to feeling pretty good following it, getting right back in to the normal schedule.
My new plan will be to take a week off from running after an Ultra. I'm not against getting on the road or mtn bike but taking a week off my feet. I'm sure I'll revise this new plan during my non running phase but these are the key points for now.
8/20/13 - Ran the 6 mile loop and did a 1.5 mile cool down.
8/21/13 - Ran 6.2 at the Cove. Up Hi Dee Ho and then down Buck and then Hotel.
8/23/13 - Ran 10 miles around Grandin Court and the Greenway.
8/24/13 - Rode 30 miles on the road bike. From home onto the BRP to Vinton and back through downtown.
8/25/13 - Ran 7.75 on an abbreviated Lewis Gale Loop.
Ran 31.45 miles and rode 30.
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