9/16/14 - Ran the 6 mile loop at HR and did a 1.5 mile cool down. Legs feel good but HR is off up hills.
9/17/14 - Ran 8.4 miles around Fishburn, Winding Way, Persinger and back.
9/19/14 - Ran 21.25 miles. Ran from home on the Greenway to the Star Trailhead, Woodthrush, CRL (did some trail work cutting out a few trees and cutting back new growth), Fern Park Trail, and back on the greenway and through the graveyard.
9/20/14 - Did a road ride downtown and then on the Lick Run Greenway. for 18.45
9/21/14 - Did a 8.5 mile sunrise run up to McAfee's down to the water trail and back on the fire road.
Ran 6.85 later in the day around the hood.
All runs this week have been at HR.
Total for the week; 52.5 miles running and 18.45 mile cycling.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Recovery Week II 9/8/14
It is interesting that this article came out on www.irunfar.com -
Recover Better: 10 Rules For Optimal Ultramarathon Recovery
http://www.irunfar.com/2014/09/recover-better-10-rules-for-optimal-ultramarathon-recovery.html
An understated point that I see a lot of people ignore, is - No matter who you are, the rules still apply - Everyone can be a victim of overtraining. Elite and casual runners have the same rules. Just because you don't see yourself as an elite, fast, competitive (fill in the blank) doesn't mean you can fall prey to overreaching/overtraining.
It is an extension to the 3 part series that I mentioned in the last post. Good rules, but how to practice these still seems very subjective. Doing a better job at recovering seems to be the next "art" of training. Figuring this out or the how to do less to get the most will be the key to success.
9/9/14 - 7.5 miles. 6 mile loop at HR and then a 1.5 mile cool down. My heart rate and uphill power are still off from the Iron Mtn 30 miler.
9/10/14 - 7.35 miles around Fishburn and Winding Way. HR is still high and my power is way off going up even the slightest hill.
9/12/14 - 10.6 miles around Grandin Court and Fishburn Park.
9/13/14 - Ran 8 on the Greenway and did a 1 mile cool down
9/14/14 - Ran 10 on the greenway and did a .3 mile cool down.
Total for the week; 44.45 miles running.
I feel good but my legs and HR are still recovering. My HR up hills is off. I'm really not sure what that is all about but speculate that it is a sign I need an extended recovery period.
Got my Bluetooth HR monitor this week and started playing with the www.myithelete.com HRV app. This is an app that was mentioned in the Maffetone "big book of endurance training" and is supposed help you know when to recover and when to GO based on your "Life" stress and how your body is adapting to it. It is supposed to be able to help you know when to go and when to give your body a break based on how you are handling your day to day stress demands. I'll post something when I get a chance to make sense of the info.
Recover Better: 10 Rules For Optimal Ultramarathon Recovery
http://www.irunfar.com/2014/09/recover-better-10-rules-for-optimal-ultramarathon-recovery.html
An understated point that I see a lot of people ignore, is - No matter who you are, the rules still apply - Everyone can be a victim of overtraining. Elite and casual runners have the same rules. Just because you don't see yourself as an elite, fast, competitive (fill in the blank) doesn't mean you can fall prey to overreaching/overtraining.
It is an extension to the 3 part series that I mentioned in the last post. Good rules, but how to practice these still seems very subjective. Doing a better job at recovering seems to be the next "art" of training. Figuring this out or the how to do less to get the most will be the key to success.
9/9/14 - 7.5 miles. 6 mile loop at HR and then a 1.5 mile cool down. My heart rate and uphill power are still off from the Iron Mtn 30 miler.
9/10/14 - 7.35 miles around Fishburn and Winding Way. HR is still high and my power is way off going up even the slightest hill.
9/12/14 - 10.6 miles around Grandin Court and Fishburn Park.
9/13/14 - Ran 8 on the Greenway and did a 1 mile cool down
9/14/14 - Ran 10 on the greenway and did a .3 mile cool down.
Total for the week; 44.45 miles running.
I feel good but my legs and HR are still recovering. My HR up hills is off. I'm really not sure what that is all about but speculate that it is a sign I need an extended recovery period.
Got my Bluetooth HR monitor this week and started playing with the www.myithelete.com HRV app. This is an app that was mentioned in the Maffetone "big book of endurance training" and is supposed help you know when to recover and when to GO based on your "Life" stress and how your body is adapting to it. It is supposed to be able to help you know when to go and when to give your body a break based on how you are handling your day to day stress demands. I'll post something when I get a chance to make sense of the info.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Recover Week and Heart Race Info - 9/1/14
This one is simple, I have been working on a "smart" post ultra schedule/routine for quite awhile. The main reason is that most coaches recommend 1 and maybe 2 marathons a year for successful outcomes, recovery and long term effects of these races. I plan to be in this for awhile (already in year 12) so I want to maximize my efforts to play the Ultra game for as long as I can while minimizing the negative effects of running lots of miles and racing multiple times throughout the year.
A lot of information has been coming out about endurance athletes falling out of the sport due to chronic injuries, immune system crashes and overall burnout. I think the following article, along with parts II and III are great reads.
http://www.irunfar.com/2013/09/overtraining-syndrome-part-one.html
The truth is, that running an ultra, although a long and difficult task, occurs at a low intensity. This low speed over a longer timeframe, typically, doesn't create the soreness of a higher intensity activity. Participants of Ultras feel OK within days of their races. This gives them a false sense of security. They feel like they must have recovered, that their training and racing strategy is paying off and that its time to get back to the grind well before the body has really recovered from the effort.
Do you only have Heart Disease when your chest hurts?
We all know that there are many things that can be going on/wrong in our bodies without symptoms. The negative effects of Ultras can be another "silent killer" if we don't utilize some of the tools to monitor this recovery. Here are a few;
Resting Heart Rate
Heart Rate during activity
HRV
The newest research is showing that you can't diagnose overtraining until you are in it. Like you only know when your car battery is dead when the car doesn't start. Also, many of the signs of overtraining are also signs of successful training. What do you do?
The first step I took was to start training by the Maffetone Method. It's simple. Unless you get tested to find out your aerobic threshold, he recommends training at a 180-your age, heart rate. If you've been sick or injured in the last year, you are new to endurance training or you don't have a good aerobic base he recommends subtracting 5 beats. If you have a good aerobic base, haven't been injured or sick he says you can add 5 beats.
The key to finding out if you are improving or regressing is the MAF test - maximal aerobic function. I think this is a great test for any training regime. For the test you run a 20-30 minute warmup and then run mile repeats on a track or a "time trial" course at your MAF HR and record the results. If your training is going well and your aerobic base is getting better and you are getting more fit, your MAF test times should decrease. If your times aren't decreasing it means you aren't improving and you need to reassess the reasons why.
I live close to the PH track, so my test involves a 3 mile warm-up and then 5 miles on the track followed by a 2 mile cool down. My test results have been mixed. I've only done 4 tests with the initial test being a 7:22 ave/mile and the best being 6:46.
There will be more on the above.
9/5/14 - mtn biked at the Explore Park for 13 miles. Did trail maintenance and I rode with a chainsaw backpack.
9/7/14 - Ran 12 at the Cove. Trough, Brushy Mtn Fireroad, Drop, Hemlock, Lakeside.
Total for the week; 12 miles running and 13 on the mtn bike.
A lot of information has been coming out about endurance athletes falling out of the sport due to chronic injuries, immune system crashes and overall burnout. I think the following article, along with parts II and III are great reads.
http://www.irunfar.com/2013/09/overtraining-syndrome-part-one.html
The truth is, that running an ultra, although a long and difficult task, occurs at a low intensity. This low speed over a longer timeframe, typically, doesn't create the soreness of a higher intensity activity. Participants of Ultras feel OK within days of their races. This gives them a false sense of security. They feel like they must have recovered, that their training and racing strategy is paying off and that its time to get back to the grind well before the body has really recovered from the effort.
Do you only have Heart Disease when your chest hurts?
We all know that there are many things that can be going on/wrong in our bodies without symptoms. The negative effects of Ultras can be another "silent killer" if we don't utilize some of the tools to monitor this recovery. Here are a few;
Resting Heart Rate
Heart Rate during activity
HRV
The newest research is showing that you can't diagnose overtraining until you are in it. Like you only know when your car battery is dead when the car doesn't start. Also, many of the signs of overtraining are also signs of successful training. What do you do?
The first step I took was to start training by the Maffetone Method. It's simple. Unless you get tested to find out your aerobic threshold, he recommends training at a 180-your age, heart rate. If you've been sick or injured in the last year, you are new to endurance training or you don't have a good aerobic base he recommends subtracting 5 beats. If you have a good aerobic base, haven't been injured or sick he says you can add 5 beats.
The key to finding out if you are improving or regressing is the MAF test - maximal aerobic function. I think this is a great test for any training regime. For the test you run a 20-30 minute warmup and then run mile repeats on a track or a "time trial" course at your MAF HR and record the results. If your training is going well and your aerobic base is getting better and you are getting more fit, your MAF test times should decrease. If your times aren't decreasing it means you aren't improving and you need to reassess the reasons why.
I live close to the PH track, so my test involves a 3 mile warm-up and then 5 miles on the track followed by a 2 mile cool down. My test results have been mixed. I've only done 4 tests with the initial test being a 7:22 ave/mile and the best being 6:46.
There will be more on the above.
9/5/14 - mtn biked at the Explore Park for 13 miles. Did trail maintenance and I rode with a chainsaw backpack.
9/7/14 - Ran 12 at the Cove. Trough, Brushy Mtn Fireroad, Drop, Hemlock, Lakeside.
Total for the week; 12 miles running and 13 on the mtn bike.
Race Week 8/25/14
This will be my 3rd Iron Mtn 30 miler. My two previous showings were;
9/1/12 - 4:34:39 - 3rd Place Overall
8/31/13 - 4:49:36 - 5th Place Overall - I was over trained at this point and kind of felt like my time would be slower than 12'.
8/30/14 - I feel like I can push for a time similar to 12' but won't know until race day. Part of me knows it's been a big year of running and I need a bit of a break and another part of me feels like I can break the 4:30 barrier. I feel pretty good. Have a couple of nuisance issues but nothing serious.
Race Day Gear -
Salomon Trail Shorts - these have a back middle zipper pocket for my iPod, and two elastic pockets that I put in 1 serving of Heed into.
Camelbak Podium Chill bottle (20oz) with Heed in a Nathan handheld pocket (pocket had edurolytes and protrypsin pills and my timing spreadsheet).
The race starts out with a 4.7 mile section of the Creeper Trail. I started out at a reasonable pace that ended up being the slowest of the 3 years running this and hit the first water stop in first place. Once on the trail a couple guys passed me as I tried to keep my heart rate (HR) under control (I normally trail at 142 but was going to bump that up 10 12-14 beats for this race and hoping for around a 148 average). Many times over the miles to the turnaround I would catch up to or close in on the lead runner and each time he'd see me he would speed up.
My time at the turnaround was 10 slower than I had hoped for a sub 4:30 finish but I felt good and was running within my means.
At the turnaround I was maybe 10 seconds behind the lead guy and was pretty confident I'd catch him as I hiked the climb out of this 3rd water stop. At mile 16.5 or so we ran together and at 18 miles I decided to take the lead and we didn't see each other again. I was cruising along, trying to keep from blowing up and wondering if I could pull off a win. That lasted for around 5 miles, when at mile 23 I was passed by the eventual winner. He passed me going at a pretty good clip and I knew it wasn't worth trying to run with him.
I continued to run conservatively knowing that the last section had a pretty good climb and then a nasty rocky steep descent into town and a .75 mile asphalt/Creeper trail run into the finish. This section went pretty well but each year I am surprised by just how nasty this last trail is. It's always a relief to get to the bottom and see the sun pouring into the woods from the road at the trails end. Minus an anterior tibialis cramp on this road section, I was able to finish strong and came in 2nd at 4:45:56, around 4 minutes better than 2013 but still 11 minutes off the pace in 2012.
Drank 5 20oz bottles during the race; 3 Heed and 2 water.
Sunday we mtn biked up the creeper trail and then rode back down for a 34 mile ride to shake out the kinks. Legs feel good with minimal soreness.
9/1/12 - 4:34:39 - 3rd Place Overall
8/31/13 - 4:49:36 - 5th Place Overall - I was over trained at this point and kind of felt like my time would be slower than 12'.
8/30/14 - I feel like I can push for a time similar to 12' but won't know until race day. Part of me knows it's been a big year of running and I need a bit of a break and another part of me feels like I can break the 4:30 barrier. I feel pretty good. Have a couple of nuisance issues but nothing serious.
Race Day Gear -
Salomon Trail Shorts - these have a back middle zipper pocket for my iPod, and two elastic pockets that I put in 1 serving of Heed into.
Camelbak Podium Chill bottle (20oz) with Heed in a Nathan handheld pocket (pocket had edurolytes and protrypsin pills and my timing spreadsheet).
The race starts out with a 4.7 mile section of the Creeper Trail. I started out at a reasonable pace that ended up being the slowest of the 3 years running this and hit the first water stop in first place. Once on the trail a couple guys passed me as I tried to keep my heart rate (HR) under control (I normally trail at 142 but was going to bump that up 10 12-14 beats for this race and hoping for around a 148 average). Many times over the miles to the turnaround I would catch up to or close in on the lead runner and each time he'd see me he would speed up.
My time at the turnaround was 10 slower than I had hoped for a sub 4:30 finish but I felt good and was running within my means.
At the turnaround I was maybe 10 seconds behind the lead guy and was pretty confident I'd catch him as I hiked the climb out of this 3rd water stop. At mile 16.5 or so we ran together and at 18 miles I decided to take the lead and we didn't see each other again. I was cruising along, trying to keep from blowing up and wondering if I could pull off a win. That lasted for around 5 miles, when at mile 23 I was passed by the eventual winner. He passed me going at a pretty good clip and I knew it wasn't worth trying to run with him.
I continued to run conservatively knowing that the last section had a pretty good climb and then a nasty rocky steep descent into town and a .75 mile asphalt/Creeper trail run into the finish. This section went pretty well but each year I am surprised by just how nasty this last trail is. It's always a relief to get to the bottom and see the sun pouring into the woods from the road at the trails end. Minus an anterior tibialis cramp on this road section, I was able to finish strong and came in 2nd at 4:45:56, around 4 minutes better than 2013 but still 11 minutes off the pace in 2012.
Drank 5 20oz bottles during the race; 3 Heed and 2 water.
Sunday we mtn biked up the creeper trail and then rode back down for a 34 mile ride to shake out the kinks. Legs feel good with minimal soreness.
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