Training Week 12/11/11

12/12/11 - Ran 2 miles in Five Fingers.
12/13/11 - 8.1 miles - Ran my usual 6 mile loop.  I was planning to hit this hard for a new PR so I warmed up with .6 mile out and back the hit the loop.  I ran it in 39:56 and then did a 1.5 mile cool down.
12/14/11 - 8.3 miles - Ran at the cove.  Ran up Hi Dee Ho in 18:34, then down 1000ft climb and ended on 4 gorge.  Did a  couple out and backs in there.
12/16/11 - Rode 24.2 miles in the Day Creek area.  Lots of climbing again, around 4100ft.  Rode in sleet and rain much of the ride.
12/17/11 - Ran a 10 mile road loop at a 7:30 pace and then changed shoes and did a 7 mile trail loop in Fishburn park ending with 400 steps at Patrick Henry HS.
12/18/11 - Road biked 26 miles.  Home to Starlight, BRP to Vinton, and back.  Hit is pretty hard.
35.4 miles of running, 24.2 miles of mtn biking, and 26 cycling.
Great week of training.  I love getting in all three types of workouts in a weekend.

2012 Winter/Spring Race Plan

October 31st marked the first time I have ever set my alarm so that I could enter a race.  The 6 Hours of Warrior Creek mtb race is held the first Saturday in April.  I have entered this race 3 years in a row as a duo team.  The last two with Kenny Palmer.  It is a great early season race, on a great course, that helps motivate me to get on the bike during the cold winter months.  The race filled up in 48 hours in 2011.  Team Mountain Junkies; year two I was in better shape than Kenny, year three Kenny was in better shape than me, this year we have both committed to coming in on form (Kenny is in better shape than me at the moment).

November 1st was another day for me to "beat the clock."  At 8:00am the registration for the 2/4/12 Uwharrie Mountain Run opens up.  This race notoriously fills up in minutes.  Last year I forgot about it and found it filled up by 10am.  This event has 3 distances 8-20-40 miles.  It works out well for Gina and I because she wants to do the 20 and I want to do the 40.  This event is the week before the Holiday Lake 50k and I've made it my "out" for Holiday Lake.  I've done the HL 50k 6 times.  It was my first 50k back in 2002.  I was in a constant quest to run it in under 5 hours.  This year, my fitness and the weather came together for me to run a 4:33:12.  It is a great race and a perfect motivator to run long over the winter months but I want to move on to some races that I've never done.  This will be my first race longer than a 50k since the Inaugural Hellgate 100k in 2003.

I'm looking forward to it.  So far the training is going well.  My ideal week is one in which I get in around 40 miles running, a long mtn bike ride, and a 25-35 mile road bike ride.

After April 7th I don't have any set plans.  I have some "maybes" but nothing I'm committing to.

Training the Week of 12/5/11

12/5/11 - Ran 2 miles in Five Fingers
12/6/11 - 6 miles - Ran my usual 6 mile loop.  Easy run today.
12/6/11 - 4.75 - Ran a neighborhood 4 mile loop with cool down.  Hit the loop in 27:30.
12/7/11 - 8.4 miles - Ran at the cove.  4 Gorge, road to Songbird and out on road.
12/9/11 - 28 miles of mtn biking on some of the Hellgate 100k course.  Tough day of climbing.  Did a total  of 5200ft of climbing with a 7.5 mile climb to end the day.
12/10/11 - 15.5 mile run at the cove.  Did 4 gorge, lower loop CW and then 4 gorge back.  Hit it pretty hard today.  8:30 average.
12/11/11 - 4 mile easy run.
40.65 miles running and 28 miles mtn biking.

Training the Week of 11/28/11

11/28/11 - Ran 2 miles on the treadmill in Five Fingers.
11/29/11 - 8 miles at 7:32 ave.
11/30/11 - 7.6 miles running at the Cove.  Hi Dee Ho and Buck loop.
12/2/11 - 25 miles mtn biking at the Cove.  Lots of climbing.
12/3/11 - 10.7 miles running.  Star Trail Trailhead, Woodthrush, Chestnut Ridge CCW, Woodthrush.  8:32ave.
12/4/11 - 30 mile cycling.  Home to Green Hill Park, Harborwood, Wildwood, and back.
This is what I can a perfect training week.  Good running with at least on big mtn bike and road ride.  I prefer to get in all three activities in a week.  One: I like it.  Two: it give me a chance to train more without killing my legs with only the pounding of running.  And three: it make me want to do the activity I'm not currently doing, keeping me from getting bored.
28.3 miles running, 25 mtn biking, and 30 cycling.

Training the Week of 11/21/11

Running while home to Illinois for Thanksgiving.
11/21/11 - Ran 7.25 on the road.
11/22/11 - Ran 7.2 miles.  Ran one 5k tempo in there at 6:35 pace.
11/24/11 - Ran 10 miles on T-day morning.  Very windy.
11/25/11 - Ran 9.4 miles on the road at 7:07 pace.  It was super windy.
11/27/11 - 18 mile road bike ride.
11/27/11 - Ran 3.6 miles in Fishburn Park.
37.45 miles running and 18 mile of cycling

Training the Week of 11/14/11

11/15/11 - Ran 6 miles on the road.
11/16/11 - Ran 8 miles on the road.
11/18/11 - Ran 3 miles to warm up and then did 2 miles on the track with a 1 minute Rest Interval (RI).  Miles were run in 6:01 and 5:57.
Took off for Illinois for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
11/20/11 - Ran 7 miles on the road.
27 miles of running

Training the Week of 11/7/11

This is the week of the Richmond Half Marathon.
11/8/11 - Ran 6 miles on the road.
11/9/11 - 8 mile of road running.
11/12/11 - Richmond Half Marathon.
I had originally signed up for the full but since my leg injury and the 3 weeks off from running I decided that it was in my best interest to not push it and down grade to t he half.  Unexpectedly I had some trepidation as I stood in line to switch from the marathon to the half.  I didn't expect that.  I really didn't want to give up my #324 bib number.  Something about having a lower number bib number for such a large race.
I've only run 4 road races - Jingle Bell Run 5k in 2011, Boulder Boulder 10k in 2005 and 2009, and the Biltmore 15k back in 2002 or so.  My expectation was to run under 1:28.  I ended up with a 1:27:12 and was really happy with it. 
I got in another 7.6 miles running back and forth between miles 24 and 25.5 cheering on a number of fellow Mountain Junkies and friends. 
11/13/11 - mtn biked the Urban Assault race course - 17.25 miles
30.7 miles of running and 17.25 miles mtn biking.

Training the Week of 10/31/11

Due to my leg injury, lack of running and increase in biking, I committed to riding on a 4 person team at the 18 hours of Scouts Honor.  That is coming up on 11/5/11.  I've never participated in a team race like this one.  I've been on a Duo team at a 6 hour race the last 3 years but nothing longer than that.  I'm nervous and excited about it.  The team consists of 3 strong riders and me.  I fear that I may be the anchor that holds everyone down.
11/1/11 - 7.5 miles of running.  Ran the 6 mile loop in 40:04.
11/2/11 - 8.5 miles of mtn biking at the cove to dial in my bike light for the race on Sat. 
10/4/11 - 6 miles mtn biking in Fishburn to dial in the bike and a few part upgrades.
10/5 and 10/6 - 25.5 miles mtn biking at the race. 
     The race had a 4pm start time on Saturday.  This is the weekend of the time change but the race organizers made it clear that, to keep people from being confused, that as far as they were concerned the time change wouldn't  occur until the race was over.
     Our team decided to start off with a 1,2,3,4 rotation.  I didn't feel like I had the legs to put in 2 laps in a row and thought I needed the rest between laps to make the most of my legs.  So we decided to start out this way and re-assess once we got into the race. 
The laps ended up being 8 miles and 45-55 minutes long. 
We were in first from the start and through the first 3 laps.
     I was the 4th person to ride and the first on the team to ride a lap in the dark.  It was hard to get the race jitters out on a first lap in the dark.  I rode sloppy but ended with a decent time. 
     Each lap felt better and better.  I finally got my light dialed on the 3rd lap to where I felt like I could see the best for this twisty and fast course. 
     The 4th lap was a mess.  I started to get tired and began to "see" things.  The harded place to find on the course was the center of the trail.  I was everywhere but where I should have been. 
     At this point we were all doing the race math.  We were in first by almost 2 laps.  The race was to end at 10am.  If you didn't get in by 10am that lap wouldn't count. 
    We all got in 5 laps.  The 5th lap for me was my first in the light of day and it went great.  It is amazing how it feels to finally ride in the daylight after working so hard to see in the dark on the previous 4 laps.  This was one of the best feeling laps I rode all race. 
    Our team decided not to ride a 21st lap.  So we ended up winning by 1 lap and a few hours on our competition.  Our team won first place overall and $50 a piece.  Not a bad time.  We plan to get the team back together for a few "training camps" and races in 2012.
7.5 miles running and 57 miles of mtn biking.

Training the Week of 10/24/11

Well the Into the Darkness race and Rotor Meltdown went off with success.  It made for one busy weekend but I've survived and am ready for a couple months off from race directing so that my mind can rest.
10/24/11 - 6 miles of running at Explore Park to make sure we got everything off the trails from the race.
10/25/11 - 7.5 miles of running.  Ran the 6 mile loop in 40:26.
10/26/11 - Trough, to buck, to Gauntlet, and back.  7.25 miles of running.
10/28/11 - 14 miles of mtn biking at the cove. 
10/29/11 - 7.3 miles running from home to the greenway and back through some Wasena and Raleigh Court neighborhoods.
10/30/11 - 28.5 miles of road biking.  Up Mill Mountain, to the BRP, to vinton and back.  Hit it hard today.
28 miles running, 14 miles Mtn biking and 28.5 miles road biking.

Training the Week of 10/17/11

Alright, I think I'm ready to get back on my feet and run again.  The leg finally has stopped hurting when I stand up and start walking.  This is a good week to start running since it is a race week and a hard week to get in the "normal" training plan running.
10/18/11 - ran my typical 6 mile loop.
10/21/11 - ran 6 miles at 6:45 pace.  Felt great to get back to fast running.  To some degree I realize that the time off my feet was needed.  So as a positive spin on this whole injury my muscles and joints have had a chance to rest. 
10/22/11 - Cleaned up the Into the Darkness course while both running and then biking.
10/23/11 - 2 miles of mtn biking to cut out a tree for the Rotor Meltdown mtb race.
16 mile of running and 6 miles mtn biking.

Training the Week of 10/10/11

Still staying off my feet for awhile.  So I'm biking as much as I can.  Again, to see the photo I posted of my leg injury - http://mountainjunkies.blogspot.com/2011/10/training-week-of-92611.html
10/11/11 - road bike to Green Hill Park and back - 20 miles
10/12/11 - road biked up old road of Mill Mountain and back home - 13 miles
10/14/11 - road biked to Green Hill  Park, Harborwood, West River, Peaceful, to 460, Wildwood, and then back - 37 miles, very strong winds today.
10/15/11 - Mtn biked the lower loop and then spent the afternoon clearing the trails of downed trees. - 26 miles
Considering my leg is still very swollen I was able to get in some good riding. 
Mtn Biked 26 miles and Road Biked 70 miles

Training the Week of 10/3/11

Well, after hurting my leg and then deciding to drop down to the Half Marathon at Richmond I lost my focus on the blog updates.  Well here is two months to get caught back up.  For the pic I posted of my leg see - http://mountainjunkies.blogspot.com/2011/10/training-week-of-92611.html
10/4/11 - As a very poor choice I decided to test my leg with my usual 6 mile loop.  Bad idea.  You have to know when you are injured and it is not wise to run.  My leg was very swollen with a localized hematoma on the outer side of my left leg. 
10/5/11 - Running is out - road biked 20 miles.
10/8/11 - Road biked 25 miles. 
10/9/11 - Road biked 37 miles - Home to parkway, to 460, then back to Mountain View in vinton, and back.
Cycling doesn't really effect my leg as it is non weight bearing and helps move some of the stagnant blood and swelling.  But anything weight bearing is a killer and makes my leg feel like it is going to explode.

Running Trails at Night

As always I like to repost this as the days get shorter and training at night becomes the norm.

Gina and I have run trails by headlamp and flashlight since we first got into trail running back in 2001. Due to time constraints, most of our fall and winter running occurs after dark. Both of us prefer to run on trails and don't want to let darkness keep us from staying in trail running shape. In addition, there are aspects of running at night that you just can't put into words.

A lot of people ask us how we can run at night because they feel it is more dangerous.  My experience trail running and directing a night trail race for the last 4 years tells me the danger is the same as during the day, if not less.  As long as you have a decent light you should have no problem with night running because of the following;

• because it is dark you tend to run slower.
• you tend to be prepared for rocks and roots that can trip you.
• you, typically, are focused on the trail in front of you and little else.

Light Source:
My lighting preference is to use a LED headlamp and a flashlight. LEDs are a very energy efficient lighting source and cast a white glow (I can't stand to buy and go through a lot of batteries. LEDs have really helped increase the run time of battery operated lights). Depending on your LED headlamp, the beam emitted will be a glow or a focused beam. There are countless options of headlamps for a variety of uses. I've yet to find a headlamp that lights up the trail and allows you to get depth perception.

When running at night you get depth perception from shadows being cast from your light source. The best way to get shadows is to use a flashlight. Holding a light lower, in your hand, helps to get the shadows you need to identify rocks, roots, and other obstacles in your way.
With this in mind I usually only run using a flashlight, but if I'm planning to run a trail fast, run a rocky or rooty trail, or run a steep downhill, I will also use a headlamp too. Not only does this help minimize getting injured on the trail but it is also smart to have a backup light source in case your primary light stops working.

All major brands have a good selection of flashlights and headlamps.  I'd say the most common ones you'll find locally will be Priceton Tec and Petzl.  Both companies make great lights and the newest lights are starting to be sold with rechargeable batteries (an idea that should have come before now).

Training the Week of 9/26/11

9/27/11 - Did my usual 6 mile loop in 42 minutes and then did a 1.5 mile cool down

9/28/11 - Injured my left shin.  Swollen to soft ball size.  Bummer.  Not sure when I'll be back on my feet running.  Whole story is that 2 3x5' sheets of slate (approx. 400lbs) fell over on top of me, mashing my leg into the ground. 



This picture is from my October 7th visit to the orthopedic to have him drain the hematoma (9 days after initial injury).  Notice my knee (right) is much smaller than my ankle (left).  Good times.
9/30/11 - 20 miles of cycling to Green hill park and back.
10/1/11 - 29 miles of cycling - Starlight to get on BRP, to deer crossing and back through downtown and Grandin.  Very windy.
10/2/11 - 28 miles of cycliing - Green Hill Park, Harborwood, Main Street and back on Apperson.  Lots of wind today.
Ran 4 miles to see how my legs would do.
11.5 miles running and 77 miles cycling.

Training the Week of 9/19/11

9/20/11 - Still sore from Sunday's run and wasn't too motivated.  Did my usual 6 mile loop in 45 minutes.
9/21/11 - Cove run - 4 Gorge, up the 1000ft climb to the Drop, tuck a way, comet and out on the road for a 7.6 mile loop.
9/23/11 - Track workout V - Did a 3 mile trail warm-up and then a few 100s of butt kicks and knee lifts.  1 mile with a 400m RI (5:53), 2 x 1 mile with a 800m RI (6:00 and 5:54), 2 x 800m with 400m RI (2:54 & 2:53).  Felt pretty good.  It was raining hard the whole workout.
9/25/11 - 20 miles of trail and road running.  Since last weeks long run didn't go too smoothly due to the boring effect road has on me I decided to hit the trails for this weeks run.  Started at the Star Trail parking lot and ran the Mill Mountain Mayhem 10k course, headed out to Chestnut Ridge on the Woodthrush Trail, did Chestnut Ridge Loop CCW, back on Woodthrush and then finished with 4 miles on the Greenway.  When I  got back to the parking lot I changed my shoes and did the 4 miles on the greenway in 6:45ish miles.  Felt good and was happy to have something left for the greenway.  This run was much more to my liking.  The whole 20 miles was run at a 9:00 min/mile  pace.
43.3 miles of running.

Training the Week of 9/12/11

9/13/11 - Ran my typical 6 mile loop in 41:18 and then did a 1.5 mile cooldown.
9/14.11 - Cove run.  Hotel and Buck (24 minutes), then down Hi Dee Ho for 6.2 miles.
9/16/11 - Track workout IV - Did my usual 3 mile trail warm-up then did a few 100s of butt kicks and knee lifts.  6 x 400m with 1:30 RI (1:17, 1:19, 1:20, 1:21, 1:30, 1:20) then rest for 2:30 and do 6 x 400m (1:19, 1:16, 1:24, 1:24, 1:24, 1:22) with 1:30 RI.  Things were going smoothly until the PH PE class came out to the track on my last 4 laps.  I had to run in between a lot of walkers which added some time and distance to each lap.  First track workout that felt OK.  9.2 miles.
9/17/11 - Biked 8 miles at Explore Park doing trail maintenance.
9/18/11 - 17.75 road run.  Did my Lewis Gale loop then and out and back on the greenway in 7:20 pace and 143 HR average.
40.75 miles running and 8 mtn biking.

Training the Week of 9/5/11

9/5/11 - Since I didn't run the past few days and this was Labor Day I decided to run on my typical day off, Monday.  Ran 10 mile road loop in a 7:14ave.
9/7/11 - Cove run - Hi Dee Ho to Buck, to the road and back.  6 miles.
9/9/11 - Track workout III - 6 x 800m with a 1:30 RI.  Ran 3 miles of trail to warm-up and then a few 100s of butt kicks and knee highs to get ready (2:48, 2:52, 2:53, 2:54, 2:56, 2:59).  Was supposed to be in the 2:52-2:54 range for these and started to trail off at the end.  I'm not a huge fan of track work.
9/11/11 - Ran 10 miles road loop in 7:14 ave and HR ave of 139.
Came back to the house, refilled my water bottle and went out for 5 more at 7:34 ave and 139 HR ave.
38.5 miles of running.

Training the Week of 8/29/11

8/30/11 - Ran my typical 6 mile loop at 41:17 then a 1.5 mile cooldown.
8/31/11 - 7.75 miles at the cove.  4 Gorge, up the 1000ft, and down Hi Dee Ho.  Legs started heavy but gradually got better.
9/2/11 - Track Workout II - Did a 3 mile trail warm-up and then a few 100s of butt kicks and knee lifts before starting the workout.  2 x 1200m with 2min RI (4:21 and 4:25) and then 2 x 800m with 2 min RI (2:52 and 2:54).  7.2 miles total.
9/3/11 - 14.25 miles of mtn biking at Dupont State Forest in Hendersonville NC.
9/4/11 - 10 miles of mtn biking at Bent Creek in Asheville NC.
22.45 of running and 24.25 of mtn biking.

Training the Week of 8/22/11

8/23/11 - Ran my typical 6 mile loop in 42:21 and then a 1.5 mile cool down.  Legs felt heavy and I went at about 85%.
Rode 20 miles on the road later that evening.
8/24/11 - Ran 10 miles at the Cove.  Road, comet, enchanted forest, schoolhouse to the Happy Valley Fire road and then back.  Ran pretty hard with an average HR of 139.
8/26/11 - First track workout.  I'm going to follow the Run Less Run Faster workout plan with only 1 modification and that will be to have 4 runs a week instead of 3.  What I like about this training plan is, not only the few running days, but the charting of the pace you run during each run and your predicted race time.  It makes you be realistic in your ability.
I usually run Tuesday morning hard, Wednesday night trail run moderate, Friday will be my track workout and Sunday will be my long run.  Today called for 3 x 1 mile repeats with a 1 minute Rest Interval (RI).  I ran a warm-up 3 miles and then a couple of 100s of butt kicks and knee lifts.  Then did 2 of the 3 intervals at 6 minute pace.  The 1 minute RI killed me.  6.25 miles total.
8/28/11 - Ran 17 miles on the Greenway.  From my house to the end of the greenway and to the new section that will link Tinker Creek to the river was 8.5 miles.  So it was an out and back.  7:45m/mile average.
40.75 miles of running and 20 cycling.

Training the Week of 8/15/11

8/16/11 - 6.2 miles of random Grandin Court running.

8/17/11 - 7.75 miles at the Cove - 4 Gorge, Comet, Songbird and back via the road.

8/19/11 - Ran the Fab 5k Course in 19:46.

8/20/11 - Ran the Garst Mill Loop - 4 miles

8/21/11 - Grandin Village and Greenway run - 11 miles

33 miles running and 4 miles biking.

Race weeks are hard for me to get in my normal training but it ended up being a good week of running.

Training the Week of 8/8/11

8/9/11 - Did my usual 6 mile loop and 1.5 mile cooldown.  Moderate pace of 7:08/mile.  Legs are getting back from the 50k and I'm not pushing it.
8/10/11 - Ran at the Cove - up Buck, fireroad and down Hi Dee Ho for 6.2 miles
8/12/11 - Mtn biked the Conquer the Cove Course.
8/13/11 - 21.5 miles of back country mtn. biking in Arcadia.
8/14/11 - 5.7 mile around Grandin Court and Fishburn Park trails then went for a 2.6 mile run in my Five Fingers.
22 mile running and 47.5 miles of mtn biking.
I'd say I feel like I'm recovered from the 50k

Training the Week of 8/1/11

Alright, two months have passed and I can now revisit my training following the Catoctin 50k.  The pain of that race quickly subsided and I began training for the 11/12/11 Richmond Marathon.
8/2/11 - Rode my bike to Green Hill Park and Back - 20 miles
8/3/11 - Did 3.75 miles of trails.  Easy run.
8/5/11 - 8 mile road loop around Raleigh Court and Greenway.
8/6/11 - 7.88 miles or road running.
8/7/11 - Rode my bike up the old road of Mill Mountain, to the parkway, south to Starlight, up Roselawn, down Sugarloaf, and back on Grandin ext. and Grandin.
This was a pretty good recovery week.  Got in almost 20 miles of running and did a few bike rides with Sunday's ride consisting of some good climbs.
19.63 miles running and 44 miles road biking.

Training the Week of 7/25/11

Goal this week is to get my legs back and ready for Saturday.
7/26/11 - 20 miles cycling to Green Hill Park
7/27/11 - 3.5 miles at Fishburn Park
7/30/11 - My 3rd attempt at the Catoctin 50k (20th Ultra) in Frederick Maryland. First time was in 2003 and my training log entry started with "that was one rocky bitch!" Last year I went back to see if it was as bad as I thought. 2010 went well until I got off course and added 3 miles. Met back up with James Decker at the turnaround and we took it easy on the return for an easy but slow 50k.
This year I was HOPING for a 5 1/2 hour finish. The weather on Friday on our way up to Frederick we saw the temp gauge go all the way up to 104. Not really what you want to see. Race morning the temp got all the way down to 80 degrees when we got in the car at 6:30am. Anyway, we were informed on what to expect with the last weekend in July and 8:00am start. The race webpage makes the statement of all runners must carry at least 1 handheld bottle and 2 if you want to finish. My plan of attack was 2 20oz handhelds.
This brings up an interesting aside. Gina only wanted to carry 1, so we packed 1 bottle for her. On the way up she decided she needed 2. So we looked for place to buy a handheld. Fortunaty we found the Trail House in downtown Frederick and they had a Camelbak handheld with a Podium Chill Bottle in it. This ended up being the best thing for a hot race. The Podium Chill is a bottle similar to the Polar Bottles. It is unsulated, holds 21oz, isn't as bulky as the Polar Bottles, has a switch so that you don't accidentally squish water out of it (which I almost did in a fall), and had a great snug fit for holding by hand. Now the great thing was that I could run with ice water and not freeze my hand and I could have water or Gatorade that stayed cold all the way to the next aide station. Perfect. I'm ordering some more of these bottle and putting them in my Nathan Handhelds.
So, race starts and all is good. I hit the trail in 8th place. At the 2 mile mark I see the lead out guy moaning at a tree after he rolled his ankle; 7th. I started feeling a 2 week old hot spot by mile 6 (not good). Now this trail system is one of the rockiest trails I've ever been on. and it goes on forever. From mile 5-7 I talk with Serge Arbona the course record holder, the guy that won the Philly Back on My Feet 24 hour road run the weekend before with 145.25 miles, the guy that said he had already run 2 40 mile runs earlier in the week. He was pleasant but I had a feeling I shouldn't be running with him.
I hit the 16.25 mile turnaround in 2:43 and 6th place. Not bad and about what I expected with the hot conditions. To get to the turnaround you have to run about 3 miles downhill. So you know what that means. I started feeling the first hint of a cramp and was passed by what ended up being the first female shortly after the turnaround. My mind wasn't looking forward to battling cramps for 16 miles.
From here I'll be short. For the remaining miles I hit a real low, the lowest I've ever been in 8 years of training and racing long distances. Physically I was cramping here and there, was a little light headed, feet were blistered and bruised in a couple places, stomach a little upset, and just in a poor me state (granted all of these symptoms would go away and change and come back over and over again for the rest of the race). Interesting enough as the low was beginning I thought to myself "this is what it is all about." Overcoming the low and being better for it. So I went into survival mode and just focused on moving forward, staying hydrated, keeping up with my electrolyte caps, and calories.
Long story short I survived and finished in 10th place in 6:22:47. My return trip from the turnaround was 1 hour longer than the first half. I drank over 2 gallons of liquid during the race (2 handheld bottles between each aide station and in places this wasn't enough). 153 runners started and 123 finished a 20% drop rate.
This was supposed to be a test for entering the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50 miler at the end of August. I'm 90% sure I'm not doing it (it was 110% last weekend). Who knows what is next. Will this be my last Ultra? No! Do I need to get out and enjoy some no pressure runs and rides, Yes. Do I remember how bad it was, no. The mental and physical pain has melted away as each day has passed. Reinforcing again, it isn't what we remember that matters it is what we forget.
I did get out for a 20 mile road ride to Green Hill Park on Sunday. This was mainly to cover up some of the negative memories with something positive and fun.
Totals; 37 miles running and 40 miles cycling.

Training the Week of 7/18/11

7/19/11 - Ran my usual 6 mile loop with a 1.5 mile cooldown. 40:30. Started out easy but the run ended up pretty fast.
7/20/11 - Ran at the Cove - Hotel, up Buck, and down Hi Dee Ho. Went too hard today. Felt good but afterwards I was feeling pretty rough.
7/22/11 - Bike 15 miles at Douthat. Legs so so.
7/23/11 - Easy run on trail at the Homestead.
7/24/11 - 18 mile road ride; easy. Legs have felt dead since Wednesday's run. Not a good feeling going into a pre 50k week.
Totals; 21.7 miles running, 15 mtn biking, and 38 cycling.

Training Week 7/11/11

7/11/11 - Ran 2 miles in my five fingers. Man are my calves sore and tight.

7/12/11 - Ran my 6 mile loop in 40:27 and cool down. Was trying for a sub 40 minute loop today but I think the humidity played a role and my legs were still off from the 50 mile road ride on Sunday.

7/13/11 - 8.5 mile run at the Cove. Ran 4 gorge, some of 4 gorge ext. comet, songbird, and out on the road.

7/15/11 - Ran 9.5 miles around the Grandin area. Some trail, some greenway, and road. Kept a 7:45min/mile pace.

7/16/11 - Ran 10 miles. This is a road loop that run from home to Lewis Gale, down Apperson and then in some neighborhoods of Raleigh Court. Ran at a 7:45min/mile pace.

Mtb later in the day on the Fishburn Park trails.

7/17/11 - Cycled 38 miles. Home, Roselawn, Sugarloaf, Hidden Valley golf course, Apperson, Harborwood, Wildwood, and back home via Apperson.

Week Total - 37.5 miles of Running, 10 mtn biking, and 38 cycling.

Good week of running. My legs didn't care for the back to back 10 miles days. I see the benefit of doing longer back to back runs for endurance. The road bike is a huge benefit that gives my joints a break while still getting the aerobic workout. In addition, my legs can be dead from running but still be on form for biking. Next week will be a similar run load with a shift to a slower pace in all runs and maybe a shift to a few more cycling days.

Training the Week of 7/4/11

Well I'm not sure if being in CO for a week made any changes to my physiology or not but I'd like to think that I may have a performance boost for a little while because of it.

7/5/11 - 8 miles running. 6 mile loop CCW with cooldown.
Also ran 2 miles later that evening on the treadmill in my Five Fingers.
7/6/11 - 7.75 miles at the Cove. 4 Gorge, comet, enchanted forest, songbird. Very humid. Was soaked following the run.
7/8/11 - 16.4 miles at the Cove. This is my last long training run before the Catoctin 50k. Ran up Buck, trough, Gauntlet, 1000ft, comet, enchanted forest, little bell, some of schoolhouse, back on little bell, and then out on the gravel and then asphalt road. This was my first run in my new Inov-8 RocLite 285s (inov-8 name their shoes by the weight in grams). I really like the way these feel. I ended up having an early hot spot on my right heal and blister below my right big toe. Otherwise I would have made this into a 20+ mile run today. I'm hoping these shoes just need to be broken in. They are nice and light.
7/9/11 - Did 3.5 hours of maintenance at Explore Park and covered 4 miles. Stop and go running and hiking. Good recovery mileage.
7/10/11 - 50.5 mile Road bike ride. Home - Bradshaw - North Fork - Route 11 - Riverside - Apperson and back.
38.65 miles running and 50.5 mile cycling.
I would have liked to be above 40 miles for the week but things didn't work out. My feet weren't too bad from the Friday run and have recovered alright. Next week I plan to get above 40 miles without doing too long of a run. This is something that I normally try to cycle through. Weeks of high mileage with a long run and high mileage with many shorter runs.

Two months late - Training Update for May and June

I'm not as consistent on this as I'd like. Can you say too much to do and too little time? Anyway, next goal is top 10 (or best case scenario of top 5) at the Catoctin 50k on 7/30/11 in hopes that I feel good enough to tackle a race length that I swore I'd never do again following my 2003 Mountain Masochist. The Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50 miler is on 8/26. It is near Snowshoe Mtn. This race starts at 9pm. Moonshine fun, maybe.

Week of May 9th.
5/9/11 - Wore my five fingers on a 2 mile run.
5/10/11 - 7.5 mile run. Did my usual 6 mile loop this morning. Felt good and decided to go for a PR. Ran the loop in 39:19. My splits were 7:06, 6:07, 6:29, 6:20, 7:10, 6:39. This loop in the CCW direction ends with the last 2 mile being in the woods. At 5:30 in the morning the woods don't have much light so the going is a little slower and hard to push the pace. Previous best was 40:22.
5/11/11 - 6.2 miles at the Cove. Hotel, buch, hi-dee-ho.
5/13/11 - 23.5 miles the Conquer the Cove Marathon course. This was a crutial decision for me. With only 2 runs of 10 miles or longer since the 2/12 Holiday Lake I wasn't sure how it would go. I felt like I should "race" the course prior to the event and this was the only day that would work. So I started out at the end of Timberview knocking off the 2.5 road miles with my Camelbak mule, 100oz of water, two clif bars, first aide kit, and handsaw. Not a racing set up but that is what I normally run in. I ran the course in 3:12. I did stop my watch a couple times to clear debris from the trail and to call Gina to let her know I wasn't going to bail early (My backup plan was to stop at the gate. You know, before the 2.8 mile 1000ft climb).
5/15/11 - 3.5 mile recovery run in my five fingers.
This was a big week. Hard run on Tues and then the marathon course on Friday.
42.7 miles of running.

Week of May 16th
5/17/11 - 7.5 mile run. The normal 6 mile loop with a 1.5 mile cooldown.
5/18/11 - 7.85 mile run at the cove. 4 gorge, 1000ft climb to the drop, comet, and then out via the road.
5/20/11 - 8/4 mile run at the cove before 5 hours of trail work on Sawmill Branch Trail. Ran in on the road, ran the road to the end of Arrowhead, ran arrowhead and songbird cutting back new growth hanging into the trail and then ran back on the road.
5/22/11 - Rode the lower loop at the cove. Cut out a few downed trees. Then later in the day ran 3.4 miles in my Five Fingers.
27.15 miles running and 11 mtn biking.

Week of May 23rd
5/24/11 - 7.5 mile Birthday run. Did the usual 6 mile loop CW today in 40:03. Ran as hard as I could. I now believe the loop is easier CCW.
5/25/11 - 7.75 mile run. Hi-dee-ho, 1000ft climb, and back on 4 gorge.
5/26/11 - 15 mile run. Back wood trail from Hollins up to the AT, AT to Sawmill Branch Trail, and back to Hollins on the Happy Valley fireroad.
5/27/11 - 13 mtn biked at the cove.5/29/11 - Road biked to Green Hill Park and back.
30.25 miles running, 13 mtn biking, and 20 cycling.

Week of May 30th
Not much training this week in preparation of the Conquer the Cove 25k and Marathon races. Too much to do and too much stress to fit in the usual training schedule.
5/31/11 - 7.5 mile run. Ran the 6 mile loop CCW - 41:32 ran pretty easy.
6/1/11 - Ran 5.5 miles at the Cove. Ran 4 gorge out and back.
6/3/11 - 16 mile mtn bike ride marking and clearing the course. Cut out a number of trees.
13 miles running and 15 mtn biking.

Week of June 6th
6/7/11 - 8 Mile loop at 7 min pace. Went at about 80-85%
6/8/11 - Easy 6 mile run at the Cove. Road in, comet, tuck-a-way, comet, 4 gorge.
6/10/11 - 16 miles mtn biking at Douthat. Lots of elevation.
6/11/11 - messed up my ankle riding the day before. Did an easy 5 miles.
6/12/11 - 10 mile run from home to the greenway, did 5 out and 5 back.
29 Miles running and 16 miles mtn biking.

Week of June 13th
6/14/11 - 7.5 miles running. Did the 6 mile loop CCW. 43:30. Legs felt heavy.
Also cycled 16 miles on the greenway and back on the road.
6/15/11 - 6.75 miles running from Dragon's Tooth to 311. Really hard section. Did it in 70 minutes.
6/17/11 - 16.5 mile running at Mill Mountain. Ran woodthrush, chestnut ridge, woodthrush, changed shoes, refueled, and then ran the greenway home. Legs had not recovered from Wed.
6/19/11 - 7.5 mile run. Did the 3 & 4 miles loops.
38.25 miles running and 16 miles cycling

Week of June 20th
6/21/11 - 7.5 miles running. 6 mile loop CCW.
6/22/11 - 7.4 miles running at the Cove. Up Hi-Dee-Ho and back on 4 gorge.
6/24/11 - 4 miles of hiking at Chatauqua Park in Boulder CO
6/25/11 - 12.65 miles mtn biking at Heil Ranch in CO
6/26/11 - 14.2 miles mtn biking at Bobcat Ridge in Ft. Collins CO
18.9 miles of running and 26.85 mtn biking.

Week of June 27th
6/27/11 - 15.65 miles running at Hall Ranch in CO
6/28/11 - 9.25 miles mtn biking at Valmont Bike Park in Boulder
6/29/11 - 13.2 miles hiking Longs Peak. Made it to 13252ft before having to turn back due to snow, ice, and heavy winds.
6/30/11 - 15.7 miles mtn biking on the Sourdough Trail in Nederland CO
7/1/11 - 4.6 miles hiking at Batasso Preserve in Boulder CO
9.35 miles biking at Valmont Bike Park in Boulder CO
7/3/11 - 4 mile loop at Fishburn Park.
37.44 miles of running and hiking and 34.3 miles of mtn biking.

Alright, I'm all caught up in my training log. Remember this is a log to show you how you can train less than most plans suggest and still do well in long distance events. My goal with many things I do is to do the least to effect the most. Why run 60 miles per week if I can concetrate on my runs and do shorter more specific runs to achieve the same result.

Training Week of 5/2/11

5/3/11 - 6 mile loop at and then did a cool down of 1.4 miles.

5/4/11 - 7.75 mile run at the Cove. Took the road in, did songbird, ran the fire road back to 4 Gorge and back to the parking lot. Felt good.

5/6/11 - 9 mile mtn bike at Falling Creek Park marking the course.

5/7/11 - 7.5 mile run at FCP. Post race clean up.

5/8/11 - 31 mile road bike to Green Hill Park, Harborwood, Wildwood, and back. Legs felt strong for 20 miles and then the power started to diminish. Climbed well and pulled well on the flats.

22.65 miles of running, 9 miles of Mtb, and 31 cycling.

Training Week of 4/25/11

I would like to be able to get in at least to days of cycling and 40 mile running weeks. That's the goal.

4/26/11 - 7.5 mile run. Took it a bit easier on this run. I'm hoping to do a time trail at McAfee's tomorrow. 7:27 pace.

4/27/11 - Started to feel a little run down today so the McAfee's run was run at about 85%. Took the fireroad to the trail and then up. Hit the top in 37:20. There is a lot of room to take that time down. We proceeded to go down the backside to where the AT meets up with the fire road and then took the fire road back to 311.

4/29/11 - 8 mile run that felt great. Felt like I could run all day. Ran half on road and half on trail.

4/30/11 - Ran 6 easy miles at Bull Run State Park. This was a very flat trail run.

5/1/11 - 8.4 mile run on the road. Ran at a good pace but not too hard, say 85%. 7:11 pace.

39.9 Miles of running this week.

Training Week of 4/18/11

4/19/11 - 6.7 mile run for 43 minutes. Left piriformis and hip tightness.

4/20/11 - 7.75 mile run at the Cove. Up Hi-Dee-Ho (17:10), up to the top of 1000ft climb, down, and back via 4 Gorge.

4/22/11 - 7.5 run through Fishburn. 1 mile trail interval at 7:00m pace.

4/23/11 - 4 mile easy run to Garst Mill Park. Legs were very heavy.

4/24/11 - 10 mile mtb ride at Falling Creek Park to assess trails for the Trail Nut 10k and Half Marathon.

26 miles of running and 10 miles of mtn biking.

My training is nothing spectacular. It about time I sign up for a race so that I have something to train for. Race directing has started to effect my training.

Training Week of 4/11/11

Feeling recovered from the 4/2/11 mtb race.

4/12/11 - 7.75 mile run - Ran my 6 mile loop in a 6:55 pace. This was in very heavy rain and in some places ankle deep water. Felt good and didn't go all out. Probably a 85% effort.

4/13/11 - 6 mile run at the Cove. Legs are a bit sore from the run yesterday. Ran the road to Buck, up Buck, and down Hi-Dee-Ho. Ran Buck pretty hard and then hammered down Hi-Dee-Ho. Legs were really sore on Thurs.

4/14/11 - 8 mile mtb at Explore Park wearing my chainsaw pack (the weight has a great training effect). Got out to do some trail work. Cut out 5 trees and cleared a lot of debris.

4/15/11 - 7.1 mile run at Mariners Landing following the SML 4 Miler. Very hilly out there.

4/16/11 - 8 mile run from the house to the Roanoke River Greenway and then back through some of the Raleigh Court neighborhoods. 7:38 pace with a HR ave of 134. Good run.

- Went out for a 20 mile road ride shortly after the run. up Starlight to the BRP, up Mill Mountain, and then back home. The wind was high and made things a bit challenging at times. The legs felt alright considering the ride was post run.

Week totals: 28.85 running, 8 mtb, 20 cycling.

Training Week of 4/4/11

Now I have to recover from all that saddle time at the 6 hour race.

4/5/11 - 6.7 miles at an easy pace.

4/6/11 - 5.35 miles at the cove. Did the 4 gorge trail out to the fireroad and back. 8:55/mile ave. Legs felt heavy.

4/8/11 - 7 miles of marking the Mill Mountain Mayhem 10k Course.

4/9/11 - 7 miles of cleaning up the Mill Mountain Mayhem 10k Course.

4/10/11 - 30 mile road bike ride (Vinton Loop). Then ran 3.5 miles of road and trail in Five Fingers.

Week Totals: 29.45 miles or running and 30 miles of cycling.

Race weeks are tough on my training schedule. Seems like there are a lot of things that pop up that take time away from my schedule. I'll getting it ironed out sometime. Probably when I commit to my next race.

Training Week of 3/28/11

Well, I'm out of time for training for the 6 hr race this weekend. Compared to a year ago I am in the best running shape I've ever been in and well behind on my mtn bike training. I'm hoping that my aerobic fitness will pay off on Saturday.

3/29 - 6.6 miles on the road at 7 minute pace.

- Rode my mtn bike for 6.5 miles later at night.

3/30 - 6.8 miles at the Cove - Road, comet, tuck-a-way, Kerncliff, Comet, and back on the road.

4/01 - Pre rode the race course - 12.5 miles at an easy pace. Course was in perfect condition.

4/02 - Race day. Sold out race (48 hours after posting registration being up). Rained hard at night. The course was wet and sloppy. This was the first race I was using Stan's No Tubes mtb conversion kit. I was able to ride at 30psi and able to get some traction on the slick course. I hit the woods in about 42nd place, passed about 12 people, and ended the loop happy in 30th 1:06 or so (I was never pressured by a rider behind during the entire loop. Perfect).

Kenny hit a hard loop, with much less mud, and turned a 1:05 and passed 14 or so more people. My second lap was 1:12, I was passed by one rider. My legs were starting to feel "it." Kenny pulled another stellar lap of 1:07 moving us up to 13th overall, all while I was worrying about a 3rd lap and the almost definite chance of cramping (Kenny rode both laps without getting passed).

About this time we were told we were in 6th place in the Duo Class. Dreading it, I went out for our 5th lap. I was able to ride smooth, carry momentum, and hit the hills at a slow controlled pace. Everything was going smooth until the cramp monster showed up at about mile 10. This was only a problem on the climbs, which are right at the end. I had to walk up about 3 hills to work out the cramps (never stopped), and then got back on and rode until I seized up again. My last lap was a 1:17. We ended up 18th overall out of 280 teams, 8th in Male Duo out of 36, and 9th out of 50 Male Duo teams.
We did really well. It is just sad to do the what if. Had we been able to get in more riding miles we could have crushed it. I'm looking forward to 2012.

13.2 miles running and 56.4 miles of mtn biking

Training Week of 3/21/11

Last week of training before a Duo race at Wilmington NC 6 Hours of Warrior Creek.

3/22/11 - 6.75 mile run in the morning. Did 3 intervals of 1/3 to 1/2 mile.

3/22/11 - 19.5 mile road bike to Green Hill Park and back - Moderate pace.

3/23/11 - 8 mile trail run at the Cove

3/25/11 - Mtn biked the Conquer the Cove Marathon race course - 26miles

3/26/11 - Timed a race in Ferrum and then went and ran on some new trails at I.C. Dehart Park in Woolwine, right off of route 40.

3/27/11 - Ran 9.9 trail miles. Parked at Star Trailhead and did Woodthrush, Chestnut Ridge Loop, and then back on Woodthrush. Actually ran the nature trail for the first time on the CRL. Nice climb and descent and the trail may have added a couple tenths.

29.4 miles running, 26 mtn biking, and 19.5 miles road biking.

Training Week of 3/14/11

This is another race week so I'm not sure what I'll fit in.

3/14/11 - Ran 2 miles in my Five Fingers on the treadmill.

3/15/11 - 6.75 mile loop in the morning.

3/16/11 - 8 miles at the Cove - 4 Gorge, road to back of songbird, and then the asphalt back to the parking lot.

3/18/11 - 5 miles of running and 10 miles of mtn biking at Montvale checking and marking the course.

3/19/11 - 6 miles of running the trails at Montvale cleaning up the course and then 6 miles of Mtn biking at Fishburn Park later in the evening.

3/20/11 - 22 mile road bike ride at a high intensity. Road from home down Grandin ext. Sugarloaf Mtn. to Roselawn. Merriman to Starlight, BRP to Mill Mtn, and back via Colonial and Brambleton.

27.75 miles of running, 16 mtb, and 22 road bike riding.

Training Week of 3/7/11

Since I have a 6 hour mtb race on 4/2 I have to spend more time on the bike.

3/8/11 - 6.5 mile road loop at moderate pace (8:00min/mile).

20 miles on the road bike at night, biked at a high intensity.

3/9/11 - 6.2 miles at the Cove. Ran the Gauntlet very hard, fireroad to Trough, and down the Trough. Rainy and foggy. Visibility was 10-15ft along the ridge.

3/11/11 - Spent the morning cleaning up the Montvale trails on foot and then mtb 6.4 miles at Fishburn Park in the evening.

3/12/11 - Took a US Forestry sawyer recertification class in the morning and early afternoon then road 30 miles on the road bike; Home to Starlight, BRP to Mountainview road in Vinton, through downtown and back on Grandin. Moderate intensity.

3/13/11 - 30 mile road bike ride; Home to Greenhill park, Harborwood, Wildwood, and back. High intensity.

This was my lowest running week of the year.

12.7 miles running, 6.4 on the mtb, and 80 miles on the road bike.

Training the Week of 2/28/11

Sorry for the delay on this week log!

3/1/11 - Ran 6.5 miles on road in my neighborhood.

3/2/11 - Ran 6.4 at on the Fishburn Park trails

3/4/11 - Mtb the Explore Your Limits 10k course

3/5/11 - Ran the EYL 10k Course for course cleanup

3/6/11 - Ran 13 miles in the heavy rains and deep streams of Carvins Cove. Lots of elevation on this run.

Ran 33.35 and mtb biked 6.2

Race weeks tend to disrupt my training intensity and frequency.

Training the Week of 2/21/11

So this is my second week out from the Holiday Lake 50k on 2/12/11. I'm feeling good and at about 90%. My power still seems a bit low running and biking up hills. But all in all I'm feeling good.

My next race is the 4/1 6 hours of Warrior Creek so the goal at this point is to increase my bike miles while retaining my long run aerobic fitness and working on some speed work and/or interval training.

You'll see in my training log that I try to have at least one of my runs in Five Fingers. I've been wearing these for the last year and have worked on building my foot strength and stability by incorporating them. I think they are a great tool to help build up foot strength and regain a more "natural" running gait.

2/21/11 - Ran 2 miles in Five Fingers on the treadmill.

2/22/11 - Ran 6.5 miles around our neighborhood. 7:45 pace

2/23/11 - Ran 7.65 miles at the cove. 4 Gorge, Comet, Songbird, and out via the road. Legs felt pretty good tonight.

2/24/11 - Ran 2 miles in Five Fingers on the treadmill.

2/25/11 - Ran 7.8 miles off road. Doing some race course recon.

2/26/11 - Road biked 51 miles - Merriman, Wade's Gap, Adney Gap, Calloway Road, County Line Road, Bottom Creek Road, Blue Ridge Parkway back to Merriman.

2/27/11 - 7.4 mile mtn. bike ride at Fishburn Park trails.

25.95 miles running, 7.4 miles mtn. biking, and 51 miles road biking.

Training the Week of 2/14/11

So I'm recovering from the Holiday Lake 50k on 2/12/11. I decided to take Sunday and Monday off. I didn't have any particular aches or complaints I just felt like not running.

2/15/11 - Ran 6 miles on the road at an easy 9:00 minute pace. Right calf was a bit sore.

2/16/11 - Ran 6.2 miles at the Cove - Up hi-dee-ho, across the fireroad, and down buck to the road, and back on the road. Felt good. Hit the hi-dee-ho pretty hard and felt good.

2/18/11 - Mtn biked 8 miles at Fishburn and Patrick Henry.

2/20/11 - Ran 8 miles at Lake Norman, north of Charlotte NC. Nice trails with mild rolling terrain. Felt good. Legs are almost back.

20.2 miles running and 8 miles mtn. biking.

2/12/11 - Holiday Lake 50k++

This was my 6th running of Holiday Lake. Since my first finish there I've wanted to break the 5 hour mark. Holiday Lake is a 50k++ just north of Appomattox Virginia at the Holiday Lake 4H Center. The course is a loop configuration where you run a clockwise loop and then turnaround and repeat the loop in the counterclockwise directions. Since the most recent course change the loop mileage is right around 16.2 miles.

Here is my Holiday Lake 50k History:

• 2002 was my first year. I started running in August of 2001, ran my first race the Jingle Bell Run 5k in Roanoke, and signed up for my 2nd race; Holiday Lake. The weather and footing for my first race here was perfect and I ran a 5:23.
• The 2nd year was the year of the mud. There was mud everywhere. On the path out the trail and roads were getting messy and by the time we reached the turnaround the paths were 10-20 feet wide from people trying to get "good" footing. I think I ended with a 5:50 something. I don't think I've ever seen so much mud.
• The 3rd year I had the dreaded bowel issues. I think I ran into the woods 4 times to take care of business. Horton gives a best blood award and I thought I was a shoe in. A couple of times I had to dart into the woods I ended up getting cut from briers and locust trees. My blood was overshadowed by a guy that ran the race commando which caused him to rub the end of his junk off. I didn't look but the damage left a visible mark.
• Year 4 I ran an almost perfect race to beat the 5 hour mark but had one wooded pit stop that pushed me over the 5 hour edge. I ended up at 5:04:04.
• Year 5, last year, was the year of the snow. I was in my best running shape to date and should have been able to easily beat 5 hours. I had done a training race of 25k on 1/2 and a 50k on 1/16 which had me ready. When we showed up to Holiday Lake there was 4-8 inches of snow covering the entire course. Footing was poor through the entire course and that made the effort seem 100% harder. Finished in 5:37
• Year 6, I've spent much of the winter trying to run an average of 40 mile weeks and was feeling pretty good. I ran the 1/16/11 Swinging Bridge 35k as preparation and to get in some tough trail miles. I figures I had a best case scenario of 4:30 and worst case of 4:59:59. I was hoping to run the first half of the race at a 7:45-8:00 min/mile pace and then begin to slow on the 2nd half of the course. Everything went according to plan. The return loop to the finish had a couple of spots that seemed to go on forever but I was able to stick with the pace and stay cramp free. I finished in 4:33:16 for 16th place.

I hope to add my training schedule as a weekly post to the blog. I've neglected this format as a way to share how my training is set up. I feel like I've been successful in my training and racing on what I feel is low mileage and have been able to stay injury free. I started as a non runner looking to finish the races I entered, then moved on to wanting to do better than my previous race, and now my focus is on fine tuning my efforts so that I can work on being a top 10 contender.

My next scheduled race will be the 6hrs of Warrior Creek mountain bike race on 4/2/11. This will be my 3rd year racing on a duo team. I've got to get my biking legs under me in the next 6 weeks.