As to training, am I just going to run 4 or 5 days and work my mileage up like I would for a marathon? Or am I going to get disciplined and commit to a 50 mile training plan? Great questions, should I just think about them or should I do something about it? I went for a run tonight and for the first time in awhile, it went ok, no groin pain, limited right achilles and left ankle pain. The pace was slow which I couldn't explain other than I just spent a weekend eating really good tasting food (but maybe not all of it was good for me :-) at my wife's family celebration at the Northern Bay Resort in Wisconsin (it was like a family reunion except we were celebrating birthdays, graduations, life and more with her parents and siblings, some who live in MN, IL and CT). With regards to my run, heck, I procrastinated most of the day so I was just happy to get out and enjoy the day.
Back to training, I decided I needed another option to look at for training other than the Santa Clarita plan I posted a few weeks back. In that plan, I would work my way up to just 31 miles and add a few mid week longer runs? What about speed, what about diet, what about?????? So I found another plan on UltraMarathonPlanet, no speed, no long mid week runs, just back to back long runs on the weekend with the longest being 22 miles, seems a bit light to me.
So I will continue to look for the perfect plan, but for right now, I will probably merge the two together, which means work on back to back long runs, some midweek longer runs, an occasional speed test and continue to work on getting healthy and avoiding any more injuries. I see by my race countdown clock, I have 89 days to work it all out, plenty of time, right, my guess is I won't freak out until I get to 60 days and then I am not sure what I will do except freak out even more at 30 days. Regardless of my training, I think what I will need to focus on is just enjoying the day in Murphy and let things take care of themselves.
8 comments:
I might need to stop reading your blog for awhile. A plan? We're supposed to have a plan?? :)
Back to back runs are key - running on tired legs will help a lot in a 50 miler. 2nd run doesn't have to be super long - half the distance works well - e.g. depending on your overall plan you might start with 12M on Day 1, 6M on Day 2, and after several weeks be at 24M on Day 1 and 12M on Day 2. You probably don't need to go longer than that on Day 2. If you can plan a 50K 3 weeks out from the race it's a nice way to get that longest run in (if you can avoid racing it!). Mid-week longish runs building up to 12-14 miles work well and also, if you have the time, a double run once a week gets in some extra miles - maybe as a recovery - so if you do a hill or speed workout in the morning aim for 5-6 easy miles that evening; depending on how much time you have you could aim to alternate hills/speed each week - and if you do your long runs on trails you'll likely have hills there also. Throwing in a few short intervals at the end of your long mid-week run is a great way to increase your LT.
This almost is a heavier version of what I did when I had my best marathon. Back then, I did speed work on the track Wednesday's (usually 10-12 800's) and Saturday a long run of 20-24 miles. That was it. I think long of 20 each day may be wearing. I am a rookie but I would consider 20 in the AM and 10 in the PM on a Saturday and Sunday walk or rest? Just my rookie 2 cents...
I obsess about training schedules, but it all comes down to the first things I was told: train as if for a marathon, but with longer long runs. And, for the race itself: run when you can, walk when you have to (and when you can't walk, walk anyway).
Thanks all for the good advice, I will put it all to use in my plan.
Wayne - I know better than that, you have a plan and follow it, I on the other hand have plans and just keep changing them :-)
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
by Air Jordans
So i walked pretty much my first trail marathon from mile 18 to the finish. DUE TO not training and muscle fatigue. But boy i walk. Mustered a jog to the finish.
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