Whence from here? It's not of matter of not knowing where to go, but where to go next because I have so many choices. Some of you have been reading my blog entries From Miler to Ultra Marathoner, so you already know I came from a middle distance background and am more comfortable racing 800m to 5K. When I embarked on that journey I expected it to be a one and done experience after which I would return to the track and short road races. I never anticipated how life changing such an experience could be. I won't go so far as to identify myself as an ultra marathoner to the exclusion of other distances, but I want to explore the variety ultra marathons offer.

So here I am looking ahead to 2014 and wondering what distances I should run and what races I should schedule. I'm no longer at a stage where I can stretch my range from mile to marathon all in the same season. I will need to make some choices, then plan my training around the races I decide should be goal races. My choices? I could return to the track for the indoor season from December through February. I could use the better base I have now to tackle longer distances than normal like 8K through the half marathon. I could concentrate on the marathon to see if a Boston Qualifier would be feasible in 2015. I could run more ultra marathons. This first one was on a paved path, so a trail race would presumably be very different. There's also the appeal to return to North Coast 24 for the 24-hour Run and try to conquer the 100K distance. Obviously some of these are more compatible with each other than other combinations, but how broad a range is reasonable and how much do I want to explore new challenges.

After several years of floundering in the 15-25 mpw range, I'm finally getting a solid base to work with. I want to build on that while I can, but I also need to consider that winter with cold temperatures and slippery, sloppy road conditions are coming that make some types of workouts difficult. It's sometimes hard to find a good surface to run speed work. In addition I need to consider when races are scheduled and how quickly some of them fill. Much to my chagrin several races that appeal to me fall too close together to run all of them. Recovery time is also an issue. I'm recovering surprisingly quickly from North Coast 24, but it will probably take me at least as long to fully recover from a hard 10K based on the recovery times needed after some of my hard quality workouts training for NC24. I don't think it would be wise to race more than once a month at these longer distances.

After several years of floundering in the 15-25 mpw range, I'm finally getting a solid base to work with. I want to build on that while I can, but I also need to consider that winter with cold temperatures and slippery, sloppy road conditions are coming that make some types of workouts difficult. It's sometimes hard to find a good surface to run speed work. In addition I need to consider when races are scheduled and how quickly some of them fill. Much to my chagrin several races that appeal to me fall too close together to run all of them. Recovery time is also an issue. I'm recovering surprisingly quickly from North Coast 24, but it will probably take me at least as long to fully recover from a hard 10K based on the recovery times needed after some of my hard quality workouts training for NC24. I don't think it would be wise to race more than once a month at these longer distances, once every three months at distances longer than a half marathon.

Given these considerations aiming for a sub-one hour 10K followed by a run at a sub-2:15 half marathon appeals to me. I will be at the Towpath Marathon for another FE (Forum Encounter) in October anyway and they offer a 10K option. I will be in Florida in January to visit my daughter at the same time the Clearwater Half Marathon is scheduled. That leaves the Spring to choose a marathon or ultra and I can satisfy my desire to race with some local 5Ks between January and May or whenever my major Spring goal race happens to be once I determine that.

Given these considerations aiming for a sub-one hour 10K followed by a run at a sub-2:15 half marathon appeals to me. I will be at the Towpath Marathon for another FE (Forum Encounter) in October anyway and they offer a 10K option. I will be in Florida in January to visit my daughter at the same time the Clearwater Half Marathon is scheduled. That leaves the Spring to choose a marathon or ultra and I can satisfy my desire to race with some local 5Ks between January and May or whenever my major Spring goal race happens to be once I determine that. I would love to debut my trail 50K race at the Ice Age 50 in Wisconsin in May because I've hear great reports about it and at least one friend has recommended it as a good race and course for first time trail runners. It fills quickly though, so I'll have to be ready and willing to make that commitment six months before the race. The summer is often a washout for racing because of the heat. I have one race on the Fourth of July with a choice of 5K, 10K, or 15K that I usually run, but I'm usually more focused on where I'll be racing in the fall. That is a big question. My first thought is to return to NC 24 and the 24-hour race to crack 100K, but there's also an urge to try something different. And then there's that odd marathon distance and the 5 hour barrier to reconquer.

Consider the NJ 3 days at the fair this year (in may).

The sky is the limit!  I don't know any of the races you are describing and really lack the experience to give solid advice, but what I think I hear you saying is that you want to focus on races that would benefit from the base you've currently built up, and that maintaining mileage might be easier than trying to get in focus speed workouts for shorter distances over the winter.  So maybe it's time to skip the indoor track season?

 

What I wonder, down the road, is if you stick with longer, endurance events, and then in a year or so go back to middle-distance type events, if you will find the bigger base of endurance helps you with the shorter distances once you've gone through a cycle of shorter-distance training.  At least, I think I've heard that endurance takes the longest to fade.

Part of it is the difficulty in running speed workouts during the winter with snow and ice on the roads and being bundled up against the cold. It was a lot easier when I had an indoor track available, but that's no longer an option.

The larger base is a huge benefit for the shorter middle distance races. I ran all my PBs at those distances when I was logging 60-70 mpw.

Which option gets you the most excited when you think about it? That's usually the way I pick my next goal. Not very scientific, I admit, but that's what I do.

George, I just read all your blog posts and want you to know how inspirational it is for me.  As you may not remember me, since I don't post often, I'm 52 and have only been running (albeit slowly!) for a little over 2 years.  I do feel it has truly changed my life.  I'm working on getting faster and fitter and find that the mental aspect of it is so truly hard for me.

I've watched my gymnast and then NCAA diver daughter for years and never understood just how mental sports truly are.  I struggle on many long runs witht the little voice in my head that says "You can't do this...you aren't good enough!"  I struggle with recovery time at my age and fitness level.  Sometimes it just takes me longer to get rested than I expect it to or would like.

Just knowing that someone who have run 1000's more miles than me can struggle with rest times helps me think that so much more is possible for me than what my mind lets me believe helps me so much!  These are the kinds of things I can call on during my runs when I just don't think I can do it anymore!

Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Melissa

Which option gets you the most excited when you think about it? That's usually the way I pick my next goal. Not very scientific, I admit, but that's what I do.

What gets me most excited is the prospect of another FE with friends.

George, I think few of us could reasonably go from mile to ultras in one season (unless optimal performance is not an issue). You are right to ponder things the way you do, but I would say that the real answer can only be found within you. Seen from my side, it looks like your heart is now in the longer distances, like ultras and such. It's obvious that you received great pleasure from the company of other runners in your first ultra and that you will be hoping for more of the same in your future races. And I agree with the speed workouts becoming dangerous in winter. I know that TM is not an option for you. If I had to run outside, my speedwork would greatly suffer in winter... So, for those reasons, I say you can now start thinking of yourself as a long distance runner. And yes, you can even say "an ultra-marathon runner"! :-) But you are first and foremost a runner, and that encompasses all distances. It's all yours. 

There is a reason a lot of ultra runners tend to hop from one ultra to the next after they start -- it's easy to do after you have your base and training established and one race often winds up being a training run for another race.  50Ks make good training runs for 50 milers; 50 milers at NC24 make an easy transition into something else ultra related of your chosing.

You know I am biased, but if you enjoyed NC24 and running for 12 hours straight, I vote you continue down the ultra path for a while and see where it takes you.  Your speed may suffer slightly, but not as much as you think.  You've come this far with it, so why lose what you've already put in?