50 miles for the week in 4 runs, with just over 6 miles of walking. Had a good weekend with b2b LR and MLR, on easy trails and the road. Have a 50k in 4 weeks, and it's on some of the same trails. Weather has been good with less rain, some black ice and fog though. Trying to figure out a plan for my 100k in April, just been winging it the last couple months, so maybe just figure out something simple, with cutback weeks, and a couple workouts per week. I'm thinking I'll be near the 18 hour cutoff, so need lots of time on my feet type long runs, and lots of vert., which will be harder since the snow level has dropped
Weekly SummaryMonday, Dec 04, 2017 thru Sunday, Dec 10, 2017
Club Fat Ass New Years Day 50k - Jan 1 - 6h13m
First Half HM (road) - Feb. 9
Chuckanut 50k - Mar. 21
Sun Run 10k - Apr. 19
BMO Vancouver Marathon - May 3
Vancouver 100k (Club Fat Ass) - 32h07m 2 runs, pacing 100 miler friends
Whistler Alpine Meadows 100 miler - September 25
I've been doing the balance board for the last year, seems to have helped my technical running a bit, fewer sprained ankles and the ones I've had have been less severe. I find it hard to push later in races on the technical sections, even if they're flat, they just take extra concentration. I did some shorter races this year, and couldn't push at the end the way I could in a HM on the road, lots of work still to do. Lots of good trails to practice on here
Slower but happier
Re coaching: I was looking into this, and likely will sign up some day when I have more time/$$, I think Koop's group CTS looked good because of the number of different levels you could do and I did like the book. Also, one of his coaches did a 2 year long podcast with the podcaster who does Science of ultra, and I listened to some of that (called Journey to 100 podcast) and thought that coach was pretty solid?sorry forgot his name but hes in with Koop's group at Carmichael. I think the book is great, specifically for flatlanders like me because it gives me some direction on how I could train/plan for a race with elevation (ie thinking about NGP). But I could not handle the block training with one kind of workout for multiple weeks. More recently, I have been fanboy-ing David Roche (swapprunning.com). I heard him on a few podcasts and really liked his message about run-life balance and long term goals. I do not have any illusion he would have time to pick up more athletes himself now, but the group he is working with are amazing. Like Seamax also pointed out he writes training articles you can get those online for ultrarunning magazine.
Downhill/uphill running minutiae. Koop's comment makes total mathematical sense but doesn't seem to fit with everyone's experience. Actually, his comments fit with my training experience i.e. I can shave a lot more time off by focusing on faster climbing, but that is because the pace/min I can shave off with faster climbing is more relative to that I can shave off with faster descending. ie I can cut a 16 min/mi to 12 min/mi (and I have done this) but not an 8 min/mi to 4 min/mi (I wont be doing this)! This may have to do with my having less climbing experience (more room to improve pace), and different terrain around here where basically shorter downhills you can just open up and not worry about falling off a cliff (not much room to improve pace). I guess just look at where you are weakest on your terrain and try to work on that. Am I a coach or what?
Before you follow any of my advice take into account I ran 11 miles in 2 runs this week!
2020 goal: couch to 5K, currently working on the couch block
Rick
43 miles for the week. Light running most of the week recovering and not wanting to run in the cold, yet did my two miles minimum to continue my streak.
Saturday, 26 miles. A friend puts on a fun half marathon on a loop course with lots of treats and a 4 hour time limit (yes, only an ultra runner could come up with this). Beginning to like the loop courses if you can minimize the time at the home base. I finished the half and kept going (kind of planning on a marathon although at a slower pace). It was a cold start, so paced out faster than planned. Things went well and finished in 3:48. Only 10 minutes slower than my PR time even though I never got out of moderate comfort range based on breathing.
Plan for this week is to find some vert. Anxious to try out some of the downhill discussion. Good observations Trail Hound about cutting time off of your uphill pace. Although I have not experienced much improvement. Came into running as a good hiker, so only have seen a couple of minutes off of the pace by increasing the running. On the other hand, huge improvements on the downhill but no where near I want to be.
12-22 Last One Standing - dnf 37 miles
1-23 Sun Marathon - 3:53
3-4-23 Red Mountain 55k - 7:02
4-15-23 Zion 100 - 27:59
Good luck with the marathon Saturday. Which one are you running ?
Tucson Marathon is now in the books. 2:53:07 on a downhill course. 11th overall, 1st master.
I'll be posting a report on the sub-3:00 thread in a day or two.
king of the non-sequitur
Downhill/uphill running minutiae. Koop's comment makes total mathematical sense but doesn't seem to fit with everyone's experience. Actually, his comments fit with my training experience i.e. I can shave a lot more time off by focusing on faster climbing, but that is because the pace/min I can shave off with faster climbing is more relative to that I can shave off with faster descending. ie I can cut a 16 min/mi to 12 min/mi (and I have done this) but not an 8 min/mi to 4 min/mi (I wont be doing this)! This may have to do with my having less climbing experience (more room to improve pace), and different terrain around here where basically shorter downhills you can just open up and not worry about falling off a cliff (not much room to improve pace). I guess just look at where you are weakest on your terrain and try to work on that. Am I a coach or what? Before you follow any of my advice take into account I ran 11 miles in 2 runs this week!
i hear you on this. when i try to explain perhaps it doesnt make sense but the difference in effort between 12:00 and 16:00 pace going uphill i think is a lot less than the difference in effort going downhill between say 8:00 and 12:00 or 6:00 and 10:00
Bridle Trails 50k 1-13-24 5:39
Cottontail 6 Hour 4-13-24
Cougar Long Series (May,June,July,Aug 2024)
Carkeek 6 Hour 10-19-24
Tucson Marathon is now in the books. 2:53:07 on a downhill course. 11th overall, 1st master. I'll be posting a report on the sub-3:00 thread in a day or two.
wow nice job!
Tucson Marathon is now in the books. 2:53:07 on a downhill course. 11th overall, 1st master. Ungot: I'll be posting a report on the sub-3:00 thread in a day or two.
Ungot:
Nice job. Will check out rr. Look is like u r in good shape going into 2018, btw some sweet
schedule : SOB, R2R,AC,WS.
Congrats on your marathon Paul.
Nice running ! I've done that course twice. Downhill, but the middle section with those undulations, and then the flattening out at the end - there are easier courses. Do they still finish in that stupid sand pit ?...
Looks like you beat a couple of my friends. Chad - who was 3 spots behind you and based on his splits and facebook post looks to have gone out too fast for his fitness (he's run close to 2:40 before) so I'm sure you blew past him late, and Scott - who trains with me here in Denver. He thought he was out of shape, so started slower (1:30 half), then picked it up and was second master behind you with a 1.26 second half.
2:53 at 49 is damned impressive !! Just 4 mins off a moose mug....
Congrats.
______________________________________________________________________________
17:50 ('11) 37:23 ('16) 1.23:02 ('13) 2:53:22 ('13)
2019: Leadville 50, Leadville 100, CIM
Thanks everyone for the congrats.
Running Denver - No, the finish is at the Golder Ranch fire house now, not in a sand pit. I've posted my race report in the sub-3:00 thread and included a link to my Strava. You can see the full course there. 3rd overall was also a master (46) and ran a 2:33. Fellow named Ken Rideout.
51 miles for the week, with another 7 miles of walking. Better than last year, easier since we don't have any snow on the ground. I've mostly been running on the road and easy trails. I have a 50k on Jan. 1st, my wife wants to go to a party the night before, so probably won't be a great result, just a Fat Ass race, snow in the forecast, but too far out to predict really. Did a bunch of hills and stairs, 3rd stair repeat I walked and it was faster than the ones where I ran halfway up, I guess a steady effort was faster.
Paul - congrats on the marathon! That's super fast!
I think technical trails in general are where I have the most to gain, have a hard time running them hard. Uphill I always get passed when hiking as well, usually catch people on the downhill, but just slow back of the packers, I guess I need to work on my hiking
Weekly SummaryMonday, Dec 11, 2017 thru Sunday, Dec 17, 2017
nice week Drock, i never figured out how to link the strava like that. 55.4 miles this week but no biking. some old pseudo injuries cropping up. some pf and a strain somewhere up in my nethers where the adductor meets one of the hip bone. ive had it on the other side and it gradually went away when i laid off speed work so i am easing back on effort but not stopping entirely. some ppl say stop but i think that will make it worse.
On hills: for uphill i have always had a good fast long-stride power hike but i am starting to discover more efficiency in a high cadence shuffle. when i look at HR vs pace (and overall fatigue) the shuffle is more effective but i think when it' not a choice of HR but rather resting certain muscles while still moving others the power hike is better. seems like i am always making this calculation going uphill and sometimes switching between the two. sometimes i think about auto-mechanics and the CVT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
versus a regular manual tranny. like when i am moving between hiking and running how many gears do i have? are you a four-speed manual or a semi of a cvt?
One more thought on coaching. The link between Carmichael Training Systems, Lance Armstrong, and doping cannot be ignored. Something to think about if you believe in keeping the sport clean and not supporting those involved in doping.
Of course everyone needs to make their own decision in this matter.
I'm back from my running hiatus, yay. I'm so glad that I took time off. I feel so rested mentally and physically. Unfortunately I tripped and fell while ice skating on Sunday so my knee is all bruised up. It doesn't affect my running but I can't do a lot of my strength training/yoga. I am totally doing this planned break at the end of the season thing EVERY YEAR.
Paul, thanks for bringing up the CTS/doping connection.