anabolic work to keep my meat-head hormones flowin

just a quick recovery workout before i hit another few days of high'ish mileage.

>1-3 mile WU
>KBS (kettlebell swings w/55lbs) & pullups: 20-15-10-5.*
>1 mile CD

*so 20 KBS, then 20 pullups, then 15 KBS, 15 pullups, etc... as fast as possible -so really fast
as i face another high mileage week, im taking today go low-mileage and high intensity in order to stay healthy and happy during the second part of this week.. 60 miles last week, 60 this week, 70 next week. who knows after that, thats what makes it exciting

pre-workout meals

for an average, untalented person to run past the 15 mile mark and still hit 7-8 minute miles on hilly trails, nutrition starts to matter even more. -this is me at mile 16 during the CRUD 8-hour relay. due to the faster paces during a relay, carbs can deplete even sooner.

old school runners will tell you that you should eat carbs before you run 'becasue your body needs to start the workout with full glycogen(stored sugar) stores.' the problem with this is that by eating a high carb(and therefore high GI) snack/meal before your workout, your starting your workout with too much glucose (blood sugar). that sounds ridiculous to most people because when you run low on glucose, you hit the wall and feel like crap. so how can you have too much glucose? -assuming your not diabetic.
the old school runners will tell you that when you hit the wall you have to slow down because your body has to switch to fat as its primary fuel source. however, if you could burn more fat (and therefore less glucose) from the start of the race/run, then youd never hit the wall in the first place.*
during training this is just as important. starting each workout with a stable blood sugar will help your body learn to metabolize fat faster.
so pre-workout meals need to be well-rounded with plenty of fat and protein along with carbohydrates. your stomach will need time to get used to eating like this and you will have to wait longer after the meal to workout/run, but your blood sugar will be under control and your energy levels will be much more stable.
a sample meal, 2 or 3 hours before a workout:
>12-16 ounces water
>mixed raw nuts (brazils, cashews, and almonds. my trifecta)
>meat raviolis with tomato sauce and pesto
then a bit more water (only if your thirsty) leading up to the workout

*another thing to note (in case you have a mild interest in some brief science)is that your body cannot be anabolic and catabolic at the same time. in plain english: you cant store energy and use it at the same time, your body wont let you. so if your blood sugar gets really high before a workout, it releases insulin to stop you from getting too hyperglycemic and causing brain damage. once insulin is present, its impossible to burn fat because your body is trying to store it.

Good Advice

someone i look up to quite a bit told me that the best way to get good at ultra running is to stop talking/blogging about running and actually run.
for the past three weeks ive taken that advice.
Week 26:
this weekend marks the halfway point of this year. i still have to think about it to avoid writing "2010" as the date and 2011 is half way gone.
for the first half of this year ive focused solely on the quality of my workouts, and as a result have averaged just under 30 miles per week. however, during that time i managed to run 2 races past marathon distance and soundly break 1:30 in the half marathon on two different occasions (and with less-than-perfect conditions). also, ive had no major injuries to speak of, and my body has never felt so strong. possibly most important of all is the fact that ive been dreaming of getting back to high mileage.
when every workout is high intensity, even running in the sauna has become something to look forward to -simply because i dont have to maintain a certain pace. so the idea of just 'going for a run' sounds amazing. and since my intensity was through the roof, ive made a very quick and easy return to real running: going from 30 easy miles (to recover) during week 23 to 40 miles in week 24, then to 50 in week 25, and now to 60 in week 26.
conventional wisdom says that doubling your weekly miles in three weeks after months at low mileage is insane and will get you injured, but the science says otherwise. and so do i. marathoners and ultra runners alike feel like complete garbage when theyre building base miles because theyre pushing how far there legs and metabolism can go day after day, week after week. once you settle into 50 or 60 (or 200) miles a week for a while, you start to feel better. but what if you could start high mileage training directly after your low mileage weeks with minimal delay and not get hurt/injured? -you would feel great since youre body (and mind) isnt used up by months of building... -thats what ive done.
by getting my lungs and legs as strong as possible with intervals and lifting, i think ive managed to do something that runners everywhere strive for: the ability to run high mile weeks while loving every minute of it, and without feeling drained in the slightest. plus the chances of getting injured are greatly reduced by the fact that my anabolic hormone levels (no i didnt get a blood test; im going by feel and recovery time from workouts) arent out of whack like 90+% of the distance running community.*
im still planning to resistance train two to three times a week to maintain as much power as i can in my legs (and im also training my core so i can front lever again), but the main focus for the second half of this year is to talk about running a bit less and actually run a bit more -im goin for 80 miles a week(average) for the second half of this year. my plan as of now is, after another month or so of building miles, to hit a week at 60 then a week at 100, then again at 60, and so on. during 100 mile weeks the focus will be on slow miles, and during the 60 mile weeks ill do my lifting and my speed work.

i just wanted to check in with an update and get my goals for the next few months in writing

*this link isnt perfect, but its in plain english, and shows that running decreases testosterone, and it shows more than just a chart with decreased numbers in runners. and if you run and are planning to have a baby, check this one out for sure