After a distance-covered PR of 45 miles last weekend, and a few easy'ish days to recover, I should be more than ready to race hard at the 10k Saturday then turn around and have a great 20 miler on Sunday. My recovery is noticeably better than ever.
The 10k will definitely take more out of me than the 20 miler, since I'll be going for a PR. The course is easy and flat along the Platte River, so my "A goal" is to run a low 35 minute 10k -about 5:40 per mile. It should be possible if I can fully recover in time. Still, as long as I feel strong and run some 6:00, or better, miles I'll be content.
I've been having tons of fun at shorter races since I've moved my focus to ultras, so I'm really excited for this one.
From now until May 12th (50's For Yo Momma) I'm going to run three to four more 20 milers to prep for summer. On Sunday, I'm running the first 20 miler around Lakewood with some good, long climbs. If I manage to recover for Saturday's race, I'll be dead again Sunday for the 20, so the goal is just to finish strong.
Showing posts with label shorter stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shorter stuff. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Lake Arbor 5k, a brief race report
Breakfast:
>half a BumbleBar w/peanut butter and virgin coconut oil
>Tazo Awake Tea with 5 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract and a piece of ginger
The race started with me remembering what it felt like to go fast. We came through the first mile in 5:45. -I never race with a watch but the guy next to me told me. That seemed perfect for me, not as fast as I'm used to, but about where the pace should be considering my training for the last few weeks.
I passed around four people in the second mile but none in the third and got passed by no one after the first mile. So it was a pretty uneventful race. Apparently there was a course map at the sign-up table which would have helped some since I wasn't real sure where we'd be running and, more importantly, where the finish line was. That made for a long last mile.
18:29 and 8th place is a bit embarrassing, but I finished ahead of the people I knew I should have and right behind a guy I figured I'd finish right behind, so I'm not sure to make of it. And being sick this week left me a little less confident than I'm used to, so who knows how much faster I could have run. On top that, I've been overreaching with my training for sure (six weeks straight at 80) so anything sub-6:00 is good enough for now. Next month's five miler should be at almost the same pace with decent conditions.
For now, back to training. I'm going to inject 10-15 miles at sub-6:00 into random runs over the next month which should help me get my heart used to the harder effort and put me around 32:XX for the five miler.
Pictures if I find some
>half a BumbleBar w/peanut butter and virgin coconut oil
>Tazo Awake Tea with 5 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract and a piece of ginger
The race started with me remembering what it felt like to go fast. We came through the first mile in 5:45. -I never race with a watch but the guy next to me told me. That seemed perfect for me, not as fast as I'm used to, but about where the pace should be considering my training for the last few weeks.
I passed around four people in the second mile but none in the third and got passed by no one after the first mile. So it was a pretty uneventful race. Apparently there was a course map at the sign-up table which would have helped some since I wasn't real sure where we'd be running and, more importantly, where the finish line was. That made for a long last mile.
18:29 and 8th place is a bit embarrassing, but I finished ahead of the people I knew I should have and right behind a guy I figured I'd finish right behind, so I'm not sure to make of it. And being sick this week left me a little less confident than I'm used to, so who knows how much faster I could have run. On top that, I've been overreaching with my training for sure (six weeks straight at 80) so anything sub-6:00 is good enough for now. Next month's five miler should be at almost the same pace with decent conditions.
For now, back to training. I'm going to inject 10-15 miles at sub-6:00 into random runs over the next month which should help me get my heart used to the harder effort and put me around 32:XX for the five miler.
Pictures if I find some
Friday, January 6, 2012
Stapleton XC CMRA Colorado State Championship
As usual the CMRA put on another great race.
I've been excited for this one. Everything I found and everyone I talked to said it would have a 'true cross country' feel. So I've been anxiously waiting to be able to wear spikes and get dirty.
-Breakfast
>BumbleBar with peanut butter and coconut oil
>a small chunk of a caffeine pill (~25 mg)
I got to Stapleton Central Park at around 9:15. The sun was shining by then but it was still below 40 so I kept all my layers on for my warmup. Before heading out of the car, I drank my last mouthful of water and took about 100 mg of caffeine (half of a pill).
The race started in an open field, which backed up their 'true cross country' claim. As everyone jostled for positions I stayed relaxed and focused on keeping my form perfect and not stumbling or wasting energy in the 5" of snow that covered this stretch. -That move paid off more than anything else during this race. At the half mile mark I was in about tenth place.
Once we got to the first hill the snow thinned out and I started my race. After a few more small, rolling hills we hit the mile mark and I had moved up to 8th place. Miles two through three were on packed snow over single track trail which made passing much harder, and after almost getting hip-checked off a boulder during the back stretch while trying to pass someone I decided to wait it out again. Once we hit the end of the first loop (6k; half way done), we headed back into the powder and I passed another three people in the next half mile and started feeling like a real competitor. Over the rolling hills of the next mile I caught the guy in fifth and passed him on a turn, then the guys in third and forth shortly after in the powdery back-stretch.
As I came around the final turn I saw the second place guy ahead of me but it was way too late to catch him. Still, I kicked as hard as I could thinking maybe he'd trip or run off the course alowing me to make up the ground. Obviously that didn't happen.
But a 3rd place finish is good enough for now, and I was only 50 seconds behind the guy in first -a guy who's 5k PR is probly more than a minute faster than mine.
Can't wait to hit the training for a few weeks before the (road) 5k on January 7th.
I've been excited for this one. Everything I found and everyone I talked to said it would have a 'true cross country' feel. So I've been anxiously waiting to be able to wear spikes and get dirty.
-Breakfast
>BumbleBar with peanut butter and coconut oil
>a small chunk of a caffeine pill (~25 mg)
I got to Stapleton Central Park at around 9:15. The sun was shining by then but it was still below 40 so I kept all my layers on for my warmup. Before heading out of the car, I drank my last mouthful of water and took about 100 mg of caffeine (half of a pill).
The race started in an open field, which backed up their 'true cross country' claim. As everyone jostled for positions I stayed relaxed and focused on keeping my form perfect and not stumbling or wasting energy in the 5" of snow that covered this stretch. -That move paid off more than anything else during this race. At the half mile mark I was in about tenth place.
Once we got to the first hill the snow thinned out and I started my race. After a few more small, rolling hills we hit the mile mark and I had moved up to 8th place. Miles two through three were on packed snow over single track trail which made passing much harder, and after almost getting hip-checked off a boulder during the back stretch while trying to pass someone I decided to wait it out again. Once we hit the end of the first loop (6k; half way done), we headed back into the powder and I passed another three people in the next half mile and started feeling like a real competitor. Over the rolling hills of the next mile I caught the guy in fifth and passed him on a turn, then the guys in third and forth shortly after in the powdery back-stretch.
As I came around the final turn I saw the second place guy ahead of me but it was way too late to catch him. Still, I kicked as hard as I could thinking maybe he'd trip or run off the course alowing me to make up the ground. Obviously that didn't happen.
But a 3rd place finish is good enough for now, and I was only 50 seconds behind the guy in first -a guy who's 5k PR is probly more than a minute faster than mine.
Can't wait to hit the training for a few weeks before the (road) 5k on January 7th.
Thoughts Going Into The Lake Arbor 5k
Well, I'm not exactly fast right now -after not taking a single fast stride in over a month. And to add to it I've been sick for a few days now and today has been the worst so far. Thinking about running hard when standing up makes me dizzy is rough. I rarely get sick: running generally helps the immune system, but 27 miles in a day will turn the tables a bit.
Despite all that, I'm really excited for this one. I've run 80 miles a week for six weeks in a row now and I'm starting to get hungry for a race. Also, recently my running dreams have been reaching further than ever. I'm feeling the need get out a see how I do against runners that I've idolized. I'm slowly getting ready to take my heroes off their pedestals and put them in my dust (at least at the 50k distance). Also 2012 is gona see a new 5k PR for me.
Since junior year of high school I've been running almost the same pace at every 5k I've run and I'm sick of it. Since chasing the 50k more seriously, my mental game has gotten exponentially stronger. When I race my self-talk is always positive: in my mind every difficulty the course throws at me hurts everyone else more. When I'm hurting, the guy next to me must be ready to quit. So this year it's about time to see myself running sub-16:10 for the 5k... even if I never do short speedwork again.
As far as this race however, I'm just looking to place well (there're going to be plenty of people faster than me here) and have fun.
Despite all that, I'm really excited for this one. I've run 80 miles a week for six weeks in a row now and I'm starting to get hungry for a race. Also, recently my running dreams have been reaching further than ever. I'm feeling the need get out a see how I do against runners that I've idolized. I'm slowly getting ready to take my heroes off their pedestals and put them in my dust (at least at the 50k distance). Also 2012 is gona see a new 5k PR for me.
Since junior year of high school I've been running almost the same pace at every 5k I've run and I'm sick of it. Since chasing the 50k more seriously, my mental game has gotten exponentially stronger. When I race my self-talk is always positive: in my mind every difficulty the course throws at me hurts everyone else more. When I'm hurting, the guy next to me must be ready to quit. So this year it's about time to see myself running sub-16:10 for the 5k... even if I never do short speedwork again.
As far as this race however, I'm just looking to place well (there're going to be plenty of people faster than me here) and have fun.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Next Few Months of Training
Last week was my first week at 80 miles. I plan to hit 80 miles 12-15 times between now and the beginning of April. I've done 60 for extended periods before, but dispite the diminishing returns of running more and more miles, I strongly believe the extra 20 miles a week will help me run MUCH faster than currently. -Others have seen it when moving from 60 to 80 miles per week and so will I.
-my average week should look something like this:
Monday: run to/from work (15 miles for the day/15 miles total)
Tuesday: run to/from work, maybe some more with Sabrina (18 for the day/33 total)
Wednesday: decent warm up, 400-800 meter repeats, decent cool down (10+/43)
Thursday: 20 minutes running in the sauna before going out for a few miles (8/51)
Friday: off*
Saturday: 15, once a month some of these miles with come from a trail race -from 5k to 12k (15/66)
Sunday: whatever I need to run to close the week out at 80, hopefully not much to allow myself to recover from races when I do them (14/80)
*Most "serious" runners don't take too many days off, but I take one each week. It helps me stay hungry -nothing makes me wana run more than knowing that I can't. Also, taking one day off means I have only six days to run as much as most people spread over seven days, which makes my days bigger. So taking a day off means better training days AND better physical and mental recovery.
-my average week should look something like this:
Monday: run to/from work (15 miles for the day/15 miles total)
Tuesday: run to/from work, maybe some more with Sabrina (18 for the day/33 total)
Wednesday: decent warm up, 400-800 meter repeats, decent cool down (10+/43)
Thursday: 20 minutes running in the sauna before going out for a few miles (8/51)
Friday: off*
Saturday: 15, once a month some of these miles with come from a trail race -from 5k to 12k (15/66)
Sunday: whatever I need to run to close the week out at 80, hopefully not much to allow myself to recover from races when I do them (14/80)
*Most "serious" runners don't take too many days off, but I take one each week. It helps me stay hungry -nothing makes me wana run more than knowing that I can't. Also, taking one day off means I have only six days to run as much as most people spread over seven days, which makes my days bigger. So taking a day off means better training days AND better physical and mental recovery.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Stone House Triple Cross (8.6 miler)
I did the Triple cross on a whim the weekend after The Moab Trail Marathon. I needed something fast and an 8.6 miler on trail with six water crossings and a small mountain would be perfect coming off such a technical race. And since the course was at Bear Creek Lake Park, I knew exactly what to expect after racing there for the
With no time goal, the only plan I had was to take it easy on Mt. Carbon and to gain a little ground at each water crossing. I figured anyone faster than me at a 8.6 miler would be young, fast, road runners so the technical parts should help me some.
-breakfast
>half a sesame BumbleBar with peanut butter and virgin coconut oil, and some Tazo Awake tea with ginger
-pre-race
>a small mouthful of Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane (~20 calories)
Before the race I did about a mile build up before heading over to the one porta potty to wait my turn. After a few minutes I realized it wasn't gona happen, so I did the ultra runner thing to do and dipped into the woods to take care of my business.
I changed into my old, trashed pair of Nike Mayfly's and took a deep breath. -I hadn't done any fast training in more than a month and wasn't sure how recovered I would be from Moab the weekend before. Then the race started.
In the first half mile I realized that I was pretty overdressed in my Under Armour ColdGear and ditched it on the side of the trail. At about the one mile mark there was a tree fallen over the trail which made for a little added fun to that stretch: some people hurdled it, some ran around, and on the way back the guy in front of me walked over it causing me to run square into him. The water crossings were brisk to say the least. I knew they weren't gona be warm or anything but it's still crazy to me to feel just how cold these Colorado streams get. It's like running through ice water. By mile three the top twelve or so (myself included) had spread out and by mile four, after heading up Mt. Carbon, I could neither hear anyone behind me or see anyone in front of me. I hate being in this spot: No Man's Land, where you don't feel like you chasing or being chased by anyone. My legs were on fire, but I tried to hold pace and kept telling myself "-at least one or two of the guys up there are road runners -and the longest race they run is a 10k -just hold on until the last two miles and you'll pass a few." And I did.
As I came down Mt. Carbon I saw a duo that didn't look nearly as intimidating as they had three miles ago and I tried to pick up the pace a little. After bursting through the first water crossing I came right up behind one of them. Once he noticed me there his pace dropped about 30 seconds a mile, and I couldn't have been more grateful for it -I did not wana end up in No-Man's Land again if I could help it. I pushed this guy right up to the second water crossing where I passed him and put a few meters on him. He must have be demoralized by that a bit because he dropped off quick after that. But the second guy was only about 150 meters ahead at that point, so I still had chasing to do. And my legs started feeling really good. Again, the water crossing put me right on the guys shoulder and he picked up a bit when I got there. We threw it down a bit for a few hundred meters before we got to the tree fallen over the trail where I just about took him down when he stopped to walk over it. -I guess he was just spent..?
Either way, I passed one more guy just before the last half mile and finished in 8th place overall.
Normally, I'd like to think I'd place better at a race this short, but I felt like it went better than I could have hoped for having come off such a big race the weekend before.
It was a blast.
With no time goal, the only plan I had was to take it easy on Mt. Carbon and to gain a little ground at each water crossing. I figured anyone faster than me at a 8.6 miler would be young, fast, road runners so the technical parts should help me some.
-breakfast
>half a sesame BumbleBar with peanut butter and virgin coconut oil, and some Tazo Awake tea with ginger
-pre-race
>a small mouthful of Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane (~20 calories)
Before the race I did about a mile build up before heading over to the one porta potty to wait my turn. After a few minutes I realized it wasn't gona happen, so I did the ultra runner thing to do and dipped into the woods to take care of my business.
I changed into my old, trashed pair of Nike Mayfly's and took a deep breath. -I hadn't done any fast training in more than a month and wasn't sure how recovered I would be from Moab the weekend before. Then the race started.
In the first half mile I realized that I was pretty overdressed in my Under Armour ColdGear and ditched it on the side of the trail. At about the one mile mark there was a tree fallen over the trail which made for a little added fun to that stretch: some people hurdled it, some ran around, and on the way back the guy in front of me walked over it causing me to run square into him. The water crossings were brisk to say the least. I knew they weren't gona be warm or anything but it's still crazy to me to feel just how cold these Colorado streams get. It's like running through ice water. By mile three the top twelve or so (myself included) had spread out and by mile four, after heading up Mt. Carbon, I could neither hear anyone behind me or see anyone in front of me. I hate being in this spot: No Man's Land, where you don't feel like you chasing or being chased by anyone. My legs were on fire, but I tried to hold pace and kept telling myself "-at least one or two of the guys up there are road runners -and the longest race they run is a 10k -just hold on until the last two miles and you'll pass a few." And I did.
As I came down Mt. Carbon I saw a duo that didn't look nearly as intimidating as they had three miles ago and I tried to pick up the pace a little. After bursting through the first water crossing I came right up behind one of them. Once he noticed me there his pace dropped about 30 seconds a mile, and I couldn't have been more grateful for it -I did not wana end up in No-Man's Land again if I could help it. I pushed this guy right up to the second water crossing where I passed him and put a few meters on him. He must have be demoralized by that a bit because he dropped off quick after that. But the second guy was only about 150 meters ahead at that point, so I still had chasing to do. And my legs started feeling really good. Again, the water crossing put me right on the guys shoulder and he picked up a bit when I got there. We threw it down a bit for a few hundred meters before we got to the tree fallen over the trail where I just about took him down when he stopped to walk over it. -I guess he was just spent..?
 |
| this was taken during the Bear Chase Trail Race 50k (hence the walkers) but its the same creek crossings for both races |
Normally, I'd like to think I'd place better at a race this short, but I felt like it went better than I could have hoped for having come off such a big race the weekend before.
It was a blast.
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