I did two key workouts this week. The first was a tempo-interval workout on Tuesday where I ran 2 x 2 miles at my half marathon pace (6:55 or so). I was a little surprised that I could hit this workout. It hurt, but I did it. On Saturday I did a long run with huge vertical (roughly 4K) and I simulated my race day nutrition and hydration strategy. It was flawless, almost easy. Before the run I ate a packet of PocketFuel to satiate hunger. During the run I consumed more about 80 oz of fluid (800 calories) and four gels. I would say that my pace was sustainable for a 50 mile run, particularly since Old Pueblo is just about half that amount of vertical.
The key now is to continue to execute. I may pick up my miles just a bit for a few key weeks -- namely when there are some back-to-back efforts -- but I will not sacrifice the cross-training that I have established. This next week is supposed to be a cut-back week and I will likely take it.
Before leaving, here is a quick update on how my November training went:
- 175 miles with about 15K of vertical
- I ran 20 times for an average of 8.7 miles per run and a total of 26 hours
- Longest run was 20 miles
| Day | Miles | Notes |
| Monday | Rest | P90x - Yoga |
| Tuesday | 7 | Tempo Invertals - 2 x 2 miles at half marathon pace |
| Wednesday | 5 | Recovery |
| Thursday | 7 | Easy |
| Friday | Rest | P90x - Legs, Back, and Ab Ripper X |
| Saturday | 20 | Deer Creek Canyon Long |
| Sunday | 6 | Recovery |
| Total | 46 | About 5400 vertical feet |
AJ: I've been on the fence with P90X for a while. I'd do it if I had time. However, after Phoenix I'm going to take it easy with running for a few weeks and focus on x-training and strength building. Do you think P90X is effective if you do it only 2-3 times a week?
ReplyDeleteWyatt
Wyatt: Excellent question. The short answer is yes, absolutely doing a targeted 2-3 workouts a week would be great for a runner. That is pretty much what I do now.
ReplyDeleteNow the long answer: P90x is by design an almost full time exercise program, or at least that is how all the guides and literature are laid out. After Leadville, I couldn't do much running due to my PFPS/Runner's knee. I dove right in and did all the workouts (there are about 12 total) that my knee would allow me. However, now that I am back running full time, I certainly cannot afford the time to do the full P90x schedule either. I really like the legs and back workout (sometimes I substitute push-ups for the pull-ups), the plyometric workout, and the yoga (and advanced yoga workout). The Ab Ripper workout is a good core workout, comes stand alone, and is only about 15 mins long.
I try to do legs (hips, hamstrings, and glutes) about twice a week. That usually involves either traditional strength training or one of the three P90x workouts I mentioned (legs and back, plyo, yoga). And I try to do a core routine that is 30 minutes long about 3x a week. I often do Ab-Ripper X. But I have a few other workouts I rotate in. I usually include some stretching and foam rolling with my core routines.