Random Weekly Update - 2/20

Here's a random snapshot of what I did last week. As you can see, I've been keeping after the weights pretty seriously and balanced in "enough" running. Saturday at Deer Creek was quite enjoyable, my first visit there in many months (July?). Mobility and stretching work can take many months to achieve results, but I feel like things are inching toward positivity. I hope I can keep with this routine for at least 6 months and then I'll re-evaluate where I want to go with things after that.

A New Way: High Intensity and Strength

I have only been blogging intermittently lately because I am somewhat lost. This has been coming for a while now, maybe as much as two years in the making. Some combination of burn out, higher/changing priorities, "settling", and injury has led me to start to consistently wonder if I want to keep training this way. In short, I've optimized almost exclusively to nearly just one way of training (one way of "health") for five years now. It worked. In fact, I'd argue that I've seen results as good as anyone in my community of runners. My results have been good within my age group, a few with high placement, and most importantly, they have been consistent and improving.

So why change? First of all, I am injured. I've been dealing with a nagging groin injury since training for Colorado Marathon last Spring. It has reached a "chronic" state and needs a lot of therapy. It is also "chronic" in the sense that it continues to underscore the lack of balance in my body and my training. If you want to believe that I am just injured and bummed out and that's all that there is to this story, then go ahead and move on with your day and stop reading now, but there is way more to this.

As I eluded to in my intro, I have been fighting this mentality for a while now. In my self-reflecting moments, I have suspected for a while that change was needed. Being injured has allowed me to step away and gain some clarity. I started this journey as a way toward health and became pretty good at it -- addicted to chasing the next race, the next workout, the self-congratulations that came with success. I am finally seeing this as not healthy, but more of an obsession: too much repetitive motion without cross training, too much of a time commitment, too much juggling of regular life and racing.

A few years back a friend told me about Tim Ferris' book the 4 Hour Body. In the book, Ferris details CrossFit Endurance as a way to perform in running (yes, even ultra running!). The book promises to run minimal mileage and get maximal results. I was highly skeptical and still am. I do think that typical long, slow distance (LSD) "80/20" training is the way to go for maximum performance. However, I think I've detailed all the reasons why I don't think that is sustainable for a working/family person. That type of training maybe more suited long-term for someone younger and someone who trains like a full time athlete -- with time to cross train, with professional looking after them to stay healthy and recover properly. It may also be more appropriate for someone less obsessive and with the foresight to take time off during the year. Another fitness expert I trust very much, Ben Greenfield, has written some great content on the how to get fit and gain endurance and compared the two philosophies. The short story is that there is more to endurance than big volume and LSD and more than way to achieve many of the physiological adaptions.

Is this post an announcement that I am going to be doing CrossFit Endurance? Not quite. I thought about going to pure CrossFit Endurance and I was presented with several problems. As I mentioned early, I don't buy into the idea that you can run so little and be a good runner. Another problem, I don't have access to a CrossFit gym and don't want to pay to gain access. Finally, most importantly, the more I read about it, the more worried I became that I'd be trading one obsession for another and possibly induce new problems. Nonetheless, there is a sound philosophy behind the concept: prioritize strength training and intensity training to strengthen the body and "hack" fitness. Broadening the picture, there are other ways to "hack" fitness as well, like sauna training, fasting, slow/low carb dieting. Honestly, I think low-carb has had as much to do with my success the past 3 years as training. I believe that to my core.

What am I getting at? I have about 3 months to the Boston Marathon. I want to get healthy and run that race. And, I have other races that I'd like to run in 2017. I need a new way to go about things. This is honestly a new journey that I plan to take slow, literally a day at a time. Strength and mobility will be my biggest priorities. I am losing both and want to improve that before heading into the Summer. Strength will primarily be typical Olympic movements with high weight and low reps. (This is one area where I find CrossFit scary, using Olympic lifts to exhaustion.)  Next, I will be easing my way back into running as my things improve. But, my tolerance for pain/discomfort are going to be close to zero. No more compromising just to get another workout in. Finally, I will use CrossFit and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to help bridge the fitness gap. For now, my plan is to approach training like the following*:

Monday: Strength + 30-45 mins of easy running
Tuesday: Strength + 30 mins HIIT run workout
Wednesday: Strength + 45-60 mins HIIT run workout
Thursday: Strength + 30-45 mins of easy running
Friday: Injury prevention** or rest
Saturday: 60-120 mins running likely with structure/specificity
Sunday: 60-90 mins of running easy

* Mobility is something I will work on daily, so I didn't highlight it
**Injury prevention would be other types of cross training or other movements not covered on my strength days


The one thing I am learning on this is that I have a lot to learn. I've done strength training all my life and thought I knew what I was talking about. It turns out I was wrong! I need to work a lot on technique and mobility to get good at these things and not injure myself. Olympic style lifts require good technique and should not be taken lightly. It is going to be a long road, but I've got time. The goal is to be a stronger, more complete athlete and I don't plan to rush it.

I want to reiterate that I have no timeline on this. My primary goals are to get injury free, strong, and with improved range of motion. As things progress, I will adapt. Honestly, my current weekly workouts look more like CrossFit because I am doing so little running and using HIIT to keep active. I hope to adapt to the above in the next 3-4 weeks as my injury heals and then go almost week-to-week from there. If the results are good enough, I may stay with this all year. I don't know. Boston will not be an A-race, which isn't a problem because I never hoped it would be. It is more of a celebration of the long road to get here. Here is a peek at my last two weeks in Training Peaks.

2017 Rambling....

I am more than 3 months post Wasatch and I feel like I am barely running, about 25 miles per week. That is something, but no where near my usual routines. There are some remaining niggles and my confidence and motivation to run are quite low. I am officially registered for the Boston Marathon and in the Leadville 100 lottery. But, I have zero idea how I'll get to the start of either race; in what kind of shape, I mean.

On the plus side, I've been enjoying having my life back. More time at home. Less obsession about training, diet, and shoes. More time cross training. All pretty good things. I've started reading more and trying to find ways to grow and thrive in my fifth decade on earth.

As part of my reading, I've begun to read Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris. I enjoy Tim's passion for finding better ways to live and the schedules/patterns/rituals of successful people. There are some amazing tips and tricks in the book, more than one person can process in one read of the book. I plan to tinker with some of the fitness ideas in the book as I continue to refine my approach to training and a balanced life. I've already begun experimentation with cryotherapy and plan to experiment more with sauna work and fasting. Sauna work and diet (including some fasting) were a huge part of my successes the past few years. It is my belief that an individual with a focus on total life health -- diet, sleep, supplements, etc... -- can be a successful endurance athlete without putting mileage as the singular focus as a measure of "fitness". It'll be a fun challenge.

Running with Power

Being the tinkerer that I am, I bought a Stryd Power Meter recently to mess around with power and get an idea what it is all about. Unfortunately, I adopted a little to early and got the chest strap version. They recently released a footpod version that I would MUCH prefer.

To start out, I'll explain why power appeals to me. I began seriously training in 2010 and mostly trained by goal pace. Based on my marathon goals, I would find my target training paces (easy, tempo, 10k, etc...) from the McMillan calculator and work backward in training. For example, a 3:30 marathoner should be able to run sub-45 min 10k, or about 7:12 pace. If I encountered a workout that called for intervals at 10k pace in training, I'd aim to hit or exceed the pace given by the calculator. Easy enough, and relatively effective. I collected heart rate data on and off in these years and mostly used it to guide my pace.

Fast forward to my ultra years and I fell in love with volume, as do most ultra runners. In an effort to squeeze in volume, one typically has to give up on doing much intensity. I turned to Maffetone and an extreme focus -- I think obsession really -- on heart rate training. I gauged every run by heart rate intensity to the point where I was doing my hard sessions with heart rate targets in mind and graded every run by what my heart rate data told me. The most common thing my social group talks about on Strava is heart rate. I even tinkered with the idea of racing by heart rate. Fortunately, I quickly realized that wasn't such a great idea for me as it is extremely hard to predict with the terrain variation in mountain ultras. (I do think heart rate is a paramount thing to observe and measure in terms of fitness and health, but using it for the in the moment the decisions and to guide your training is a bit trickier.)

In 2016, I decided to try and qualify for the Boston Marathon and realized I'd need something a bit more solid than heart rate if I was going to narrow in on such a specific time goal and returned to training more by structure and pace. I continued to track heart rate of course, but tended to analyze it after the fact and less in the moment. Then I read Jason Koop's book and it changed the way I viewed ultra running -- it didn't need to all be LSD and Maffetone! His book encouraged me to change the focus back to training and fitness and not just volume. A return to pace and structure treated me well in 2016 as I did qualify for Boston and had a great year overall.

So, the reason to consider power? Other than wanting to tinker, I considered it primarily because I see the disadvantages in heart rate training. Heart rate training is only valuable if you have a very accurate understanding of your heart rate zones. And, truthfully, I find very few people do. This requires some good sample data -- threshold data the best -- and lots of experiments. Using heart rate guidelines like 180-age and such confuse the issue and remove any individuality. Another problem is that heart rate data can be influenced by lots of things -- life stress, caffeine, fatigue, alcohol, diet, etc... This can be a positive or negative, but definitely skews the definition of work. Finally, heart rate data tends to lag effort, so if you aren't paying attention to perceived effort, you can "blowout" your heart rate easily. Depending on the workout and your fitness, a heart rate "blowout" may be unrecoverable without full recovery, which I am not a fan of.

Power data aims to improve upon heart rate data by changing the definition of work being done. Instead of thinking of pace or heart beats, you think of force and work rate. However, by using power you can also analytically measure other areas like efficiency, training stress, and such with more precision. Power can actually measure the force you apply on multiple planes, which is valuable because any power applied any where other than forward is theoretically waste. Truthfully, it is just a more analytical, and perhaps accurate, way to measure what heart rate and pace already tell you. The difference is subtle because all of the metrics in this post measure work and stress, just in different ways. (And, TrainingPeaks is capable of using all three when analyzing fitness.)

The other advantage of power is that it isn't lagging like heart rate. If you start going uphill, power instantly increases. Of course, the reverse of that is that it can literally change with every stride, meaning you have to use a smoothed number (like 10 or 30 seconds) to avoid the noise. And, like heart rate or pace, you must know your threshold to properly set zones. So, testing and tinkering hasn't been eliminated. Like heart rate, power zones can theoretically change through the year with fitness.

So, enough with all the background and theory, I've used power data on a few dozen runs and finally am honing in on my "zones". My initial trial for threshold power was a bust due to training fatigue and wind, so I have reverse-engineered my zones by more experimentation. Someday soon I'll do my zones with a threshold test again, but those aren't very fun!

Advantages that I have found:
- I think the primary advantage I have found is in using it on a treadmill where I am often not sure if the machine is calibrated properly. Also, I prefer to run on treadmills with a slight grade, making a read on pace even more perplexing. Running indoors also wreaks havoc on my heart rate, due namely to heat, I think. So, power offers a more unbiased view of effort in these situations. You can see a slight increase in power after the first two intervals in the display below as I slightly increased the pace. Interestingly, power peaked in the fifth interval even though the 6th was my fastest. While though I wasn't looking at my power on my watch, I was making an effort to be efficient on that 6th interval.

Power data from a recent treadmill interval session I did. The data was captured in Movescount.

- Power data is measuring power in all planes, so any loss of form due to fatigue will show up as an increase in power, meaning the runner needs to slow down or improve efficiency. Slowing down on a treadmill may be difficult whether due to a drastic need to button push or admit to yourself you cannot handle the pace. However, on a track, if you only had a smoothed power measure shown on your watch, this could be quite a good way to measure and target your effort.

- Related to the above, I think the efficiency measures that could be derived from power and loss of data on different planes could be quite powerful. However, I think the individual would need either a coach or be extremely geeky to enjoy this. And, other measures like stride rate, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time already exist.

- The integration of data with TrainingPeaks and their variety of other analytics is very useful.

 Disadvantages that I have found:
- To use power, you must re-orient your entire view of how you train to power. This shouldn't be that complicated, but I equate it to someone learning a foreign language and only thinking in one language and translating to the other. A runner used to thinking in pace or heart rate will find themselves doing a lot of translation until power becomes second nature.

- The data is so accurate to the moment that it can be noisy, requiring the use of smoothed values to be useful. This calls into question which smoothed value is most useful -- 10 secs or 30 secs?  More?

Power data from an "easy" non-structured run collected by Movescount. See how "noisy" it can be? But, my hill sprint stands out really well at the end! 

- Many runners want to just run and this level of data an analytics won't appeal to everyone. Having to consider stride rate is complicated enough, but loss of power to alternate planes may blow some minds!

- *Data collection is only supported by a few watches and, at least for my Ambit 3 Run, you only get the power number, none of the other cool metrics collected by Stryd. Power is the most important number, but some of Stryd's advanced analytics would be useful as well. I don't like carrying my iPhone around when I run. Hopefully future versions of Ambit are able to capture all this data from Stryd. (The Stryd does support offline data caching so I can capture my data within the device even if not on my watch and sync with my mobile phone later.)

- *Likewise, only a few software programs allow you to dig deep into the analytics of power. Movescount collects the data, but only to graph it and display back the point values, which are quite noisy. Strava doesn't support power in their run profile yet. TrainingPeaks does support power and has quite a few good displays of the data. But, I'd like to see all the other data points the Stryd collects integrate in one place.

A comparison of power by zones and heart rate by zones from Training Peaks

In summary, I like having power as a training tool and will continue to experiment with it. I will also likely get the new version at some point. But, I think I am a little ways away from exclusively training with it. I'd like to see the software and watches catch up quickly to really make this data more powerful! If inclined, I think a runner could gather very valuable information in regards to efficiency using this tool.

*Note to the reader: With the new Stryd footpod, it does sound like most of the data may actually make its way into Garmin Connect. Also, it stores the data on the pod so you can load it to their power center later.

Innovation and Preliminary 2017 Thoughts

Here I am at the end of an exceptional three year stretch of running and racing and on the eve of my fortieth birthday. And I keep thinking about large topics like "do I want to continue to race?", "what are my goals?", "is training at this high of a level healthy?", "how much will age start to impact my performance?", etc... While I am certain that age is going to be a factor sooner or later, I certainly don't want to give into too easily either. I have always tried to approach this entire journey in running with a view on sustainability and total health.

With all that in mind, the one thing that definitely stands out is constantly finding the balance between rest/training, racing/fun, and running/life. And, perhaps more importantly, how do I continue to improve as I strive to achieve balance. I won't pretend to have answers for everyone. Each of us is at a different point in our journey. For me, a guy that has excelled the last three years and consistently done "more" each year to get there, I think I am reaching a breaking point. Ironically, I reached a similar breaking point after 2012 (my first 100 miler) when I realized that I couldn't continue down that path -- chasing miles, eating 10,000 calories of sugar to finish a race -- and decided to innovate in 2013. As luck would have it, I missed a huge chunk of that season to knee surgery. We loath downtime as runners, typically viewing the loss of training as unrecoverable and the end of the world. Ironically, I came back with a new diet and a new perspective in 2014 and haven't looked back. It is quite possible that break in 2013 was a stepping stone to my recent success thanks to the amount of rest I finally took after three years of growing volume and lagging recovery.

As I just mentioned, the major change I made in 2014 was to my diet. I believe quite strongly my diet has changed my training and my racing. My weight is stable. I recover better. I eat less crap (in general and on the run). I am physically leaner, healthier and overall happier.

So what's the next change? Runners tend to take a simple view on running: "if want to get better, then run more." But is this always the way? Other concepts runners over-simplify and throw at the issue are "periodization" and "workout confusion". All those things could be the answer, if there is a higher-level plan in place to objectively measure progress and account for individual factors. However, none of those takes into account the larger picture -- total health. My goal is to continue running for as long as I have the motivation, not to beat myself into a pulp to excel in races. More importantly, I have always viewed running as a conduit to total life health and, hopefully, life longevity. LCHF works for me because it improves my race results AND has made me healthier as a non-runner. Eat to run, not run to eat.

So the first thing that struck me is that I haven't taken enough recovery in 2014 - 2016. 2015 in particular I book-ended my year with races and hit PRs in almost every major volume category. With that in mind, I am going to try and limit my miles the remainder of 2016, hoping not to exceed 2500 for the year. That would be a 300+ mile step down from 2015. (I'd like to drop to 2400, but that seems like a really small number considering I am already over 2,000 for the year.) I don't have a race on the calendar for at least 6 months -- and that will be a "B race", so there is no need to pound unnecessary mileage. In fact, I am convinced I could be as good a runner next year as I am this year training only 2,000 miles.

The second thing I want to focus on strength, like serious Olympic movement barbell strength. I wouldn't necessarily say that improving my strength is going to improving my running, ultimately runners improve by running. But, I feel strongly that ignoring strength training into my 40s would be a huge mistake. When I get into the gym now it is quite embarrassing how little I can do on a good-form, deep squat. Again, focus on total health and sustainability. Strength training will provide a platform to continue training and keep my body strong and balanced. And, it will be a good distraction as I find something positive to focus my typical running energy toward. Plus, I enjoy it! The sad thing is that many runners view strength training as a risk for gaining unwanted muscle mass and weight. That's simply not true. Bodybuilders use a specific regimen of high repetition exercises and diet to achieve those results. Getting into the gym to improve your strength using low repetition, high weight movements is not a risk for significant weight gain. However, like running, the best results will be seen with consistency and time, likely 12+ weeks of focused work.

Since I the title of this post implies a promise of what is to come in 2017, I guess I should provide answers. The only thing I know for certain is the Boston Marathon in April. While I wasn't so certain a month ago, I am becoming quite confident I'll do a 100 miler again in 2017. I am almost certain to enter the Hardrock 100 lottery and growing less and less certain about continuing to chase Western States. However, I think my dream scenario would be to have a group of buddies all enter the Leadville 100. It would be a blast to hang out, celebrate, and support one another. And, it'd be great to have my family be a part of a 100 miler. My son is becoming a damn good runner and seems like he may want to pace me for 10 or so miles at night. How cool would that be?

For now, I'll hit the weights, run easy, and wait for the lotteries to unfold...

Update: Marathon and Beyond

The Colorado Marathon has come and gone and I didn't write a race report.  I will leave you with these words from my Strava activity:

"The story of the week was weather and we drove up to FoCo in a steady rain, which had me quite worried and unsure of what to wear. But, we woke to dry streets, low 30 degrees, and a very light snow fall -- perfect! The bus trip up the canyon took an hour and we sat in the bus until almost 6:10 am (race started at 6:30).

Miles 1 - 10 were pretty uneventful as I tried to find the pace/effort I though I could sustain and broke free from the crowd. Chuck and I only chatted intermittently, mostly just focusing and listening to iPods. He did occasional 'fartleks' to pick items for people, run ahead to pee, etc.... I just kept going straight ahead, eclipsing every split I had intended.

Miles 11-17 where quite a bit more difficult and I started to wonder if I was in over my head. Nothing wrong, just that no-mans-land of so many miles to go and fatigue starting to set in. Coming out of the canyon is hard as you go briefly uphill and realize there is a lot of hard work to go. I was sick of the cambered road and ready to move onto flatter ground.

Miles 18 - 22 I had a surge of energy and felt strong, passing people quite frequently. I even ran a sub-7 minute mile in here and realized I was going to be able to get it done. Chuck would tell me each lap split and began to run slightly in front of me to motivate me, I assumed.

Miles 22 - Finish were just pain, mostly. I could smell the finish and just kept giving all I had with lots of self talk. I knew 3:10 was in play (minus 5 BQ and possible Wave 1 qualification) so I fought hard to keep working for that. When we turned the corner into to town, I had to give all I had to get sub-3:10 and was glad I did. I ran most of this section in Z4 and felt every step."

Long story short, I crushed it. These are the days we live for as runners -- everything went my way. My first and half splits were near identical.  My eight 5k splits were within 15 seconds of one another. Basically, I ran a perfect race. What's funny is that I am the same guy I was in 2012 (and probably was just as fit back then). But, you tell people you qualified for Boston and they view you as special. I don't feel special, but I am looking forward to one helluva a party in Boston 2017!

As for what's next? I am slowly running out of matches to burn. I have enough residual fitness that I plan to give it a go at North Fork 50k next month. Then I hope to enjoy more of summer than normal with my family. My kids are nearly grown and opportunities to hang with them are growing smaller. I don't even know what to expect at Wasatch 100, but I fill find a way to get it done. If things go as planned, I'll spend some time in the mountains with my kids and maybe climb a few mountains. Perhaps I will finally stop and reflect on this journey? We'll see.

I am losing the desire to blog, feeling like I have fewer and fewer new things to add. I am not a controversial guy, so you won't find much editorial or opinion stuff here. Just the facts. This blog has been about my journey to health and discovering my potential. That road is nearing an end and I am savoring every moment left. There are a few goals I have left -- Leadville "big buckle" and another trip to Western States, maybe even Hardrock. I plan to keep after it. But don't be surprised if I blog a whole lot less. Thanks for following along and keep in touch!

Thoughts and Views on Training

Every now and then I get a bug to share my thoughts on training. I write these posts knowing full well that training is an individual thing. However, I also write these posts also knowing that the majority of recreational runners (aka weekend warriors) don't understand how to train properly and defer to doing things younger, professional athletes do because they are winning races. I almost always seek to do the most with the least and have a purpose with my training. (Though, I do occasionally lapse into "just log miles" mode.)

Recently, I've started following Jason Koop as he is a rising star in the ultra coaching circles. I even used some workouts I heard him describe in a podcast before Western States last year. (I also used his tips on heat training to turn heat running into a strength!) I've long followed Eric Orton of Born to Run fame. Ironically, Outside Magazine posted an article about the two of them and their philosophy that got me intrigued about writing some more thoughts on training and to continue following both of their work (and read Koop's book). While I haven't read Koop's book yet, the one thing I can say that I love about Orton's book is his focus on the "fundamentals". I think athletes of all ages and types can get lulled into forgetting to work on the basics and runners are no different.

So, if I were to coach an athlete, what factors would I emphasize and in what order? Before reading on, please know that each of these factors should be personalized into a specific plan based on your experience and desired race. This isn't a full coaching plan, just some tips and guidelines on how to improve. Disclaimer aside, here are my thoughts....

Consistency

Nothing ruins a runner's potential like intermittent training. If you cannot commit to at least 5 days and 5 hours a week of exercise of all types (running, XT, etc....), then I think you are going to have a tough time finding much success as a competitive or age-group athlete. It doesn't much matter if you are planning to use a high intensity minimal plan or an aerobic based high volume plan, you must be able to keep steady stimulus to the body to see steady gains, pretty simple. What's more, if you take time off due to injury or "life", you must be willing to rededicate to getting back to a routine that fosters consistent exercise.

I won't lie, consistency comes with a price. I rarely go out for beers my friends any more. I gave up golf (another time consuming sport) to dedicate that time and money to running. I diligently watch what I eat and how much I sleep. Those are the costs of consistency and I realize they aren't for everyone. As a family guy, I have to spend my hobby time wisely....

Life Factors

Before going any deeper, you must evaluate your life factors. Do you often feel short of sleep? Do you have a stressful home life (young kids, marriage problems, family problems)? Is your job stressful or do you work a ton of hours? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you must carefully consider your volume. Doing too much volume (or too many hard workouts) with other stress factors is a bad recipe. Our bodies cannot tell the difference between the sources of stress and you'll be "burning your candle at both ends", a major risk for injury or even de-training.

Another major consideration here is your age and experience as an athlete. Are you a life long athlete turning to running as a new endeavor? Or, perhaps you are a middle aged individual hoping to lose weight running. It is essential that you match your goals and training plans to your background. There is a great expansion of this topic in Brad Hudson's book.

Volume

Now the tricky topic, volume. I think consistent volume is an excellent predictor of success until it isn't any more. There is no perfect rule here, but a guideline for most people is that diminishing returns likely live between 8 and 10 hours per week of running. Unless you can make the jump to 100+ miles per week -- in which case you likely aren't reading my blog! -- then time spent beyond 10 hours is probably better served in other places like recovery, cross-training, or even just rest. Don't underestimate the value of a nice walk with your spouse and dog.

One of the most talented runners I know consistently crushes races and easily wins age group awards on way less volume than you'd think. If he can run 18:43 at the Leadville 100, then I don't think you need to run 100 mile weeks or 30 mile long runs every weekend to accomplish your goals. Please don't mistake what I am saying, Chuck trains very hard. But, he also follows a set of principles very similar to what is contained within this post and has learned how to train smart.

Variety

Once you've established a level of volume that fits your life and that you can do consistently without getting injured, then variety becomes essential. In other words, it isn't how many miles you run but what do you do with those miles? Do you do enough of fundamentals (hills, strides, etc...) and enough run variations (tempo work, speed work, etc...)? A trap I frequently fall into in the Summer is only wanting to do trail runs. That ensures that I overdo specificity training and don't do enough of the above workouts. If your goal is to be a better runner, then you should strive to improve at all types  of workouts and distances and do just the right amount specificity to be race ready.

Experience

Want to do well at a marathon? Run more than one! Our bodies are extremely good at adapting to stress, but change takes place slowly. Consistency and experience are huge factors because of the element of time. I once heard Lucho say that it takes three years to become good at the marathon. I believe him. Running excess volume or too many hard workouts before you are ready is not the best way to get prepared for a race. Instead, focus on steady, consistent progress and allow your body to adapt at its own pace.

More resources

If you are brand new to running, I think I would start with Eric Orton or Dr Phil Maffetone as starting points for additional learning and sample plans. More experienced runners should consider Hudson and Koop in addition to the first two.

Colorado Marathon Training Update

Wow, I've had zero motivation to blog lately. I started writing this blog to document my journey through training, experimentation, and lessons I learn along the way. Perhaps I am just running out of things to learn? With each passing year I am certainly experiencing fewer journeys, instead focusing on spending more time around the house. I think that is a normal pattern for an endurance athlete. Or, maybe I am just lacking motivation right now as I wait for Winter to pass and Spring to begin in full? Eh, time will tell...

Anyway, the one thing I have been doing is training hard for the Colorado Marathon. I've run half a dozen marathons (counting "races" only) and this is the most I've stayed with a plan and consistent training yet. I typically get bored and run out of motivation to put in the hard work each day. This goal (3:12) feels so large that I cannot afford to slack. And, I had a rough patch that lasted three weeks due to a nasty, long-lasting illness. While I kept my head above water during that period, it definitely heightened my sense of urgency after getting healthy.

I am averaging around 60 miles a week these days without much vertical gain, but with tons of structure. A typical week has me doing 2 workouts (intervals, Fartleks, or tempo variations) plus a long run, of course. I've used my long run to do way more pace work than previous training cycles. Being so far out of practice from running hard for that long, I feel very adamant that I need that type of work. My long runs are far from fun -- I much prefer adventures at places like Indian Creek or Deer Creek -- but I am committed to my goal. Three more of these long runs and then I can see if it has all worked.

One thing that has stood out about this cycle is the number of times per week that I run between eight and twelve miles. About five days a week I run eight miles or more. While some of that is with pace and a bit faster than when I ultra train, each day is a pretty big commitment to running, rarely squeezing my workouts under an hour. When I consider what it takes to apply the appropriate stress and get to an appropriate weekly mileage (without B2Bs to rely on the weekend), this makes sense. But it isn't easy! I have enjoyed my journey back to the marathon and experiencing the contrast in training, but it certainly isn't the type of training that stimulates me over a long period of time. I'll be happy when trail season is officially here. In the meantime, I'll continue attack this marathon the best I know how.

Where Have I Been Lately?

.... or maybe more appropriately, where am I going?! I guess it isn't all that unusual for me to go quiet blogging this time of year. Anyway...

2016 planning has been totally unlike the last 4 years where I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Having run Western States last year, a major life goal was accomplished and my thirst for continuing down the 100 mile path was quenched, at least a little bit. The lotteries were a total bust and everything I'd care to do in 2016 has filled up lightening fast. On something of a nostalgic whim, I entered the Wasatch 100 lottery and now await the results of that on February 6th. Should that go bust, there is a very real chance I am taking a year off of running 100s. It might be good for me, possibly exactly what I need to recharge the batteries. I have zero idea what I'll do in that instance. It will likely involve some type of trail ultra, but likely something short(er) and scenic. The thought of it kind of excites me, particularly since I am already training for speed anyway.

In the meantime, I am marathon training. My hope is to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2017, a pretty ambitious goal as well as one of my few remaining running goals. I am not taking this challenge lightly and far from certain I'll pull it off. The qualifying standard is 3:15 and I have once surpassed that, but I think it will take something closer to 3:12 to actually get into the race, which would be a small PR for me. Considering that was four years ago, it might be a BIG PR for me. I am quickly remembering how hard marathon training is and why I gave it up! The biggest difference is that there aren't B2B long runs to lean on for padding weekly mileage, the result is a lot more midweek mileage. That means less sleep and more cold, dark runs. Of course, there is also a lot more structure as well -- intervals, fartleks, tempos, progressions, etc... Honestly, I kind of enjoy that part. Once I gain the confidence to get out the door, the structure keeps me engaged and the miles pass quickly. Plus, I am a data geek and that gives me lots of things to consider later.

Another unique aspect of the marathon is the structured, hard long runs (aka specificity!). Most ultra long runs are not as challenging as a marathon pace long run in terms of recovery. I can run for three hours easy in the mountains and bounce back relatively quickly. But a 2-hour long run with pace has left me pretty wiped out on several occasions this cycle so far. Of course, over the course of the last four years I have optimized my body for that type of mountain running, so it makes sense that changing has confused my body.

One thing I have not changed is my diet. I continue to be disciplined in following a low carbohydrate regimen. The only difference between now and ultra training is that I have used a bit more Generation Ucan for fueling before some harder runs -- maybe six times now in six weeks. So I am not abusing it, but using it strategically when I have to hit a hard run or feel a bit low.

In short, I am in a bit of a waiting pattern on the trail and ultra front, but I am busy working my butt off for another goal. It has been a nice change of pace and maybe more of a challenge than I expected. It is a struggle to run 10 miles at 7:30 pace right now, I cannot fathom running 26.2 miles faster than that. The reality that I once did that blows my mind.

2015 Year In Review

Wow, a Year End post can take so many different directions. Like many runners, I tend to focus on the stats and the work that I accumulate over the year.  (It really is impressive what a person can accomplish if they apply consistency and discipline to anything in their life...) I'll get to the stats, but I think I'll start this post with the things I am thankful for:

Health.  Running has always been about getting healthy for me. I've now gone 2 years without an injury that required any meaningful time-off or attention.  I am quite proud of that.  Some of that is due to the slower paced nature of trail ultrarunning -- my focus the past 2 years. But, trail running also comes with tremendous amounts of vertical gain, which can cause injury in excess. In addition to physical health, I am happy with my metabolic health. Two years on LCHF and I have never felt better: I've barely been sick. My blood pressure is lower. I sleep better. I am running better. My body composition is leaner.

Friends. Running has also become a large part of my social life -- how can it not when you devote 12 hours a week to something? I am so thankful for my group of running friends that help to keep me motivated and show up to support me on my crazy adventures. The social aspects of running come with some challenges, like any social circle, but it is a very positive influence in my life overall. Some of the biggest highlights of 2015 were seeing my friends have success -- Chuck destroying Leadville and Jon nailing his first 100. I guess I like to think I had something to do with helping them succeed...

Racing. I enjoy racing as a way to test my limits, test the things I learn and want to implement along the way, and really just to add adventure to my life. 2015 was incredible as far as races go, by far my best year racing trail ultras. Of course, it will always be remembered for Western States, but 8th and 9th place finishes at Javelina and Bear Chase 50k respectively is also an accomplishment I am quite proud of.

Now for some stats.... I finished with PRs in mileage (2852) and vertical gain (300k), both are 10-15% improvements on previous PRs. I don't train to accumulate stats; in fact, I believe in doing the minimum necessary to be prepared for racing. And, I believe in being a complete athlete, which means time in the gym and sometimes pushes running to the back-burner. Nonetheless, this year was a big year in stats, primarily because I raced on both ends of the calendar (D30 in May and Javelina on October/November). Interestingly, I accumulated another 350 miles and 30K of vertical gain walking, mostly with my spoiled dog! I have never tracked that before, so it was kind of fun to see how that turned out.

2016 is still a bit up in the air. I am committed to the Colorado Marathon and actually quite nervous about it. The primary motivation is break out of the ultrarunning mindset a bit and re-develop some of the systems I've neglected by doing so many slow, heart-rate-driven miles. That's exactly what scares me, the unsureness of how quickly those systems can come back. The last time I raced a marathon, I was on a streak of 5 straight marathon PRs. Now I am coming off a 4 year break.

Beyond that, things are very much up in the air. I've struggled to find the motivation to do a 100, but I need to requalify for both Western States and Hardrock. I never thought I'd do Hardrock, but it is slowly emerging as a potential endpoint to this crazy ultrarunning life. I am basically considering every race other than Leadville at this point.

No matter what I do, I am positive it will be fun and full of adventure. Thanks to all of you that were a part of my 2016. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't include my family and say thank you to them for all of their support. Hopefully I contributed something positive to your journey as well.

Preliminary 2016 Thoughts

It is the time of year to reflect on the year gone-by and start thinking about the next one. This year was quite a bit different for me than the others; I have become acutely aware of time, both of its passing and how precious little I have left to enjoy some things. In 2015, my mom passed away, my wife turned forty, and my daughter entered her second year of high school. I very suddenly feel old! Strangely, I never felt fitter (or healthier) in my life and I had a tremendous year racing. The lotteries came and went without my name being called. I wasn't torn up about that as I had very low expectations. Truthfully, I was more bummed for some of my friends that were left out. Fortune shined on me in 2015 and I got into Western States 100. Given the ultrarunning landscape, the fact that I got to run either Hardrock or Western States in my lifetime is pretty cool and I'll have no regrets if this journey ends without another. After my run on Wednesday, I wrote the following on Strava:

"Routines. They are great for having structure and comfort and making sense of a crazy world with endless possibilities. But do they hold us back when we become slaves to our routines? I love running as motivation to stay fit and setting goals and challenges for myself. I love running 100s for the adventure -- so much happens in those days. But, is this routine of being on the lottery treadmill really holding me back from doing other things (not just running related things either)? It is particularly hard for me because I got my day in the sun. With odds at about 1-5%, the fact that I got to run WS or HR at all is pretty cool (and, I nailed it too!). What to do? That's question I am trying to answer in the next 3 weeks. It is a back and forth tussle..."

While I absolutely love ultra running and mountain running, it takes a big toll. I've spent more than 450 hours training in 2015 and that doesn't count any recovery work, cross training, or commute time to and from trails. It is undoubtedly a huge aspect of my life. There is a constant tug when I weigh that against family time, particularly in years like 2015 where I raced in May and October (November, really) causing me to train nearly all year long. Being "in training" for nine months out of the year is mentally taxing and unfair to my family. I run pretty much year round, but training is different -- it implies a sense of priority over other things and requires a high-level of discipline and sacrifice.

Where am I going with this all this babble? Well, the first thing is that I need to mix up the routine. It has been 8,000 miles and 850K of vertical gain (161 vertical miles!!!) since I last properly trained for a marathon. I am overdue. The effort to train for a marathon is hard, but it isn't as time consuming as an ultramarathon. And, I think maybe it will help me rebalance my body from the constant sub-MAF efforts and granny-gears over the past three season. I have been pretty fortunate to not suffer injuries in the past two years, but I still feel like mixing it up is a good thing for me. And, it takes pressure off  to hit trails in Winter. I enjoy a bit of Winter trail running, but not when I am prepping for a hundred miler in rain, snow and mud (like I did most of this past Winter/Spring). Trail running really gets fun about May, conveniently when I'll be finishing up with the Colorado Marathon. That is where this was going, by the way, I'll be running the Colorado Marathon in May with hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. While I get a few extra minutes since I'll be forty for Boston 2017, 3:15 is still a stout standard. I have beaten that standard, but it will have been four years ago by the time I try again.

The million dollar question is what to do after May? The first thing I know for sure is that I need to find a little more balance through the summer months. It is looking like I'll do a September hundred miler (either Bear or Run Rabbit Run), mostly just to keep myself lottery eligible for years to come. As hard as it will be for me, the primary goal will be to do the minimum amount of training I can do to be effectively trained for the event and finish. I don't plan to PR or even "race". Rather, I'd like to do the best I can to enjoy the experience (is that possible?!) and keep a consistent effort, maybe learn a few more things. That is a psychologically dangerous approach to a race, but I think I have enough experience now to navigate those traps.

Well, that's enough dribble for now. Here's to the last few weeks of 2015 and an amazing 2016!

Training Update

Well, I've run 900 miles and 110K of vertical since my last training update; I guess I am a bit over due. I have intentionally treated the second half of this year a bit differently than the first, where I had a very detailed plan for how I would attack Western States 100. Even if it was somewhat unguided, I have been training. I guess you could say I have training OCD. A kinder thing to say is that I just love the rhythm of training and don't believe in showing up for an event less than fully prepared. In any case, I trained without much of a plan for July and August, choosing to take advantage of opportunities to run with friends and try to enjoy the summer with my family. When September rolled around, I got serious about putting together a mini-training cycle to prepare for my final race of the season, Javelina Jundred (100k). In addition to that, I added a tune-up race in the Bear Chase 50k this weekend. For this weekend, I have thought about some goals, I honestly don't know what to expect. It will be the "easiest" 50k that I've run so I don't really know how much or how fast I can run... we'll see.

The two things that stand out from training since Western States is a bit more focus on quality (with a bit less quantity) and a bit less vertical gain. I still get out to the mountain trails on occasion, but I am definitely keeping my focus on "runnable" terrain since both of my upcoming races fit into that category. Additionally, I have had a slight uptick in my cross training sessions. I'd like to get into the gym three days a week over the winter, but I am happy with 1 or 2 days a week right now. Barring a setback, I am on pace for personal bests in both distance and vertical gain this year. My body has held up well, but I do plan to ease off the gas quite a bit after JJ.

And, lastly, I have thought a bit about 2016 races and have a few things in my mind. It will once again come down to lotteries (maybe not lotteries for my own races, however!).  I hope to have that all nailed down by year end.

Western States Taper

Well, I made it. The meat of training is over and I am still standing, wobbling a bit, but still standing. I do three week tapers, which means the first week is more of a cutback week than a true taper. There are still a few key runs to go! Nonetheless, the most important thing from this point forward is to emphasize rest and be conservative when in doubt. Taper marks a key psychological moment for me: the end of the grind and the beginning of the pre-race jitters.

As I analyze my training the past twenty-two weeks, the first thing I have to say is that I have a great family and friends. This crazy hobby of mine would go nowhere without a wife and family that supports me. It isn't always easy, but they are great about it. And, I am really lucky that my buddies see me through on these big weekends. Chuck has been with me through all my hundreds and virtually all my training, he's a rock and a great friend. Jon has been through his share of runs and running conversations with me, providing feedback to all of my ideas. Mike, Wyatt, and John have been great supporters and joined my group runs to push me through. Steve is always my best cheerleader, even from Arizona. And my sister, this will be her third time as my crew chief. Hopefully she gets to pace a few miles this time around too. I am a truly lucky guy.

The one thing that stands out about this training cycle is execution. The amount of thought and preparation that I put into training for this race is unparalleled, even for me. I have measured everything (heart rate, diet, nutrition, sleep, cross training, etc...) and been quite disciplined about my approach. I met (or exceeded) every one of my training goals. There were no major setbacks, but a few cases where I exercised caution and backed off. My mental toughness has had to be at an all-time high to work through a wet and snowy Spring. So many memories, most of them involving crazy rain or blizzard like snow. There just isn't really any reason to be dissatisfied with training. Will it culminate in a Silver Buckle? I don't know. But, that's just the nature of the beast. Months of preparation are no guarantee of results. You have to appreciate the journey and the fact that you have a body that can absorb the training week after week. I often compare training to the space shuttle taking off -- bolts rattling and things on the brink of disaster at any moment. It is a fine line we walk when we push the limits of our bodies.

Here are a few highlights that I covered in training:
- My first ever back-to-back-to-back run.
- Three high quality long-long runs (5+ hours)
- Four night runs, three on technical trail
- Five good weekends of back-to-backs with either good volume, good vert, or both
- Average weekly volume was 60 miles and about 10 hours
- Seven weeks of 70 miles
- Seven (so far, hoping for 15+) sauna sessions to prepare for the heat

This is the most prepared my body has ever been for the challenge. Unless something unforeseen goes wrong (always a strong possibility in 100s), my race will likely come down to how well I handle fatigue and how deep I can dig in the final 50 miles. It all comes down to how I manage my mind and execute on race day. Scary and satisfying at the same time. I was a hustler at Leadville. I never let anything bring my attitude down or settle for any result other than moving as quickly as I could at that moment. Then, I nearly threw in the towel at Bear and walked the final 30 miles without putting up a fight. Soon I get to test my mental strength again....

May Training Wrap

The raw stats:

• Miles - 286 Miles (2nd most all-time)
• Time - 49 Hours (2nd most all-time)
• Vertical - 39K (Most all-time)

I noted last month that this was going to be the big month. While I figured my mileage would dip a bit with the addition of some quality, it didn't happen that way mostly because there were five weekends in May. Instead, this was the second largest month of training I've ever done (next to July 2012 as I peaked for LT100). I am really happy to have hit quite a bit of quality too, including some tempo efforts at incline, some progression runs, and several good back-to-back weekends. There really isn't anyway to be disappointed with the training I did in May.

June is going to be different because I have one big week remaining and one moderate week remaining before taper. I'm not quite home yet, but I am close. As I look at my goals (review below), I am really happy with how things have gone.  I've hit nearly every goal and pretty much stayed on schedule the whole time. The hallmarks of good training and consistency and discipline and I think both have been as high as ever for me this year. That is extra pleasing to me given the amount of mud and water that I have had to work around all Spring.

The one big thing left to do is some heat training. Unfortunately, the weather in Colorado has not cooperated as we've had a record wet and cold May. I am going to change directions and follow a sauna protocol I found over on the Badwater website. It will only take about 3 weeks, so I won't start that protocol in full until the first week or ten days into June.

As has become my norm, here are a few updates from my goals:

• Heat training, as noted above, is the last thing I need to do.
• I have completed my night runs, doing four of them total and three on technical trails in the dark.
• Volume was never an issue for me. I crushed my average weekly goal (62 actual vs 55 target) and my 70 mile weeks (six compared to four as target). I think I will line up at WS100 with about 20% more volume YTD than anticipated.
• Quality was present through the final eight weeks of training, so I am very happy with the amount of that I did.
• I did "fight" Winter (and Spring) somewhat. I may not have had a choice, particularly in May, or I wouldn't have trained much. However, I did my best to make the most of each circumstance, including some hilly road runs in place of muddy trail runs.
• Overall my cross training definitely dipped a bit this cycle. I stayed true to lots of light cross-training like walking (almost 10 miles per week), stretching, easy yoga, and a bit of body weight strength training.  But, I probably averaged a little more than one session a week instead of the two or three I traditionally aim for. It is really close, but I will just barely give myself a passing grade in this department. Fortunately, cross-training was really good early and just dipped as I peaked.
• I did hit the trails and vertical harder than I anticipated, but I also made some smart choices to back off when the body was achy or conditions where poor. I'll give myself a passing grade here.

April Training Wrap

The raw stats:

• Miles - 265 Miles (5th most all-time)
• Time - 45 Hours (tied for 2nd most all-time)
• Vertical - 37K (3rd most all-time)

It was a solid month, not quite as spectacular as March because it was slightly shorter and because I had two cutback weeks. The mileage is not quite up to par with the rest of the stats because I did two trips up to Mt Morrison where I did repeats. Each workout was nearly 4 hours in length, but only 10 miles. I did a solid amount of  workouts this month, mostly in the form of hills and hill repeats to strengthen my legs. But, I also did a quality tempo run and two progression runs. And, I bagged a quality, technical night run at Mt Falcon. So it wasn't all just easy miles.

The month of May is here and now I have to go pretty hard, as I noted last month, which likely means a slight decrease in miles. I'll take quality over quantity (to a certain degree) this month. This is the month to get fit and bring my endurance to a peak. I get a nice break from training in the form of a tune-up run at Dirty 30 at the end of the month. I am not sure yet how hard I'll race that and likely won't decide until that day. But, it will still be one heck of a quality training run.

In summary, I think I have basically built-up to exactly where I hoped to be at this stage. April was a nice transition to some trails and some vertical gain, even though I had to fight through a bit of rain and mud to get to it. In addition to hitting some quality trail runs, I need to start turning up the heat in May.

As has become my norm, here are a few updates from my goals:

• I really need to work some heat into my routine. I plan to do this primarily with lunch time runs, some runs in hotter and more exposed trails systems, and possibly a bit of sauna work as we the calendar gets towards June.
• I have already done my minimum 3 night runs, two of them on trails. I may try and get one more in before the race.
• Volume is way ahead of my intended targets. And I already have four 70+ mile weeks in the bag (an average of more than 12 hours each).
• As I mentioned above, I am getting more and more quality into my routines during the week, but I need to keep at this one.
• Hopefully the worst of Winter and Spring is gone so I can stop worrying about "fighting" the weather.  However, it is what is at this point.  I need to train and don't have the privilege of "tomorrow". If May brings more rain, I'll just have to push through and make up for it by hitting a sauna for some heat.
• My cross training definitely tapered down to about one day a week in April. Though I have been doing quite a bit of strength training in the form of hills. This is barely a passing grade, but it is a luxury during peak training. I have maintained a good routine of walking my dog nearly 10 miles per week that helps my "active recovery". And, I do quite a lot stretching for my hips, quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
• While I originally said I won't over do the trails and vertical gain, I am going to back off that requirement. I love running trails in April and May and I am still training for a "mountain race". Western States is known primarily for the smooth, fast final 30 miles, but it has 18K of vertical gain. Nonetheless, I did a great job of getting out and hitting the trails in April.

Lessons from B2B2B

A few weeks ago I posted an article on Brain Training and I theorized that a B2B2B (Morning, Night, Morning) run might be a great way to train for a 100. I posted that I intended to do my first one on Facebook and it started a conversation on the merits of training this way, namely comparing one single long run versus similar mileage split over multiple runs. Now that I have completed my first one, I thought I would post some details about what I did and what I learned (thanks to some encouragement from Wyatt).

To begin with, here is what we did with some details.

Saturday Morning we woke early and started at Deer Creek. I only slept 4-5 hours the night before, typical of restless sleep before a big race. For breakfast, I ate what I would eat before a race: a serving of Ucan and an Epic Bar. We started at the trailhead at 5:35 am in total darkness, which meant we had to manage the first hour with headlamps. Deer Creek is a moderate climbing trail with some technical elements, so it was a good challenge. My heart rate and effort were pretty easy all day, but it was definitely harder mentally with such an early start. I am NOT a super early morning runner any more. And, I almost never start a morning trail run in the dark. I wore my Altra Lone Peak 1.5 and found myself tripping a ton, even at an easy effort. Along the run, I tried to mimic a typical early race nutrition strategy for me with a pretty rough goal of 200 Kcals per hour. I managed to eat a Hammer Bar, some Fuel 100 Bytes, and a serving of Skratch Labs. By the end of the run, my legs were stiff and I was tired.  Total was 14.1 miles and 2400 feet of vertical gain in two hours and forty-five minutes.

In between the morning and night run, I didn't rest or sleep. I ate a big breakfast and a small lunch. After lunch, I ate only food I would typically eat on race day, mostly Lara Bars and Epic Bars. I did a few hours of yard work and sat and watch soccer in the afternoon sun for a few hours. After soccer, I felt nauseous from the heat, easily the hottest afternoon we've had so far this Spring. I drank cold fluids and some electrolytes to try and tame this.

Saturday Night we met at the Green Mountain trailhead at 8pm, this time with two extra runners (five total). Before starting the run, we toasted by splitting a few PBRs. Tony was our guide for the evening as he knows this trail system the best. We put on our headlamps and headed uphill, straight uphill!  I definitely wanted to keep the run easy, but also just kind of wanted to "just run" and use Tony as a simulated pacer, only slowing him down once or twice. The trail was way more technical than we were expecting, which is a positive because that is typically the case in an ultra for me.  (It wasn't that technical, but we were expecting almost nothing.) We were treated with some gorgeous views of Denver lights and we bobbed up and down across the mountain. The trail reminded me very much of part of Bear 100, which is kind of ironic since that was the night I decided I need to train more at night! Overall Green Mountain is not a difficult trail system, but it provided some reasonable vertical gain and technical elements that challenged us just enough. I definitely felt stronger than when night comes in a 100 and also stronger than my last night run a month ago. My heart rate was low the whole night, lower than my perceived effort for sure. I switched shoes to my Altra Superior 2 and had no issues with tripping. But, my feet got a bit beat up on the underside from the lack of protection those shoes provide. Once again, with experience at the 100, I switched to a more typical nutrition strategy for me this late in a race: watered down Redbull and gels. I was quite surprised my stomach didn't get rotten from that. Total was 10.5 miles and 1500 feet of vertical gain in two hours.

After the night run, I had a decent dinner (5 eggs) and slept for about 6 hours.

Sunday Morning we met at my house for the last leg. We discovered on our way home from the night run that the local Highlands Ranch Open Space trails had re-opened and we switched our plans to go there instead of Ridgeline. We also changed our plans to meet at 6:30 (instead of 6:00) so we could leave headlamps at home. The three runners (only three of us did all three legs) remarked at how fatigued we were and just wanted to get this over with. But, we were able to keep a respectable pace as we jogged our way around the local trails, which are very much runnable trails with only a little vertical gain and few technical elements. I switched my nutrition to watered down Redbull and another handheld of plain water, again typical of the late stages of a race for me. The heart rate was once again much lower than the perceived effort, though we did manage to push the final few miles a bit to finish strong. Total was 10.1 miles and 900 feet of vertical gain in one hour and forty-five minutes, yielding a total of seven and a half hours, 35 miles, and almost five thousand feet of vertical in the three runs.

So, what did I learn?

My buddy Chuck summed up the pros and cons pretty well in his Strava post:

Pros: Night/dark running and getting familiar with technical terrain and headlamps, running fatigued, pre-run and in-run nutrition practice (although it was weak today), mental toughness preparation.  Cons: I can only say that I was never physically as tired as I might be if I did 2 Long B2B's,

I totally agree that the biggest benefits were night running and running with mental fatigue. I also liked the nutrition and gear switching as the day changed to simulate how I know that typically goes in a race. It is great to have a nutrition plan to start, but anyone that has done a 100 knows it typically goes off the rails at some point. Working with different combinations and experimenting with the switch through the day is helpful, particularly to someone without experience. One of my goals for this was to prepare for the challenge running all day long. While I would be naive to say we accomplished that, I think this was as close as we could come without doing a run that was 12 hours in length.

Also, it was nice to feel totally engaged for a weekend. I have done so many 20 - 30 mile runs over the years that it can sometimes feel like work and just go through the motions. This weekend we were totally engaged in every aspect of training and totally resolved to get it done. That is always a nice oasis twelve weeks into training.

If the critique of this approach is that it isn't the same as one long run (or two long runs) to really push into the red and find lows, then I would agree. It isn't the same. But, I would add that going into the red frequently probably isn't the best training strategy. I did a 38 mile run just two weeks ago and it really takes a lot out of you. An advantage of this strategy is the ability to recover a bit in between runs and pile up mileage/time plus other specific elements of an ultra without going that far into the red. Ultimately, as I said in my post, I am not sure there is any realistic way to be 100% ready for a 100-miler other than to run a few of them. Training should encompass lots of ways to be as specific as possible and stretch your comfort zone and harden your mind. This weekend definitely stretched my comfort zone and I feel I am more prepared for the 100 mile experience as a result. However, I won't be making the B2B2B a staple of my training, mostly because it just takes the whole weekend.

My only regret was not putting some cushioned shoes into the rotation for one or two of the latter runs. I have a few blisters that need tending too. However, I did get to test my new Petzel NAO headlamp under realistic conditions and was quite happy with both the battery and the brightness. That was a good purchase as part of my previous unhappiness with trails was just having an inferior lamp (I think).

February Training Wrap and Training Update

Historically I have used this space to regurgitate my weekly training with some periodic updates and random thoughts, much of which anyone that cared could get just by following me on Strava. So, I think I am going to try to use this space as a space to "reset" every few weeks instead. I am self-coached, which is both great and confusing at the same time. Instead of week-to-week thoughts, this space would be excellent for grading my past few weeks of training and planning my next few weeks. You see, planning an entire training plan 20+ weeks in advance is crazy. Life happens. Things change. I get bored and think of new run concepts I want to try. By week three of a twenty week plan I am really just ad-hoc. Of course there is a main theme (specificity) and general direction (namely weekly time/mileage), but the specifics can and do change week to week.

So, a brief catch-up....

Back in December, I wrote down my goals for my WS100 Training Plan. Those high-level goals are as follows:

• 2 - 3 good night runs on trails
• 8 - 10 heat runs up to 2 hours in length (Update: I used sauna training instead)
• Consistent mileage above 55 miles (8-9 hours for me)
• Peak mileage of 70+ miles, 4-6 times (10-14 hours for me)
• Lots of light quality: Fartleks, Progression
• Modest amounts of true quality: tempos/threshold, intervals, hard longs
• Don't over-do trails and vertical
• Don’t fight winter
• Emphasize body weight training for XT

January Training

212 Miles
16K of vertical gain
33 Hours

I started January pretty unfit, having been injured and really demotivated as a result. The injury turned out minor and I am on a path to healing. Nonetheless, the lack of fitness is always hard to start from and figure out how to get going again. As is typical, I started out feeling really eager to get going and follow a well-thought-out-highly-detailed plan that was a fusion between Relentless Forward Progress mileage and structure borrowed from Eric Orton's book. As a result, I did quite a bit of quality for such an early month in training -- 29.3 miles of short intervals (workouts, not the intervals themselves). The structure was nice so I had some options for the treadmill when the weather sucked. I still spend well over 50% of my miles on "easy" runs.

As I look at the above goals the things that mostly stand out is getting my mileage back to 55 miles a week, which I accomplished the last week of January. Not surprisingly, my fitness made a huge leap too -- from 10:15 pace to 9:30 pace on a typical recovery run (by HR). Given that I was so early in training, not many of the above goals really applied.

February Training

223 Miles
20K of vertical gain
36 Hours

You can see there was a modest increase in all the stats from January to March. This is slightly more impressive given that the month is three days longer. The month was shaped by my review of Dr Maffetone's work and a return to some base building. (See what I mean about my attention drifting...) This wasn't just a coincidence though; the weather was good the first few weeks of the month and I was able to spend lots of time outside, where it is much easier to go easy. I even managed a few almost dry trail runs -- a win in the "don't fight winter" category! Another positive was spending most of the month near 60 miles/week and several long runs and mini-B2Bs. And, I did my first night run of the cycle. That night run was a real struggle, reminding me why I made that goal. Overall I am really happy that I was able to get back to a reasonable mileage base and continue to improve my overall fitness and health.

In the context of my goals, I think the biggest negative was going 180 degrees from January and doing almost no structure. I need to find a happy-medium with the light structure and periodic true quality days (every 7-14 days). And, while I would give myself a passing grade in the cross-training department, I would say that I can improve slightly in this department.

So, recognizing that it is still winter and too soon for some of my goals, the mini-goals for March are:

• Continue consistent mileage and weekly build up of B2B long runs
• Add more "light quality" to my routine
• Refocus on cross-training
• Seek opportunities for Night Running and possibly B2B2B runs

Brain Training

In my last post, I discussed how endurance is a three legged stool: Brain, Body, Metabolism. I have blogged quite extensively about my thoughts on metabolism and body (training) in the past. But the topic of training the brain has come up more and more recently, and I have learned through personal experience that it may be the single biggest thing holding me back from achieving my 100 mile race goals.

The first time I heard about this topic was reading Matt Fitzgerald's book some years ago. However, I have seen the topic come up in recent podcasts and some of the books that I have been reading on endurance recently. Brain training starts with a relatively simple concept -- the brain is the central governor of your entire body, it defines when you feel fatigue and pain. This is pretty profound in that it removes, or changes the way we view, some of the other limitations runners typically embrace: lactic acid build up, muscle damage, glycogen depletion, etc... All of those factors are real, and all of them contribute to your body sending signals of distress to your mind. But, it is ultimately the brain that decides when we slow down and when we feel pain.

A simple example is glycogen depletion. When people first run a marathon they are more likely to crash than future races. Between their first and their tenth marathon they don't suddenly triple their glycogen stores. Instead, their brain becomes adapted to going into a state of glycogen depletion without freaking out (technical term). A newbie marathoner may only be able to use 60% of available glycogen where a seasoned marathoner more like 80 or 85% before the brains sends fatigue distress signals to the body.

Here are some ways in which training the brain can help with ultramarathon racing.

Specificity

Specificity is a topic just about every runner is familiar with. Seasoned runners quite often do tune-up races or quality workout sessions that mimic the intensity and the duration of their goal event. Ultrarunners frequently train on terrain and environmental elements similar to what they'll race in.  However, training specifically for a 100-miler is a whole new animal. How does one properly do that? I mean, a race that takes 24+ hours has so many different angles to specificity -- length, weather, time of day, terrain, nutrition, etc.... It is quite overwhelming and may not be feasible to hit them all in training, at least not with regularity. Experience may be the best way to truly get better at 100s. But this blog post wouldn't be all that useful if that is all I had to say...

Training volume is a consideration, but I am not a "volume guy". I do think running 55-75 miles per week (8-12 hours) on a regular basis is a great idea. And I do think more volume would help if the runner can handle it and has a life that accommodates the added stress. But, for the mid-pack, family-centered athlete, there is diminishing returns to volume that will lead to fatigue, burnout, maybe even injury. (As a side note, I am starting to think of volume more in terms of time than miles because that is really the defining factor.)

Another consideration I see in my own training is training too fast. Specificity is about mimicking race conditions. Running too fast in a tune-up race or specific workout sabotages your ability to find the flow and to teach your mind what a sustainable effort feels like. A practical suggestion here is just to take breaks to eat, drink, walk. These breaks slow you down and allow you to recover, a great tip for race day as well. I often get hurried into the race mindset and that causes anxiety unnecessarily, particularly in aid stations. Slow down, eat, drink, say hello to friends, crew and volunteers.

Perhaps the biggest opportunity for specificity training that I see in my own training for a 100-miler is learning to run ALL DAY LONG. My hundreds have not been marked with a lack of fitness or preparation, but rather fatigue and exhaustion that results from missing out sleep/rest and normal meals. Most runners, myself included, have a typical window of time where we train. Our bodies become used to that. Then we show up for a 100 and may have to see two sunrises on the trail, a recipe for a body freak out. One of my pacers at Bear 100  brought up night running in conversation and later that night my body totally seized. With the help of Robbie's comment, I finally came to the conclusion that I must embrace this and train more running at night. I tried my first night run of this cycle a week ago and it was tough! My heart rate was sky high and I felt fatigue normally saved for the late stages of a race. I was cooked! (See note about adversity training below as well.)

I think that perhaps taking the concepts of B2B and night running and blending them into a B2B2B might be a great way to mimic the kind of fatigue felt from running all day. Instead of running 40 miles in two runs over two days (like 20 Sat and 20 Sun), a routine of morning-night-morning might do wonders for pushing through this wall. For example,  Saturday morning,  Saturday night and one last block Sunday morning might be an incredible way to train. Of course there are tons of variations: changing the length of each run, using time instead of miles, fasting in between the last two runs, minimizing sleep in between the last two runs, etc... A pretty extreme but quite useful example might look like this:

• 2.5 - 3 hours Saturday morning
• 2 - 2.5 hours late Saturday night (with a headlamp on trail would be preferred)
• 2.5 - 3 hours Sunday morning with only 4-6 hours sleep in between and fasted.

Forced Adversity

I borrowed this term from a friend. I think the concept is pretty self-evident, don't go out of your way to make training easy. When opportunities exist, make it tough on yourself. Embrace changes in weather and life circumstance. Some of this is related to specificity training -- heat, climbing, technical trail -- things that not every runner enjoys everyday. But much of is it just a mindset. If it snows, get outside and run. A little bit of rain? A new opportunity! If you have a morning meeting, run at lunch. The concept here is to put yourself in -- or maybe just don't avoid -- uncomfortable circumstances and learn to perform well in them.

Before someone takes this too far, I am not suggesting every run be miserable. Running is supposed to be fun, even training. I just mean takes what each day gives you and don't be afraid to have tough days in training too.

Fear

I know for me that Bear 100 was ruined by fear, among other factors. After running my first 100-miler, all I could remember was the pain and fatigue I felt that day. And it consumed me heading into Bear. Worse, it caused me to make silly decisions during the race. Fear is zapper of mental energy and a cause of fatigue. Not everyone has this issue, but for those of us that get anxiety about performing and about pushing through the pain and fatigue, we must learn to deal with that. We must learn to manage that fear. Fitzgerald's book has some practical tips on this.

Ken Clouber's famous quote "the toughest distance to manage is the 5 inches between your ears" applies here. Or, maybe you prefer: "make friends with pain and you'll never be alone". Bottom line, it is going to hurt... a lot. Be ready for it, but don't be scared of it. Challenge yourself to accept the pain and keep moving forward. Practice this with all the other techniques mentioned here, namely specificity and forced adversity.

Keep it Simple

Our minds will fatigue quickly when given too many tasks to manage. I know I tend to over-complicate my 100-milers -- pacing plans, pacers, gear, food selections, etc... Keeping it simple allows us to focus on the simple task at hand, getting from point A to point B on foot. Running is an amazingly simple task unless we make it hard on ourselves. Practice what you want to do in training, then just do it on race day. Do it, but remain flexible. Stay in the moment and keep moving forward.

Messaging

Another good tip that I have used and read about is positive messaging. Don't get down on yourself. Listen to uplifting music. Write positive thoughts and comments on your clothes, water bottles, wrist-bands, etc... Say positive things to your pacers, crew, and aid station volunteers. I know I am guilty of occasionally circling the drain when things aren't going well. The great news about an ultramarathon is that you have lots of time to improve your race!

Be Fully Invested in the Outcome

This may be the toughest one of all. Many of us tend to race often and have many more "B" races than "A" races. That is normal, but set yourself up to give it your all on that "A" race. Trust me, you cannot force this. It has to be a goal that speaks to you at the core of who you are. It has to be something you are willing to work tirelessly for months on end. You can't just "kind of want it". If you aren't all in, the hundred will eat you alive and spit you out. I often try, but words simply cannot describe last 30 miles of a hundred mile race.

Training Update

I have not decided if I am going to stay with the weekly training update or go to infrequent, general updates for 2015. For now, I'll do the latter.

At the end of 2014, I felt pretty run down and wasn't really enjoying running much. Frankly, I think most of this had to do with not having a goal that got me motivated; I was never fully into Bear 100. I wrote several blog posts about motivation and trying to get myself excited. But, I just never managed to find my groove and trained pretty poorly in July and August due to an ankle injury and "life". Taming a hundred miles is so much harder than any other distance I have run. I cannot fully explain to people that have done another distance of ultra how much harder the 100 mile distance is. It weighed on my mind big time ahead of Bear 100.

I also have been dealing with an injury since before the North Fork 50. This is not an injury I have discussed here and may not be much of an injury at all, more of a compensation thing. Basically, I have had general knee pain -- and occasional shin pain -- since June. I finally decided to see my PT at the start of 2015 so it didn't linger into Western States. The good news is that isn't anything major and quite curable. The better news is that I can run through it (smartly, of course). We think it started with a pulled hamstring that occurred in March of 2014. When I attempted to run through it, I developed a compensation pattern that has me rotating my knee inward and sort of hyper-extending it backward. And, my hamstring remains quite tight and knotted from the injury. All of that is fixable with time, but it really played with my head for a long time. Being "injured" sucks and is highly demotivating to training.

Finally, being and obsessive and an ultra guy, I think overdid things a bit, particularly in the areas of vertical gain and long-long runs. Every year I have a tendency to slip into logging mileage and long-long runs during ultra season, foregoing the consistency and structured training that I like to do. I ran 6 runs of longer than 30 miles in 2014 and 10 longer than a marathon. When it was all said and done, I had one of the bigger stats years of my "running career", accumulating nearly 300K of vertical gain and nearly 400 hours of running -- not including, on average, 1.5 XT sessions a week.

Put it all together, and I just needed time. So, for the last few months of 2014 I tried to just run by feel and for fun. Then, I got a jolt when I got into WS100 that carried me for a few weeks. However, that quickly turned to angst as I obsessed about my knee before I finally got into see the PT.

Ah, finally, I have a plan and I am moving forward. Running is fun and I am going with the flow. Some days I sleep in and run at lunch. Other days, I run in the morning. I've even had a few days where I ran after work. I just fit it in where motivation and time allows. And, I am slowly starting to stop obsessing about cross-training. When you are injured, it is easy to convince yourself that adding more cross-training is what you need, possibly even considering alternative ways to train like CrossFit. And, like everything, I can overdo that too! The last thing that I have done is to stop fighting Winter. I haven't really attempted to run trails since New Years Day (a tradition) because the conditions just aren't enjoyable to me. So, I am running lots of hilly roads and lots of structure, things I enjoy. I am working a lot on raw speed -- short intervals and strides. The nice thing is that I suddenly feel like I am holding back, where two months ago every run felt like labor. I can -- and want to -- run more. But, I am intentionally trying to slowly build momentum towards March and April when real training will begin. I plan to peak once only this year -- June 27th. I have no plans for June 29th and beyond... yet anyway.