Weekly Training Wrap - 3/4 - 3/10

Not a ton to say regarding training this week. I didn't do much running. After OP50, I followed with three full rest days. There was lots of sleeping and eating in those three days. I joked that I was eating and sleeping like a teenager again. It was very reminiscent of my recovery from my first 50 mile race. Perhaps the thing that kicked my butt the most might have been a case of heat exhaustion. I was really thirsty and had really chapped lips for two to three days after the race. And, I have something going on in my left hip and knee. I think it is a sore IT Band, but I am not too concerned at the moment. If it doesn't improve in another 5 - 7 days, I will probably become a bit uneasy about it.

My plan right now is to take one more week to transition from OP and start building back up for Leadville Silver Rush. I hope to put in 4 - 6 weeks of pretty intense strength training to continue rebuilding my body to handle big miles and ultras. During that time period, I will do almost entirely "base building" when I run.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Rest
Wednesday	Rest	Strength Training
Thursday	Rest	Yoga for the Core
Friday	7	Easy
Saturday	8	Easy
Sunday	Rest	Strength Training
Total	15	About 1300 vertical feet

Moving Past OP50

Well, Old Pueblo is done and it is time to start moving on. Amazing how we put so much into training for something like this and then it is gone in the blink of an eye. I have an insane amount of inner peace about this race. That is unusual for me; I almost always  have some kind of regret or desire to get back out and prove something. Whether it be injury, poor performance, unrealistic expectations, etc..., I always think I can or should do better. In terms of the clock, I certainly didn't achieve my full potential. In fact, I believe I can run that race sub-9 hours.  Yes, close to an hour faster.

If you look back at my goals, I listed two: run my race and push through the wall. I'd give myself an A-minus or B-plus on both goals. In terms of running my race, my splits were roughly 4 hours for the first half and 6 hours for the second. But that wasn't that far off of what I think is optimal for that race. The course is tougher in the second half. I think I ran about 8 or 10 minutes too fast in the first half of the race. I didn't expect to go off course for 30 minutes in the second half. On pushing through the wall, I am very happy with how I handled the adversity of this race. Probably the biggest low point was climbing the Arizona Trail (around mile 30) and I stayed very calm and positive. I borrowed a tactic from Tony and just prayed. I thanked God for the ability to run, for the privilege to race. Soon enough, the climb was over. When I went off course, I took 10 - 15 minutes, got over it and ran pretty well after that.

I am very happy with the form my training has taken and I know that I was one wrong turn away from having a tremendous race. Of course, that means the stakes just went up for Leadville Silver Rush 50, my next goal race for this season.

What worked well

• I was incredibly happy with my hydration vest. It held all the essentials I needed and was very comfortable.
• More on this later, but I am very happy that I listened to my body and decided to switch from Roctane drink to water and gels late in the race.
• I think all the things I changed about my training (XT, long tempos, more specificity, and speed work on infrequent basis) worked out super well. I will continue almost all of those practice moving forward, with some refinements.
• I made a conscious decision to employ a run/walk pattern to slow down and I think it worked well. It is tough to employ on a hilly course, but the marked difference between running and walking provides a great opportunity to rest, eat, and drink. I normally walk hard on sections I walk, but then I never really allow myself to recover. And, walking hard just introduces new stress that I don't often train for.

What didn't work

• Unfortunately, I suffered from some more friction blisters (like Leadville) on the bottoms of my feet.  Clearly, my sock and shoe combo has not worked well. I already retired my Saucony Peregrine shoes and I just ordered some new Balega Moh-rino socks.
• While I didn't expect it to be 75-80 degrees, I probably should have spent a bit more time heat acclimation training.
• I think I got a little careless (in both my 50's now) in the middle miles. This is similar to turning on the jets at mile 16 in a marathon. There is a fine line between exhibiting confidence and strength and blowing your race. Some more practice at the distance should help me find that line.

Areas of emphasis moving forward

The big thing here is that I plan to continue same basic training structure. I will probably divide my training a little differently by including smaller training blocks. And I will continue to tinker with ways that I can include more HR structure, fitness testing, and analytical scoring. Nothing is likely to change too dramatically, just refining of concepts that I am already putting into practice. There was a point where I thought I would increase my volume to something closer to 70 miles per week, but I don't see a huge advantage in doing that. I am able to race pretty darn well at my current level of 50 - 60 mile per week. And that level allows me to keep up with core and strength training. There may be a few weeks I hit close to 70 miles, but those weeks will be rare.

The one area that I will continue to experiment and evolve is my nutrition plan. There are two things that stand out here distinctly. The first is that I would like to experiment with relying less on sugar. There seems to be an emerging thought that eating sugar during a race has sort of circular effect: eating sugar spikes your blood sugar and that increases your body's dependence on sugar sources. The net effect is that you don't burn as much fat and have to eat more, theoretically. The other problem with sugar -- particularly drinks -- is that they can amplify the effects of dehydration. I would assume that is why sugary drinks started tasting bad and I preferred water later in the race. There is no guarantee I will do anything here, I just want to test some stuff.

The other thing that has started to stand out is that you really need more than one nutrition plan. In races lasting half a day or more, the things that taste good early won't taste good late. During this race, I really enjoyed eating solid food like Hammer bars early in the race. When I switched to gels for the second half, they didn't taste horrible to me. In fact, I found them easy to consume and somewhat pleasant. The point really is that you need to achieve a certain number of calories per hour. Having more than one way to get to that number is just another tool in your arsenal come race day. That requires that you train for more than one plan and have several options available on race day. I don't like to rely on food at the aid station because I cannot know how much I am eating that way. Instead, I consider all that stuff as over-and-above my minimum plan.

Old Pueblo 50 - Race Report

Before I get started, there are a few things I want to say to make sure the point isn't lost in my verbose description of the race. The first is that I am pleased with my performance. Had I stayed on course and had this been a 47 mile race (like my first "50 mile race"), I would have PR'd by about an hour and fifteen minutes. And the conditions were pretty tough. The field was about half an hour slower than previous years. I feel very confident in the changes I made in training as well as my nutrition strategy. In fact, I think I am getting closer to realizing my potential as an ultra runner and understanding this crazy sport. (That probably means my next race will be a huge let down!)

The other point of emphasis is that this is a quality race. There were some marking issues this year, but overall it is a great course with a great community of runners and I would do it again. The small, tight-knit feeling is very reminiscent of the ultra running old school culture. And, the course was much prettier than I imagined a desert course could be. Another thing I liked about the course was that it was challenging (almost 7K of vertical and very rocky) without being excessive. I love mountain races, but I am disadvantaged because it is really hard to get up to the high country and train above 10K on a frequent basis.

Kentucky Camp Start

Start - Kentucky Camp

Steve and I woke at about 3 am and left his house by 4 am to be at the start line in time for drop bags. It turns out we had plenty of time. We managed to use up the extra time drinking coffee and waiting in line for a restroom. We briefly talked strategy for the day, hoping to keep a good run walk pattern early to keep ourselves in check. The first half of the course is substantially easier and I was trying to decide how best to attack it. I had decided on a 45/55 split, so something close to a 4:15 halfway mark was the target. Like many ultras, runners huddled near the start line chit-chatting until the race director said "go". It almost felt like this race was local Fat Ass event -- everyone knew everyone else. Pretty cool.

Granite Mtn (3 miles)  - 0:31

Right from the start, Steve and I were in the lead group of 20 runners. Steve was being social and discovered a few runners that never run an ultra or were hoping for an 11-12 hour finish -- yet they were still hanging near the front. At about the 10 minute mark I decide to keep running (instead of the walk pattern we had discussed) because we were moving at such a slow pace. I figured we'd wait for the course to spread out a bit. Three miles came and went pretty quick.

California Gulch (7 miles) - 1:14

After leaving Granite Mountain, you turn right and jump onto the Arizona Trail. The initial part is a decent little climb totaling a few hundred feet. Then you are pounding down a fairly steep and technical descent into California Gulch. This was when disaster struck for Steve.  He he rolled his ankle and I think it kind of set the tone for the day for him. I didn't think much of it since that happens all the time trail running. He managed to "walk it off" and keep moving pretty well. Some wear along the way he popped a few Ibuprofen and said it was feeling ok. It was only after the race that I saw how gruesome that injury actually was.

This was a really pretty section of trail and it was one of the few true descents that I handled well all day. I wish I had taken a mental note of the climb I was going to face on the return trip. Or maybe it is better I didn't remember? (Note to the reader: the course is sort of two loops with Arizona Trail connecting them, so you go on the trail twice, roughly miles 3 - 7 and 29 - 33). Before long we dropped down into the second aid station where we had placed a drop bag. They volunteers were very helpful all day and filled our water bottles. We dropped our headlamps and cold weather gear and got moving quickly.

Wasp Canyon (13 miles) - 2:09

Leaving California Gulch we started flying. This we a really gradual descent and we were dropping 8:30 miles without even elevated breath. There was one or two short, steep climbs that we power hiked, but overall it was all downhill. It took a lot of restraint to dial it back and stop for short walking (and eating) segments every 10 or so minutes. It was about this point that Steve commented how quickly time was clicking by. I told him it was amazing how fast things move when you are mentally engaged. And the truth is that the first quarter of an ultra always goes by fast because you know there is lots more to go. If you are lucky, the closing miles go by as quickly! More commonly they are a bit of a mental struggle, at least for me.

Helvetia (19 miles) - 3:14

I remember discussing the opening portion of the race with Jon and he pointed out a pretty significant climb from mile 11 to 15 (Gunsight Pass). Not long after leaving Wasp Canyon we started climbing and Steve was struggling to keep up. He had commented earlier that he was having trouble keeping up with me on the climbs. I took this as a compliment. Of course, we had both agreed we should do our own thing on race day. I started power hiking hard and, before I knew it, Steve was gone. I wouldn't see him again for about 10 hours.

After about a half mile a runner passed me and I said "nice shoes". He looked down and noticed that we were both wearing Saucony Peregrine. We traded notes about the shoes for a few minutes. We also discussed ultra plans for the future. It sounds like he is doing the LT100 MTB. I could tell he wanted to go hard, asking "so you walk hills too?". While "walking", I managed a 12 min mile up a long 1000+ foot climb. Then he acknowledged that he planned to run the whole way. I think I finished an hour (or more) ahead of him. Unless you are a 2:30 marathoner or you really like pain, it is usually a good idea to walk long or steep hills in an ultra. With practice you figure out the best ones to attempt to run.

Once you summit Gunsight Pass, the descent is very steep and rocky, exposing what continues to be my biggest weakness an ultra runner -- downhills! My legs take too much of a beating as I tip-toe and break the whole way. After a while the descent turned more gradual and less rocky and I started moving much better, running several miles near 8 min pace. I arrived at the aid station and refueled on Roctane and took off.

Box Canyon (25 miles) - 4:07

Coming into Box Canyon. Photo by Ross Zimmerman

Coming into Box Canyon. Photo by Ross Zimmerman

Not long after taking off my shoe came untied. It was a blessing because I had been ignoring some rocks in my shoes for several miles. I stopped for a full minute and emptied both shoes and tied them tightly. The remaining miles into Box Canyon have one longish, gradual climb and then a bunch of easy descent. It was at this point that I started getting ahead of myself and dreaming of a sub-9 finish. I was going to roll into the half way mark well ahead of 4:15, passing people and feeling strong. I kept reminding myself to just stay in the moment and execute mile by mile. That was enough of a reminder to take several walk breaks along this gentle grade. There was a little breeze along this section and I was concerned that, while it felt good, it was likely going to contribute to dehydration later. All of my sweat was drying instead of cooling me.

California Gulch (29 miles) - 4:54

Leaving Box Canyon I felt invincible. The climb along Box Canyon road was steep at first, but I power hiked hard and passed half a dozen runners. After a mile and a half, I started running way more than I was hiking. I was averaging a 10:30 pace along the longest (though not steep) climb of the day. It is very likely that I left a little too much on this section. I was once again getting ahead of myself and trying hard to keep my emotions in check and dial things back.

Before long I reappeared at the California Gulch aid station. I had forgotten about this aid station because it was not in my plans. I made several poor decisions here. The first was not properly utilizing this drop bag (the same as our mile 7 drop bag). Steve placed a handheld to carry the second half along with his pack. I should have followed his lead on that. I brought an extra one all the way to Arizona, why not have it in a drop bag?!  My vest has two 22 oz handhelds, but I can easily consume 30-40 oz of fluid per hour in hot conditions. Carrying a third handheld very likely could have saved me some discomfort and 10 - 15 minutes.

Granite Mtn (33 miles) - 5:49

The other mistake was passing on fluids. I had one hand held almost totally full and I knew the next aid station was "only" 4 miles away, a fact I confirmed by asking and aid station volunteer. It turns out that I was about to embark on a hot, steep, and technical climb along the Arizona Trail. I was out of fluids by mile 30 or 31 and struggled through this entire climb. It was close to 80 degrees on sections of the course and I was starting to wonder about the course markings. (75 or 80 degrees is not insane heat, but I am nowhere near acclimated right now. A typical training run for me in Winter is between 20 and 40 degrees). There was no runner within half a mile of me either direction and flags were every quarter mile at best (other than junction points). I tried to stay positive and just grind to the summit of the climb. It is funny how different the same section of trail looks from the other direction. I soon popped over the summit and descended down to the aid station.

Cave Canyon (40 miles) - 7:13

I mixed an energy drink with water and some more Roctane before leaving the aid station. To this point, I was doing a good job of staying on top of eating and my electrolyte pills. But the effects of the heat were beginning to settle in and I was never really able to get back in control. Leaving the aid station, I was full of fluid and food, but still moving slow as my body attempted to process it all. After a few minutes I got a good run/walk pattern going and start picking up the pace.

Before long, the sugary drinks started tasting horrible. I wanted plain water and they were not satisfying my thirst. Nonetheless, I continued to nurse them until I was out at mile 37. Thankfully, they had a freak snow storm the week before and there were piles of snow all over the course. I stopped at nearly everyone to grab a handful of snow and put some on my head and some down my back. My hydration vest trapped it so that it melted slowly against my back. Mentally I was struggling because there some runnable grade on this section that I could only power walk. I needed water badly.

Actual photo of me at mile 37

With only a quarter of a mile to the aid station, I came across a campground and begged for water. The campers explained that there was aid a short distance away, and I could hear the aid station volunteer calling for me. I managed to bum the water anyway, explaining that I had been dry for about 3 miles. And I had consumed all 22 oz of a handheld before I covered the quarter mile to the aid station. At the aid station I drank 5 or 6 more dixie cups of water and refilled both handhelds. At this point I was going water and gels the rest of the way -- the sugary drinks were making things worse.

Aid station volunteer captured this as I found the aid station

Gardner Canyon (46 miles) - 9:05

A little more than a mile after I left the aid station, I got to a junction in the road and they had hung a flag at the junction, on the left. I turned left and started going up hill in a washout gully. It seemed odd, but there were a few sections like this earlier, so I kept going. After about a third of a mile, I came across a Jeep that was stopped and it's owner hiking around. I asked the gentleman if he knew of the race and if I was off course. He said yes and that I should go back downhill. I started back downhill to the road and I came across another runner heading up the same way. I informed him that we were off course, but he disagreed.  He said that he had run this race before (twice) and that this was the right direction, "things looked familiar". We turned uphill and passed the gentleman in the Jeep, again. Soon we were out of trail and the other runner acknowledge we may be off course. Then he suggested we could just bush whack over the hill to our left in an attempt find the trail. We just stared at one another for a minute trying to decide what to do. Finally, we went back downhill and returned to the course. Sure enough, there was another flag a few hundred yards up the hill. Thirty minutes and 1.5 miles later, I was back on course. (In my opinion, the flag that I saw at the junction should have been hung on the right side of the road. Hanging it on the left was a clear indication to me to turn left.) Oh well, these things happen in trail running.

My encounter with the other lost runner wasn't all bad. He filled one of my empty handhelds from his hydration pack and convinced me to take Ibuprofen for my increasingly sore and stiff legs. I've done this before in ultras, but it is not a technique I like to rely on. After a few minutes of walking, he took off running as I struggled to mentally re-engage with what was happening. I knew any hopes of a 9:15 or even 9:30 finish were gone. There was a point where I considered just walking it in, knowing that I would easily go sub-11 and punch my WS100 lottery entry for next year. Finally, I got my act together and worked toward a run/walk pattern once again. My legs began to loosen and I was running.

After a bit, I ran into a race volunteer remarking sections of the course. I saw him a few miles down the road doing the same thing. Apparently, there were several complaints about the course markings and he was fixing some of the more confusing areas. He pointed me in the right direction and I hiked up a steep section of hill, lasting a mile and a few hundred feet. After that was a lot of gentle downhill into the final aid station. I was running consistently several miles and starting to get back in control of my race. This was some of the prettiest and most runnable single track of the day and I took advantage. I once again ran out of water about a mile short of the aid station.

Finish - Kentucky Camp - 9:55

I passed a runner coming into Gardner Canyon that I had passed before. Without hesitation, he asked if I had gone off course. He knew I was moving too good (and he was struggling, relatively) for any other explanation than me passing him twice. Or maybe he just noticed that he had never passed me? We talked briefly and I refilled with water at the aid station. I drank some flat soda and headed out. At this point I had my sights set on a new 50 mile race PR and a sub-10 hour finish. I didn't know exactly how far I had gone off course, but I suspected it was less than 2 miles, meaning I should be at the finish line before 53 miles on the Garmin. The first mile or so after the aid station was a rocky descent. I was moving alright, but tiring quickly. Then came one last multiple hundred foot climb and I was proud of my effort to climb it. Next came a long, gradual descent that lasted several miles. I saw another runner about a quarter mile ahead (in Hokas) that I had been following all day. I decided I would do my best to catch her.

As I drew closer to 52 miles, I could see the parking lot and the finish line, but I was descending into a canyon and heading away from the finish line. I began to become uncertain how far I would have left to run once I hit bottom of the trail. Instead of getting negative, I resolved to run every step until I hit 10:05 (my PR). If that came and went, I would walk it in. Fortunately I rounded the corner into Kentucky Camp with several minutes to spare and jogged in, 11 seconds behind the woman in Hokas. (Hokas and Montrail Masochist seemed to be the shoes of preference at this race.) Considering my struggles in the second half, I was surprised to learn that I finished in 20th place. The entire field was slow today due to the excessive heat, I think record heat for this race. I still preferred that over the blizzard they had the weekend before.

After finishing, I enjoyed some food and beer as I waited for Steve to finish. It was a true pleasure to watch Steve finish his first ultra. That was one of the reasons I came to this race and he did not disappoint. He gutted out 46 miles on what looks like a severely sprained right ankle. And he lived through some tough miles as he fought off bonk and dehydration. What a treat to see his enthusiam as he finished.

Yes, I was wearing a hat. It gets cold at night in the desert and I was dehydrated.

Weekly Training Wrap - 2/18 - 2/24

Race week is here! This is the best I've felt on a race week in some time (finger crossed!). I started this week battling a nasty cold that lasted until Tuesday night. I've been feeling gradually better each day since. I did a little specific training this week and a hard tempo to try and maintain some fitness. I feel strong and ready. Race day forecast is for sunny skies, mid 60's for the high and mid 30's for the low. That is ideal for me, t-shirt and shirts the whole way. No excuses. It is all about the mental gymnastics now.  One of the best quotes I've heard was by Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Race Series: "The hardest distance to conquer is the five inches between your ears."

Of course, you can always reference Vince Lombardi for a good motivational quote:

- “The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”

- “Once you have established the goals you want and the price you’re willing to pay, you can ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure and the temporary failures.”

- “Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.”


This my favorite motivational video:


One last logistical note before I end for this week: I noticed that I have been using my Nathan Hydration pack more and more as a "race vest" lately. Frankly, fiddling with bladders is just a pain in the butt, particularly on race day. And I've had several malfunctions with bladders that always leaves me a little uneasy about a catastrophe during a race. I broke down and bought a new Ultimate Direction AK vest this weeks. I only ran with it once, but it was plenty to know that I am going to love it. It changes my drop bag strategy just a touch, but it should make things smoother and easier overall.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest	Yoga for the Core
Tuesday	8	Repeats at the Bluffs
Wednesday	5	Easy
Thursday	7	4 @ Tempo (6:53)
Friday	Rest
Saturday	10	Mt Falcon Taper Long
Sunday	5	Easy Snow Miles
Total	35	About 4200 vertical feet

Weekly Training Wrap - 2/11 - 2/17

Sort of a good week and a tough week all at the same time. By about Tuesday afternoon this week, I suspected I was getting sick. I could feel it starting in my throat primarily. However, this is a critical week for my training. Yes, I am in taper, but the real challenge to taper is keeping your fitness so you don't peak 2 - 3 weeks before the race. While I am reducing my mileage, I am trying to keep up my intensity and fitness. I plowed ahead with a hard track workout Thursday and the cold officially dug in. I didn't even want to run Saturday, but took some Advil and waited for a window where I felt good enough. The run went very well and I am glad I did it.  But that sent the cold into full blown misery.  I am planning to skip a recovery workout on Sunday and now have two days to rest. For the same reasons, I fell behind on cross training as well.

*******

As the race draws closer, I am reflecting more and more on training. I will probably write more on this topic after the race is complete and can "grade" myself, but here are some early thoughts on this cycle:

The one thing that stands out this cycle more than most of my ultra training cycles is the intensity at which I trained. As I said I would back in August, this cycle was about more than just slogging around logging miles. I did at least half a dozen runs that ultra runners would call "long tempo" runs. These are quite similar to MP miles when marathon training, though they can obviously differ in terms of specificity because they are on trails. It is really just a measure of intensity. Less seasoned runners have a difficult time recovering from them, but I have reached a point where they are critical to me getting better. I also kept up the intensity during the week with at least 10 speed workouts through the cycle (intervals, tempo runs, hills, etc..).

The second big difference is cross training. I ignored my body and the warning signs during Leadville 100 training and I paid for it. Through necessity, I became a huge advocate for cross training. And now that I understand the benefits of it more, I honestly don't know why every runners doesn't make it a priority to hit at least two hours a week. (I guess for the same reasons I didn't before.) It is a safe bet to say I did more than 80 hours of cross training through my 20 week cycle. I don't mean the usual "aerobic" biking and swimming things that runners like to do. I did mostly strength training, core training, and stretching -- all things specifically designed to both aid my in staying healthy and be a stronger runner. I continue to evolve in this domain, and will do some things differently in my next cycle, but I am very pleased with the results thus far. If Anton Krupicka has to do these "damn exercises", then I think you should be too.

Another key element was base building. This is a difficult topic because the necessity to base depends on lots of factors. A new runner might only base train for an entire cycle. A seasoned runner that keeps their mileage relatively high all year may not need to base at all, or at least not for long. In my case, I was coming off an 8 week layoff from Leadville and had lost significant fitness. Since being introduced the concept last year, I have struggled with how to use Maffetone principles in my training. And I kept having to fight off the thought that Maffetone training was making me slow.

After listening to a series of podcasts at Endurance Planet, I now understand the principles much better. I was feeling too slow because I was misapplying the principals. Lucho, the coach at Endurance Planet, prefers to use your lactate threshold HR minus 20 beats per minute (about 151-153 in my case) instead of Maffetone's generic formula. This makes total sense because everyone has different physiological characteristics. Running at max heart rate of 144 (as Maffetone suggests for me) would have me running in my recovery zone without enough training stress. I have started to target a range of 145 - 155 as my base building range. The point of base building accord to Lucho is to get as fast as possible in that base training range. If you run there enough, you will be providing stress to your body and it will adapt. Your running economy will improve and you will get faster and more efficient. But, you aren't providing enough stress to require real recovery, hence you can do this while increasing your mileage. Once you start to plateau, then it is time to incorporate speed work. For most runners it takes something like 8 - 12 weeks of base building.

Anyway, long story short, I have started to see the benefits of this in my own running. For example, my run on Tuesday was all in my base building zone and it was close to MP pace. In fact, it was marathon pace intensity if you factor in the hills. And that is the sort of twist base training takes -- if you are effective at it, then it actually gets quite hard. Your body is being challenged, despite the fact that your heart isn't jumping out of your chest. You are providing the foundation from which you can sustain a high heart rate and intense pace for a long time.

The lone thing that disappoints me about my cycle is volume. Volume is always the seductive beast to the runner. How much is enough? That is such a hard question to answer and the evidence is mixed. There are undoubtedly runners pounding 100+ miles per week. And most of them are damn good runners. But that doesn't leave any time left over for cross training or life. There are also many talented runners that only do about 50 miles per week and can competitively race 100 mile ultras. Of course, they usually have decades of running in their pocket. According to Runner's World, the benefits of volume start to show diminishing returns somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per week. The increased risk of injury offsets the physiological benefits. And it gets more and more difficult to add in quality workouts. Nonetheless, I've had my volume well into 70's and 80's in pervious cycles. It is a little daunting to think that I am going to run my average weekly volume in one day. That  is the only element that has me wondering if I may be slightly undertrained right now.

In summary, it has been a well executed cycle. I am confident in where my training has taken me and I think I am in a good place to race. I've only really raced on other 50, and that was my first ultra 18 months ago with a virus, so it is somewhat hard to predict how I will feel in the second half at race intensity. Similar to how I approached training, I don't plan to run this race at a "slog it out" pace. After an hour or so of easing into it, I intend to push a pace and HR that should be sustainable for a 50 mile distance. Everyone suffers in an ultra. Just being on your feet that long will cause you to feel fatigued. Going out slow won't necessarily prevent those late race feelings of fatigue. The best way to find your effort and pace early is to monitor your heart rate, conversation level (though I will have an iPod), and how much you are eating and drinking. Then you just have to fight through the inevitable low periods, if you can.

This blog post went on way longer than I intended when I sat down! If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	7.3	MP Miles, P90x Legs and Chest
Wednesday	5	Recovery
Thursday	7	Ladder Track Intervals
Friday	Rest
Saturday	19	Tempo Trail Run
Sunday	Rest
Total	38	About 3200 vertical feet

Weekly Training Wrap - 2/4 - 2/10

It is taper time! I cannot remember a training cycle where I looked forward to taper this much. Winter training is hard and tough to be motivated. At the same time, I am grateful that I made it this far with no setbacks. And I am grateful for the gift of running and the opportunity to go race in 3 weeks. Sure there are somethings I would change about this training cycle -- there always are -- but it has to be defined as a success. It is a journey. And I continue to learn more and more about myself and running.

I also wrote up a post on my goals for Old Pueblo 50 that you may want to check out.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest	Yoga for the Core
Tuesday	8	Bluffs Repeats, Weight Training
Wednesday	5	Recovery, Yoga for the Core
Thursday	7	TM Hill Workout
Friday	7	Easy Miles, Yoga
Saturday	23	Specific Trail Run
Sunday	8	Recovery
Total	57	About 7500 vertical feet

Old Pueblo 50 Goals

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious. -- Vince Lombardi

I don't think the fact that I am an overly analytical obsessive will surprise anyone that knows me. I spend hours pouring over data and strategies trying to find the best answer to every question. Honestly, that usually just yields more questions. In this case, the real question is what is my full potential as an ultra runner? While I have participated in a dozen or so runs beyond 30 miles, I have really only run two of them as races: (Leadville Silver Rush 50 and Leadville Trail 100). To be fair, I think the jury is still out on my potential.

As I think about this upcoming race, I have spent time analyzing the course and doing the relative race comparison game. Time goals anywhere from nine hours to eleven have gone through my mind. I have the course completely analyzed all the way down to the length and grade of each significant climb (about 5 of them). But, finally, it occurred to me that I am ruining it for myself. Part of the reason I love ultra running is the unknown. It is hard to compare courses. It is hard to quantify all the emotions, the fatigue, and the pain you will go through in a race lasting half a day or more.

I guess what I am saying is that I need to get back to the simpleness of running. No, I won't just run "by feel" the whole way. I will use clues and training experience -- like my heart rate and how well I am eating -- to pace myself, particularly early the race. But I won't limit the evaluation of my performance to numbers either. The brain is a powerful thing, and it is possible that I am holding myself back by having such concrete goals. As I reflect on my recent ultra performances, it is eerie how close I have been to all of my aid station splits. This can be interpreted as me being very in touch with my capabilities. Maybe there is a better explanation for this phenomenon. Perhaps it is a sign that my mind is only willing to push my body until those goals are met? In other words, do I settle? My pacer Jon got much more out of me than I wanted to give from miles 75 - 95 at Leadville. When he took over pacing, I was fading badly. I was suffering and wanted to walk it in -- as many do in their first 100. By the time he gave up the pacing duties, I had made up nearly 25 mins on my projected splits. I think the primary reason that we made up so much time was that I knew he wouldn't let me settle. (If you know Jon, you understand!). He never had to give me a pep talk or motivation speech, I just knew that I needed to give a little more than I thought I could.

With all that psychobabble aside, here are my goals for Old Pueblo.

Run My Race

The first thing I'd like to do is just run my own race. Some might call this running in the zone. As I think back on all my races, my best moments are when I am zoned out and just pushing myself to my limits. The goal is to block out all distractions and focus on the task at hand. Obviously those distractions can be real, like getting caught up in what others are doing or being bothered by an aid station or weather. But the worst distractions might be my own negative thoughts. My goal is to keep pushing forward for as long and as hard as I can. I have little doubt that internalizing and just running will yield great results, possibly even results that exceed my own expectations.

Push Through the Wall

I've been through massive low points before. I have run twice this distance before. In short, I am no stranger to suffering. Some may argue that it is the whole point of running! It would be a better thing for me mentally if I welcome pain and sought to overcome it instead of trying to avoid it. It really doesn't matter what distance you race, if you push yourself to the limit, there will come a point that you want to slow down or give a little less. My goal is to find that point and push through it. Hopefully with a little more dignity than I did at SJS50.

In closing, I think I can finish this race in 9 - 10 hours, which will be a PR. And, perhaps more importantly, anything under 11 hours gives me another ticket into Western States 100 lottery. But I won't be constrained by these things on race day. And I don't plan to do any aid station math. I plan to start the race at a comfortable/sustainable pace and just run. And, if I can honestly say at the end of the race that I gave an "A" race effort, then I won't be discouraged by any result.