This week has been my second biggest training week yet. On Saturday I managed to run my longest training run of 68.25km in a little over six hours. This run has given me the confidence I need for my next big running adventure.
Over a month ago I entered the Glasshouse 100 mile trail run. I entered the race a week or so before running the Gold Coast Marathon at a time when I was still 'retired' from ultra running. The thought of running long again had been percolating in my head for a while and a number of my running friends in Rocky were talking about doing The North Face 100 next year. Once an idea germinates in my mind, it grows quickly. After a few days of contemplating a comeback, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and continue my journey down the Ultra-marathon path.
100 miles (160km) seems to be 'the' distance when it comes to Ultras. Also known as the miler (in stark contrast to a 1600m / 1 mile run) it seems to be one of the fastest growing running events in the U.S. with the most popular races like the Western States 100 having to operate a ballot system due to the huge interest. Over this side of the world there are at least four 100 mile races in Australia and two that I know about in New Zealand.
Sitting in a cafe in the Blue Mountains, prior to running TNF100, I told Mat and Andrew (two work colleagues that also love to run long) that my plan after the race was to run the Glasshouse 100 mile run in September. After my DNF and subsequent retirement I discarded that thought immediately and directed my energy towards the Gold Coast Marathon. However, the miler was still sitting in the back of my mind as a what if. I remember the light bulb moment when I decided to just go ahead and do it. Everything seemed to click into place. I thought so what. So what that I didn't finish The North Face 100, so what that my longest run is just over half the distance. So what if I don't finish. SO WHAT.
I sheepishly broached the subject with Mel. My poor wife is used to my flights of fancy and irrepressible need to plan out and go on exciting adventures. She was concerned that I might push myself too far and end up risking my health again. After addressing her concerns enough for the C.E.O. to give me the green light, I began my preparations.
After the Gold Coast Marathon I had an easy week to recover from the stress and strain of running fast and set about re-building my endurance base. Since the marathon I have built up my weekly distance including consistent long runs every weekend of; 45km, 51.3km, 45km, 68.25km. This week I wanted to log at least 160 kilometres with a 6 hour long run. Next week the plan is to run my biggest run week ever including an 8 hour long run. I am regularly running Mt Archer as my part of my hill work to get stronger and am modifying my running style to a less elegant but more efficient form of forward locomotion. My stride is now shorter and has less heel lift compared with my faster running form. The benefits of this change in stride means that there is less impact and reduced muscle fatigue and damage on my long runs.
Saturday's run of 68.25km was extremely beneficial. I set my alarm for 3:00am and was on the road by 3:25am. I drove to my running groups meeting point and ran for two hours before joining them at 5:30am. I drove the car there so that I had my own checkpoint set up where I had additional fuel supplies and a change of clothing etc. I had had a big week of training and was feeling good but as the run progressed my body was becoming increasingly sore and tired. I ran through the marathon point in 3hrs 44mins and one kilometre later we started the climb up towards the saddle of Mt Archer. I really enjoyed this short but steep climb. After running on mainly flat ground, the incline eased some of the soreness for a while. I managed to run strong all the way to the saddle. The run down again stressed my tired legs but afterwards I began to slip into a good rhythm. The group finished back at our meeting point and I took the opportunity to change clothes and put on some sunscreen. A huge thank you goes out once again to my tireless training partners who make my long runs much more tolerable.
After 53km of running and the temperature climbing into the early to mid 20's I had saturated my running clothes. I thought that this would be the toughest part of my run, running solo again with over an hour and a quarter to go, the mercury rising and the seductive temptation to stop early and drive home. But I was pleasantly surprised. With a change of clothes and a steely determination I ran off at an easy relaxed pace. I thought that I would need some extended walking breaks but I kept on running. I was really enjoying myself and felt better than I had two hours previously. I ran on like this for quite a while and even spoke to a couple of my colleagues who were out and about working and had seen me running about three hours earlier. I stopped in at work after 60km and bought a can of coke. Maybe the sugar helped because I got faster and was knocking out the kilometres between 5:10 and 5:20. I felt that I had really overcome my earlier issues and even briefly considered adding another hour or so.
To get to the magical 6 hour mark I ran around the south side for a while before heading north and ended the run with a little out and back to get to 68km, as that seemed to be a better number than 67km which was when I hit the 6 hour mark. My average pace for the run was a bit too quick at 5min 22sec/km but this didn't account for the water stops where I stopped my watch. I am very pleased with the run and I now understand how beneficial the long run really is. I have finally convinced myself that I am worthy of running in the miler and that I am capable of continuous running when sore and tired. It is said that ultra events are more a test of mental toughness than physical conditioning and running for 6 hours has reinforced how important the mental state of mind is. After this run I have the confidence to know that I can push through the many low points that will inevitably exist in such an extreme undertaking. When I stopped I was tired but not shattered, in fact I was more sleep tired than anything. More importantly my nutrition and fluid plan held up very well. I kept to the plan and my stomach tolerated the Hammer perpetuem without a problem. I didn't have any gels and the can of coke was the only thing I had apart from perpetuem and water. If anything I was quite hungry when I finished which is unusual, as normally after a long training run or race I can't eat anything for a while.
My training for the week consisted of an easy run on Monday, a long session on Tuesday (including Mt Archer), an undulating easy run on Wednesday and a double run day on Thursday. I decided to take a day off on Friday to help with recovery, prepare for Saturday's long run and to prevent doing too much distance this week. I had contemplated doing a longish run on Sunday as well but I didn't want to undo all the good work of this week by doing too much and settled for the group run only.
Monday - 12.80km - 1hr 06mins 06secs - flat to undulating easy run
Tuesday - 30.05km - 2hrs 35mins 31secs - Mt Archer & back + add-ons
Wednesday - 15.15km - 1hr 17mins 38secs - undulating easy run
Thursday am - 25.50km - 2hrs 09mins 30secs - flattish comfortable run
Thursday pm - 10.10km - 53mins 56secs - recovery run with group
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - 68.25k - 6hrs 05mins 50secs - long run
Sunday - 13.95km - 1hr 11mins 16secs - run with Sunday group
Weekly totals - 175.80km - 15hrs 19mins 50secs
I'm looking forward to another big week next week including the huge challenge of running for 8hrs on Saturday. With only five weeks to go until my first 100 mile race I will need to continue with my preparation and training so that I can stand at the start line fresh and ready to take on this awesome challenge. And in breaking news, a huge congratulations to all my Rocky running friends for some amazing results at the Brisbane Marathon with double digit PB'S for Sean and Jason only four weeks after running the Gold Coast Marathon. You guys rock.
Keep running.
No comments:
Post a Comment