115 miles is not as many miles as a lot of runners average, but it's enough for me. My plan is to remain consistent at a range between 95 and 115 miles per week for the next few months, until I move out to the San Juans at the end of the semester. So many people push their mileage up just because they feel that the more they run, the better prepared they'll be to race. And that is true to a point, but overtraining can lead to injury and burnout. Furthermore, junk miles are not only unnecessary but counterproductive because they are tiring without adding much physical benefit. I certainly don't know or practice some kind of panacea of training plans, but I feel that a moderate amount of miles, all with a purpose, is the most effective way to prepare for a race. With that in mind I try to run back-to-back medium distance runs on Tuesday and Wednesday (15-20 miles), a hard effort of some kind on Thursday (track workout or tempo run), an easy run on Friday (7-12 miles), and back-to-back long runs on Saturday and Sunday (20 - 35+ miles). Mondays are usually rest days. This training schedule has worked for me in the past, so I continue to use it. But in reality I'm constantly questioning my training plan because I really have no idea how best to train. I've even considered finding a coach, but at this point a coach is too expensive. So I just do the best I can with the knowledge I have. Running with other fast runners is a fantastic asset in this sense, because their experience and advice can be greatly beneficial to my own training. Moving up to the Front Range of Colorado has given me the unique opportunity to run with lots of fast runners.
Case in point: yesterday I drove down to Boulder and met up with Joe Grant and Scott Jurek. We then took the bus up to Nederland to meet with Geoff Roes. After a quick cookie at the bakery in town we loaded up our gear and ran thirty miles down to Boulder. The run was predominantly downhill, and the views were fantastic! We took a series of dirt roads and trails all the way into Eldorado Canyon, and then ran up to the Mesa Trail and over to Chatauqua Park and back to Scott's house. The run was really aesthetic in the sense that we ran from one town to another through a series of backcountry routes that seemed at times to have only been pioneered just by Geoff. Doubtless we're not the first people to do the whole run, but the route certainly hasn't been run a lot. We had a lot of fun out there.
Way cool Dakota, just hooked up a new trail myself, Sidewinder on the Black Canyon. :)
ReplyDeleteThat picture really cuts to the heart of these runners
ReplyDeleteScott's like: "Nooo..I'm twice your age and have been running ultras as long as you've been alive..eat a gel kid."
ReplyDeleteit's funny how the hydration vests look (and sort of function) like tits.
ReplyDeleteor maybe i just need to call my girlfriend over and stop reading these goddamn running blogs!
ramble on, ramblers.
-patrick
Passed you guys as you were coming down the gravel road after the Bear Canyon turnoff. Blue shirt, grey hair.
ReplyDeleteI recognized Geoff and Joe, but you guys passed too quickly. Although I did kind of wonder if that was Scott's big hair :)
You know, you'd make a pretty good ultra relay team.
Signed,
- Just some dude who runs trails
There's definitely something really satisfying about running as a way to get from one natural/logical point to another. for me it kind of felt like going out and running from my house to scott's house to eat a burrito with you, scott, and jenny. good times. we'll have to do it again in another few weeks when the snow is melted more and we can run trail virtually the entire way... and this time we'll start in Boulder to get some good uphill training in.
ReplyDelete