Recover, Pack, Move, Settle In

Recover, pack, move, settle in accurately describes the events of this last week. To say these last 7 days have been life changing would be, well, right on. 

Recovery: When I woke up the day after Ice Age (Sunday) I couldn't believe how great I was feeling. I thought I would feel a lot worse and unfortunately I did. As the day progressed so did my soreness. Luckily I wasn't experiencing any acute pain at all but man was I sore and stiff. I woke up Monday feeling even worse than I did on Sunday. The dreaded "delayed onset muscle soreness". But again, I was pleased to report no sharp pain at all. So Sunday and Monday were complete days off from any sort of physical activity. Tuesday things started feeling better so I went for a hike at The Mines. I knew I would be saying goodbye to The Mines soon so I wanted to spend as much time out there over the week even if it was just hiking. The hike was very enjoyable and I can say I felt better after it than I did before. I repeated the same hike on Wednesday with even better results. Thursday I went out for an hour fair-well run at The Mines and things were a tiny bit stiff but otherwise in good working order.

Pack: I didn't take a moving van out to Colorado so I really had to prioritize what I could bring. As you might guess most of my running shoes/gear made the cut. The already hectic week became even more so as I was selling off many of my larger belongings and packing what I could in the back of my Jeep. Fortunately I can't say that I had to leave anything behind that I really wanted to bring.

Move: The actual drive wasn't as bad as I was fearing. I've been on longer road trips but never by myself. I was dreading doing it solo. Mostly in fear of falling asleep behind the wheel. Turns out the drive went of without a hitch. Sure, Nebraska sucked and was very boring but all in all the drive was very easy and I made it in just under 13 hours. Actually, it felt very adventurous uprooting myself like I did and heading west. I didn't even need that much help staying awake. One cup of coffee before I left and a 5 Hour Energy about 5 hours into the drive did the trick.

Settle In: I'm still in the process of doing this. Right now I feel like I'm on a vacation. It hasn't hit me that I'm not leaving in a week or so. Physically I'm all settled in. Mentally, I need some more time.

Of course this last week contained many goodbyes. It was very hard leaving close friends behind and even harder leaving family members. I can honestly say that I think the move will bring me closer together with those that mean the most to me. Our friendships and relationships will just look differently but in no way end.

Okay, enough of that sappy stuff. I've been out for two runs since I've been in town. On Saturday I made a late afternoon trip up the Flatirons. It had been raining on and off all day but the sky really cleared up and the sun came out making for perfect weather for the run. Today (Sunday) I went up and down Green Mountain. This time I didn't have to contend with any snow or the more leisurely pace that my girlfriend and I set out on when we went up Green in mid March. It wasn't easy, I'll say that much. The faster pace left me really sucking for air and noticing the altitude much more than when I did it in March. I believe the fastest know time up Green is just under 30 minutes. Today I did it in just over 47. I'll take it. I realize that's a huge difference in time but I feel like it could be much worse and it gives me a reference point at least.

Over the coming weeks I'll decide what I want my running to look like out here. There are many options and I want to try to be a well rounded runner and not focus on just one aspect of the sport. For now I'm more than happy to head to the mountains whenever I want but also have the ability to jump in on some flat group road runs throughout the week and meet some of the local runners. Trust me, there's a few of them.

Flatirons with Boulder behind me

Looking down on Boulder from Green Mountain

Me doing my best "Tony"

Ice Age 50

Here are a few pictures and video taken by my good fiends Josh and Wes

The all important pinning on of the bib 

 

Me and Seth

Waiting for the fun to get started

Coming through an aid station early on in the race

The only time we ran on roads was to cross them

40 mils in feeling great and taking off my watch because of a dead battery

Only a few more strides to go

At times I'll read a runners race report and wonder how they can remember so many details of their race. Splits, how their legs felt at any given moment, their thoughts at each and every bend in the trail.. you name it and they can recall it. I can't do that which is fine because I usually start to skim such in depth race reports so I have no desire to write one myself.

My fueling/nutrition plan was pretty simple. I started off taking gels every 30 minutes while I was getting a feel for how my stomach would react. My stomach is either rock solid or really off. I try to limit the chances of it being off by not taking in a ton of calories right off the bat. I knew within an hour and a half that I wouldn't have to worry about my stomach which of course was a relief. I carried one Nathan handheld bottle with me at all times. I drank water with one Nuun electrolyte tab dissolved in each bottle. I really have no idea how many bottles I went through. I know was drinking a lot. Especially as the day got hotter. There were a couple sections that I was downing a full 20oz in between aid stations that were only 3 miles apart. I also used S!Caps for added electrolytes. When all was said and done I consumed 24 gels, 2 packs of Clif Blocks, 2 bananas, a few Tums, a couple ginger chews, a handful of S! Caps and close to a bottle of Nuun tabs. I think my fueling was right on. I took enough in to keep me going and never really dealt with any sort of cramping or light headiness but didn't over do it to the point where I had stomach issues.

If I had to put a theme to the days race it would be perseverance. I know that sounds cliche and can pretty much be said about any ultra marathon but it seemed even more relevant than usual. Going into the race I didn't know how much my hip would be a factor. I hit a real low point around my 20ish. My hip was very tight and I could feel my range of motion start to suffer. I never thought about not finishing but I did wonder how ugly it was going to get later on down the trail. I think it was around the marathon mark that I took 3 ibuprofen and took some extra time at the aid station for some stretching and self massage. Things almost instantly turned around. I felt great. Better than I had all day. Each mile was ticking by and I was passing other runners left and right. At mile 40 I took 2 more ibuprofen, quick massage, traded off my current bottle for a full one and a fresh stock of gels from my friends and I was ready to charge my way through the last 10 miles. Again, I was in shock. I was feeling great and running everything except for a couple of the bigger hills. I also didn't wear a watch at all for the last 10 miles. My battery died just as I came into the aid station and I had another one lined up to use but I decided that I just wanted to listen to my body and go off of feel at that point. I don't regret that decision at all.

I crossed the finish line with the clock showing a time of just over 8 hours and 43 minutes. I ran my "A" race. I handled it as best I could. When I look back there's nothing I would've done differently. That being said it was clear that I didn't run it feeling 100%. I can't really say for sure how much time I could've shaved if my hip was a non issue but I'd like to think I could've run about 8:30:00 or so.

This race was very special for me because it's my last race in the Midwest for quite sometime. This Friday I pack my Jeep to the brim and move west. Boulder, Colorado to be more exact. The Ice Age 50 miler gave me a chance to spend a day with friends that I'll miss dearly all while doing something that I love. I'm very grateful for the timing of the race and getting a chance to experience it with my friends before I leave. It was just the going away party I was looking for.  

The 1st 6 days of my taper and no more KM 100

Heritage Trail: 9.02
------------------
Total mileage: 9.02

Not much to report on here. Very little running.. just as I planned. My only hard effort this week was my last set of intervals that I worked in to a 3 mile run as apposed to 10 miles during my regular training. As noted above I also did all of my running at Heritage Trail so that means no hills and all. Very flat running all week.

I feel very rested and all my aches and pains seemed to have worked themselves out. When I got my most recent Thai massage on Thursday the therapist commented on how much of an improvement I've made compared to last weeks massage.  She said that I felt about 70% more pliable than I did the week before. I also found the massage to feel much less intense although she was applying the same amount of pressure. My body is really enjoying this big cutback in mileage and my taper has been very effective so far. 

Back in January I wouldn't have been able to think of a scenario in which I'd be thrilled to say that I won't be running The Kettle Moraine 100 miler but as it turns out that's exactly what I'm saying and feeling at this very moment. I'm not sidelined because of injury or lack of desire to tackle the 100 mile distance. Oh no, I'm more anxious than ever to find out what it feels like to cover 100 miles on my feet. The reason I won't be running KM this year is because less than a week after Ice Age I'll be packing as many of my belongings as I can fit in my Jeep, selling or giving away the rest, and heading west. I'm moving to Boulder Colorado.. the home to several of the top ultra runners in America! I'm not one to name drop but hey, soon I could be bumping in to the likes of Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Joe Grant and Dave Mackey while out on my daily run. Not too shabby. While the company sounds outstanding there the company I'm most looking forward to is that of my girlfriend and the end of our long distance relationship.

This week I gratefully accepted a position with Road Runner Sports. I'm excited to continue my work in the retail sector of the running industry in a much bigger market than Dubuque and in an area of the country that's so active and really embraces the sport. To me Colorado represents opportunity more than anything. Opportunity in my career, running and personal life. Of course I will miss my family, friends and a job that I really enjoy but I am very excited and ready to start this new chapter of my life.

I'm not going to make any race plans anytime soon. There's just going to be too much going on and too many unknowns in the next couple of months. However, the "decade challenge" is still very much on and if anything got all the more interesting. I will say that a couple races on my radar would be The Leadville Silver Rush 50 miler and the brand new Run Rabbit Run 100 miler. We shall see.. all exciting stuff.

Training Recap: 2/20 - 4/30

The numbers that matter the most to me:

Time spent running: 113:15:58
Mileage: 665.81
Elevation gain: 77, 874 feet

Key Runs:
8 runs of at least 20 miles. 9 speed sessions: (8 x 20 second sprints with a 10 second recovery)

Other cross training or supplementation:
I instruct and participate in a couple different core conditioning classes a week that total about 2 hours of workouts per week. I enjoy instructing because it keeps me accountable to something I'd most likely otherwise skip. No other cross training/workouts. 

Last week I touched on the ups and downs of my most recent training cycle so there's no need to rehash that.

My game plan over the days leading up to Ice Age involve large dosages of rest and a few easy runs here and there.  I'm going to run 3 miles every other day on an easy flat trail. While I was in Colorado I missed a speed workout so I'm going to do my last one a week out from the race. Other than that... nice and easy. Normally I wouldn't taper this much but I'm still slightly worried about not showing up to the race feeling 100% so I'm in the less is more mindset at the moment. I am okay with this though because I'm very confident in my current fitness level and there's nothing I can really do between now and the 12th to get in better shape anyway. I was very encouraged after my most recent long run (30 miles) because my hip/hamstring felt much better than it had the previous week. I can attribute some of that to the rehab efforts I've personally been doing but I think the biggest help came in the form of a Thai massage I received last Friday. I had never gotten a Thai massage and only vaguely knew what to expect because I had talked to local runners that sang the praises of not only Thai massage but of a particular therapist here in Dubuque. Let me say that this is nothing like a relaxing Swedish massage but much more therapeutic in nature. It's as much stretching as it is massage. After a brief consultation we decided on 2-3, 45 minute sessions before my race. I'll get one more this week for sure and then depending on how I feel and what assessments she makes during the massage I may get one more early next week.. the week of the race. With the huge cutback in mileage, Thai massage, personal stretching and heat I'm very confident that I'll make it to the startling line feeling 100% and ready to go.

The countdown is on.. I can't wait!     

My last 2 weeks of training: Weeks 8 & 9

4/9 - 4/15

Mines of Spain: 35.28
Heritage: 17.52
Barefoot (grassy field): 3.26
----------------------
Total mileage: 56.06

This week was business as usual until Sunday rolled around and along with it severe thunderstorm warnings. I don't mind running in the rain or even a light thunderstorm but when I woke up for my long run on Sunday morning and took a look at the radar I knew it wasn't going to happen. It just wasn't worth the risk. The weather forced the down week and not really my body asking for it. I was coming off of 2 - 80 mile weeks so I suppose the timing wasn't terrible.

4/16 - 4/22

Mines of Spain: 65.04
Heritage: 10.03
Road: 5
----------------------
Total mileage: 80.07

Total mileage in training cycle (9 weeks): 592.48

Last week I got my second 30 mile run in during the month of April. I had planned on doing 35 but it wasn't my day. My stomach was very upset. Severe cramping and multiple pit-stops along with trail didn't make this my most enjoyable run ever. In fact it was my first long run of this training cycle where I really faced some adversity and pushed through it.. to a degree anyway. At mile 30 I got back to my car and was relieved that I had parked next to a bathroom at The Mines. As I walked into the bathroom I had every intention of heading back out and finishing up my run. Walking out of the bathroom ten minutes latter lead to something else... me getting in my car beat and ready to go home. I was also experiencing some radiating pain in my right hip. This, hard to even call it an injury, has plagued me since week 1 of training. I'm not sure if it is an issue with my hamstring, IT band, hip flexor or you name it. Probably a combination of all of the above. Here's what sets this "injury" apart from other injuries I've had in the past. Especially ones that have stuck around for this long. 1.) Not once has it hurt or bugged me while I'm not running. No pain walking around, doing my core work or anything else life throws at me. In the past if an injury had hung around for this long it meant that A.) I wasn't running at all and B.) I was hobbling around in a great deal of pain. Not at all the case this time around. 2.) I feel nothing if I'm running under 20 miles or so. All week leading up to my long run on Sunday I'm excited because I'm thinking all is clear and whatever is going on has worked its self out. I'm also thinking this for about the 1st 20 miles of my long run and then things start to tighten up and will eventually become painful. Not terrible but worrisome enough to make me question if I'm feeling like this 30 miles in am I going to make it through 50? The good news: I feel little to no other fatigue 30 miles into a run. If I can get this under control before Ice Age I'll be pretty anxious to see what I can do.

So I guess I'm banking on my taper to clear things up. My taper will start on May 1st and I'm going to be running just enough to hopefully keep things loose. All my other efforts will be on rehab.

A quick note on comparing current training to past training...

At times during this training cycle I've gotten pretty discouraged. I would look back to January - March of last year and see that I ran over 300 miles each month in prep for McNaughton 50 miler. This year April will be my first 300 mile plus month. So of course this means that I'm not in as good of shape as I was last year and I'm not going to run nearly as well at Ice Age as I did at McNaughton, wrong. Why??? Weekly mileage means little to nothing when it comes to overall performance at a race. I like to run as much as I can and I get too caught up in numbers, or maybe I should say I get too caught up in one number, total mileage. When I looked closer I saw something different. Every aspect of my training this year has been more intense compared to last year. Both in terrain and pace. With the timing of McNaughton and a normal winter in Iowa much of my 300+ mile months were logged on the roads. Hilly roads but nonetheless roads. A very mild winter and a race later in the year has allowed me to run the majority of my miles at The Mines this year. Hilly trail miles trump hilly road miles any day in the "get me in shape" department. Not to mention being more specific to the event I'm actually training for. Also, last year I didn't do a single structured speed workout in prep for McNaughton. This year I'll have done 10 while getting ready for Ice Age. So moral of the story is don't look at just a single aspect of your training and draw conclusions. My training this year is much more rounded than it was last year and I feel like both my mental toughness and physically conditioning are at a higher levels than they were this time last year. I'm very excited to run Ice Age and see where my running takes me as this year progresses.         

Ice Age/Kettle Moraine training Week 7 (4/6 - 4/9)

Mines of Spain: 58.82
Heritage trail: 12.03
Road: 4
Barefoot (grassy field): 5.15
-----------------------

Total mileage: 80
Mileage in training cycle: 456.35 (7 weeks)

Back-to-back 80 mile weeks and feeling better than I have at any point during my current training cycle. I've trained at this volume before but if I remember right a at least some of my runs seemed to be garbage miles... if there is such a thing in ultra training. I'd get in that 80 mile range and my legs would never really recover from 1 run to the next. Not these last 2 weeks though and especially not at The Mines. I'm running out there faster than I ever have before with less fatigue and quicker recovery. The only thing I can attribute it to is my speed-work. In the past I've never been diligent enough to stick with it to see benefits. Not to mention there's the ongoing debate that questions the need of speed-work in ultra training... especially 50 mile plus ultra training. These types of races are hardly about leg turnover after all. Well, 7 weeks into my training and I'm a huge believer. I can't say I like doing it but I can't deny that my speed-work is making me a better runner.

Last week was a cutback week for my long run. I ran 20 miles on Sunday at The Mines and felt great. My legs recovered faster than they ever have after my last set of sprints during my speed-work and I actually ran back to my car fast than I did when I ran out/before the sprints. My barefoot running consisted of 15 minutes sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'll progress those sessions to 20 minutes this week and leave it at that... an hour a week is what I'm looking to maintain.

Ice Age/Kettle Moraine training Week 6 (3/26 - 4/1)

Mines of Spain: 58.85
Heritage Trail: 18.03
Barefoot (grassy field): 3.18
----------------------
Total mileage: 80.06
Mileage in training cycle: 376.35 (six weeks)

I had mentioned that I was going to write more about my trip to Colorado but I just didn't have time for it this week. I would like to post a couple of videos though.

This is Hannah and I making our way up a snow covered Green Mountain.

A view from the top of Green which doesn't do the real thing justice at all...

Lastly, an early morning trek around the third Flatiron.

 

  

I am very pleased with the last two weeks of training. I wanted to hit this volume (80 mpw) earlier in my training cycle but for one reason or another wasn't able to do it. However, showing up to a starting line fresher than planned is never a bad thing so I won't complain about my training. 

This week I did my 5th sprint workout (8 x 20 second sprints with a 10 second recovery) and really noticed a difference in my pace and consistency. I'm not sure if my extra week of rest between workouts or just a positive training stimulus kicking in did the trick. Either way I'll take it. Over the last two weeks I have logged long runs over the marathon distance. Again, right where I want to be. This week was a 30 miler with Wes at The Mines of Spain. Things got off to a shaky start at best. We set out on the trail in an foreboding dark dense fog. My super bright Petzl headlamp did little good as the light was reflected right back in my eyes. I was tempted at times to just turn it off and stumble through the darkness. Fortunately for myself I spend a lot of time at The Mines and know where every downed tree is. Unfortunately Wes can't make the same claim. We weren't a half mile into our run and Wes was leveled by a tree. I heard a loud crack and a scream of agony and turned around to find Wes curled up in the fetal position on the cold muddy trail. Wes is either really tough or really stupid (I say that with love Wes) because he finished the 14 miles he set out to do that day. When I left my car solo and refueled 14 miles into my my 30 miler my current average pace was 10:33. Like I said it was a slow going early on. Over the course of the next 16 miles I got into a rhythm like never before. Everything was clicking and the miles were flying by. The only thing giving me a little grief was my right IT band. I would stop occasionally and stretch it and things would be all good. I ended up finishing the run at an overall pace of 10:07 making the last 16 miles pretty speedy. I'm going to pay a lot of attention to my IT band over the next week and am not really concerned about it being a long lasting problem.