Hike-a-Thong to MMT Training Run: Weeks 6 and 7 YM100s@50
Week Ending Feb. 12
Overview: A good buildup week following on previous week. Almost perfect in terms of getting everything in. Only missing one upper body session. Felt strong. Not too sore day after B2B.
Hike-a-Thong: Group run with Garth, Lesley, Paul, Ray and Jeff. Gorgeous weather, in 40s. Some light snow on ground earlier in day. Lots of navigational and other stops. One wrong turn toward end cost four of us extra mileage, so we then shortcutted to finish, ending up with one or so miles short of full twenty(ish). Challenging, fairly technical. Good amount of climbing. Pace slowed overall by large size of group, but picked up as four of us were focused on trying to finish it and minimize stoppage time.
Runs: 6 (5 days)
Longest: 5:55 (19 miles, Hike-a-Thong, Sterling Forest, mostly single track)
B2B: Friday 15 miles on Bridle Path in 2:13 (9:00 pace) + Saturday 19 miles trail = 34 miles/8:08 time on feet
Strength: 1 X legs, 1 X IronStrenght/full body, no upper body
Speed: 1 up/downhill workout with Mike Keohane on Cat Hill; 10 X reps up/down hill from 72nd Transverse (about .28m each); pace moderate-fast
Yoga: 1 Vinyasa class
Stretching: Most days
Complete rest days: one
Total Running: about 12.5 hours
Week Ending Feb. 19
Overview: This ended up being a major "backoff week" by default, though maybe in the end it's for good. The leg session Monday PM after a good morning run may have been too soon after the Fri./Sat. B2B. Knee soreness on both sides really set in Tuesday during run, which I kept short and nixed PM speework. After day off with crazy work and to continue icing/resting knees Wed., felt good Thurs run of little over an hour. Friday all-day travel to VA so no run. Sat. MMT run gets cut short (below), and then Sunday in DC with friends so no chance to run.
While I was planning a mini-taper leading in to MMT, I didn't intend this schedule at all! Knees, work schedule, travel, flat tire....everything seemed to conspire to cut back workout time! But the knee thing seems to have subsided and been one of those "rapid buildup" issues rather than anything else. Since it's bilateral I'm less concerned than I might be. But I am getting a little concerned that all this, plus missing Phunt and getting a late start on the 100 training, puts me behind schedule for MMT!
MMT Training Run #2: I was supposed to run 30.5 of the middle miles of the Massanutten 100 mile course. But a lousy flat tire on the way to the meeting point, and then need to replace tire, and then a wild goose chase with lousy Google maps on VA country roadsa...allthat got me to trail four hours late! So ended up doing a nice out and back and seeing some of the 30ish runners as they ran to their finish in Camp Roosevelt, where I started and finished. 7 miles out on the Massanutten trail up to (throught Edith Gap and past trailhead up to Kennedy peak) and just past where you take blue trail to head down to Habron Gap, and then back via the normal Stephens/Blue trail, which is slightly longer but meanders up and down on lower part of mountain. In the end, I'm glad I at least stuck it out to see some of the beautiful MMT course. Gorgeous day in the 50s and I stripped down to one layer. Dry. Without the leaves you could really appreciate the views of valleys and ridges on either side as you ran along the ridgeline. Really reinforced my sense that I'm committed to running MMT, in case I had any doubts. It's tough, it's scenic, and the people who put it on and run it are nice and first-class!
Runs: 4
Longest Run: 3:35 covering 14.45 miles at Massanutten on trails.
Total running time for week: 6:35
Weights: 1 leg session, 0 IronStrength, 1 mini-home upper/core (knee and time/work issues)
Yoga: 0 (no time, and protecting knees)
Speed: missed, protecting knees before MMT
Complete Rest Days: 3 (a record for year, but not relaxing given all the traveling and driving; about 15 hours of driving total for Fri-Mon.)
Weight for two weeks: 158-59 (too high)
End of week: Really tired from trip, and frustrated with not being able to get in full training run in VA. A catnap Tuesday turned into a two-hour nap like I never do! Febapple becomes more important than ever to build confidence and time on feet, so signed up right away when I got home on Monday night.
Overview: A good buildup week following on previous week. Almost perfect in terms of getting everything in. Only missing one upper body session. Felt strong. Not too sore day after B2B.
Hike-a-Thong: Group run with Garth, Lesley, Paul, Ray and Jeff. Gorgeous weather, in 40s. Some light snow on ground earlier in day. Lots of navigational and other stops. One wrong turn toward end cost four of us extra mileage, so we then shortcutted to finish, ending up with one or so miles short of full twenty(ish). Challenging, fairly technical. Good amount of climbing. Pace slowed overall by large size of group, but picked up as four of us were focused on trying to finish it and minimize stoppage time.
Runs: 6 (5 days)
Longest: 5:55 (19 miles, Hike-a-Thong, Sterling Forest, mostly single track)
B2B: Friday 15 miles on Bridle Path in 2:13 (9:00 pace) + Saturday 19 miles trail = 34 miles/8:08 time on feet
Strength: 1 X legs, 1 X IronStrenght/full body, no upper body
Speed: 1 up/downhill workout with Mike Keohane on Cat Hill; 10 X reps up/down hill from 72nd Transverse (about .28m each); pace moderate-fast
Yoga: 1 Vinyasa class
Stretching: Most days
Complete rest days: one
Total Running: about 12.5 hours
Week Ending Feb. 19
Overview: This ended up being a major "backoff week" by default, though maybe in the end it's for good. The leg session Monday PM after a good morning run may have been too soon after the Fri./Sat. B2B. Knee soreness on both sides really set in Tuesday during run, which I kept short and nixed PM speework. After day off with crazy work and to continue icing/resting knees Wed., felt good Thurs run of little over an hour. Friday all-day travel to VA so no run. Sat. MMT run gets cut short (below), and then Sunday in DC with friends so no chance to run.
While I was planning a mini-taper leading in to MMT, I didn't intend this schedule at all! Knees, work schedule, travel, flat tire....everything seemed to conspire to cut back workout time! But the knee thing seems to have subsided and been one of those "rapid buildup" issues rather than anything else. Since it's bilateral I'm less concerned than I might be. But I am getting a little concerned that all this, plus missing Phunt and getting a late start on the 100 training, puts me behind schedule for MMT!
MMT Training Run #2: I was supposed to run 30.5 of the middle miles of the Massanutten 100 mile course. But a lousy flat tire on the way to the meeting point, and then need to replace tire, and then a wild goose chase with lousy Google maps on VA country roadsa...allthat got me to trail four hours late! So ended up doing a nice out and back and seeing some of the 30ish runners as they ran to their finish in Camp Roosevelt, where I started and finished. 7 miles out on the Massanutten trail up to (throught Edith Gap and past trailhead up to Kennedy peak) and just past where you take blue trail to head down to Habron Gap, and then back via the normal Stephens/Blue trail, which is slightly longer but meanders up and down on lower part of mountain. In the end, I'm glad I at least stuck it out to see some of the beautiful MMT course. Gorgeous day in the 50s and I stripped down to one layer. Dry. Without the leaves you could really appreciate the views of valleys and ridges on either side as you ran along the ridgeline. Really reinforced my sense that I'm committed to running MMT, in case I had any doubts. It's tough, it's scenic, and the people who put it on and run it are nice and first-class!
Runs: 4
Longest Run: 3:35 covering 14.45 miles at Massanutten on trails.
Total running time for week: 6:35
Weights: 1 leg session, 0 IronStrength, 1 mini-home upper/core (knee and time/work issues)
Yoga: 0 (no time, and protecting knees)
Speed: missed, protecting knees before MMT
Complete Rest Days: 3 (a record for year, but not relaxing given all the traveling and driving; about 15 hours of driving total for Fri-Mon.)
Weight for two weeks: 158-59 (too high)
End of week: Really tired from trip, and frustrated with not being able to get in full training run in VA. A catnap Tuesday turned into a two-hour nap like I never do! Febapple becomes more important than ever to build confidence and time on feet, so signed up right away when I got home on Monday night.
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