Last Buildup and Taper for Massanutten: A Retrospective Summary
Things got so crazy with work, family, etc. that I never had a moment to sit down and blog the training for my last five weeks leading up to Massanutten. Here are the broad outlines I can reconstruct looking back post-race, from my Garmin and my sketchy memory and a few notes scrawled to myself along the way!
Week #15 (4 to go to MMT, ending 4/15)
Overview: This week was about moving from recovery from the mega-training run previous Saturday of 41 miles in Harriman (and from Tues. speedwork, my first organized session in a while) on to Traprock Saturday as my last tune-up race pre-MMT.
Total running time: 9:55 (3-week moving average= 11.15 hours)
Total runs: 5
Speedwork: 1 (Keohane class: 6 X half mile on lower loop of C.P.)
Weight: 155ish
Yoga: 1 Vinyasa class
Strength: 1 Iron Strength full body and one upper body
Other: 1 brief swim, one ice bath, one hot/cold bath
Long trail run/Race: Traprock 50K (see results list....7:02:45, 13:48 pace)
splits........
Traprock overview: Beat last year's time by a good 12 minutes. Felt amazingly good first two loops. Slowed down a lot first half of loop 3, picked it up some in middle, and made a strong push on the last crumbly "road" section before the last long climb/descent. But couldn't quite get under 7 hours. Still, a confidence booster. Warm weather. Quickly down to t-shirt ditching arm warmers and vest. Then down to singlet for last loop (or was it 2?). Weird shivering episode at gas station on way back when stopping for gas. Ate too much post-race? Underhydrated? Whatever it was, it was set off by being in AC in car, lightly dressed, and then getting a sudden gust of cool wind when stepping out of car.
Week #15 (3 to go to MMT, week ending 4/22)
Overview: Last week of hard training before taper. Had hoped to get in either one longer run or a B2B. In the event, group wasn't up for more time/distance, but knowing that I made it out to Rocky day before for first time of season and got in a really high quality hill run and a sort of mini-B2B. Week of overnight trip to Providence for Brown conference.
Total runs: 5 (incl. 1-hour brisk treadmill run at Providence hotel).
Total time: 10 hours (pretty close guess-timate)
Three week moving average (guess-timate): 10:05 hours
Strength: mini-Iron strength (legs, core)? nothing else?
Speed: Solo cruise intervals (of sorts), slowing only to training pace on recoveries--3 mile repeats on outer Reservoir (7:40/7:43/7:36) with "recoveries" of 1:26 (.2m), 1:08 (.13m) and 1:06 (.13m)
Back to back long trail runs: #1 Hard continuous run on mega-hills and carriage trails at Rockefeller, emphasizing all the longest hills and staying under 10 minute pace throughout (Friday). 2:00:03 for 12.17m @ 9:51; #2 Palisades run with Garth (and Lesley I think). 5:07:09 for 18.06 miles (17:00 pace) with 3 or so of the full Escarpment 400-500' climbs/descents, including stoppage/reload-at-car time and last 3 miles solo. On hot day. Felt strong both days.
Yoga: 1 (?)
Week #16 (2 to go to MMT, week ending 4/29, first week of 3-week taper)
Overview: Taper starts! Didn't cut length of runs too much, except long run. Aim was to cut back like 10-25% of total volume.
Runs: 5 (?)
Total time on feet (?): 6:45 hours (based on guess of three non-recorded runs and usual 5 runs/week)
Speed: On Reservoir track, half/mile/half (cut short last interval which was planned as mile, felt sudden tightness in both quads as I recall, didn't want to risk anything). Solo.
Long trail run: In Palisades, with Lesley, Garth and Paul. 2:57:12 for 12.76m @ 13:53 pace. Felt good on last section on LP heading back south to Police Station and just took off running sub-10s, then ran partway past station down hill, then back up. Felt awesome. Warmish day.
Strength: Either one Iron or one pure legs, no upper body I remember (time factor).
Weight: ~156
Other: one massage, one Yoga (?0
Week #17 (1 to go to MMT, week ending 5/6, second taper week)
Overview: Taper proceeds. Mostly cut runs to about 50 minutes. Cut way back on "long" run. Extra day off. Aim was to be about 50% of peak time on feet.
Runs: 4
Swim: 1
Strength: 1 last legs session, but only one set each, about 10-11 days out. 1 last upper/core session.
Total running: 3:48 hours approx.
"Long" run: 1:18:09 Saturday (one week out) in Palisades--6.28 miles @ 12:27 pace (solo, the "gang" running Bear Mountain today or doing an AR)
Yoga: 1
Rest days: One Tues or Wed., then Fri., then Sun.
Week #18: Race Week! Week ending 5/14
Mon. 45 minutes moderate, stretching
Tues. rest/massage
Wed. 35 minutes moderate, stretching
Thurs. 30 minutes moderate, stretching
Fri. travel/rest
Sat./Sun. MMT!!!!
Total running time pre-race for week: about 1:50 hours!
Week #15 (4 to go to MMT, ending 4/15)
Overview: This week was about moving from recovery from the mega-training run previous Saturday of 41 miles in Harriman (and from Tues. speedwork, my first organized session in a while) on to Traprock Saturday as my last tune-up race pre-MMT.
Total running time: 9:55 (3-week moving average= 11.15 hours)
Total runs: 5
Speedwork: 1 (Keohane class: 6 X half mile on lower loop of C.P.)
Weight: 155ish
Yoga: 1 Vinyasa class
Strength: 1 Iron Strength full body and one upper body
Other: 1 brief swim, one ice bath, one hot/cold bath
Long trail run/Race: Traprock 50K (see results list....7:02:45, 13:48 pace)
splits........
Traprock overview: Beat last year's time by a good 12 minutes. Felt amazingly good first two loops. Slowed down a lot first half of loop 3, picked it up some in middle, and made a strong push on the last crumbly "road" section before the last long climb/descent. But couldn't quite get under 7 hours. Still, a confidence booster. Warm weather. Quickly down to t-shirt ditching arm warmers and vest. Then down to singlet for last loop (or was it 2?). Weird shivering episode at gas station on way back when stopping for gas. Ate too much post-race? Underhydrated? Whatever it was, it was set off by being in AC in car, lightly dressed, and then getting a sudden gust of cool wind when stepping out of car.
Week #15 (3 to go to MMT, week ending 4/22)
Overview: Last week of hard training before taper. Had hoped to get in either one longer run or a B2B. In the event, group wasn't up for more time/distance, but knowing that I made it out to Rocky day before for first time of season and got in a really high quality hill run and a sort of mini-B2B. Week of overnight trip to Providence for Brown conference.
Total runs: 5 (incl. 1-hour brisk treadmill run at Providence hotel).
Total time: 10 hours (pretty close guess-timate)
Three week moving average (guess-timate): 10:05 hours
Strength: mini-Iron strength (legs, core)? nothing else?
Speed: Solo cruise intervals (of sorts), slowing only to training pace on recoveries--3 mile repeats on outer Reservoir (7:40/7:43/7:36) with "recoveries" of 1:26 (.2m), 1:08 (.13m) and 1:06 (.13m)
Back to back long trail runs: #1 Hard continuous run on mega-hills and carriage trails at Rockefeller, emphasizing all the longest hills and staying under 10 minute pace throughout (Friday). 2:00:03 for 12.17m @ 9:51; #2 Palisades run with Garth (and Lesley I think). 5:07:09 for 18.06 miles (17:00 pace) with 3 or so of the full Escarpment 400-500' climbs/descents, including stoppage/reload-at-car time and last 3 miles solo. On hot day. Felt strong both days.
Yoga: 1 (?)
Week #16 (2 to go to MMT, week ending 4/29, first week of 3-week taper)
Overview: Taper starts! Didn't cut length of runs too much, except long run. Aim was to cut back like 10-25% of total volume.
Runs: 5 (?)
Total time on feet (?): 6:45 hours (based on guess of three non-recorded runs and usual 5 runs/week)
Speed: On Reservoir track, half/mile/half (cut short last interval which was planned as mile, felt sudden tightness in both quads as I recall, didn't want to risk anything). Solo.
Long trail run: In Palisades, with Lesley, Garth and Paul. 2:57:12 for 12.76m @ 13:53 pace. Felt good on last section on LP heading back south to Police Station and just took off running sub-10s, then ran partway past station down hill, then back up. Felt awesome. Warmish day.
Strength: Either one Iron or one pure legs, no upper body I remember (time factor).
Weight: ~156
Other: one massage, one Yoga (?0
Week #17 (1 to go to MMT, week ending 5/6, second taper week)
Overview: Taper proceeds. Mostly cut runs to about 50 minutes. Cut way back on "long" run. Extra day off. Aim was to be about 50% of peak time on feet.
Runs: 4
Swim: 1
Strength: 1 last legs session, but only one set each, about 10-11 days out. 1 last upper/core session.
Total running: 3:48 hours approx.
"Long" run: 1:18:09 Saturday (one week out) in Palisades--6.28 miles @ 12:27 pace (solo, the "gang" running Bear Mountain today or doing an AR)
Yoga: 1
Rest days: One Tues or Wed., then Fri., then Sun.
Week #18: Race Week! Week ending 5/14
Mon. 45 minutes moderate, stretching
Tues. rest/massage
Wed. 35 minutes moderate, stretching
Thurs. 30 minutes moderate, stretching
Fri. travel/rest
Sat./Sun. MMT!!!!
Total running time pre-race for week: about 1:50 hours!
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