Scott loves trails

Bighorn 100 Training Log: Weeks 21 and 20 to Go    Juggling some racing for fun and training continued to be the name of the game for the two weeks ending last Sunday.  I already blogged about the Batona 50, and last Saturday it was the BRR-ooklyn Half Marathon in Prospect Park.  I'll write something about it and the Hot Chocolate 10 miler in a separate post.  But for now I can close the books on a fun January of four weekends, four races--with my trail yin in perfect balance with my road (huh, did he say road ?) yang!  I guess it helps make up for doing only two races during the last six months of 2013.  Now it's time to get down to the more serious business of getting ready for Bighorn in June, and the Mt. Whitney climb March 22-25. *********************************************************** Week Ending Jan. 19 :   Brief recovery then training through, mileage step-up week   Runs:  5 Est. Mileage = 60.2 Mileage Target = 44 (per Relentless Forward Progress

Well, both fat ass events were held in the Garden State, on trails, with zero entry fees, and in the month of January.  But otherwise the conditions and terrain couldn't have been more different.  It was frigid cold and multiple 6.4-mile loops through  rolling, semi-technical trails in suburban (but not suburban-feeling) Watchung Reservation. Versus mild cold on a flat point to point course with mostly good footing, running north-south/southeast along the Batona Trail, through pine forests and skirting bogs, lakes, and streams.  The New Jersey landscape I ran through for 50k #1 on Jan. 4th.... And the rather different NJ I ran through for 50K #2 on Jan. 19th Both events were really enjoyable for me, but for different reasons .  While I ground out a finish at Watchung when most folks went home early and took a finish at a shorter distance, I managed a faster pace under the better conditions at Batona, running four more miles (36 versus 32) in 23 fewer minutes (8:20 versu

Bighorn Training Weeks 22 and 23 to Go     The 24 weeks of Bighorn training are officially underway and off to a great start.  I'm trying to follow, very loosely, a training plan of that length for a 100 miler, peaking at a few 70 mile weeks, that's contained in Bryon Powell's Relentless Forward Progress book.    At the same time as I start to ramp up (from a good December base of 30-something mile weeks), I'm giving myself the luxury of "scratching the racing itch" more frequently than usual during this early stretch (maybe about President's Day?), as I raced quite little over the second half of '13.  Why that move in this base-extending phase?  Well, for starters, I've missed the racing and I think I need to get back into that mindset a little.  And second, I really want to inject some speed back into the legs, through some road racing, some more runnable 50k's and speedwork.  I'm also trying to work on flexibility and strengt