Today marks 100 days until my first 100 mile race - kinda cool to say, eh? I suppose the fact that I can never say that again (without being a complete liar, I suppose) kind of astounds me; how I've planned, trained, taken slow steps towards this goal, and now the magic 2 digit countdown begins only hours from now.
I'm pausing to reflect: How do I feel? Anxious? At times. Prepared? Not quite yet. I've got at least two 40-50 mile long runs I want to hit prior to the race. Scared? I'd be a massive liar if I didn't say yes. Excited? Again, massively lying if no was my answer.
I fully expect to machine-gun-through all of those and the other ten thousand emotions out there on the trail come October.
About this guy...
- rustyboy
- Lanky. Good guy. Likes running, ukulele, the ocean, and French fries. I love running ultra-marathons, but am also a certified massage therapist, running coach, writer, and other such things. Come: Enjoy the rustyboy experience.
7 comments:
My running hat is off too you for even printing out the application... whew. Well, I guess speedwork may not be part of the training program. And 40-50 mile training runs are the longest ones? Just wondering, I've never seen a training program for a 100 mile 'race'. Not that you should be running longer than that this weekend, don't get me wrong... what's your average weekly or peak mileage?
I've been reading up on what runner's long run top off at for 100 miler training, and only a very few go beyond 50. I think it's an injury-preventative-thing. My weekly mileage at the moment floats around 45-50, but I'm building towards 65 mpw. Many articles I've read suggest that anything beyond 60 mpw becomes "junk mileage" and that to really get to the next level, you have to run much, MUCH higher mileage to see results.
Mostly, it's all about the back-to-back long runs (as you know - hell, you ran 100k!). So, my 40 mile long run on a Saturday will be followed by a 20 mile run on Sunday instead of an easy recovery run.
God, just typing that made me exhausted.
Mmmmm...junk miles...
The training is the hardest part, right? Right? It can't get worse after that. Can it?
There's not enough Tylenol in the world to get me through a 100 mile running race. Mind if I live it through you?
What kind of shoes do you wear for that distance? Something minimalist, or hugely padded? I'm intrigued!
:-)
Jodi
Jodi - I wear Trail Asics, the 2120's. They're fairly padded since the terrain out west tend to be sandy/rocky and can ding the hell out of the soles of your feet.
I have tried on more minimalist shoes, like INOV8's. and I could tell that the banging of 100 miles would probably destroy my legs in something that low-profile.
What's that heel that feels like a sneaker? Maybe I'll give those a shot.
It your right to be anxious. I'm about to attempt to run 50 and could pee in my pants!!!
Thanks for sharing the training info, it makes sense. I must me an enabler, I just used the phrase 'makes sense' with training for a 100-miler, but I'm not making light of whatever gets you ready. I've never done a 40-mile training run followed by a 20-miler the next day, but I don't find it that strange, which means I'm a lost cause, too. The fact that you can do all that on trail hills is pretty incredible, so I'll avert my widening eye act and move along and give you the 'runner's nod'.
Post a Comment