3rd Annual BPL Spring Run -Zion Training Thread

[Hiking Malto]

Here we go again. This thread is for training related posts. There is a separate thread for the actual trip details. So lets hear it, need some inspirational training stories to get me motivated.

[W I S N E R !]

Cool Greg.

I'll use the format I used last time:
Day of week- miles (R)oad or (T)rail or (B)ackpacking with a weekly total.
Sample:
M- 3T / T- rest / W- 5R ….etc.

It's still a long way out, but the logs did help me get motivated last time around, so I'll start posting at the end of this coming week.

[Mike M]

it helps me as well, both as motivation and as a learning tool- the last training thread I learned a ton!

[Eugene Smith]

Perhaps not the the sort of inspiration you were looking for Greg, but if can't help but share this. So I figure ill kickstart this thread with a dose of humorous and vile reality.

So last week on a short recovery run post Mt Taylor 50K, I was quickly rounding a blind corner on the trail blocked by a large outcrop of boulders. Feeling surprisingly spry I quickly made the turn with my attention on a particularly rocky bit of footing. To my surprise I look up trail at a junction to find two heavy set individuals going at it on top of a flat boulder like they were in a casting scene for 'Wild Mating Beasts of the Serengeti'.

I wasn't able to immediately process what I was witnessing and once it clicked I halted my pace to a dead stop like Wile E Coyote, digging my heels into the trail. The only thing I thought to say was "Seriously!?", with my hands raised up in disgust at the couple. Understand, this was at 12 high noon with the sun overhead on a quick run on my lunch break. Quite possibly tje last thing I expected to see. The ritual took place right alongside the trail , a mere 4ft from where I needed to pass.

Without breaking his "stride" the dude shrugged his shoulder at me in slight embarrassment and says "come on by man, you can pass, don't mind me none!"

I turned around in a state of confusion and ended my run right there. Afterwards, having some time to collect my thoughts I wasn't sure whether I should have congratulated the guy or responded the way I had.

A first for me on a run and one for the books. This morning on a run with my friend out on the same trail we passed the flat rock where the act occurred and I jokingly nudged him and said," Hey Pete, stay away from that rock right there."

Happy running.

[Art …]

on our SoCal trails we run by blond super models all the time,
but Eugene's experience …. arrrrrgggh

[Ozzy McKinney]

Good idea for winter stoke for sure.

Not sure I'll have any reports with heavyset mating in them. At least I hope not. I thought you were going to say he invited you in! Ick.

But the sun is shining in the PNW right now, so the wife and I are headed out for a few miles around a local lake with nice single track. Last week I think I got in about 10 miles, this week hoping for a few more.

[Mike M]

blonde super models as well in Montana :)

[Eugene Smith]

Super models?

Time to relocate.

[Mike M]

I took it relatively easy this week as I found my legs were pretty fatigued from Sunday's race. Yesterday's run was not so easy however, 16 miles (8 in and 8 out) to the Sleeping Giant- no trail and roughly 5700' of elevation gain (much of the tiptoe variety!)- took us over 5 hours to complete!

week looked like this: strength/3 miles trails/off/6 miles trails/strength/16 miles trails/7 miles trails 32 miles total

Sleeping Giant (he's lying on his back- head to the right)

[Ozzy McKinney]

Looks like a cool spot Mike. I assume the second picture is of the giants "face"?

I clearly have some work to do. My week was 3/off/3/off/hike/off/3. For a grand total of 9 miles. But my brother is up from Chile with my 14 month old niece, so it has been fun to hang out with her. She is a hoot, and loves riding in the carrier for hikes. We took her on her first backpacking trip a few weeks ago, she digs it.

[Mike M]

yup that's from the backside looking at his face

[Mike M]

I'm going to pull back my running a little- going to shoot for 25-30 miles/week vs 35-40+/week; I'll probably cut back to 4 days of running vs 5 as well

anyone have any thoughts on a what I anticipate as a couple of month pullback? I've been pushing it pretty good for the last 5-6 months and thought I might benefit from a little pullback???????

thoughts?

[Art …]

sounds like a smart idea Mike.
some down time can be very rejuvenating.
your plan is not even that much of a pullback compared to your normal training, so I would not be concerned about losing much.

(talk about down time, I have run 3 miles in the last 3 weeks, of course I'm putting in 16 hours a week house remodeling, so not exactly resting. great upper body cross training though).

[BlackHatGuy]

Assume no one is interested! :-)

[W I S N E R !]

You'll be fine Mike.
I'm reading a training book right now that highly stresses the value of recovery and the fact that most more regular runners don't get enough of it.
Throw in some cross training cardio and stay off your legs a little while.
______________________________________________

Still paddling more miles than I run.

Broke a toe in the rocks surfing the Channel Islands last weekend so running is out for a little bit again.

I'm going to try something different this time around though:
3 runs/week max, with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

[Mike M]

Doug- sent you a pm on the socks :)

Craig- ouch! what book are you reading on training? I think quality over quantity is the right track.

Mike

[Eugene Smith]

I'm not suggesting you're overtraining, Mike, but here's two recent articles from iRunfar that touch on the subject.

http://www.irunfar.com/2013/09/overtraining-syndrome-part-one.html

http://www.irunfar.com/2013/10/overtraining-syndrome-part-two-treatment-and-prevention.html

I still need to finish reading Part 1.

[Mike M]

Eugene- thanks I'll read up on those. I don't think I'm really over training either, just that I might possibly benefit from a pullback for awhile, but then again maybe not :)

Mike

[Eugene Smith]

Often the benefits to cutting back a percentage of volume are not even physical, rather more quality time at home, catching up on projects and loose ends, relationship with the spouse and kids, etc.

I'm currently enjoying a brief period of downtime from running. I'm supposed to run a few sections of course this weekend for a fatass 50K we're putting on late November, but an outdoor dining table project for my momma is in order.

[W I S N E R !]

Mike, I'm reading Run Less, Run Faster by Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, and Ray Moss.

The general premise is quality over quantity and adding intensity. Their programs build off of the idea of 3/2 workouts: 3 runs and 2 cross training sessions/week. One run is typically track intervals and repeats, one run is a short to medium but faster tempo, and one is long…but even on the long runs they favor adding a bit of intensity over mileage. The cross training workouts are supposed to be cardio based and fairly intense as well; primarily swimming and cycling. Something to keep your heart and lungs working, mix things up a bit and avoid burnout, and give the running muscles a rest.

I'm a notorious junk mile runner. I love running to be in the woods, don't get me wrong, but as for developing as a runner I've been on a plateau for a very long time. Their program makes sense to me, so we'll see.

[Hiking Malto]

And I have a problem. I keep trying to take a rest day but I keep finding myself working out anyway. I am starting to find running is like crack. The good news is that after several years of hating running I am actually starting to really like it as a stress relief.

Mike,
I am a firm believer, and now huge violator, of quality over quantity. I continue to believe that weekly base miles alone are not of good judge of training success. I believe focusing on a single long run then one quality mid week training objective combined with cross training to be far superior. I hope to shift to this strategy in a couple of weeks. It has worked the last three years to get my lazy self in shape for various events.

[Art …]

over training is relative to ones base, but I'd say Mike's 40 mi/ week is not over training.

even "most" high end trail runners have a significant down period once a year. and its as much for the mind as it is for the body.
Mike – you could even drop to 15 miles and 3 days a week and it would be fine, as long as you didn't stay there too long.

as far as training –
I find 4 days a week to be best in early season, then 5 days a week is preferred once I get into mid season training, with 2-3 weeks of 6 days as I try and peak for the main event of the year.

and of course "Quality" – but exactly what is that ??
we all feel sometimes we are running just to add on some miles to our tally.
so what is everyone's definition of Quality Miles ?

a good mix of runs during the week works for me :
1 long run, easy intensity (5+ hours)
2 intermediate length runs, intermediate intensity (2-2.5 hours each)
1-3 shorter high intensity runs (45-60 minutes each)
the high intensity short runs are often hill work.
(in mid season I will sometimes reverse the intensity level between the intermediate and short runs just for a change of pace).

I refer to hours rather than miles because terraine affects pace so much.
I am a big believer in trying to train on the type of terraine your target event will be on.

[Mike M]

good info everyone! :)

finished up the week w/ 24 miles

strength/5.5/0/3.5/strength/9/6- where I'm running I'm getting good hill work thrown in consistently, my 9 mile run had ~2700' of gain, even my 3.5 mile run had ~800'

I'll shoot for a long run in the mid-teens for next weekend and continue to keep my midweek runs on the shorter side

[Mike M]

only ran three times this week, but had some quality runs and ended the week w/ 24 miles and ~ 6100' of elevation

strength/7.5/5.5/0/strength/0/11.5

[W I S N E R !]

Surfed 6 days for a total of almost 12 hours this week.
Ran 5K trail on Monday.
Strength training twice.
Out the door before it's too dark for an easy 6 mile trail run with my son right now (he rides his MTB while I run).

Trying to get the running habit going again…slowly.

Starting to get psyched about running, I've been daydreaming about a few big new loops in the local mountains.

[Author]

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