Monday, May 24, 2010

Week 3 Kettle Training

Monday was a rest day from running.
300 push-ups
Squats and lunges

Tuesday
11 mile country road loop. Ran really well today 11 miles at an average 7:02 pace.
Pace felt easy today, it's always good to have a few good days like this before a race.
Wish every day could go this good.
300 push-ups
Ab work

Wednesday
13 mile Lands End out and back @ Clinton Lake. Met up with Gary afterwards and helped mark another 7 miles of the Hawk marathon and 50 mile coarse. Ran and marked the course in a thunderstorm and was a prune by the end.
375 push-ups
Squats and lunges

Thursday
Rain, rain go away. After 20 in the rain yesterday didn't feel like running in the rain again today. And the treadmill was not appealing either.
350 push-ups

Friday
Played hookie from work today. Slept in till 8:00 am. Went fishing with Jarret and met the wife for lunch. Then hit the road for 13 miles in the afternoon.

Saturday
Volunteered at the Hawk trail marathon and 50 mile. Had a blast helping runners all day. Was a really good time and a good friend of mine Brad Bishop won the 50 mile.

Sunday
Went out for an easy 17 miles today and explored some of the undeveloped rails to trails between Lyndon and Osage. Going to do some more exploring on thoses trails again soon.
Total for the week 61 miles. 13 days till race day.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Week 4 Kettle Training

Monday: Rest day from running.
300 push ups and Leg workout
Tuesday: 11 mile country road loop.
300 push ups and ab ripper X
Wednesday: 14 miles at the Governor's Mansion trails
Good run 8.12miles in 1 hour then 6 miles easy.
300 push ups and Leg workout
Thursday: 11 mile country road loop.
Good run 6 miles tempo @ 7:00 7:15 pace
5 miles easy run home
300 push ups and short ab workout
Friday: Rest day from running.
500 push ups and Leg workout
Saturday: 26 miles @ Clinton Lake North Shore Trails
26 mile trail run ran some east and some hard. Nice day for a trail run.
Sunday: 16 mile country road loop.
Didn't feel like running this morning but went out and got in a good 16 miles.
Glad I got out even though I didn't want to at first.
Good training week with Kettle Moraine now less than 3 week away. All my little ailments seem to be a major problem now. It will only get worse a the race gets closer. Looking to get in one more good week then 2 weeks easy and rest before race day. 78 miles this week, not to bad would of liked to of gotten in some more but not a bad week. Three good week in a row now so hopefully it will pay off come race day. Hoping to run somewhere around 19 hours if everything goes good. Have started thinking of my plan and got some things together will start putting more together as I have more time when I taper.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Kettle Moraine training week 5

Monday: I took a rest day from running after 80 miles last week. Not a bad start for 3 week of total deconstruction and then 2 week of rest and low mileage till race day.
300 Push Ups
Leg workout squats, lunges and calf raises.

Tuesday:
11 mile country road to Rails to Trails. 4.5 miles tempo run @ 7:15 pace. 6.5 easy on Rails.
300 Push Ups and Ab work.
Felt really good today, had a good solid run and got in a little ab work also. Meeting up with Dave Wakefield tomorrow for a trail run at the Governor's Mansion trails, so I'm sure that will be a good workout also.

Wednesday:
15 miles at the Governor's Mansion with Dave. 15 or so miles in a little over 2 hours on trails was a good run. Thanks Dave for getting me to run my ass off.
300 Push Ups
Leg workout again today.
Feeling really good to this point and looking forward to putting together another good training week.

Thursday
13 mile country road loop. Had another good run today, took it a little easier today. It was a great evening for a run.
300 push ups
Ab ripper X

Friday
No run today decided to rest for my long run Saturday.
520 push ups
Leg workout

Saturday
28.5 miles from home to Melvern Lake Turkey point. Had a great run today was glad I took a rest day yesterday. Had a little extra pep in my step. Ran a consistent 8 mpm pace for 20 miles. My wife brought my sister out to the 20 mile point and she ran the last 8.5 miles with me. Always good to have some company on a long run.

Sunday
20.5 miles from home to Melvern. Took it easy today it was all about putting miles on my ragged out legs today. Was a little chilly this morning but a good day for a run. Feeling really good about my training at this point. Don't want to jinks myself but I am running really well right now and feeling confident at this point. Hoping all the hard training will pay off on race day. There is something about running 100 miles I really look forward to. Hoping for a 19-20 hour finish at Kettle but we'll see you never know what might happen in a 100. Going to take Monday off and then hit it hard again next week. 87.5 miles this week and feeling really good with 2 weeks in a row over 80 miles. Legs feel good and strong and looking forward to another good week.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Kettle Moraine 100

Well here we go again, I had the Kettle Moraine 100 June 5th in Lagrange WI, on my list for this year and procrastinated signing up until last week. So now that my name is on the entry list and I only have 5 more weeks to get ready, all the worrying and feelings of not being ready are back.
Every time I have ran a race over 26 miles I have never felt like I was ready. Some where along the way in my so far short ultra career (1 year 6 months) I went from just wanting to complete an ultra to wanting to go out and compete. I'm not sure when or how that happened but it did, and I have found myself training and running harder. Most people think I'm crazy and that I probably over train, but I always feel like I'm under trained going into a race. And I always feel like I could have done more. Compounding the issues are, I still feel like I don't really know what I'm doing out there. Basically to this point I have just been winging it. I have never really had a fueling or hydration plan in place, and am not sure how I've gotten as far as I have. Maybe this all comes from experience and with more experience maybe I'll feel better about my training and racing. But for now I'm sure I will ever feel confident heading into a 100 miler. Of course maybe no one ever feels confident going into a 100. There is something about the 100 that really intrigues me and really gets my blood pumping. I love the challenge and love pushing the limits, and seeing how far I can go. I have thoughts of running races farther than 100 miles just to see if I can. And to see if I can find my breaking point. Dig deeper, push harder and never settle.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Misc. Ramblings

Yes, I know it's been a long time since my last blog. I'm lazy what can I say. Since Rocky Raccoon 100 I have been busy with work, running, training, working out and racing. My hope is to keep up better on my blog and give more insight into my training and racing. In April, I had 3 races in 4 weekends. And the one off weekend we went and watched the Kansas Marathon. April started with Rockin K 50 mile trail race in Kanopolis State Park, this race is one of my favorites as Phil and Stacy Sheridan and the Kansas Ultrarunners Society put on one great race and treat you like family. This is the toughest ultras in Kansas in my opinion. Or at least of the ones I have ran. I had trained hard for the race to see what I could do on this tough coarse. Other than a little dehydration on the second loop the run went really well. And a sub 10 hour (9:44) finish and 4th place there was a great way to start the race season. I have really come a long way in the last year. As last year was my first year running ultras. I guess I ran one ultra in 2008, but 2009 was my first full year. However, I still don't think I know what I'm doing out there. It takes time to learn, and I learn something new every race. The second weekend in April I went back to the place I ran my first 1/2 marathon exactly 2 years ago. I wanted to see how much I had improved and also got a couple fellow HME employees to run also. I didn't even have a pair of road shoes, so I ran the 1/2 in my Mizuno Cabrakans. The Eisenhower Marathon in Abilene, Kansas. This race went well as I stayed with the leaders for the first half the race and fell off a little on the return trip. Was still able to crush my previous PR in the 1/2 by 12 min. Finished in 7th place overall, and first in age, of 350+ in a time of 1:26 something. I was extremely happy with my run there and glad to see how much I had improved. The next weekend me and the wife went and watched the Kansas Marathon and although I wanted to jump in there a couple times I had a blast watching others run. Next up Free State 100K, another one of my favorites as Ben and Sophia and the Kansas City Trail Nerds put this one on at my home coarse of Clinton Lake and the North Shore Trails. I train here a lot and run these trails more than any. I really wanted to have a good run here also on my home turf. The race went well till mile 25 or so when I slipped and hyper extended my left hip. What I thought at the time was a hamstring problem but know think a hip problem, left me with a pain in my ass.

Not knowing I decided to gimp my way back and take a 40 mile finish. Free State was the muddiest run I have ever ran in and the conditions were less than perfect. But, through that I was still able to get a 6:15 finish in the 40 and what would have been good for 2nd in the 40 had I not dropped down. I was also running in the top 2-3 in the 100K at the time. This has been a good April , and I will take that and learn from it and get better. Stay tuned as I blog about my training leading up to my next big run the Kettle Moraine 100 on June 5th, in LaGrange, Wisconsin.