Going Nowhere Fast

My excitement for running has peaked once again so it is once more an opportune time for a new post since my wife has got to be sick of me talking about running.

Last year I struggled through a knee injury that left questions in my head whether I would be able to stay injury free while training for ultra marathons. I was happy with my finish at Leadville given the circumstances, but I had higher goals going into the year. I had started physical therapy last spring (2013) which continued all the way through December. By then I was doing some light running.

Fall 2013 Weekly Distance

This year has progressed gradually without any lasting sharp knee pain like I had last year. I only run three times per week. I built up to 10 miles most Tuesday and Thursday mornings while the family is still sleeping and then a long run very early Saturday morning. My body likes it and it fits my family/work schedule well. My long runs have been great.

20+ Mile Runs This Year

On June 7th I raced at the Yankee Springs Trail Run marathon. It went well and I placed second overall. 3:14 was my best (of 2) trail marathons by 43 minutes.

Starting June 14th I have now switched to focusing on my main race of the year.  On August 30th I will be doing a 24 hour track race. In years past when people ask what I am training for and I tell them a 100 mile run in the Kettle Moraine or Rocky Mountains the usual response was "you are crazy". This year that has switched to "won't that be boring?". As much as I love trail running I am intrigued by the 24 hour track race since everything except the weather is a very controlled environment. I am not going 10 miles through the mountains between aid stations, I have access to everything every 1/4 mile.

A few of my recent workouts have been on the track and it is very hard to run slowly when your legs are fresh when on a track. I feel like I am most efficient running 8:00-8:30 pace while fresh. My strategy on those runs has been to walk one lap every 30 minutes which gives me a chance to consume some calories and water. The goal has been 200-240 calories per hour. I am going to try and decrease that a bit and train my body to become more efficient at using available fat instead. I can honestly say that I have not gotten bored at all while running on the track for 6 hours. I find it very peaceful and calming. Not having to focus on your footing frees the mind to both focus on nutrition and pace while also having time to let the mind wander.

Setting a goal for this race is difficult. On paper it seems so easy, but I know there will be ups and downs just like both of my 100 milers I have completed. I finished both 100 milers in the 26 hour range. Without any terrain and access to aid at all times I think 120 miles is an ambitious but attainable goal for my 24 hour race. That comes out to an average of 12 minute miles for 24 hours. The strategy to get to that number will evolve with many hours of training on the track and playing with spreadsheets.

While my running is normally a combination of running and nature, this year I am stripping out the nature aspect and getting down to just pure running.