Earth Day 50k Recovery Week 3
It's hard to believe that three weeks has passed since my first 50k. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and other days my body reminds me that it wasn't. This past week marked the third and final week of scheduled rest, and I am feeling very ready to jump into maintenance mode. I did very little running and while that feels strange, I tried to enjoy it because I know what's a few months ahead.
Here was what my week looked like:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 min of strength training
Wednesday: 2 mile walk
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 4 easy miles
Saturday: 6 easy miles
The focus on this week was less cross training and more running, and I was glad for that. Wednesday was a bit of a strange day for me as I was scheduled to run about 3-4 miles, but I wanted to attend an event at the local forest preserve for "Wellness Wednesday", and this meant walking. Let's be clear, I am not above walking at all, but it was so difficult for me to walk in a spot that I am so used to running. I know every bump on the trail, all the places to pick up speed and coast, and it was hard to hold back. I was well rewarded when the guest for the series was Adam Kimble, an ultra-runner that I have followed on social media since he ran across the US in 60 days.
One thing I noticed when training for my ultra is that there is a definite lack of information when it comes to ultra-marathons. You really need to do some digging for information on hydration, fuel, training, etc. I have found my best resources are those who have been through an ultra, or do them for a living. Not only is the information based upon experience, but I find anyone who pushes themselves further and further inspiring. It ended up being a pretty awesome experience to meet someone who has inspired me along the way, especially someone who grew up in this area, with a story similar to my own. I didn't always run and I never saw myself as someone who would have run a 50k. Somehow over the years running has brought some pretty amazing people into my life, as well as some of the most profound experiences that have changed me and my outlook on life. Hearing about how running has taken Adam to some pretty awesome places, I feel lucky to have had a lot of this in my own life. Between running distances further than I ever imagined, or some of the awesome people I have met along the way, I can never say one bad thing about being a runner, and an endurance one at that. It will be a while before I would ever consider something further than a 50k, but I can honestly say today that the Earth Day 50k will not be my last.
I am ready to get back to work and focus on the Daniel's Blue Plan for maintenance. I am shifting my focus back to speed workouts over the next few weeks to build back up my speed before I fully shift into marathon mode. It's strange how when I trained for the ultra, I felt out of sorts with the training as the focus was completely different than that of a marathon, and now that it is time to focus on the marathon, I find myself missing training for the ultra.
Never fear, because I have a 10 mile trail race coming up in July that will let me utilize my trail strengths before hitting the pavement again for the Chicago Marathon.
Here was what my week looked like:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 min of strength training
Wednesday: 2 mile walk
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 4 easy miles
Saturday: 6 easy miles
 |
| Recovery means lots of trail time |
The focus on this week was less cross training and more running, and I was glad for that. Wednesday was a bit of a strange day for me as I was scheduled to run about 3-4 miles, but I wanted to attend an event at the local forest preserve for "Wellness Wednesday", and this meant walking. Let's be clear, I am not above walking at all, but it was so difficult for me to walk in a spot that I am so used to running. I know every bump on the trail, all the places to pick up speed and coast, and it was hard to hold back. I was well rewarded when the guest for the series was Adam Kimble, an ultra-runner that I have followed on social media since he ran across the US in 60 days.
One thing I noticed when training for my ultra is that there is a definite lack of information when it comes to ultra-marathons. You really need to do some digging for information on hydration, fuel, training, etc. I have found my best resources are those who have been through an ultra, or do them for a living. Not only is the information based upon experience, but I find anyone who pushes themselves further and further inspiring. It ended up being a pretty awesome experience to meet someone who has inspired me along the way, especially someone who grew up in this area, with a story similar to my own. I didn't always run and I never saw myself as someone who would have run a 50k. Somehow over the years running has brought some pretty amazing people into my life, as well as some of the most profound experiences that have changed me and my outlook on life. Hearing about how running has taken Adam to some pretty awesome places, I feel lucky to have had a lot of this in my own life. Between running distances further than I ever imagined, or some of the awesome people I have met along the way, I can never say one bad thing about being a runner, and an endurance one at that. It will be a while before I would ever consider something further than a 50k, but I can honestly say today that the Earth Day 50k will not be my last.
I am ready to get back to work and focus on the Daniel's Blue Plan for maintenance. I am shifting my focus back to speed workouts over the next few weeks to build back up my speed before I fully shift into marathon mode. It's strange how when I trained for the ultra, I felt out of sorts with the training as the focus was completely different than that of a marathon, and now that it is time to focus on the marathon, I find myself missing training for the ultra.
Never fear, because I have a 10 mile trail race coming up in July that will let me utilize my trail strengths before hitting the pavement again for the Chicago Marathon.
Comments
Post a Comment