GRT 50k Training Week 9
I made it to the halfway point of training! 18 weeks is a long time to train, and I think it is important to celebrate the mini milestones, especially the half way point. There is still a lot of work to do, and may more miles to put in, but it is exciting to be half way to race day and a celebration of my training.
Week 9 happened to be the first week of another training block - the 50k specific training. These next few weeks focus on increasing the long runs and hill repeats, as well as the dreaded back to back long runs.
Here was Week 9:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Long Hill Repeats
Wednesday: XT
Thursday: 75-90 min long run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3 to 4 hour long run
Sunday: 70-90 min long run, Jasyoga- Recovery Boost
Total: 38.38 miles
* McMillian 3hab, Strength, Core programs 2-3 times per week
The Long Hill Repeats followed the same structure as the previous hill workouts, but increasing in distance. Though the repeats were only a minute more than previous weeks, I found them challenging but doable. I really focused on the end result towards the last few repeats, and told myself I would be glad for this work come race day.
Per my previous post regarding flexibility with running by time, I ran on the shorter end of the range for Thursday's long run because I knew I would be running higher on Sunday. This week was a big jump in miles for me, especially with three long runs, and I wanted to be conscientious of my overall fatigue. Last week I felt extremely worn out by the time the long run rolled around, so I held back a little in hopes it would pay off.
It did, and I had a solid long run on Saturday. I really forced myself to slow down, put my mile time pride aside, and this really helped me to finish with a pretty even pace throughout the run. Mentally I felt great, with only a few low moments that were easily lifted with some food.
Sunday was a struggle. I knew I would be running a bit over my assigned time since it was a Oiselle IL team run, but I definitely miscalculated how poorly I would feel. I also blame not enough sleep (hello daylight savings!), and I was was not feeling so great after a fun evening of beer and cheese at a local brewery. All of this combined as a perfect storm and it was a very brutal 10+ miles going very slow. However, my coach's notes were "time on your feet is more important than pace in a long, steady run. Run easy and run long". I definitely did both. My pace was nothing to brag about, but I finished the run, and that was 27 miles in 24 hours that I put on my legs which will help me on race day.
Runner Highs:
Week 9 happened to be the first week of another training block - the 50k specific training. These next few weeks focus on increasing the long runs and hill repeats, as well as the dreaded back to back long runs.
Here was Week 9:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Long Hill Repeats
Wednesday: XT
Thursday: 75-90 min long run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3 to 4 hour long run
Sunday: 70-90 min long run, Jasyoga- Recovery Boost
Total: 38.38 miles
* McMillian 3hab, Strength, Core programs 2-3 times per week
The Long Hill Repeats followed the same structure as the previous hill workouts, but increasing in distance. Though the repeats were only a minute more than previous weeks, I found them challenging but doable. I really focused on the end result towards the last few repeats, and told myself I would be glad for this work come race day.
Per my previous post regarding flexibility with running by time, I ran on the shorter end of the range for Thursday's long run because I knew I would be running higher on Sunday. This week was a big jump in miles for me, especially with three long runs, and I wanted to be conscientious of my overall fatigue. Last week I felt extremely worn out by the time the long run rolled around, so I held back a little in hopes it would pay off.
It did, and I had a solid long run on Saturday. I really forced myself to slow down, put my mile time pride aside, and this really helped me to finish with a pretty even pace throughout the run. Mentally I felt great, with only a few low moments that were easily lifted with some food.
Sunday was a struggle. I knew I would be running a bit over my assigned time since it was a Oiselle IL team run, but I definitely miscalculated how poorly I would feel. I also blame not enough sleep (hello daylight savings!), and I was was not feeling so great after a fun evening of beer and cheese at a local brewery. All of this combined as a perfect storm and it was a very brutal 10+ miles going very slow. However, my coach's notes were "time on your feet is more important than pace in a long, steady run. Run easy and run long". I definitely did both. My pace was nothing to brag about, but I finished the run, and that was 27 miles in 24 hours that I put on my legs which will help me on race day.
Runner Highs:
- Nutrition: I made a point this week to focus on quality meals with recovery promoting ingredients such as ginger and turmeric. I was strapped for time after my long run on Saturday, but I made sure to carry a Picky Bar with me to eat and jump start recovery despite not feeling hungry.
- Running Form: I have noticed that my running form has changed...for the better. I believe this is truly the influence of all the strength and core work I have done. I notice my glutes and quads firing more, my stride has changed to maximize push-off, and while at times I don't feel as fluid since I am getting used to running differently, I know my overall running economy is so much better.
- Slowing down: Pacing has been hard for me, and I definitely forced myself to care less about what my pace was. This makes running long so much more enjoyable.
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| Homemade dhal for extra recovery boost! |
Challenges:
- Recovery: My recovery just plain sucked this week. It was my own fault, and it is hard to balance training and life. In hindsight, a night of beer and cheese after a 3.5 hour run was a horrible idea knowing I had to run long again the next day, but it is also important for me to go out and do fun things with my husband. I am definitely not going to make a habit of this, and my Sunday long run was enough punishment!
- Comparison: I am still struggling with the comparison game. Not so much to others, but to my training last year. I find myself constantly comparing mileage and paces, and wondering why I am not having some of the effortless long runs I had last year. While some of this comparison has been a good thing as it helped me realize that I was running too fast, but I need to stop thinking about where I was and focus on where I am now.
This coming week I have easier mid week runs leading up to a 4 hour fast finish long run on Saturday. Here is hoping my recovery from this week is speedy and I will feel ready to tackle a big run at the end of the week.
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