Headed to Hennepin Hundred 50 Mile Training

It's hard to believe it has been a month since the GRT 50k. At times it feels like so long ago, yet other times it makes me sad that it is over. I am thankful I had a wonderful experience, as it gave me the confidence to head towards my next goal - the Hennepin Hundred.

In October I will be running my first 50 mile race, the Hennepin Hundred (50 mile option). I chose this race for several reasons. First, it is a point to point course for the 50 mile option and I love point to point races. I find that this mentally makes me feel like I am always running towards something, and I don't get bored by a repetitive trail. Second, it is a flat course. I could make this so much harder on myself and choose a mountainous or hill 50, but I figured that running 50 miles is enough, so I'll go with a flat course. This will present challenges as this actually is a bit harder on the legs without a varied terrain, but I will likely appreciate the fact that I don't have to run up or down giant hills. Lastly, I have run other races directed by this director, Michele Hartwig, and they are always fantastic.

I spent some time thinking about a training plan. I knew I wanted a custom training plan again after having so much success with my last one. However, my McMillan coach left McMillan running and started her own company with her husband. I debated selecting her new company or sticking with McMillan, but decided to ask her to coach me as she is one of the best in the ultramarathon field, and I also enjoy working with a female coach. So I'll be working with Emily Torrence at Sundog Running. I have already received the first few weeks of my training plan, and am pleasantly surprised to find that many of the runs are still structured similarly to her coaching style with McMillan. The runs will not be drastically different, she knows my background and experiences, and I can talk to her each week about what is working well and what I am struggling with.

I am heading into this training plan with a mix of excitement and of course, fear. The fear is similar to that of jumping from a half marathon to a marathon. While a 50k is really not "just" 5 more miles, mentally it was not a huge jump for me to envision 5 more miles. Something about going from 31 to 50 is much more scary, and seems almost impossible in the way that I felt the first time I trained for a marathon. Thankfully I know that the training will get me there, and that what once felt as impossible will truly be possible with months of hard work.

As with other training blocks, I'll be posting a recap each week of my training as I countdown to the Hennepin. I am both scared and excited to take on this new challenge, but I have no doubt I will learn a lot about myself and what I am capable of which is one of the reasons I love ultramarathons.