Aesthete Runner

One week ago I was sitting on my couch watching the Chicago marathon feeling sore but on cloud 9. It is hard to believe after so many weeks of hard training, my first 50 mile race has come and gone. Running 50 miles is pretty life changing, and it is strange to think that while I was doing something major, the rest of the world just kept on turning.

I received the remainder of my training plan from my coach this week and it was crazy how close I am to race day! It didn't seem real until I realized how few weeks are left. Thankfully the Evergreen Lakes 50k was my longest training run and each week decreases in mileage and time more and more from here on out. As a friend reminded me, the work is already done and the focus right now is on rest and recovery from the 50k, and putting in the time on my feet until race day.

What a difference a recovery week makes. Sometimes the recovery is purely physical, but this week I also felt recovered mentally from the challenges I faced in Week 11. I started the week feeling like I was ran over by a bus and down in the dumps about how my back to back long runs had gone. With a little encouragement from my coach and friends, extra rest and recovery, and some enjoyable runs, I am feeling much more like myself.

Oh Week 11. Where do I begin. I knew this week would be tough, with long back to back runs, but I never expected it to be as hard as it was. I struggled a lot, both physically and mentally and feel a bit raw in the aftermath.

Week 10 of 50 mile training continued to build on distance and time on feet. After receiving some helpful feedback from my coach last week, I was able to maintain confidence with where I am at in the training cycle, and thankfully my body continued to respond well to the load.

Welcome to Week 9 of training for the Hennepin Hundred - 50 mile race. This week is just over the half way point of training, and Monday was the exact two month mark until the race. For the second week of the "50 mile specific" phase, I was pretty much thrown into a high mileage week. I haven't run mileage like this since the end of my 50k training, so my previous concerns regarding where I was at in this plan were obliterated.

I am in still in the "Introductory" phase of training for the Hennepin Hundred- my first 50 mile race, and Week 6 was a bit of a recovery week after the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 race last week. My coach advised me to run easy and gave me some options for additional recovery if needed. Recovery was difficult this week, and it was one of the few races that I have really struggled to come back from.

Week 5 of training for the Hennepin Hundred also coincided with the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 race I run yearly. I haven't missed the race in 5 years, and while each July I always worry about my fitness level, I keep coming back. Not only did I have a solid week of training, but I also had a great race.

Recovery week! It also happens to be the start of the next training phase - the Introductory Phase. My coaches notes are to be patient. My mileage is still low, workouts haven't become too difficult, and it is easy to want to jump ahead and do more. However, just because I know I can do more doesn't mean that I should. To get to the start line healthy and ready, I know I need to trust my coach and plan and get my body ready to where it needs to be.

It was another hot week of training. I complain about the heat every year and miss it in the winter, but it really does make training for a fall race infinitely more difficult. Thankfully it also prepares you well for what's to come.

And just like that, I am done with my first week of 50 mile training. As detailed in my previous post , I am now training for the Hennepin Hundred - 50 mile distance which will be my first 50 mile race. As with other training cycles, I am detailing my training each week.

The last few weeks since the GRT 50k have been full of rest and active recovery. They have also provided me with time to go back and review my training, think about what worked well and what didn't, and look forward to the next training cycle. There is a definitely lack of solid 50k training plans available, so I think it is important to share my thoughts on the McMillan 50k plan so others may decide if it might be right for them.

On Saturday I ran the Glacier Ridge Trail 50k in Slippery Rock, PA. This was my 2nd 50k to date, and it was by far the most challenging race I've ever run. It also happened to be one of the most fun and awesome experiences and it is a race I will definitely never forget.

This is it, the final week! Race day is almost here and overall, I am feeling ready. Between checking the weather forecast hourly (alternating between rain and heat) and checking items off my to-do and packing lists, the time has flown by. 

6 days to go!! While I wouldn't say the last 17 weeks have flown by, I also can't believe that race day is finally almost here. For a long time all I could think about was just getting to the taper, and now it finally feels "real". This is happening!

I made it to the taper!!!! Week 16 was my last 50k-specific week of training, and now I have entered into the Peak Phase, or the taper. It feels really good to be here. While the taper brings all sorts of challenges of it's own, I am really ready to focus on mental and physical rest to get ready for race day.

Week 15 was a recovery week, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The 5 hour long run at the end of Week 14 really took a lot out of me and my body needed lower mileage. However, recovery week doesn't mean an easy week, and I still had two quality runs including a long hill workout to complete.

With just over a month until the Glacier Ridge 50k, I am at that critical point in training where I am tested physically and mentally. This was very evident this week which consisted of three long runs. Thankfully I survived and am all the more stronger for it.

Twelve weeks down, six weeks to go! Are we having fun yet? This was another solid week of training to add to my bank of miles. I think this mentality has helped me get through some difficult weeks, as it really does help to think of each run as a step forward towards my end goal. When I feel as if I have no motivation to run or am exhausted, I remind myself that each run does matter. I really had to draw from this toward the end of my week as I was left both physically and mentally exhausted.

A wonderful recovery week! Thankfully Week 11 was a mileage cut-back week, and while I still had hard effort runs, it felt good to have a reprieve from higher mileage and a long weekend run.