ING Miami Marathon training: week five report

This was the longest training week to date for the year, having run 90 miles since Monday (100 in the last eight days, but who's counting?).

The highlights:

• On Tuesday (interval day), I tried on a new pair of shoes. The insole kept sliding out the back of my left shoe every few laps or so as John and I charged around the Lakebottom Park track. This was quite annoying, and I returned the shoes a few days later. I think I may just stick with my tried-and-true Nike Lunaracers. Experimenting anymore so close to my marathon might be a bad idea.
• On Friday, I ran a few miles around the Columbus Country Club early in the morning, primarily on the cart paths. I may do this more often, but instead include running on the lush fairways to give the feet some rest.
• The Saturday long run including running up two of the biggest hills in the area on the Phenix City side of the Chattahoochee River. What I most like about this run was that we got in some good hill training during the first 10 miles, followed by eight pancake-flat miles along the river valley south of town. I may do this route next Saturday as a progression run.

I feel really fresh despite the long mileage, and think that I need to start training a bit harder as Miami is only seven weeks away now.

ING Miami Marathon training: week four report

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." The first part of that quote, from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, can best describe how running has been going, while the second portrays the non-running part of my life. Köra från verkligheten  is a Swedish phrase meaning running from reality, and is written below my blog title, Vikingstorm, at the top of the page. In many ways, I'm a storm trying to unleash my energy on the roads and trails of Columbus.

Now that you're a bit perplexed...

Summary of the training: Everything went according to plan except the 16-miler on Saturday, which was cut 4 miles short. To make up those 4, on Sunday I ran with John on the Eagle 100 course. The Eagle 100 is a ten mile loop on the dirt roads of Fort Benning starting and finishing at King's Pond. Domingo Mercado and I used to run this route on a regular basis. Each time we did it, we saw the same bald eagle near the end of the run. Sometimes, it seemed like the eagle was waiting for us, and would fly directly over our heads as if to say "good morning." The "100" part of Eagle 100, refers to the fact that we saw the eagle 100% of the time we ran. On yesterday's Eagle 100 run, I started to tell John the story of why we named it the Eagle 100, and just as I started to tell the story, an eagle flew into our view as it launched from a limb high about our heads on the southwestern edge of King's Pond. A few moments later, a second eagle flew away from another tree in the same vicinity. This is the first time I had seen two eagles there. John joked that we should rename the route "The Double Eagle 100."

Other news: The Cumberland Island Adventure is still in the works. This will involve a 6-mile sea kayaking trip from Crooked Island State Park to Cumberland Island, a barrier island on the southeastern corner of Georgia on the border of Florida. After kayaking to the island, "we" will run around the island to all of the important landmarks/sights (33-40 miles) before heading back. Most-likely this will take place over the Memorial Day weekend. It'll be hot, buggy, hard, and will require lots of tidal planning. More to follow on this...

Next week: 90 miles. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge!

ING Miami training: week three report

85 miles. Done. Tired. It was a week of up-and-down weather with several cool morning runs in the upper 20s, punctuated by a miserable 10-miler on Wednesday morning in pouring rain and 35 degrees. If I were to name that Wednesday run, "The Ice Bath" would be an appropriate summarization. Fortunately,  the week ended with a pleasantly warm run on the trails of Flat Rock Park on Sunday afternoon. I prefer the cooler temps on my hard workout days though.

Other highlights: the Tuesday tempo run of 4 miles almost didn't happen since my regular running buddy couldn't make it (and I wasn't motivated), but I toughed it out and managed to run the 4 at 6:44, 6:44, 6:31 and 6:29. Saturday's long run of 15 miles was altered from a steady-state to a progression run since I felt the need to get in some quicker miles, the fastest of which was 6:20. On Sunday, I ran 6 miles in the morning with a few runners competing in a 24-hour race. I was in awe.

New adventure: I'm planning an "adventure run" on Cumberland Island on a date TBD. It'll probably involve a sea kayak trip from St Marys, GA followed by a 30+ mile run on the beaches and trails of the island. More details to follow. Most-likely to be done this upcoming spring or fall.

Next week calls for 67.5 miles. Sweet!

ING Miami training: week two report

Week two went pretty much according to plan. During Tuesday morning intervals, John and I rotated pacing at the front after every lap. The two-mile intervals seemed to fly by using this approach; something I'd like to sustain. The long run on Saturday was probably a little fast for my liking, given the stage of training, but I felt fully recovered from the effort during the trail run on Sunday which is a good sign. The total mileage for the week was 76, with week three jumping up to 85. The following week goes back down to 67, and my legs will surely need the rest.

Update: I have officially registered for the Fat Dog 70 which takes place in southern British Columbia on my birthday, August 16th. My longest race to date is 50K (31 miles), so this is going to be tough. After a short rest after Boston, I will commence training, and may take a few trips to the north Georgia/ western North Carolina mountains to get in some long days on trails.

The weekly runs

Here's a breakdown of my typical running week:

Monday

Monday, a.k.a. Recovery Day #1, is a day reserved for running with my border collie, Tobie. He's about 10 years old, and 6 miles is about all he's got in the tank. Tobie likes to stop, sniff and pee at every scent along the route, which is either on the Fall Line Trace (a bike/jogging path) or at Lakebottom Park. During a high-mileage week (80+), I may include another run of 3-5 miles in the evening.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning hurts, but I look forward to it probably more than any other day, maybe for that reason. This is interval day. Off-season (when not specifically training for a race), the intervals are usually between 200-800 meters, but when training for a marathon, the distance of the intervals are from 1.5-3 miles, with the hardest day being a 5 x 2 mile workout. Once you factor in a 2-mile warmup and 2-mile cooldown, with 1/2 mile jogs in-between intervals, that's a pretty long morning. John Ellison has been joining me for this sufferfest the last few weeks. On Tuesday evenings, I have been joining a group at Lakebottom Park for an easy 3 mile run. This helps loosen up the tired legs from the morning.

Wednesday

An easy-moderate day, but second-longest mileage day of the week, I have been showing up at the Big Dog (North) Running store at 5am for 6 easy miles, and then joining the 6am group run from that location for another 4 for a total of 10 miles. I run the 6 miles before the group run at any easy pace (8:30-9:00+), and the group tends to run along at a quick clip in the 7:30-range. On Wednesday evenings I'll either run a few more miles alone, or with a group from the other Big Dog store in Uptown Columbus.

Thursday

John Ellison and I have been meeting in the mornings somewhere between our two homes, which are 1/2 mile apart, and going for 8-10 miles at a relatively easy pace, which is something John has been learning to do. Lately, I've been really tired on this run, as the long mileage from Tuesday and Wednesday has taken its toll by now. Thursday evening I have been meeting a group at Lakebottom Park for 3 miles, or so, at an easy pace. I try to include striders into either the morning or evening run, but only do so if I'm feeling fresh, which usually isn't until the evening.

Friday

Recovery Day #2. Just like Monday, except there is no evening run. The goal is to be fresh for Saturday morning.

Saturday

The long run day. In marathon training, that means 16-22 miles. I'll either do this as a steady easy long run (most of the time), or a progression run (HARD!). This run starts at the Big Dog Uptown location, usually at 6am, but earlier if the day is going to be hot.

Sunday

Easy trail run of 6-10 miles, or on a soft-surface (dirt road?) to give the feet some rest.

ING Miami training: week one report

Two weeks ago, I was contemplating running in the ING Miami Half-Marathon, thinking I wouldn't be prepared for the marathon distance in twelve weeks due to all of the health issues I've had since May. After just one week of training, I'm pleased with how everything's going.

The total mileage I ran for the week (Monday to Sunday) was 67.5 miles. Key workouts for the week: 1) Tuesday intervals which consisted of 3 x 1.5 miles at tempo pace (6:20-6:40) with 1/2 mile jogs in between, and 2) Saturday steady long run of 13 miles at 7:20-7:40 pace. John Ellison ran with me on both these days. Week two's total mileage increases to 76 miles, so it might be a little harder to recover by the end of the week, even though I'm still feeling fresh.

In case you're wondering, this is the schedule I'm following. I'm doing a few things different from what's prescribed in the schedule. I decided to do a 3-week taper by moving week 10 distance to week 9 and swapping week 9 and week 11 distances. Also, I moved the half-marathon from week 6 to week 8, to accomodate a local race in Columbus. I used this schedule for the Carlsbad Marathon last year; my second fastest marathon (3:05), even though it was on the hardest course I have done to date. I believe that the numerous long intervals at tempo/marathon pace had a lot to do with it. I also like the fact that only two workouts per week are given, so that I can tailor my personal schedule around some of the group runs in the area I like to frequent without being paranoid that I'm supposed to run what a schedule dictates vs. what the group plans to run.

Update on my ultra search

I'm 99.9% certain of registering for the Fat Dog 70 on August 16, 2014. The ONLY issue is that there's a requirement to have completed a 50K race (or longer) within the past year. The last , and only, ultra I did was the Destin 50(K) in 2011. I understand the rationale, BUT, there should be some leniency given for those who have run a good marathon time. For example: Runner A walked the Auburn 50K in 7:59, while Runner B ran the Soldier Marathon in 3:01. Oh well...

Other stuff

I tried to convince my wife that she should let me go here. No luck.

Ultra dreaming

Ultra: 2014

In 2013, my running goals included two marathons (Carlsbad in January and Boston in April) and two ultras (Laurel Valley Whitewater Ultra in August and Le Grizz 50 in October). Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis (PF) crept into my life in May and derailed those plans. Six months later, with the PF under control (crossing my fingers), I'm starting to dream again.

The "Why?"

I'm not really sure if there's just one reason why I want to put myself through such misery. Maybe I'm just trying to be accepted in the running community in Columbus? Running beyond the marathon distance seems to be the fad here. It also could be because I'm just looking for a new challenge. I still would like to keep my Boston streak going, but I think I've got the marathon-thing sort of figured-out. Running a marathon, recovering, then training for the next one soon after has gotten a bit boring. It's time for a change.

What if I just do my own thing?

I have thought of just doing my own thing quite a bit. By "doing my own thing," I mean something besides an organized race. Why not just head up to the Appalachian trail in north Georgia or western North Carolina and get picked up two or three days later at a predesignated location? Why pay mucho dinero for an entry fee, when I can just do something at my own pace, in some supremely majestic location? A few ideas that have intrigued me:

• traverse of Glacier National Park, 50-60+ miles east-to-west (MT)*
• traverse of the Olympic Mountains, 40+ miles (WA)
• West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, 47 miles (BC)
• Art Loeb Trail, 30+ miles (NC)***
• Alum Cave Bluff Trail to Greenbrier Cove, 50+ miles (NC/TN)***
• Kesugi Ridge, 27+ miles (AK)**

* I would do a slightly different route, but this is a great link
** link to the ultra on Kesugi Ridge HERE

*** there's a good chance I'll do one of these with some friends, in preparation for one of the events below

Each of the above adventures are probably more scenic/epic than most sanctioned events, since the national parks in those areas prohibit competitive events (except for Kesugi Ridge), so these are still viable options to consider. The hardest part is finding someone else to go along. Something an ultra offers that these adventures don't: aid stations and other runners. I'm not afraid to run through bear country solo, I'm afraid of hurting myself and my wife being worried for days (if I'm alive) while I try to crawl out of the forest to civilization.

Destin 50 remains the only race I have done beyond the distance of a marathon, winning the overall 50K during the inaugural event in 2011. The field was small, and most of the fast guys participated in the 50-miler, so it wasn't a really big deal. What's cool is that I maintain a 100% rating on Ultrasignup.com to this date.

The search

With the first half of 2014 devoted to running the ING Miami & Boston marathons, the search has been narrowed to finding a race somewhere between July and October. Other criteria to consider:

• in the lower-48 states, or close to an airport in the lower-48 (so I can use less Delta Skymiles, or use a companion ticket to bring along 3 additional family members without breaking the bank)
• in a location with beautiful mountains (I like mountains)
• not a lottery
• a UTMB-qualifying race (UTMB in 2015?)
• a place where my wife won't go crazy trying to corral two young children at an aid station while I'm getting my ultra-fix

The short list

On December 1st, registration opens for the Sinister 7; a 100-mile ultra in Crows Pass, Alberta in July. According to the race website, the registration will probably fill up in 10-15 minutes. Also, there are no prerequisites to enter the race. It also meets all of the above criteria (2-3 hour drive from Kalispell, MT). Decisions, decisions....

If I'm not able to register quick enough on December 1st, here's a list of other events I'm considering:

• Canadian Death Race, August, Alberta. It's a bit of a haul from Kalispell, but it would be an awesome road trip (Lake Louise, Jasper National Park, etc. along the way)...plus, there's a kids race. Isabella will almost be 4, so she should be able to run a 5K by then, eh?
• Fat Dog 70, British Columbia. There's a 120-miler, too, but I need a resume to get into that one. It meets to above criteria, and would be a great trip flying in-and-out of Seattle with a stop in Vancouver. Plus, it would hopefully qualify me for the 120-mile event to do in 2015.
• One of the "What if I just do my own thing?" things

As you can see, I have only selected Canadian ultras, mainly because I don't meet the prerequisites to some of the American races I'm interested in (i.e. Cascade Crest 100, Angels Staircase). This is an ever-changing list, and I may have missed something special along the way. If I have, send me a suggestion!

Besides UTMB, the Comrades Marathon in South Africa is an event on my bucket list. If only the roundtrip airfare was $1000+ dollars cheaper. After clicking on the website, I did notice that the registration is still open until the end of the November. Hmmmmmm...An interesting note on this race: I ran the first half of the New York City Marathon 2011 with a gentleman named Bruce. He was a nice guy I estimated to be in his late-50s. He must've been important, since there were several groups of fans cheering him on throughout the race. The next day, I looked up the results of all the runners from South Africa and discovered that I ran with Bruce Fordyce; 9-time winner of the Comrades Marathon.

Update 1

I almost forgot to add this to the list: The Bob Marshall Wilderness Open. It's just a bit too soon after Boston, and during a time of year (May 31st) when the snow will still be present at the high elevations in northern Montana, and the lower elevations will be wet from the melting snow. BUT it breathes big adventure and there are so many "unknowns" to consider. This is something that is probably #1 on my list, but last on the list of family-bringable events. Definitely a solo adventure.

Update 2

And the winner is.....

Fat Dog!