Hay in the Barn

This coming Saturday will be a big step forward for me in my slow recovery from the stress fracture. On that morning I will be on the top of a mountain in Chattanooga, TN toeing the line for the Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Race put on by Rock Creek Outfitters. I'll have some good company as a few other NWA Goats will be making the trek as well. This will be the most challenging course I have tackled to date for an ultra. Athens Big Fork is a tougher course but that is a marathon distance race. Butterfield Trail at Devils Den is tougher too but only 16 miles in length. This is basically a 23 mile loop down and back up the mountain and then a second, separate 27 mile loop down and up the other side. Throw in some water crossings, spectacular scenery and 6,400 ft of vertical and it will be a challenging day. I am using this not so much as a focus race but more of an adventure. And on that notion I should share that this will be the first time that I will be posting via Twitter and Facebook my race progress. The plan is for all of us NWA Goats to give some updates during the race. My goal is a finish time under 11 hours. That would allow me an average pace of 13+ minutes per mile. I plan on going out very mellow (as much as 8 miles of downhill will allow) and enjoying a day out on the trails with at least 300 other runners. My focus race is still RR50 with a goal of going sub 9 hours there. The big question is which Goat will go sub 8 minute pace on the downhill and trash his quads leading to a miserable back half?

After a final tough training run this past Sunday a buddy mentioned "the hay is in the barn". For those of you uninitiated to the Southern vernacular that means what done is done and there is nothing more that a person can do to prepare for something. Now we wait and see.

The thought occurred to me... what is it that I have in the barn anyway? I decided to analyze. I went from two months of no running (post fracture) to cycling, to walking/hiking, to jogging and by late Spring I was running again. In March I cycled a little over 100 miles. There was no running. In April I rode 200+ miles and got in about 20 miles of running (120 in 2011). In May it was nearly 200 miles on two wheels and 45 miles of running (155 in 2011). Then I started back in earnest with 180 miles running in June (130 in 2011) and 190 in July (135 in 2011). I purposefully cut back in the heat of August and logged 130 miles (150 in 2011). I managed 155 miles in September (150 in 2011), 175 in October (140 in 2011) and 200+ in November (185 in 2011). 

As my mileage has gone up my average pace per mile has slowly improved. I began incorporating some "speed" work into my training. It started with strides (10-20 seconds) at 10k-5k pace during shorter runs. I also threw in some tempo runs of 6-10 miles once a week or so. And twice during the last two months I have included a week in which everything I did was fast (at least for me). During those weeks I would cut back about 30% on my total mileage but run every mile with intensity. For me that meant half marathon pace or better if on the road and sub 10 minute miles on the trails. And as always, I make an effort to finish all of my training runs with some kick over the closing mile or two.

That training block has included some monster runs in the Grand Tetons, some PRs at half mary, 25k and 50k distances, a memorable trek along the Ozark Highlands Trail, a return to Lake Wedington and plenty of good times with some good folks. Looking at the numbers I can see the work that has been done. What I like most is the consistency I have been able to get over the last few months. More than anything I believe that will pay off. Now it is taper week and my question is does 50 miles last week count as a proper taper? And that makes me feel pretty good about where things are at currently. Saturday should be interesting. I expect some highs and lows, plenty of smiles and some good stories. Hope your training is going well and that you are healthy and strong. 

Cheers!

Have You Earned It?

We have become a culture that believes in silver bullets. We spend billions every year on pills that cure this or that, on fad diets, exercise gizmos and gadgets. Nearly every single day I see an article posted on the internet with some "secret" to running. How this workout will help you run faster or these drills will make you a better runner. I find myself less and less likely to take these seriously. Much of what is out there is simply the same old stuff repackaged with a sparkly new bow on it. No matter how hard you try to make a pig look pretty in the end it's still just a pig. Now if you are a brand spanking new member of the running community I can see there might be some benefit to gain from digesting these offerings. Here is a sample from the Twitter and FB postings I have recently seen.

"Efficiency is key to improve your performance. Use this guide to power your workout."
"Secrets from the Savannah:
What the Diets of Elite Kenyan Runners Teach Us About Optiomal Nutrition"
"Improve Your Running Indoors This Winter"

As Jason Fitzgerald recently pointed out in this honest article at Strength Running there are no secrets. His excellent article was the spark for my thoughts here. The closing line is a classic: "I’m more interested in getting you to take action and put in the work than giving you training porn."

Bryon Powell of iRunFar, in his excellent ultra running book Relentless Forward Progress, writes:

"Ultramarathon success is built on consistent training... Aim for relentless forward progress in training."

Ultra runner extradinaire Geoff Roes authored this excellent post on his blog Fumbling Towards Endurance. "I think it's a lot more important to be consistent over the course of months and even years than it is to be consistent over the course of days or weeks."

Consistency is the key. Period. End of story. After several years of being inconsistent I am finally in a position, over the last 18 months, to make running a regular part of my life. I added speed work and tempo runs, I have researched fueling and hydration, I eat up shoe and gear reviews and try new drills and techniques. The result? My times have improved. In three marathons during that time I have dropped 99 minutes off my PR. I now have a legitimate chance of placing in my AG at any local race. Why? It’s not switching from Gatorade to Nuun or wearing Pure Project shoes in place of the Brooks Beast I started in. It’s not the foam roller I now use or the S! Caps or post run protein packed smoothies. It’s the consistent miles. Those things perhaps help me stay healthy by decreasing the wear and tear on my body physically. These may help me recover more easily to be better prepared for the next day. I think they do. However, I am convinced that without all the fluff, if I had been just as consistent with my running I would have still seen improvements. Maybe not to the extent that I have but  to some degree it would have been there.

I am amazed at this time of year, when the weather begins to turn cold, how few runners I see out on the roads and trails compared to just a few weeks ago. And then they come out of the woodwork in early Spring frantically trying to prepare for the local half marathon at the end of March. Will their times improve? Maybe. Will mine? You betcha ass. Why? I am willing to work harder in the cold, dark hours of winter. If you're inclined to leave the running shoes in the closet when it is too hot and humid, or it is raining buckets, or it is dark outside, or it is 15 degrees and snowing with the wind blowing, fine. I completely understand that. But those guys you saw with the headlamps Sunday morning running in the dark, slogging it out in the chilled drizzle getting wet and muddy... That was me and some other dedicated NWA GOATS out earning our due. And you know what? Runners like that will likely have an edge on you come race day. That's the guy who regularly sets a new PR every season. That's the guy taking home the hardware that could have been placed on your trophy shelf.

Now don't get me wrong here. I don't run to collect medals, t-shirts and accolades. I don't run to see who I can beat on race day. In the past year I have been in just 7 races (a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon, two marathons and two 50k races). I run to push myself. To find out what I am capable of doing. It gives me focus and clarity. It keeps me sane and it helps keep me healthy. But at some point I have to measure myself against something more than the clock. A race gets the competitive fire in my belly stoked up like I could never do myself on a training run. If improvement is what you seek then take responsibility and accept that there are no shortcuts.

My secret? Keep something dangling out there in front of you. Maybe it is a specific race. Perhaps a best time on your favorite course. How about the numbers on the scale you step on in the morning? Keep a carrot on a stick. For me, an epic race that requires me to stay consistent over the winter works. Last year it was the Cowtown Marathon. This year it is the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler the first weekend in February. For my first "real" ultra there is little doubt that I will have to be consistent over the winter to be ready to toe the line down in Texas. I anticipate the following thought lingering in my head throughout those cold runs. It is some advice offered from a grizzled ultra runner recently: “Don’t be greedy with it. It takes times to grow as a runner in this sport. You have to earn your way into it.”