Mastering 100 Miles: My Training Evolution
When you press register on an event that is still 10 months away, you don’t think about the amount of time. You are excited to press register. The rest of the stuff will figure itself out…..then it becomes time to figure it out. You are now thinking about the ultra distance of 100 miles and various training strategies.
I am training for my 10th 100 miler. I have had success at 8 of them but I have learned the most from the 1 time I did not see the finish line. As I’ve gone through the first three months of training, my focus is on not doing the things that I did for the Canyons 100 Miler.
A New Approach to Training
In the past, training strategies for a 100 mile, or any ultra distance, was easy to create. Now, not so much.
This training cycle will be 9 plus months versus 16 weeks. That is the first change. Another change is in not focusing solely on running but incorporating other activities into my training. Lastly, owning a business will throw a lot of monkey wrenches into a plan therefore learning to be flexible is vitally important.Â
A typical training plan for me incorporates 3 weeks ON and 1 week OFF. That 1 week OFF is always welcome. It allows me to avoid burnout while recovering and getting stronger. I value these recovery weeks as much as I value those hill repeats.
The Power of Recovery Weeks
In March, a recovery week came just before heading to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It didn’t turn out as I expected it to. The recovery week was ideal. The following week was less than.
I packed my gear to run in Kelowna but I didn’t take a single step. Past me would have lamented and been anxious over a lack of running. Present me thought about the amount of time between March 24th and late October. This one week was not going to make or break my training or race. I told myself that and believe it to be true.
How do I know it is true? My first week back and I cranked out 4 runs with a long run on 1.5 hours where I felt stronger than I have at any point in this training cycle. The rest was something I needed and it showed.
Stair Workouts: Strength Beyond Running
Why do I believe I was able to show up for that run and have success? Simply put, the Saturday Stairs workout that we have been doing. The workout is at the Hollywood and not only incorporates running the stairs but also plyometric and body weight training.
In the couple of months that we have been going, I am averaging approximately 4 miles of running and climbing nearly 700 feet in about an hour. That type of elevation is greater than what I will encounter at Javelina.
My body has been getting stronger doing a different type of workout versus just running. My calf muscles and hamstrings have been getting stronger which is not only evident at Saturday Stairs but also on the treadmill.
Treadmill Training for Race-Day Gains
One workout per week has been on the treadmill and is set up as follows:
- 10 minute warm-up. RPE 4-5
- 2 minute 30 seconds of climbing at 6% to start
- 2 minute 30 seconds of fast running at 0% to start
- 10 minute cool-down. RPE 4-5
In those 2 minute 30 second intervals I increase the incline by 1% each time and maintain the pace I set at 6%. The speed intervals increase by 0.1 mph each time.
That workout was hard 6 weeks ago. Today, it is still hard but it is at a faster pace and steeper climbing.
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Dialing in Race-Day Nutrition
Guess what else helped me achieve the feeling during that run? Eating. That’s right, getting calories in but not just a gel or two. I am working on consuming 500 calories per hour and using different products to get there. Fueling well is paramount to my success, plus I enjoy eating.
For this run, I used a 7 Summits Snacks bar, Spring Energy Endurance Meal and Osmo Nutrition. The changing flavors and textures allowed me to keep eating without any issue.
I also credit the fat in the 7 Summits Snacks for slowing down the processing of the carbs and giving me long lasting energy.
As of today, this is the combination that I am going with but I will keep testing other products out such as the bars that Skratch makes as well as Clif Blok Energy Chews.
Chasing a 21-Hour Finish
In order for me to have a chance to break 21 hours at this event, a lot has to break right. Some of those things are out of my control but one thing that is in my control is nutrition and fueling for my body and race.
The 500 calories per hour has proven, more than once, that I can handle it and it provides me what I need to reach my goals.
As my training goes on and the runs get longer, a strategy for executing my plan will come into play. Right now, I know that I need to average 12m36s per mile to hit that goal. I also know that my body will break down and I will get slower so getting off to a good start is imperative.
This doesn’t mean that I go out and try to run 8m00s miles but rather I need to understand the breakdown as the time goes on. How much have I broken down in the past? What does the first loop goal have to be so that the final loop number lands me at 21 hours?
Time will tell and I have a number of different opportunities between now and then to test out a strategy.
Enjoying the Journey
Until next month remember that you should be Enjoying The Journey to your finish line. You will incorporate various strategies in training for a 100 mile ultra but be sure that you are enjoying it otherwise you are just adding more work to your already busy schedule.
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