AM Workout: 2000 Meters Swimming
1x500 Warmup
4x200 Intense Aerobic Swims with 30 Seconds Rest (Times of 2:58, 2:32, 2:28, 2:26)
6x100 Easy Paddles - Untimed
1x100 Warmdown
--------
2000 Meters Total
Two days after the Towpath Long Run, this was a nice little intense gem of a workout. Eager to not neglect my swim and bike during the ultra training, I decided to do a miniature tough workout to stoke my shoulders, if just for a little bit.
And the 200 meter swims were great. It certainly would be nice to do 8-10 reps of these, but 4 is good to keep my stroke strong for the time being while saving my energy for my running.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Week of June 7 - June 13 - Preparation for High Mileage Weeks
This week will be more of a multisport based week than an ultra week. It is designed to give my legs a little bit of rest before the next 2 weeks, which will see A LOT of running involved. There is a long run of about 30 or so miles that I will be doing at the end of the week, probably in the Staten Island Greenbelt White Trail on Saturday or Sunday.
This will be a great set-up week; a high volume treat that brings both the swim and bike involved to lessen the overall impact for the week.
This will be a great set-up week; a high volume treat that brings both the swim and bike involved to lessen the overall impact for the week.
June 6 - 2000 Meter Swim, Post Towpath Ultra Run
AM Workout: 2000 Meter Swim
1x500 Warmup
5x200 Easy Kicks with KickBoard and Fins
1x500 Warmdown
------
2000 Meters Total
This was more like a 2000 meter "bob" than a 2000 meter swim. This was just designed to help the legs recover from yesterday's long run. There is a tightness in the popliteal area behind the right knee that I need to take note of. It's probably just a minor strain and should be OK for the next week.
Overall a good week. Confidence is still growing for the Vermont 100. Second week starts Monday June 7.
1x500 Warmup
5x200 Easy Kicks with KickBoard and Fins
1x500 Warmdown
------
2000 Meters Total
This was more like a 2000 meter "bob" than a 2000 meter swim. This was just designed to help the legs recover from yesterday's long run. There is a tightness in the popliteal area behind the right knee that I need to take note of. It's probably just a minor strain and should be OK for the next week.
Overall a good week. Confidence is still growing for the Vermont 100. Second week starts Monday June 7.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June 5 - 44.7 mile overnight "Train Run"
OK, this might be a bit winded, but here goes...
The intro to the Raritan Valley Road Runners and their event, and my strategy are listed here. Please read so that you can understand this blog entry.
Sensing a very humid night, I had to stash some extra water at stops along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. As a result, I started this run a bit late. I had my largest Camelbak backpack on during the run, with about 10-15 pounds of food and water that was essential for my run. I also had to park my car about 1.8 miles away from the beginning of the towpath.
Once on the Towpath, I turned on my headlamp and started the long run toward Trenton. The Towpath was recently flooded, and the state of NJ has replaced part of the surface with gravel, a very tough surface to run on. I took a very leisurely pace to conserve energy. As a result, I made it to Rocky Hill, about 22 miles into my run (20 miles on the Towpath) without a hitch. I started to feel a little more tired on the way past Princeton as the perceived withing hour of 2AM approached. I've always found that at around 2-4:00 in the morning, my body demands sleep. By refusing its sleep my body starts to exact its revenge by playing with my head; its favorite weapon of choice is the hallucination.
And I had an hallucination that scared the bejeebers out of me...at around Route 1, near a golf course, I glanced at what I thought were two legs of a dead body lying at the side of the Towpath. As a result, I nearly jumped out of my shoes. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a fallen tree lying halfway across the path. I could have sworn that my heart was fluttering a good 5 minutes after the sight.
Due to the humidity, I had to run a bit slower. As a result, I got to the Carnegie intersection (about 31.6 miles) at around 5:15PM. As a result, I had a choice to make. Either make it to the end in Trenton and get picked up by the people dropping off the main group of 15 runners by 6:00AM and call it a day, or turn back and run a bit longer and make the first stop by 7:15 at Alexander Road. I decided on the latter and turned back.
I made it back to Alexander Road with about 30 minutes to spare. I met JG who was manning that particular stop and agreed to take me back to the start after the main group passes.
At 7:15AM, the group of runners appeared right on time. I cheered them on as they stopped to hydrate. One of the runners and good friend LS did her first 50 k race about 2 months ago and decided to do the entire 34.1 mile distance. She seems very interested in the ultra distance; I feel that she will attempt her first 50 mile race within the next 2 years. She recalled my previous message that I will run the last 2.3 miles from Demott. I said yes. She then said that "you will be my inspiration to get to Demott so that I can run with you to the finish".
Sounds so eloquent, doesn't it. Basically, she just made that last run mandatory for me. Leave it to a pretty woman to put me on the hook. And I wouldn't want it any other way. :-)
Getting back to the park, I started to run-walk the 1.8 miles back to my car at Highland Park to retrieve it. After I parked the car nearby I managed a brief 20 minute power nap before changing my clothes and shoes. I changed over to my "running sandals", a secret weapon of sorts that relieves all sorts of pressure spots on my feet, and feels oh so good to run in after all of those miles.
At about 45 minutes before the runners were scheduled to hit the last stop at Demott 2.3 miles from the finish, I started to run toward Demott to meet with the group. I got there about 10 minutes before the main group arrived, cheered on the runners. I was looking for LS and was asking if she was still running, but most runners shrugged. After most of the peopleleft for the finished, I decided to run back toward the finish, hoping that she was still running behind me. My legs started to feel real good, and I caught a fantastic second wind that saw me to the finish really strong. We finished as one group a little after 11:00AM.
I was really encouraged by the overnight run. I had a bit of chafing, and my right calf was a knot in the latter portion of the run, but these were only minor issues.
Here is the breakdown of the mileage:
1.6 miles to the Towpath (1.8 calculated by Gmaps; 0.2 had to be
subtracted because 0.2 miles of the calculation based on the Train Run
flyer includes the 0.2 miles to Grove 5 from the entrance)
31.2 miles to Carnegie Road
5.5 miles back to Alexander Road to be picked up
1.8 miles back to retrieve car in Highland Park
2.3 miles to Demott to meet the runners coming back
2.3 miles back to Johnson Park
44.7 miles total, 41.3 miles officially logged on Towpath. Not bad for a
sleep deprived run.
The intro to the Raritan Valley Road Runners and their event, and my strategy are listed here. Please read so that you can understand this blog entry.
Sensing a very humid night, I had to stash some extra water at stops along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. As a result, I started this run a bit late. I had my largest Camelbak backpack on during the run, with about 10-15 pounds of food and water that was essential for my run. I also had to park my car about 1.8 miles away from the beginning of the towpath.
Once on the Towpath, I turned on my headlamp and started the long run toward Trenton. The Towpath was recently flooded, and the state of NJ has replaced part of the surface with gravel, a very tough surface to run on. I took a very leisurely pace to conserve energy. As a result, I made it to Rocky Hill, about 22 miles into my run (20 miles on the Towpath) without a hitch. I started to feel a little more tired on the way past Princeton as the perceived withing hour of 2AM approached. I've always found that at around 2-4:00 in the morning, my body demands sleep. By refusing its sleep my body starts to exact its revenge by playing with my head; its favorite weapon of choice is the hallucination.
And I had an hallucination that scared the bejeebers out of me...at around Route 1, near a golf course, I glanced at what I thought were two legs of a dead body lying at the side of the Towpath. As a result, I nearly jumped out of my shoes. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a fallen tree lying halfway across the path. I could have sworn that my heart was fluttering a good 5 minutes after the sight.
Due to the humidity, I had to run a bit slower. As a result, I got to the Carnegie intersection (about 31.6 miles) at around 5:15PM. As a result, I had a choice to make. Either make it to the end in Trenton and get picked up by the people dropping off the main group of 15 runners by 6:00AM and call it a day, or turn back and run a bit longer and make the first stop by 7:15 at Alexander Road. I decided on the latter and turned back.
I made it back to Alexander Road with about 30 minutes to spare. I met JG who was manning that particular stop and agreed to take me back to the start after the main group passes.
At 7:15AM, the group of runners appeared right on time. I cheered them on as they stopped to hydrate. One of the runners and good friend LS did her first 50 k race about 2 months ago and decided to do the entire 34.1 mile distance. She seems very interested in the ultra distance; I feel that she will attempt her first 50 mile race within the next 2 years. She recalled my previous message that I will run the last 2.3 miles from Demott. I said yes. She then said that "you will be my inspiration to get to Demott so that I can run with you to the finish".
Sounds so eloquent, doesn't it. Basically, she just made that last run mandatory for me. Leave it to a pretty woman to put me on the hook. And I wouldn't want it any other way. :-)
Getting back to the park, I started to run-walk the 1.8 miles back to my car at Highland Park to retrieve it. After I parked the car nearby I managed a brief 20 minute power nap before changing my clothes and shoes. I changed over to my "running sandals", a secret weapon of sorts that relieves all sorts of pressure spots on my feet, and feels oh so good to run in after all of those miles.
At about 45 minutes before the runners were scheduled to hit the last stop at Demott 2.3 miles from the finish, I started to run toward Demott to meet with the group. I got there about 10 minutes before the main group arrived, cheered on the runners. I was looking for LS and was asking if she was still running, but most runners shrugged. After most of the peopleleft for the finished, I decided to run back toward the finish, hoping that she was still running behind me. My legs started to feel real good, and I caught a fantastic second wind that saw me to the finish really strong. We finished as one group a little after 11:00AM.
I was really encouraged by the overnight run. I had a bit of chafing, and my right calf was a knot in the latter portion of the run, but these were only minor issues.
Here is the breakdown of the mileage:
1.6 miles to the Towpath (1.8 calculated by Gmaps; 0.2 had to be
subtracted because 0.2 miles of the calculation based on the Train Run
flyer includes the 0.2 miles to Grove 5 from the entrance)
31.2 miles to Carnegie Road
5.5 miles back to Alexander Road to be picked up
1.8 miles back to retrieve car in Highland Park
2.3 miles to Demott to meet the runners coming back
2.3 miles back to Johnson Park
44.7 miles total, 41.3 miles officially logged on Towpath. Not bad for a
sleep deprived run.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Towpath Run Logistics - Will Run at Night
Before I delve into the details of the Train Run itself, I'd like to get a little bit into the organization of it first. The course for the Train Run is on the main part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath (Park Map and Mileage Table). a beautiful path through Central New Jersey that goes from Trenton to outside New Brunswick, NJ. The main section is 33.9 miles in length. Another 0.2 miles at the end would end up in Johnson Park where the finish is for a total of 34.1 miles (55k).
The Raritan Valley Road Runners who put on the event have each aid station timed at an 8:30 min/mile pace so that runners who start at 6:00AM in Trenton finish 5 hours later at 11:00AM.
This poses to be a bit of a problem for me. Although I am quite capable of going 8:30 min/mile pace, I do not want to push myself that hard because it can mean a very long recovery time and time lost for training for the Vermont 100 Miler.
I've also ran with a friend last week who has finished 100 mile ultramarathons. He told me that I needed to get 3-4 overnight runs in to get used to the sleep deprivation and lack of light.
Lastly I want to get a run of at least 40 miles in this weekend. 34.1 miles is a nice distance, but I need to get some runs longer than that in. The 40+ miles during the Mayapple Ultras were nice and a second run that long would be perfect at this time.
One easy solution that solves all these problems: run the other way (that is, to Trenton) the night before, get to the start an hour before the group starts, then have the group overtake me on the way back to the park. At some point I will get at least 40 miles in and can tag along with the crew helping out the other runners during the event. At about 2 miles to go in the event, I'll hop back in and complete the course with the rest of the runners. I get my night running in, go at my own pace, and finish at least 40 miles of running. Also, the event organizers don't have to go out of their way to accommodate me and would probably welcome another helper when I'm done with my run.
I'll be wearing a Camelback and will also stash some supplies in 3 key places along the Towpath to replenish my food and drink. I'm figuring about a 9:30PM to 10:00PM start tomorrow night. My car will be parked outside Johnson Park to prevent from being towed.
That;s about it! Oh, one other thing. It might be humid on Saturday, so heat will be a factor. To all those who are doing the run, seriously take that into account when preparing for your run.
June 3 - Preamble to the Towpath Run - 3500 Meter Swim and 5 Mile Run
First AM Workout: 3500 meters of swimming
800 Meters Warmup
3x500 Meter Swims - Low Intensity (8:04, 8:06, 8:10)
5x100 Meters Freestyle w/ Paddles - Untimed, Easy
1x200 Individual Medley (3:28)
5x100 Warmdown
--------
3500 Meters Total
Nothing big here. With the ultra coming up, all swims and bikes will be low intensity. I didn't push the 500s or the IM to save up energy for where I'll need it, the long run on Saturday.
------------------------
Second AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 44:10 (8:50 min/mile pace)
Weather: 76F, Light Winds, Very Humid
The run was easy...the only thing to note about this run was the weather. It didn't affect my run much, but I was well aware of the humid conditions. Made it a little uncomfortable. Otherwise no problem. This was my last run before the long run on the Towpath
800 Meters Warmup
3x500 Meter Swims - Low Intensity (8:04, 8:06, 8:10)
5x100 Meters Freestyle w/ Paddles - Untimed, Easy
1x200 Individual Medley (3:28)
5x100 Warmdown
--------
3500 Meters Total
Nothing big here. With the ultra coming up, all swims and bikes will be low intensity. I didn't push the 500s or the IM to save up energy for where I'll need it, the long run on Saturday.
------------------------
Second AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 44:10 (8:50 min/mile pace)
Weather: 76F, Light Winds, Very Humid
The run was easy...the only thing to note about this run was the weather. It didn't affect my run much, but I was well aware of the humid conditions. Made it a little uncomfortable. Otherwise no problem. This was my last run before the long run on the Towpath
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
June 2 - 30 mile bike - Crappy Wake Up, Better Workout
AM Workout: 30 Mile Bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:35:17
Weather: 74F, Clear, Less Humid
Ever had one of those days where you just wake up wrong? Well, I woke up with a crimp in my neck and a slight headache. I also overslept a little, missing my opportunity to go to the pool in the morning, so I decided to focus on the bike today. It turned out not to be as bad as I thought it would be, considering how I felt. I had a lot of company with me during the ride, so it was easier to for the miles to "fly by" faster.
Either a small run or light swim tonight. I haven't decided which yet.
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:35:17
Weather: 74F, Clear, Less Humid
Ever had one of those days where you just wake up wrong? Well, I woke up with a crimp in my neck and a slight headache. I also overslept a little, missing my opportunity to go to the pool in the morning, so I decided to focus on the bike today. It turned out not to be as bad as I thought it would be, considering how I felt. I had a lot of company with me during the ride, so it was easier to for the miles to "fly by" faster.
Either a small run or light swim tonight. I haven't decided which yet.
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