Been kind of mentally down this week. I can't shake this foot/lower leg injury or "niggle" as they'd call it here in the UK. I took Monday and Tuesday off from running, got out Wednesday and felt absolutely on fire except for this damn injury. Last night at Jeet Kune Do we were doing Thai Boxing drills, they didn't really help the healing process either I guess!

Today seems positive though. I've been icing it like crazy, keeping it elevated, and so far so good. "Rest" days are never as "restful" as I'd like since I'm a stay at home dad but fortunately it was a rainy day so I had an excuse to take a step back. I think I've accepted a rest week and no big miles just to heal up. I hate doing that, it always seems counterproductive, but I just need to remind myself that rest is when you get stronger and it's a good thing.

oh how I miss the good people I met in Tahoe

I just saw these Instagram messages on my post from the other day: #seeyouinsquaw is the hashtag going around for Western States 100 (the race starts in Squaw Valley) however I think my friends who are farmers in Auburn topped that one with #seeyouinauburn! Auburn obviously being where they live and farm but also it being the finish of the race! I'm planning to stop by and sample some of their hardwork. If you're ever in Auburn, CA go buy their food: www.foothillrootsfarm.com

Week 10

Another week comes to a close. During the week I managed three 10 mile runs all on my hilly route. I was feeling good and kind of off track from my training plan, workouts didn't have purpose, so I took a chance and did a tempo workout. It went exceedingly well. I felt awesome and it was good to go fast. As I kind of expected my shin pain came back a bit so I've been managing that. It's not bad, but there, and still better than before. I'm not overly concerned as long as I keep on top of it. Speed work is probably over anyway, not only because it's time for longer runs, but just to be safe.

River Severn

 Saturday was an odd day of training. I woke at 430am and ran 7 miles. Ran 2.5 miles commuting from my car to work. Then ran 6 miles on my lunch break. I wanted to run commute back to my car but not only was I exhausted but I had an odd pain in my right foot that was forcing me to limp a bit.

grainy single track

So here I am now Sunday afternoon waiting to get out to hopefully cover 15 plus miles. The wife was out last night so been in bed hungover all day recovering. This doesn't bother me, I'm happy she got out with friends, something she rarely does! I was hoping for a daytime run but no big deal. I'll be putting my headlamp on charge in a minute and trying to stay positive for a 2.5 hour night run. Ugh. But I will do it because it's the time I've got. My foot pain from yesterday is much better today and I'm hoping it's not a problem tonight. 

I was planning on racing Malvern Hills Ultra in a couple weeks. I wanted to use it as a training run to not only focus on going out slow but also practice feeding. Unfortunately I missed the entry so I'm not in. I attempted to message the race director to see if I could get in but then deleted my message. Why? Well in the past I've done a 50 miler leading up to a 100. Post 50 I've been exhausted and unable to train properly, taking sometimes 4-5 weeks off from normal consistent training. I figured I have experience now, I know how to feed. I felt it would be more beneficial to not risk injury and exhaustion by doing a 50 but instead run three consecutive days of 15 - 30 miles. A friend said the same thing, and that running a 50 really won't have much of a fitness benefit. It can give confidence if you've never ran that far and practice feeding but it definitely won't make you faster at 100 miles. So i'm confident I've made the right decision.

moon in there somewhere

Sleep is running thin again. I had a solid night last night and felt great this morning but feel I'm in the hole again. Running tonight probably won't help. Also my food intake has been too low. I eat insanely healthy but I don't think I get enough calories so I'm trying to improve on that also. It's very difficult to deal with kids, whom never eat it seems, and keep up with my own food intake. I really need to plan ahead and have things like potatoes premade in the fridge.

Severn Way singletrack

This week starts the big final push. According to reputable coaches in order to finish a 100 miler in decent condition, within the final 9 weeks an athlete should run a minimum of 9 hours each week for 6 weeks leading up to the final taper. So for the next 6 weeks my goal will be 9 hours each week which is about 70 miles a week! I have a plan. I can do it. I just need to be able to sleep. Fortunately in two weeks my mother in law will be here so fingers crossed I'll get a week of daytime running options! I can then maximize sleep, even hopefully put some sleep in the bank. 

Here we go. And let's hope my run tonight goes well! 

Week 11

Wednesday the wife was kind enough to let me sneak out for a run after dinner/before bedtime this past week. Got in 10 miles and tested out Strava's Beacon tracker. Strava is one of the second party apps I use to track my running, you'll see the "widget" in the sidebar of this blog if you're on a computer. I normally just use the free Strava app because a lot of the premium (paid for) app additions I don't need or would use. However they added this tracking feature called Beacon. I had a free month of Strava Premium and this run seemed like a good opportunity to try it out. I turned the Beacon on and it gave me the option to send three text messages with a link to people who'd want to know my location. My wife received the text and tracked me the entire run via her phone! Pretty cool safety feature. The only downside is it doesn't sync with my watch and I have to use the Strava GPS on my phone which can eat up battery life. No big deal though, I just need to get a feel for the battery consumption.

A few photos from this run. I unfortunately don't have time to "manipulate" them to my liking. I really enjoy playing with Instagram and Light Room but currently I'm making other things priority.   

rapeseed field next to the River Severn

Worcestershire Way, pear emblem on signpost

flower petals on the Worcestershire Way

St. Leonard's Church cemetary along Worcestershire Way

St. Leonard's Church

St. Leonard's Church

swan on eggs, River Severn

Severn Way footpath with swan, River Severn

I had intended to post the previous photos mid week but it slipped my mind so I'm including it with my "weekly update." All the following photos are from Saturday and Sunday (Easter) runs on my new "go to loop" through the countryside and into Ribbesford Wood. Lots of hills and various loop options of 10 - 16 miles plus. I had a minute to Instagram a few of them and play with the colors a bit, nothing super special but ok.

panorama from Stagborough Hill over looking Stourport (left side)  

Overall a phenomenal week of running. I had a goal of 50 - 60 miles with no speed work due to my shin. I wanted to work into it and see how my injury was going. It's feeling fine running, a bit sore on both legs now post run, could be due to the increase in miles. It seems alright still and I'm not overly concerned as long as I keep up the maintenance of rolling, stretching, icing as mentioned. It's kind of a good thing I acquired this problem as it's reinforced the rolling and stretching which I rarely had been doing. It's these things outside of actual running that will help tremendously in keeping me injury free and aid recovery making me stronger.

sunrise Ribbesford Wood

Sleep is another concern that is growing and I'm more aware of as I increase my mileage. Running in the morning is awesome. I love it. However waking at 4- 430am does cut into sleep and I need to make sure I'm not getting too behind and digging myself into a sleep deprived hole I can't get out of. Awareness is key. Once again you get stronger and faster when you rest.

Fortunately the wife has been off work and has let me sneak out during the day a few times which had been awesome as I get solid sleep and I get to hang out with her at night more rather than run some nights. This won't happen all the time but helps a great deal.  

sunrise from Stagborough Hill trig point. Our house is one of those. 

Easter I managed 16 plus miles. I was tired and sore from the previous two days (10 and 14 miles) but it went well none the less. Soreness is growing due to the increase of hills I'm running. The eccentric contraction the quads make running downhill is very taxing on the body but I need to focus on hammering my quads in preparation of all the downhill at WS100. A few of the uphills on my route I've mentioned are steep. Too steep to efficiently run so I power walk/ski walk them using different muscles than running. A good strategy in ultras is to walk many of the hills so despite being kind of ashamed to not run, walking steep hills will benefit my racing. It's interesting looking at my pace on my watch increase walking versus running on steep hills.  

St. Leonard's Church cemetery 

My friend Nathan highlighted the importance of feeding in an e-mail last week so this weekend I've been considering it more on my runs. Most training runs I don't eat or drink unless it's over 18 miles. I normally carry energy gels when I do, they work, but give me a sickly feeling in my stomach. I've never has any puking issues but anything to make it more comfortable why not? So, I tried some energy chews. Basically they are a fancy gummy bear. You can train your stomach to accept more calories per hour so I took one serving every 20 minutes to see how they worked. Tasted great, no stomach problems, energy seemed consistent throughout my runs. Obviously things change over longer distances and environments but I'm pretty sold on these things right now. Experimentation will continue.

I also try to drink at least 22oz of water per hour in normal temperatures. Once again this can be trained so I've started drinking more on my training runs. It's super important for racing so why not train for it?
  

sleeping cat, St. Leonard's Church

Training this week will consist of hopefully the same as last week, 60 miles. I'm considering a tempo run session midweek. Speed work is important and necessary, and I really enjoy it, so I may revisit that again and see how I feel. I need more long runs on the weekends and am sticking to my plan of 10 - 15 Saturday and 15 - 20 Sunday. That gives me some flexibility if life gets hectic, but really need some 20 milers. I also need to commit to and enter Malvern Hills 52 which is coming up the first weekend in May. In running it I want to focus on feeding and also starting out slow, not just being in the front. This is always tough to do in a "race." So on we go.

Week 12

Well week 12 turned into a full blown recovery week. I decided it was now time to 100% rest and try and to get rid of the shin splint I've got in my lower right leg. I took Monday through Thursday off. I iced, rolled, stretched, massaged, ibuprofened multiple times a day. It wasn't that bad but I wanted it gone.

full moon at 5am

I ran Friday, an easy five miles and it seemed ok. I wasn't sure if I was just paranoid and noticed a tiny dull pain but significantly better. It was a relief that it went away with rest. I know I can fix it. I took Saturday off.

Sunday I went all in. I woke at 4am, ran in the full moon, saw the sun rise. I finally got to try out my "weekday loop." I estimated it at 13 miles and around 2000 vertical feet. It has solid steep hills (12-14% grades), long gradual descents, and is half road, half trail. My leg felt fine! The loop ended up being 14 miles and 1900 feet. I'm hoping to knock this out 3-4 days per week and then do 15 - 20 miles on Sundays unless I've got a longer run planned. Very happy with this loop considering I no longer live in the mountains.

The injury is still there but I feel confident if I'm cautious and persistent it will totally subside.

Sunrise opposite the full moon 

I've somewhat fallen off my training plan. The speed work caused me to run on my toes more, tightening my calves, and causing this injury. So, I may scrap speed work for a bit (I was planning two more weeks of it) and jump right into distance. I think I'm ready and excited for it. So weekly miles will grow from 40 to 50 - 70 miles over the next 8 weeks. If I can hang on to that I'll be extremely happy.

road running Heightington Rd

Morning running is now becoming an option. The little guy is sleeping consistently enough that 4-430am running is a go! Very happy about this. Running is an extremely selfish act and I prefer to be out of sight out of mind of my family, plus it's safest early. No people, no cars, perfect.

My good friend from college bike racing confirmed he's coming to help. Nathan is like me, he used to mountain bike all the time, got married, had kids. Bikes are time consuming. Running is significantly less. So, like me he runs, and runs ultras. I haven't seen Nathan for maybe 7 or 8 years so it will be fun to catch up. 

After I told him my flight plans, I mentioned I may want him as a pacer, something I've never had. He has run a handful of 50 and 100 milers and dealt with bad stomach problems. He asked to see my "fueling plan!" I don't have one since I'm normally crew less. He sent me his and it blew my mind how organized he is! It's safe to say I'm glad he's on our team. I think his experience with feeding will be awesome to have. I know I should eat and drink more during these races and having someone like him will help tremendously. He's up for helping with whatever is needed and will have a big pickup with a cooler full of ice ready to go! 

Nathan told me after our few email exchanges he went for a run around Corvallis and was "giddy like he was pacing me at Western States!" This race is a big deal. Not just for me, it's pretty special to help out pacing and crewing too. It's really a team effort and the pacers and crew end up working just as hard as the runner. My friends' excitement reminded me, the other night I put on a YouTube video of the race and my wife watched it for a bit. I think she understands now what this is all about.

Trig Point looking down on Stourport

Oh! I just remembered my friend from Aspen confirmed as well just today. He said he'll be in Tahoe all week. He lives in Half Moon Bay, CA and has a job as a sales rep. He's pretty mobile and will be able to work from his DIY camper van all week. Then his wife, Jen, will arrive Friday. 

This week I'm just looking at increasing mileage to 50 - 60 miles. I'm not going to worry about pace, if anything I want it slower than normal. I just want to ease into it being mindful of my leg. 

On we go.

River Severn single track

Week 13

Chapter Meadows, Worcester

Recovery week over. It went ok but I've picked up a (hopefully) minor injury. Feels like shin splints on my right leg. Probably from tight calves caused by the tempo runs. Been icing, rolling, stretching. The usual. It seems to get better and then come back. I ran as normal, 40 miles but very easy. I'd like to avoid multiple days off but that may be needed to rest it. I'm getting fairly worried about it though. I think today I'll get my bike set up on the trainer in the garage and substitute it for the running to give my body a break from impact. I don't want to but it's better than no exercise mentally. I was super motivated going into the next 8 weeks to hit my high mileage targets but hesitant injured. Yeah, it might go away with easy running, but it could just get worse.  

Severn Way downstream of Worcester

Got some new shoes. My road shoes hit over 500 miles and were in dire need of retirement and I needed to commit to a pair of trail shoes for WS100. I replaced my road shoes with the same Altra Torin, super cushioned and comfortable. I'd like to blame my injury on old shoes but the reality is shoes don't cause injuries. 

Altra Torin 2.5

I had been going back and forth on trail shoes since I'd likely be running WS100 in them. I had been happy with Inov8 Trail Talons but had such good luck with the Altra fit and huge toe box I wanted to try either the Superior or Lone Peak. The Superior has a "normal" amount of cushioning very similar to the Brooks Grit I had been running and racing in since my first 100 at Superior. Brooks changed the fit on them and it kind of put me off, too narrow. When I ordered the Torin road shoe I also got a Lone Peak. I liked the fit, adequate traction, and they had been getting good reviews on drainage. They have a bit more cushioning than normal making them a bit heavier, so weight is maybe the only downside and the only reason I considered Inov8 Trail Talon or Altra Superior.

Altra Lone Peak 3.0

I took the Altra Lone Peak trail shoes out during my lunch break on Saturday and they were great! I ran out the Severn Way, hit some mud and single track. The sun was out, it was hot, and I even got to work on my tan which is uncommon here. I could've ran all day! Looks like I found my new trail shoe!  

Lone Peak test run

My next training phase is suppose to be a couple more weeks of tempo workouts with the addition of more mileage, preferably 50 - 60 mile weeks. All that means is adding longer long runs on the weekends and during the week hit 8-10. I may skip the tempo running and just jump into higher easy or steady paced miles due to this injury. In the past I've never done speed work, just longer miles, and on the minimal end of that. Usually I'd shoot for 50 mile weeks with life always getting in the way. I'd finish 100 milers but I'd be pretty beat up and suffer hard the last 25 miles. In a perfect world I'd prefer 60 - 70 mile weeks. I think this is a nice sweet spot having a family and limited time. The fast people run 100 mile weeks to put it in perspective. 

Running on low miles I've done great adding in the speed work early which is very stressful on the body (hence the injury: stress). Ideally if within the final 6 weeks before tapering if I can hit 9 hours of running per week I should be set for a "comfortable" finish. 

I guess now looking at the weeks left now IS a good time to take a week super easy and get injury free. I'll still have three weeks to build for Malvern Hills 50 and the big miles. It's easy to get hung up on the numbers/weekly mileage goal and I need to remind myself that I won't lose any fitness taking 5 days off. So, in mulling over that it may be a low running miles week, maybe some bike trainer time, and possibly some mountain bike night riding...... 

On we go.