Ultrarunning 2009 Coaching Endurance

Anyone for LSD?

I had some great runs this week. I’ve dumped mileage in favor of speed-work, as work and home commitment have left me time poor, so as the adage goes “it’s not quantity, its quality that counts.”

A few fast midweek jaunts and I was back at “Ern Clarke athletics track” for some more racing fun. This time I tried the Mile, 800m, and 200m, with surprisingly good results. I came 3^rd overall in the mile; I started way too fast and suffered for it the whole race. While I was still panting, head down, hands on knees, and shaking with exhaustion, the nice man with the starting gun called me in to run the 200m….where I got my butt kicked by much more experienced (a diplomatic way of saying “older”) men.

The 800m I ran a much smarter race, I settled in behind the leader and let them set the pace at 700m to go; I kicked hard and “out sprinted” the leader to win my heat. 

This weekend I’m back to my old tricks and one of my favorite stomping grounds, Kalamunda. There will be plenty of pristine single-track, technical climbs, and decent mileage. Yes I’ll be having some LSD this weekend for sure!

(“LSD” is a common running acronym for Long Slow Distance)

more fun.

It’s been a busy week. Work commitments and a full training schedule have wiped me out, which explains why I was sound asleep on the couch at 9:00p.m. Friday night.

As expected my “run to work” plan is very demanding, I was cursing the idea on Tuesday after the commute home left me totally shattered. It was a very hot day and my route has no shade, to top it off I’d worked overtime and forgot I had to pick up my kids from school. By the time I’d realized my plight I had only given myself 45 minutes to run the 10k to the school before they closed! I made it (just) and vowed to modify my plan before my endocrine system becomes too depleted.

My solution was to dust the cobwebs off my road bike and get some smart, low impact, cross training mileage. I soon found myself racing every biker in sight (even if they’re not going my direction) I don’t know what it is about me on a bike but I get COMPETITIVE!

My commute is over undulating terrain, but there is one hill in particular that I love to ride up, “Black Swan Hill” (aka Monte Zoncolan) it’s embarrassingly small and it kicks my butt every time I go up it, so it’s pretty cool.

The highlight of my running week was being introduced to the “Masters Athletics of Western Australia.” They hold track nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week.

I joined the track team back in high school…for two days; I hated the idea of running around in circles. Now, a little older and open-minded, my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I wanted to see how I’d fare in sprint events.

I signed up for the 100m and the 400m races along with a few other ultra runners (who have asked to remain nameless to protect their “secret racing” adventures)

The 100m was up first and I was warmed up, stretched and ready to run…I was also terrified! There where people there with racing spikes, starting block thingies, matching singlets, these people know their stuff. I felt pretty embarrassed asking the nice man with the starting gun how the whole “ready, set, go” thing works.

“Do I have to get down…where do my hands go?” I asked nervously.

“You can do a standing start if you like” He said encouragingly. “I just hope you don’t blow a hammy!”

We all cringed at that comment, and then there was a loud bang.

We all ran as hard as we could and I found myself leading…and then it was over, I’d won my heat! That wasn’t so scary after all.

The 400m was up next, all the advice I’d received about this one was “get an inside lane.” The man called us in and the inside lanes were quickly occupied, I ended up in lane 8 (the very outside)

“I don’t see what’s so bad about this?”

Again, a loud BANG and we were off.

I again felt like I was leading for a long time, it was great! Then at 300m in I realized why lane 8 is bad (At 300m you all end up at the same point.) 100m to go it was an all out sprint to the finish, Somewhere I found a gear I didn’t know I had and kicked hard to the finish. I won my heat again! Maybe I’m a sprinter after all.

It’s very exciting to suddenly add a new dimension to my running, and although ultras are my passion, I am going to devote a portion of my training to track shenanigans.

Happy trails.http://www.mastersathleticswa.org/

Pics from last year.

Fun.

I’m back in the saddle!

After three weeks away with injury, I’ve just finished my first week running again.

It’s been a great week and I’ve probably run more mileage than I should have (100k) for my first week back, but my new training regime (see previous post) has been surprisingly manageable. To top it off my car died this morning (as if to serendipitously further cement my commitment to run to work.)

The week started well with my running to work plan, I got in some great hill work with Bernadette (ultra-runner extraordinaire) at Lesmurdie. “Les” is quickly becoming one of my favorite trails with a radical elevation/distance ratio.

The exclamation point on my week was a solo trip to Kalamunda for a quick lap on the “Kalamunda Circuit.” The “Circuit” has got to be one of the best single-track loops in the metropolitan area.

I got to “the Dell” (the start point of the loop) at 5:00p.m. I enjoyed the fast downhill run to the Bibb, There the trail turns uphill for a grinding two-three K. The setting sun was setting a cracking pace as the thought of getting lost in the dark was not too appealing.

I ran past a few friendly mountain bikers who seemed a little perplexed to see a lone runner on their trail (not to mention nearly catching them on the climb.) The reward for all this climbing is some absolutely superb, technical, fast, and downhill single-track. I let my feet blindly find their instinctive rhythm and just cruised for a long time, it was so much fun!

It was like when you’re a kid running with your friends; the effort seems insignificant compared to the joy of going at breakneck speed. I almost expected my mom to hop out of the bushes and shout at me to “slow down!!”
I got back to my car just as the sun was setting; the smell of the Australian bush was like a heavy perfume of pine and eucalyptus. A perfect run.

 

Turning Tarahumara?

I've been thinking about running to work for awhile now, and although it’s rather ambitious to double my training load, I think the time has come to give it a try. It’s 12.5k each way (25k return x 5 trips a week= 125k) + a Sunday long run of 30-35K equals…..drum roll please……100 miles a week! Take that “training plateau!”

So today is day #1.  I got a little excited with my new and improved regime and decided to add a climb up Mt. Brown (even its 5k away from my new route.) I think it was immediately after I summited Mt Brown, some 15k away from home that the gravity of what I’m attempting became quite clear, it’s gonna be tough, and although I do love “bonus k’s” , there may not be room for extra in “the Century” (cool nickname huh?)
Anyway I can throw away my old long runs and easy recovery runs that used to rule my week, and say “hello” to quality back to backs. I can do it, no problem…it’s easy….now if you’ll excuse me it’s 4:30 at night and I’m falling asleep…….

Off to the races

http://www.aura.asn.au/wa6-12hr.html
Good luck to everyone running the track race today.

Upping the ante.

Okay it’s no Green Mountain, but I think it’s time to pay Mt. Cooke another visit (as soon as I’m healed), our highest local hill. Time to get high…literally!

I came up with a “Three Peaks” run last winter and it’s time to start incorporating some bigger hills into my training, this run takes in Mt. Cuthbert, Mt. Vincent and Mt. Cooke, all on a beautiful stretch of single-track an hour southeast of Perth. Bring it on!!

New shoes...maybe!

I must be getting old; I’ve become a “letter writer”…

All for a good cause though, after missing out on “New Balance’s MT100”...and only just getting a pair of the updated MT101’s (minimalist trail shoes). I’ve joined the minimalist shoe revolution! Why not, you get better feel, an overall lighter shoe, and a sole that doesn’t encourage heel striking. I’ve been hanging out for the much hyped “Minimus” range that NB has been sprucing since the middle of last year. The trouble is that all of these wonderful shoes are not available in Australia, furthermore NB (USA) does not ship overseas, so I sent NB a letter:

Hello,

I'm a trail runner living in Perth.

I've been using New Balance for a couple of years now with great success.

Several of my friends and I all use trail running shoes (and minimalist shoes in particular)

I tried to get some MT 100's when they first came out, but they sold out quickly in the USA and never even came to OZ, When the MT101's were released I managed to get a pair from the states as they once again did not come to Australia. Why is this? They are known throughout the "ultra running" community as a great shoe...and that’s coming from a group that goes through a lot of shoes!

The Minimus range has just been released in the USA and it appears that we will miss out again, and to make matters worse the USA New Balance website will not send them overseas.
My point being, that there are a lot of very committed trail runners over here (Australia) and why deny them what may very well be the best New Balance shoes