Trail Running, Ultra Marathon Training

Ultra Marathon Training Plan

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Over the last few weeks I have been reading the book, Relentless Forward Progress, which is a guide for running ultra marathons and includes several training plans for distances from 50K to 100 miles. I opted to use a 50-mile maximum week training plan for my first 50-mile ultra.  Of course, as usual I have adapted the program to fit my own needs and to incorporate the various races I have scheduled over the course of the year leading up to my November 3rd ultra event. Similar to the Goofy Challenge Training Plan the training schedule for an ultra relies heavily on back-to-back runs on the weekends only more so than the Goofy as well as increased “time on feet” and volume of mileage.

I have one goal for this event…finish in the upright position.

So here it is! My ultra marathon training plan complete with two initial ramp-up weeks and one recovery week afterwards. The program starts Monday May 7, 2012.

Week

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thur

Fri

Sat

Sun

Ramp-up Week 1

 Rest 5 mile 3 mile 5 mile Rest 10 mile Rest
Ramp-up Week 2

Rest

 5 mile 3 mile 6 mile Rest 10 mile Rest

Ultra 1

 Rest 6 mile 5 mile 6 mile Rest Rest 12 mile
Ultra 2 Rest 6 mile 5 mile

6 mile

Rest

 5 miles 14 mile

Ultra 3

 Rest

6 mile

 5 mile 6 mile

Rest

16 mile

5 mile

Ultra 4

 Rest

5 mile

 3 mile 5 mile

Rest

14 mile

5 mile

Ultra 5

 Rest

7 mile

 5 mile 7 mile

Rest

16 mile

5 mile

Ultra 6

 Rest

7 mile

 5 mile 7 mile

Rest

 18 mile

5 mile

Ultra 7

 Rest

7 mile

5 mile

7 mile

Rest

 18 mile

5 mile
Ultra 8 Rest 6 mile 4 mile 6 mile Rest 14 mile

5 mile
Ultra 9 Rest 10 mile 5 mile 8 mile

Rest

Rest/RAIN Ride*

 21 mile

Ultra 10

 Rest 10 mile 5 mile 7 mile

Rest

  12 mile 10 mile

Ultra 11

 Rest 7 mile 5 mile 7 mile

Rest

  EC* Trail Half +9 5 mile

Ultra 12

 Rest 6 mile 4 mile 6 mile Rest 14 mile

5 mile
Ultra 13 Rest 9 mile 5 mile 7 mile Rest 24 mile

5 mile

Ultra 14

 Rest 7 mile 5 mile 7 mile Rest DINO* 15K 18 mile

Ultra 15

Rest

6 mile

4 mile

 6 mile

Rest

 Rest

 DL Half*

Ultra 16

Rest

5K/Cruise*

 5K/Cruise* 5KCruise* 5K/Cruise* Rest

Rest

Ultra 17

Rest

10 mile

 5 mile 7 mile Rest 24 mile

5 mile

Ultra 18

Rest

7 mile

 5 mile 7 mile Rest 18 mile

10 mile

Ultra 19

 Rest 7 mile 5 mile 3 mile Rest Heritage Trail Marathon +5

Rest

Ultra 20

 Rest 6 mile 4 mile 6 mile Rest DINO* 15K & Wine @ the Line 5 mile

5 mile

Ultra 21

 Rest 7 mile 5 mile 7 mile Rest 25 mile

5 mile

Ultra 22

 Rest

5 mile

 5 mile 7 mile

Rest

 Purdue Half* +5

Rest

Ultra 23

 Rest 5 mile Rest 7 mile Rest 10 mile

5 mile
Ultra 24 5 mile Rest 3 Mile Rest 2 mile Ultra!

2 mile
Ultra 25 Rest 3 mile Rest Rest 5 mile Rest

Rest

So this is a VERY busy training/race schedule for me.  I’m looking forward to lots of trail running in Eagle Creek State Park and even travelling down to Spencer, IN a couple times to see what the trails look like for the ultra.

Happy Training!

Brian

Follow me on Twitter @TheRunningMan23

Goals, Half Marathon Training

Goals…have more than one.

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A wise person once said that it is important to write down your goals. This same person said that it is also important that you write them in pencil.  I have a goal of breaking the 2-hr half marathon mark this year and I still plan to do it yet. One thing though is that I am uncertain whether that will happen on May 5th. This realization does not deter me from trying, however, all evidence points to me having slowed down a bit since last year or rather I’m just peaking at a different time.  Today I completed the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon Training Series 15K in 1:33:34 (unofficial). I am happy with this time, but it is over 5 minutes slower than last year’s time of 1:28:06 (official time). So, there are 12 months in a year and this one isn’t a third of the way done yet. In another words, I have plenty of time!

Including the warm-up and cool-down I ran an extra 3.4 miles beyond the 15K today and I feel great!  So it’s interesting to see that while I have slowed a bit in 12 months my endurance is high. Today I am 4-weeks away from the mini-marathon. I know what I have to do for training.  It’s all written down…in pencil. 🙂

Over the course of the next 4-weeks I am concentrating on cutting weight and maintaining my speed and endurance.  One easy way to get faster (to a point) is to run lighter. I am very much enjoying learning more and more about how my body responds to training and seeing the effects on a weekly basis.

I’ll keep you all updated on the mini marathon training over the next 4-weeks and then I switch to my ultra training plan for the remainder of the year. I am so looking forward to this next training cycle!

Happy Training!

Brian

Goofy Training, Trail Running, Ultra Marathon Training

The-Ultra-RunningMan23

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The-Ultra-Runningman23??

No I’m not actually changing my twitter handle to add the word “ultra” and no this is not a post about Dean Karnazes’ book with a similar title…good book though! This is about my next adventure later this year. That’s right, I am registered for my first 50-mile ultra marathon! My ultra of choice is the OPSF 50/50 Ultra Marathon.

Wait…what’s an “Ultra-Marathon”?

Good Question!  Let’s define an ultra marathon for you. An ultra marathon is any distance foot race/event that is longer than the traditional 26.2 miles of a standard marathon.

What about the Goofy Challenge?  That was more than 26.2 miles!

So is the Goofy Challenge an Ultra?  A purist would likely say “no” since the 39.3 miles of the Goofy is ran across 2 days with a big break in the middle where as an ultra marathon is a continuous event until the mileage is finished (assuming a course time limit). Having just completed a Goofy Challenge…plus an extra 5K for 42.4 miles in three days, Dopey I know…I can assure you that the experience will be helpful! The shortest ultra I know of is the 50-K which equates to 31.07 miles. I had the option to do this shorter distance instead of the 50-miler, but to be honest there is no doubt in my mind that I can finish a 50K especially after having completed 42.4 across three days. At the end of the Goofy Challenge I was more than prepared to go another 5-miles. The 50-miler is a much greater challenge for me. Also, having read up on the topic of ultra marathons I’ve learned that the people who run these events don’t consider it a “real ultra” until you hit the 50-mile mark. Anything less is considered a long marathon or “just a training run”. As they say, “When in Rome!”

Why in the name of all that’s holy…?!?!?

Why an ultra? Well, that’s a good question! An ultra marathon is like a mountain to some runners. You run it because it’s there. For others it’s just the challenge of the distance. It’s a little bit of both for me plus training for an ultra marathon is much different than training for even a regular 26.2 for both the program and the philosophy. Also, this is a trail run so the environment of the course is much different than a standard road race. So I have a 2-in-1 challenge ahead of me!

Preparation

To prepare for this event I am increasing my training mileage quite a bit. Right now my weekly mileage not including cross-training is close to ~25 miles per week.  Once I start the ultra training I’ll boost that number to over 30 miles per week almost immediately…emphasis on “almost” and then increase it from there.  It’s advised that you only increase total mileage by 10% from week to week so luckily I have a couple weeks to build up so there isn’t such a huge jump at the start of the program.  Another nicety is that the weekly mileage increase primarily comes in the mid-week runs at the start along with the addition of a short Sunday run after a long Saturday run.  The first 8-weeks has a small 5-miler on Sunday after the long run on Saturday. I was amazed at how closely the training plan resembles the Goofy Challenge Training just higher mileage.

Besides the races I mentioned in my last post I also added a couple 15K trail runs and a full marathon trail run so I can get more trail experience. As soon as I finish the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 5th I will be all about the trail running for the remainder of the year.  I’m looking forward to buying a headlamp! 🙂

Happy Training!

Brian

You can follow me on Twitter @TheRunningMan23

Half Marathon Training, Trail Running

Happy Trails to Me

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I was looking over my race schedule for the year and realized it was kind of wimpy so I went in search of a few races to beef it up. Realizing I’ve never done a trail run event I decided to sign up for my first at Eagle Creek State Park. The 3rd Annual Planet Adventure Eagle Creek Half/Full Trail Marathon will be held Saturday, August 4, 2012. I’ll do the half marathon since this is my first significant trail run.  I’m excited to start training for trail running after the Indianapolis Mini Marathon is complete. Of course, I’ll need a pair of trail running shoes and some bug spray for this new adventure!

I also added a 15K which is a part of the Indy Mini Marathon Training Series and a 5 mile race which to be honest is just for fun!  The Wine at the Line 5 mile race has free wine tasting and pizza at the end of the run and takes place at Mallow Run Winery. What more could you ask for?  Also, this is a day before my birthday so what better way to celebrate than to run 5 miles, drink wine, and eat pizza!?!?!?!  I’m still looking to run a few more 5K/10K races throughout the summer and possibly one other more significant distance race toward the end of the year, but that is yet to be decided.

Until then…

Happy Training!

Brian

Half Marathon Training, Uncategorized

And hope springs forth…

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Okay so the half marathon is still 7+ weeks away, but I had an awesome 6-mile Tempo Run this morning at a pace that’s 15 seconds faster than my HM PR. I even pushed it to sub-8min pace for the last half mile. I know I could have done at least one more mile, BUT…STICK TO THE PLAN!

Basically I felt really good and I can now see the possibility of a PR at the Mini Marathon. My goal for 2012 is to break the 2-hour half marathon mark, but I don’t see that happening in May. I DO see the potential for a PR though.  My current PR is 02:05:49 so if under 2-hours doesn’t happen in 7 weeks then I’d be ecstatic with A). Any PR, but B). Really want to break 02:05:00 so shaving an extra 50 seconds off would be enough to make me happy…it’s the little things sometimes!  🙂

Happy Training!

Brian

FIRST Training Program, Half Marathon Training, Uncategorized

Finally…a plan!

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After too many weeks of “training by feel” I have finally written down an eight week training plan for the remaining time approaching the Indianapolis Mini Marathon the first weekend in May. I am excited to be tracking results as I have in the past! I’m using the FIRST training program again since I had good results from it last time. I bought the book some time ago and I still use it regularly. It was probably one of the best purchases I’ve made for training.

Here’s the outline. I have more details on my version as to specific pace, distance, etc.

  • Sunday: Long Run
  • Monday: Bike (Recovery Ride)
  • Tuesday: Weights and Intervals
  • Wednesday: Weights and Bike
  • Thursday: Tempo Run
  • Friday: Bike
  • Saturday: Rest Day

I of course adapted the program slightly for my own needs and from reading about tips from elite runners. It’s amazing what you can pick up for advice by reading blogs and Runner’s World Magazine! I’m going to return to doing a post run ice bath once my mileage climbs a little higher and I’m lifting weights before a couple of my run days so my recovery days and rest days are truly for rest and recovery.

Overall my knee is still feeling well though I can tell from a little stiffness that taking it easy and continuing to work into the harder stuff is a wise decision. This morning I did intervals after weights and pushed the 2peed a bit on 1200m sprints. My knee was feeling a bit, but felt good afterwards.

Last week I added my first long slow distance run (LSD) of the season and it felt good to get out there on the trail for an hour or so. This coming weekend looks to be a 12-miler on Saturday. I fully plan to have some fun on St. Patrick’s Day so I’m switching my rest day to Sunday to accomodate the change in schedule. As I’ve said before, it’s important to schedule some celebration days into your program so you don’t go crazy!

Happy Training!

Brian

You can follow me on Twitter @TheRunningman23

Half Marathon Training, Recovery, Weight Loss

This Week in The Gym with Your Host…

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What a fantastic week of training! I hit the gym all five days this week and hope to keep that trend going in the weeks to come.

Here’s the breakdown in case you don’t follow me on the Dailymile.

Monday

My Monday workouts have been a combination of weights, running, and biking. I hit the weights for a hard and fast leg workout across thirty minutes doing super sets and trios of exercises with minimal rest between. Once I’m done with the weights I jump on the treadmill for a run. The first week I did just a mile and this past week I did two miles at a sub-9:30 pace. After the run I jumped on the stationary bike for the remaining time and covered 5 miles. This was 1-mile more than the previous week on the same day. I worked out for over an hour and left the gym feeling great!

Tuesday

On Tuesdays I hit the weights again, but go for the upper body regimen similar to my Monday workout of supersets, combo sets and trios. I take about 30 minutes for this routine and then hit the bike to give my running muscles a chance to rest. Tuesday I rode for 9.5 miles in about 46 minutes. Not bad for one of the longest rides I’ve had to date.

Wednesday

Wednesday is a specific run workout for speed. I do interval training with all types of distances, but this time it was 6×400. I start with a 1-mile warm-up at a 10min pace and then go into the intervals with a 400m rest interval (R.I.) as well. At the end I decided to cut the last R.I. and instead just increased the speed. I finished up by slowing to the 10min pace again and going for another half-mile for the cool-down.

Thursday

Thursday is another run rest day so I started out on the elliptical for less impact but a good cardiovascular burn. I kept at it for 3 miles and ten switched to the stationary bike. I rode for 4.25 miles to finish up the hour long workout and hit the showers after a good stretch.

Friday

Friday was another specific run workout. I hadn’t ran for any significant distance since the Goofy Challenge so I decided since I have a half-marathon coming up in two months that I needed to start rebuilding my endurance. Friday was a 7-miler and I wanted it to be a tempo run of sorts so I started out at a 10min pace and sped up a bit when I had 1.25miles to go. Overall it was a great run and I finished feeling good with gas still left in the tank.

Nutrition

Another victory this week is my nutritional plan. I hit my EAS whey protein shakes after every workout for recovery and I can tell a big difference from when I don’t take in the extra protein for recovery.  Per my usual routine I eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day, take in the required amount of fiber and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. I had one splurge meal on Saturday and by the end of the week I was down 4 lbs. This is perfect as it means I’m sending my body all the right messages in regards to weight loss and performance.

The Week Ahead

This coming week I am repeating last week’s workouts with some minor tweaks. I plan to cut one super set on legs to allow for an extra mile on the run. I’ll continue to rotate exercises to keep my leg muscles guessing and adapting. The same goes for my weights workout on Tuesday for upper body. Wednesday and Friday will be specific run workouts for intervals and tempo runs and Thursday will be dedicated to just getting a good calorie burn on the elliptical and the bike.

One addition for this coming week is a long slow distance run (LSD) on Sunday with a friend of mine. He’s training for a full marathon in April, the same half marathon I’m training for in May, a duathlon in September and I’m sure several other races this year. My goal this week is to continue my weight loss toward my 170 lbs goal.

Have a great week and happy training!

Brian

Half Marathon Training

Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride…

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So now that you are singing that 1983 hit from Matthew Wilder (or you are now) please keep reading as you hum! Also, as a little fun fact…I’m surprised at how many people online think the Australian rock band “Men at Work” sings that song. Thank you Youtube and thank you Wikipedia.

Since my last check-in here at the wide world of WordPress I’ve been hitting the gym almost daily only missing one day last week. I take the weekends off from the gym to recover, but use my time wisely each morning Monday – Friday. Everything has been going great and I can say that my Indianapolis Mini-Marathon training is back on track. This is good since I have just 65 days left!

This morning was an interval session on the treadmill also known as speed work. This was my first interval training since December and maybe even November of last year.

I warmed-up with a single mile at a 10min/mile pace and then jumped into 400m (1/4 mile) intervals. Here’s how it panned out after the warm-up.

1 x 400m @ 9:05 pace (R.I. 400m @ 10min pace)
3 x 400m @ 8:57 pace (R.I. 400m @ 10min pace)
1 x (400×2 = 800) @ 8:57/8:34 paces (No R.I. between)

I was feeling so good at the end of interval #5 that I decided to finish up and not do the rest interval. Instead I kicked it up a notch to an 8:34 pace and then went into cool-down for a half mile again at a 10min/mile pace for just a half mile. As I type this out I’m sitting at my desk drinking my EAS AdvantEDGE shake. Remember, recovery and nutrition is a key contributor to success. As for my next speed workout, I’m looking forward to throwing in some 800s.

Otherwise my plan is to do all my warm-ups, cool-downs, and easy runs at a 10min (6mph) pace. I’m unsure at this point if I have enough time to train well enough to hit my sub 2-hour half goal at the mini-marathon, but it’s more of a 2012 goal than a mini-marathon goal so we’ll see.

Until next time, Happy Training.

Brian

Goofy Training, Half Marathon Training, Inspiration, Marathon Training

Visiting Mecca

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Ok so yes, my training has been a bit lackadaisical the last few weeks and yes, I had to Google how to spell lackadaisical correctly but both of these facts are neither here nor there to the subject of visiting mecca.

If you are ever in a training slump and if you happen to be a long distance runner then I have the cure for the common training woes. Visit running mecca. That’s right. Go to Boston, MA and try not to run. My experience there? In a word, phenomenal! Why you ask? Wait…why are you asking why? You said a minute ago that you are a runner.  Never mind I will explain. Wait again, there’s too much.  I will sum it up.  Have you heard of a little road race called the Boston Marathon?  Hardly anyone goes, but a few people seem to like it (SARCASM).

Here’s the gist. The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events. It is one of five World Marathon Majors. Also, there is this little issue of needing to qualify for this race. To do so here’s what I would need to do in the future (too slow right now) at an official Boston Qualifying race (another marathon, FYI).

Effective 2013, for my age group and gender I would need to be able to run 26.2 miles in 3:10:00 (3 hours & 10 minutes flat). If I hit 03:10:01…..I need not apply because I can’t.

Regardless, running where the elites “stretch their legs” is inspiring and I’ve hit the gym nearly every day since last week when I stopped by Boston for a quick out and back where I got lost and of course found “Heart Break Hill” in the process.  Lucky me!

Hopefully this post finds your training right on track and going strong for the upcoming season.

Happy Training!

Brian

FIRST Training Program, Goals, Half Marathon Training, Weight Loss

Planning

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What did most of the people do on the plane ride from Orlando to Indianapolis the Monday after the Disney World Marathon Weekend & Goofy Challenge?

Answer: They slept.

What did I do?

Answer: I planned out my training program to get me a PR finishing time at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon on Saturday May 6th.

The Goofy Challenge proved to me that I have a bit of endurance in me. I felt better after three days of running a total of 42.4 miles than I did the previous year after my first full marathon. While I know an extra year of training and the post race recovery methods I employed were much of the difference from year to year I can’t help but want to change focus from distance to speed.  They say speed comes with time. Great! I’ve been training for over two years now so I’m going to focus more on the speed and less on going a “further than last weekend’s” long run of 26.2 miles.

My most ambitious goal would be to try for a sub 2-hour time. My previous year’s mini marathon time was just under 02:06:00. Shaving off nearly 6 minutes from my run would take a lot of dedication but more accurately some very smart and specific traini especially considering I just got over fighting off a rhino virus which quite foolishly wandered too near my immune system…silly rhino virus.

My first order of business is to fully recover from my 42.4-mile journey (and the stupid cold), which I have done over the last 2 weeks. In the interim, I focused on biking, some elliptical work and lifting weights while also getting plenty of sleep. That time period not only refueled the body but also the mind and spirit after a long distance fight in which I’ve come a long way.

While I have mapped out a 14-week training program the intensity does not ramp up until next week. Monday I’ll refocus on my previous FIRST training regimen of three runs a week with two cross training days.  I’m going to focus on regular stationary bike and spin classes for my cross training along with resistance training thrown in to build more strength. I’ll write more on my bike focus in a later post as it involves a future goal.

Also, this is a good example of how as soon as you finish rewarding yourself for a job well done on hitting a goal you should immediately plan the next “BIG Thing.”  For me it’s relative speed in a particular race.

Churros & Dos Equis! - My Victory Dance

So look at 2011, smile at what you’ve accomplished, and look ahead to what comes next.

I’ll post my entire training program in a few weeks.  Until then…

Happy Training!

Brian

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