Here’s another workout of the week. I know! Weekly, even.
Over the past couple months, I’ve been building the distance of my long trail run about 15 minutes per week. Yesterday was targeting 4 hours and I did that plus about 5 minutes. That’s a long time to be running, but probably only half as long as I’ll be going at Uwharrie 40. I try not to think about that too much.
The run went fine. It wasn’t about fast, just getting through it in one piece. At this point- about a month and a half out from the race- I have another big week that includes 3 hours on the course itself and a 50k in Carrboro. Two weeks after the 50k is some “speed work” in the form of a 10 mile trail run.
I’m not sure what kind of recovery will be necessary after the 50k, so I haven’t nailed down a specific training schedule yet for January. However, I would like to get out to Occoneechee Mountain for some downhill repeats to inoculate my quads against the brutality of 40 miles in Uwharrie will bring. There’s a big hill to roll down at the very end and I’d like to do it feet first. Also, if I can pull it off, a trip out to run some longer climbs in the mountains would be great.
Anyway, this is about my longest run to date in the midst of a couple of 60 mile weeks following several 50+ mile weeks. That’s quite good for me. In fact, I can think of only one other time I’ve run more than 50-something miles and I’ve probably run fewer than 15 50+ mile weeks in my life. With all the slow trail running, though, it’s working out.
4 hour run… doesn’t sound that fun to me!
BUT, I am starting to get ‘easy’ running… my coach is making me run w/ HR monitor and putting caps on me as far as HR goes and I’m like “Can I even run this slow??” I can tell though its not nearly as taxing on my body so I can do a lot more of it b/c I’m not thrashing myself at all.
Good for you! Hope Uwharrie goes well, that was a fun race for us last year. I enjoyed it actually with the boys in tow. You sound like you’re getting some good winter miles in…I actually miss the long miles now.
You are making me feel bad about my Uhwarrie 40 prep. I hope to get in at least one 20 miler (about 4 hours on the trails) before then! That’s all I did last year and survived.
But Uhwarrie is mostly about fun, and of course survival, for me, not for speed. I did get in an hour today in the form of a snow scramble — lots of bushwhacking and a little running.