Recent Training

Just a quick post to update folks on my winter training, which has been going famously. Last year the six months prior to Zumbro 100 I logged a paltry 389 miles, with only 6 training runs of 20+ miles. Pathetic, I know! Yet, I still managed to finish somehow.

This year is a completely different story. I've already put in 381 miles and 5 training runs of 20+ miles (all 5 in the last 7 weeks)- and there's still 11-1/2 weeks of training left before Zumbro! Now, I just need to keep at it and slowly increase my miles. My goal is to be running 60+ miles per week by July. In the past, I've pushed it too hard too fast and ended up with very sporadic miles. For example, last winter I had mileage totals of 40, 24, 37, 28, 38, 10, 42, 32 over an eight-week stretch. In fact, looking over my training the past 2+ years, I've never had 3 consecutive weeks of 30+ miles where each week's mileage was more than the previous'. Crazy! Kinda hard to build a good base and increase your mileage with shoddy training like that. Anyway, that trend is ending and after this week when I will have put in 3 consecutive weeks of 30+ miles with increased mileage each week.

Week 1 - 30 miles total, Weight 175.2 lbs.
5 miles, 49:40, 9:56/mile
5 miles, 47:52, 9:34/mile
20 miles, 3:47:51, 11:23/mile (running in soft snow sucks! lol)

Week 2 - 32.7 miles total, Weight 177.0 lbs.
6.2 miles, 56:47, 9:11/mile
6.2 miles, 55:56, 9:08/mile
20.3 miles, 3:35:14, 10:34/mile (great run with Zach, Maria, and Helen)

Week 3 - 34.2 miles and counting, Weight 174.8 lbs.
6.2 miles, 54:03, 8:46/mile
8 miles, 1:13:56, 9:14/mile
20 miles, 3:40:07 11:00/mile (tough run on trails with very soft, wet snow)


I hope everyone else's training is going well this winter. See ya on the trails!