Zero Week: North Face Endurance Challenge

I am as ready as I will ever be for this Saturday’s 50k.  This past training cycle went off the rails and I would like more run fitness than I have but such is life.  Mileage was low on account of losing a week to food borne illness and another to nursing some knee and calf tenderness.  All was not lost though, I can handle distance better than 10 weeks ago and have been adding intensity.  This base building period went in fits and starts but the future is promising.

Changing a flat tire on the climb to the 401

This week is naturally taper, prior to zero week was where the action took place.  My woman and I got in some high altitude training in a vacation to Crested Butte Colorado.  The whole trip was epic and involved plenty of mountain biking with a side of running.  There were cross country rides on the 401, Monarch Crest, Upper and Lower loops of Crested Butte, and downhill mountain biking at the Evolution mountain bike park.  

Single track on the 401

On the running scene there were lot of trail runs featuring plenty of climbing and one last recon run of the race course.  I dialed in nutrition and race day strategy.  I will be taking this 50k easy with no other goal than even pacing and a finish.  Luckily the race loops on itself in case I need to pull the plug in the case of unnatural knee or Achilles pain.  Everything is in place for a great weekend and now comes execution.

5 Weeks Out: Recon

The past two weeks were packed full of hard hitting training, sleep, and meats and vegetables, all part of the mission to get back into 50k shape for the now 5 weeks out North Face Endurance Challenge. Things are looking promising after running 72 miles with a healthy mix of hills, tempo, long runs, and course reconnaissance in all variety of summer weather. I also threw in some biking and kayaking because variety is the spice of life as the saying goes.


My woman running the Scuppernong Trails


After losing a week of training the idea was to fit three weeks into the past two weeks. I pushed my limits, and am happy with the increase in fitness that has occurred. The key runs were three long runs with the first taking place in soupy humidity the second in extreme heat, and the third and best having decent weather for race course recon.

Monday: Long Run 16 mi, 2:10:18
Tuesday: Recovery Run 5.3 mi, 44:34
Wednesday: Kayak 3.4 mi, 53:46
Thursday:
Friday: Bike, 6mi, 1:00:00
Saturday: Long Run 13 mi, 2:14:59
Sunday: Recovery Run, 7 mi, 58:38

Monday:
Tuesday: Hill Run, 7mi, 58:38
Wednesday:
Thursday: Tempo Run, 8.4 mi, 1:04:50
Friday:
Saturday: Long Run, 16.3 mi, 2:28:00
Sunday: Bike, 51 mi, 3:00:01

Good training with the highlight being a Saturday trip out to the Scuppernong and Ice Age Trails. These portions of the race course are fast. The Scuppernong trails are wide groomed ski trails with some elevation variation but nothing horrible. The single track of the Ice Age went fast too with some added technicality and steeper climbs.  Come this weekend I hope to hit up the entirty of the Ice Age section. 

More Scuppernong

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Seven Weeks Out: Lost Training

It is real lame to lose an entire week of training to preventable illness.  Really, really lame considering my goals of getting back into 50k shape.  My tale of woe flows like this:  compromised nutrition and recovery led to gastroenteritis which led to dehydration and after the two days it took to clear those hurdles it took 3 more days to regenerate my stomach and eat real food.  Don’t let it happen to you, take care of yourself. 

Hesitation Point IMBA Epic Brown County Indiana 

Dehydration was the worst, with it came full body cramping and an overwhelming thirst that could not be satisfied.  Being heavily resistant to seeking medical help and fancying myself an amateur doctor I skipped the IV solution and rehydrated by limiting my water intake to sucking on ice cubes and taking shots of pedialyte every 5 minutes.  Take note, that information could save your life or someone else’s if medical help is unavailable.  Pearls.

So I didn’t get any miles in and I went five days without food.  That there is a loss of fitness but all I can do is move on and skip lamenting about what could have been.  What to do?  Jam two weeks into one maybe, make up for lost ground?  Laughable.  There is risk in making up for lost ground and it is best not to, but I will take the risk and mitigate it by putting three weeks of training into two weeks.

MTB + Camping IMBA Epic Brown County Indiana

The upside of the week was when I got around to finally feeling good I got in a previously planned trip to IMBA Epic Brown County Indiana for mountain biking.  I also booked a campsite at Ottawa lake for race weekend.  If you have not signed up for the North Face Endurance Challenge you should.