Next Big Thing: North Face Endurance Challenge

My mission to get stronger / faster specific to running has been going sideways these past few months. The decrease in volume and intensity in training was a much needed physical and mental health break laying the ground work for the next period of growth. Sometimes it just feels good to take it easy with no plan other than if it feels good do it after a long stretch of busting ass.

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The next big thing in my life is the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k nestled in the scenic Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest of Wisconsin. My love and I camped and knocked out the ½ marathon last year and it was awesome, wrote all about it here too.  The plan this year is the same, camp and run, probably mountain bike that weekend too.  It is time to get serious about running again to knock this out.

   



2012 thus far



As it stands right now I cannot do a 50k.  Turns out you actually have to run consistently to maintain 50k level fitness.  My last 50k was at the beginning of May and this race is in the middle of September. I am no mathematician but can count on my fingers and that leaves ten weeks to get back into 50k shape. I know where I want to be and I know where I have been so planning a course of action to bridge the two is all that remains.



Mountain biking in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest


I will ramp miles up to my sweet spot of 30 - 40 miles a week over the next couple weeks and load most of the miles into the same 24 hour period. I see a lot of base building long runs with some tempo work but will lay off the intervals. I see myself hitting up the kettle moraine state forest a lot for race day specific terrain and I can also mountain bike there. Did I mention I have been spending a lot of time mountain biking? Yes, yes I did.  It is like trail running, all off road and all good.