Comments for fleastcoastrunners.com Blog http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog Ask questions or offer information for other runners about training, group runs, or whatever else is of interest to you and the running community: Sun, 20 May 2012 00:42:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-17 runs2fast Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:08:54 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-17 Did 30 miles this morning. The heat got to me a little, but other than that had a pretty good run. In spite of an early start it was 86 and very humid at the end. My daughter ran from about 12 to 24 with me, which was great. I think with the cool dry air I will have in New York in 6 weeks, I should be able to run all or almost all of the 50 miler. Well, I plan to walk the steep uphills. It has 3 nasty climbs, but maybe I can run most of the rest of it. Part of the trick is training and part is continuing to recharge during the run. I plan to drink a lot of Accelerade and eat some gels too. Did 30 miles this morning. The heat got to me a little, but other than that had a pretty good run. In spite of an early start it was 86 and very humid at the end. My daughter ran from about 12 to 24 with me, which was great. I think with the cool dry air I will have in New York in 6 weeks, I should be able to run all or almost all of the 50 miler. Well, I plan to walk the steep uphills. It has 3 nasty climbs, but maybe I can run most of the rest of it. Part of the trick is training and part is continuing to recharge during the run. I plan to drink a lot of Accelerade and eat some gels too.

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-16 runs2fast Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:54:09 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-16 Planning to do at least 28 tomorrow morning. Setting alarm for 3:30 AM to beat the heat (ouch). Wish me luck. Planning to do at least 28 tomorrow morning. Setting alarm for 3:30 AM to beat the heat (ouch). Wish me luck.

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-15 runs2fast Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:04:40 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-15 Continuing my training. Trying to hold my mileage in the 60s per week. Continuing to bump up my long run. Saturday I plan to do 28 miles. On Monday I did my "trash your legs" workout again. As noted previously, it is intended to build the leg muscles for the hills (which we don't have here). I run to the YMCA, then do 3 miles on a treadmill at 8% grade, then do machines for the legs (3 sets at a pretty good weight) and machines for the core. Then I run home. It has gotten easier after several weeks, but my legs are still a little sore the next day. That means it is having the intended effect. I also did 10 yesterday and 10 today. Just chugging along, though chugging is relative. Most of the 10 milers include pushing down into the high 7's per mile, which is close to "steady state" for me if you have read the articles on the parent website Florida East Coast Runners at www.fleastcoastrunners.com That is running pretty strong for the 90+ degree heat we are enduring as a normal August in Florida. Continuing my training. Trying to hold my mileage in the 60s per week. Continuing to bump up my long run. Saturday I plan to do 28 miles. On Monday I did my “trash your legs” workout again. As noted previously, it is intended to build the leg muscles for the hills (which we don’t have here). I run to the YMCA, then do 3 miles on a treadmill at 8% grade, then do machines for the legs (3 sets at a pretty good weight) and machines for the core. Then I run home. It has gotten easier after several weeks, but my legs are still a little sore the next day. That means it is having the intended effect. I also did 10 yesterday and 10 today. Just chugging along, though chugging is relative. Most of the 10 milers include pushing down into the high 7’s per mile, which is close to “steady state” for me if you have read the articles on the parent website Florida East Coast Runners at http://www.fleastcoastrunners.com That is running pretty strong for the 90+ degree heat we are enduring as a normal August in Florida.

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-13 runs2fast Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:52:53 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-13 Training contuing to go pretty well. Did 26.5 miles Saturday. Did "trash your legs" yesterday. Other days OK too. One thing I noticed is that what I am doing is pretty far removed from what I recommend for runners for shorter distances. I am not really doing formal speed work at all. My primary issues I want to work on are distance and hills, so that is my focus. Tuesday I do hills (on a treadmill + weights) and Saturday I run long. Here is my schedule for next week: Monday: 6 easy Tuesday: 13 including 3 at 8% grade on a tread mill Wednesday: 6 easy Thursday: 10 "how I feel" Friday: off Saturday: 28 easy Sunday: 6 easy Total: 69 miles Note that "easy" refers to pace, not that 28 is easy. If anyone has read my articles they might be wondering about this schedule. Well, like I said, my focus training for my 50 mile qualifier is not running fast. It is distance and hills. However, I should mention that I sneak in some quality work. I do strides by sprinting the last 50 meters of almost every run. Tuesday's and Thursday's runs often include quite a few miles at "steady" or even "tempo" pace. I just don't focus a lot on these aspects to getting faster right now. If you want a description of paces and what I mean by those, read here: http://www.fleastcoastrunners.com/Article-Training_Basics.html Training contuing to go pretty well. Did 26.5 miles Saturday. Did “trash your legs” yesterday. Other days OK too.

One thing I noticed is that what I am doing is pretty far removed from what I recommend for runners for shorter distances. I am not really doing formal speed work at all. My primary issues I want to work on are distance and hills, so that is my focus. Tuesday I do hills (on a treadmill + weights) and Saturday I run long. Here is my schedule for next week:
Monday: 6 easy
Tuesday: 13 including 3 at 8% grade on a tread mill
Wednesday: 6 easy
Thursday: 10 “how I feel”
Friday: off
Saturday: 28 easy
Sunday: 6 easy
Total: 69 miles
Note that “easy” refers to pace, not that 28 is easy. If anyone has read my articles they might be wondering about this schedule. Well, like I said, my focus training for my 50 mile qualifier is not running fast. It is distance and hills. However, I should mention that I sneak in some quality work. I do strides by sprinting the last 50 meters of almost every run. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s runs often include quite a few miles at “steady” or even “tempo” pace. I just don’t focus a lot on these aspects to getting faster right now. If you want a description of paces and what I mean by those, read here:

http://www.fleastcoastrunners.com/Article-Training_Basics.html

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-12 runs2fast Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:38:15 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-12 Did my "trash your legs" workout today. Ran 12 miles including 3 on a treadmill at 8% grade, which is about 1300 feet of climb. Did my “trash your legs” workout today. Ran 12 miles including 3 on a treadmill at 8% grade, which is about 1300 feet of climb.

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-11 runs2fast Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:27:40 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-11 Was incredibly hot today, as it is most days in August when it doesn't rain. I went out at about 7 PM to run. It was 89 degrees, 85% humidity, and sunny. Like the inquisitioner in Braveheart said, "Pleasant, isn't it?". I came back looking like I just got out of a swimming pool of course, dripping wet, socks and shorts soaked. It sure will be nice when November or so rolls around and the humidity goes away! Here is to a run that is below 70 degrees, if I can even remember what that is like. 6 AM is usually 78 to 80 degrees and 100% humidity these days. Oh well, I guess we all have our weather gripes. In January when it is 60 degrees during a morning run here, I can think about people up north complaining about knee-deep snow. If I were rich I would spend winters in Florida and summers in upstate New York or somewhere like that. Since I am not, I guess I will whine and trudge on. LOL Was incredibly hot today, as it is most days in August when it doesn’t rain. I went out at about 7 PM to run. It was 89 degrees, 85% humidity, and sunny. Like the inquisitioner in Braveheart said, “Pleasant, isn’t it?”. I came back looking like I just got out of a swimming pool of course, dripping wet, socks and shorts soaked. It sure will be nice when November or so rolls around and the humidity goes away! Here is to a run that is below 70 degrees, if I can even remember what that is like. 6 AM is usually 78 to 80 degrees and 100% humidity these days. Oh well, I guess we all have our weather gripes. In January when it is 60 degrees during a morning run here, I can think about people up north complaining about knee-deep snow. If I were rich I would spend winters in Florida and summers in upstate New York or somewhere like that. Since I am not, I guess I will whine and trudge on. LOL

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-10 runs2fast Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:10:40 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-10 One other key workout I am doing each week is hill simulation. In Florida, or at least in east central Florida there are no real hills (unless you count bridges). In order to get ready for the hills I will see in New York in my qualifier, on Tuesdays I run a loop that goes past the "Y" where I am a member. At the "Y" I get on a treadmill, set it on 8% grade and put in about 3 miles in the middle of my run. I also do weights for legs and core while I am there. I call it my "trash your legs" workout. It is actually pretty effective at building up the muscles in your legs you need for hills. I used it before another ultra that climbed up a mountain and had no trouble with the climbing. I also do sit ups and one-leg partial squats on other days. The hills effort will have to go up another notch however if I get into Western States. The race has over 18,000 feet of climb and about 22,000 feet of drop. That is an average grade of 8% (up or down) for 100 miles! One other key workout I am doing each week is hill simulation. In Florida, or at least in east central Florida there are no real hills (unless you count bridges). In order to get ready for the hills I will see in New York in my qualifier, on Tuesdays I run a loop that goes past the “Y” where I am a member. At the “Y” I get on a treadmill, set it on 8% grade and put in about 3 miles in the middle of my run. I also do weights for legs and core while I am there. I call it my “trash your legs” workout. It is actually pretty effective at building up the muscles in your legs you need for hills. I used it before another ultra that climbed up a mountain and had no trouble with the climbing. I also do sit ups and one-leg partial squats on other days. The hills effort will have to go up another notch however if I get into Western States. The race has over 18,000 feet of climb and about 22,000 feet of drop. That is an average grade of 8% (up or down) for 100 miles!

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-9 runs2fast Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:01:40 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-9 Still on track. I did a long run of 24 miles last weekend and it went well. I ran strongly to the end. I did 20 yesterday and it felt very easy. The reason for backing off a little is that I find my body can not take 25 - 30 milers every weekend, so I am going to alternate 20 miles one weekend with pushing the upper end the next weekend. Next Saturday I plan to do 26. That should stretch out to 30 with 4 weeks to go before my qualifier. According to Tim Tweitmyer and other ultra runners, hitting about 50 - 60% of the ultra distance in training is enough to get you to the finish line. I guess we will see. Still on track. I did a long run of 24 miles last weekend and it went well. I ran strongly to the end. I did 20 yesterday and it felt very easy. The reason for backing off a little is that I find my body can not take 25 - 30 milers every weekend, so I am going to alternate 20 miles one weekend with pushing the upper end the next weekend. Next Saturday I plan to do 26. That should stretch out to 30 with 4 weeks to go before my qualifier. According to Tim Tweitmyer and other ultra runners, hitting about 50 - 60% of the ultra distance in training is enough to get you to the finish line. I guess we will see.

]]> Comment on Western States 100 by runs2fast http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/07/14/western-states-100/%#comment-8 runs2fast Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:18:05 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=18#comment-8 Training is going pretty good. My mileage is in the 50s and climbing. My long run is up to 21 and climbing. I want to hit about 65-70 per week and a long run of 30 before my qualifier in October. Just 2-1/2 months. Training is going pretty good. My mileage is in the 50s and climbing. My long run is up to 21 and climbing. I want to hit about 65-70 per week and a long run of 30 before my qualifier in October. Just 2-1/2 months.

]]> Comment on How much do you train for a marathon? by running fool http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/2009/03/08/how-much-do-you-train-for-a-marathon/%#comment-7 running fool Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:30:40 +0000 http://fleastcoastrunners.com/blog/?p=7#comment-7 I find I can get by on about 50 miles at the peak, but more is better if I want to run it fast. For Disney I hit about 70 at the peak and PR'd. I was also doing mile repeats and basically training my butt off. I find I can get by on about 50 miles at the peak, but more is better if I want to run it fast. For Disney I hit about 70 at the peak and PR’d. I was also doing mile repeats and basically training my butt off.

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