Category: Ultrarunning

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Training Update, Race Plan in Place

I leave for Tucson in just four days. I’m pretty excited for the desert but there is so much going on here that it’s also hard to leave. Someone asked me why I would fly across the country for a long weekend to race. My only answer: it’s what I do. I love to travel but at the same time I hate kenneling my dogs. I love seeing new places and going where I’ve never been, but I hate the air travel part. 

Contradictions

As far as the race, like most things, I just don’t know how it’s going to go. I’ve been on the course and I have a very specific race plan (Thanks Coach) including how much food and water to eat and drink between aid station. I know what I’m going to wear and I feel fit. My plan while running is to think about the Presidential Traverse and how I got to the end despite the pain. I’m going to think about Leadville and how this race is a mental training test. I’ve done everything my coach said, except for one training run after my booster shot. I’m ready.

All I can do now is finish my 12 miles today, 8 miles tomorrow, and the rest of the plan leading up to Saturday. I can’t wait.

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Training Update November Edition

Everything is Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated. 

I could probably write that sentence about how I’m feeling every day and it would still be true.

Also true: I’ve done every training session assigned to me for the last two weeks.

I’m tired.

Today is a 22 mile trail run and I have a fun run planned. I’m going to go find new trails (to me) over in Oak Hill on the east side of Concord. Concord (NH) has so many great, well-maintained trails.

Oak Hill Trail System Concord NH

Today is going to be Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated.

The goal today is just to finish the miles and get my body ready for the 55K in three weeks.

I will be in the desert in 3 weeks. I get a chance at redemption at Colossal Vail 55K.

Here’s me in 2014 before the 55K. This was the first year of the race and I didn’t finish. Dec 11 my plan is to finish.

I get to see Kassandra in 3 weeks.

Tumamoc Hill 2014. We will hike this next month.
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Lessons Learned from Volunteering at Aid Station 9 at Midstate Massive 100 Mile Run

Everything I read the year I trained for the Leadville 100 Run in 2019 said to volunteer at a 100 mile race. I did not add that to my training plan. Advice also included running at night, hill repeats, intervals and practicing throwing up while running. I didn’t do any of these things. 

Now that I’m training, again, for Leadville in 2022, this time, I will do all these things, so first things first – I signed up to volunteer at the worst aid station – 11pm to 5am. This meant, most likely no sleep for a day which I knew was going to be problematic at some point and definitely screw up long training days needed as I train for Ironman Florida in 3 weeks. 

My BFF Jeff said yes to joining me since I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there would be an EMT there but really it’s all I knew. 

We arrived at 11pm and then runners started coming in at 11:30pm. 

What I learned at the Midstate Massive Ultra:

  • Have a plan for dropping at remote aid stations – it’s up to you to get a ride home, not the race organizers.
  • Know the course and download the maps. The app for this race had a speaker stating they were arriving at aid station 9, how many miles and their pace, plus it stated their approximate finishing time. WOW. Annoying but cool. Many people ran extra miles because they missed turns or were following others. This course has a way of doing that, though.
  • Get lean. The runners who were arriving first were lean. Weight matters.
  • The runners were so thankful we were there. Be Thankful.
  • Stop, take break and think about what you need at aid stations. 
  • Be thoughtful about who you choose as a pacer. This person must know your gear and what you like when you are completely out of it. I saw great teams out there. Pacers knew what to do and what their runner liked. They got their bottles and bladders out quickly and efficiently. I saw a couple who were running the 100 mile race together and they complimented each other perfectly. I saw one woman runner who was running her first 100 and her pacer/husband/boyfriend said all the right things while she was doubting finishing. I knew she would finish. I told her – You Will Finish This. Find your person. 

I’m sure there are more lessons but these were the ones that come to mind after sleeping for 12 hours. 

I can’t wait for my 100 mile race and training properly for it. Bring on the 2am runs.

Woman seeking pacer for Leadville 100 August 20, 2022. Must be motivational, but not too motivational. Must be used to running at 10,000 feet and higher. Contact blog writer.

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Training Update, Ironman Mountain Biking and more

Training Stats:
– Average Resting Heart Rate: 44
– Training Status: Productive
– Total Vert last week: 6,844
– Total Hours last week: 13:53
– Plan for this week: 13 hours: Swim, Bike, Run, Weights, Hike

I’m excited for this week: I have my mountain bike AND my tri bike back from respective shops so I’m ready to ride. The rain will hopefully not hamper this week and I can ride and run trails. 

Bear Brook was so muddy and wet last week and I only did one run on the Concord trails. This week I’m hoping to do more trails and more mountain biking. While I’m 15 weeks out from Ironman Florida (my Mont Tremblant roll over race) I am still planning a few other races beforehand which means mountain biking and trail running and big hikes in the White Mountains. 

Biking this loop was the hardest mountain bike ride in a while. My new goal: get to know this loop and make it easy.

On Saturday I got to ride the Timberman bike course with Kristin, my high school friend. We met up last year while racing the Capital Wells triathlon in Sunapee. Saturday started out a cool 60 with sun. It was fun to catch up and ride the awesome roads around Laconia before heading into work. 

Saturday was a perfect day at Gunstock. Temps in the 70s and gorgeous blue sky. What a day. 

Sunday was a spin class at my new gym (interval work), long run in Concord and an open water swim with Sonja.

Long Pond Swim in Northwood with Sonja. We are in open water swim training mode.

Sonja and I signed up for the AquaBike Course at Capital Wells Sunapee in September. I’ve never done a swim/bike race but do love swimming in Lake Sunapee.

I also found the woman who we saw on Isolation who was doing the Direttissima. Stefanie Bishop and I started following her on Instagram. She is writing up a race report and asked followers for questions. I asked her how she trained for it. Her short answer for now: 

Just what I needed to know.

More time in the gym and time on feet. 

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First race of 2021, Bloodroot 50K

I finished the Blood Root Ultra as the first race of the season yesterday, May 15. I did this race two years ago and when I signed up I seemed to have forgotten how hard the race is. I remembered the two peaks and mud but I forgot that there really isn’t a trail and the trail surface is uneven for 80 percent of the course. Oh and the mud and black flies were really bad. The course was well marked this year and a little bit different from 2019 but I was two hours longer this year. I’m still waiting for official results but there will be no second female awards for this woman. 

A few more miles and more vertical this year compared to 2019,

It’s okay. It was a great day to be out there learning all the things I need to know such as train harder, train more consistently and work on my core strength. All the things I know but don’t do because I’m lazy, run out of time or just don’t want to do it. 

  • The bugs were terrible
  • A view
  • Finishing

While I ran my self-talk included “stay loose” and “get into a flow” with the hope that I would just relax and be happy in the moment. It’s hard to stay in the moment when you’re out there for so long. I just knew that the mental training has to be dialed in and if I can’t do it for a 50K how will I do it during an 100M. 

I’m glad I finished and stayed on the trail. I’m going to try to swim today and foam roll and eat a lot. 

Next up: June 5 Chocorua run. I need to hike more and will do more hikes to Gunstock, Sunapee and Ragged during the week to get ready for this mountain run.