"There's only one hard and fast rule in running: sometimes you have to run one hard and fast."








Thursday, September 11, 2008

Drawing Board

Anyone else remember Sherman's 3-D BB on "Rocky and Bullwinkle?" Well, I got out my board and started planning next year. This year was quantity, next year will be quality.

Things I learned while falling down:

I don't recover from races as fast as I did when a pup, so, if I'm going to be running these insanely long races, I'm going to have to do only a couple. I'd hoped to use races as training runs, but I can't do it like some people do.

People who excel at 100 miles don't have problems with electrolytes, fluids, food, etc. like I have. At 16 hours, my body rebels. Do you see where this is heading yet?

"Phylogeny recapitulates ontogeny." [You can look it up.] I can't escape genetics. I have 70% type IA fast twitch fibers and my best distance is 3K-5K. No one expects Usain Bolt to win a 10K and no one should expect me to win 100 miles. I'm out in the woods because, emergency room visits aside, I enjoy it. Really. Julie's latest post has a picture of me looking cheerful (Wayne's has me an hour later, after falling and getting stung. A world of difference!)

Running with Paul Hasse, he said something that made a lot of sense: "When you start 100 miles, think, 'Can I hold this pace for 100 miles? If not, slow down.'" This got me starting both FANS and Superior too slowly. I'm gonna crash and burn anyway, so I may as well do it my way. Just because something makes sense doesn't mean it's right!

Training for long races got me running slower and slower in training, but not significantly better. I ran for the first time since Superior yesterday, and I'm forcing myself to run a minute per mile faster until I get used to it again. My mileage will be low for quite a while until I get there.

The plan for 2009:

Get back into 2:50-3:00 marathon shape and blast a 50K (probably Trail Mix, as it's flat and easy).

Run FANS with a goal to set age class records from the start and hang on for dear life! That's 8 minute miles for 50 miles to start! Then slowing slightly through the 100K record, then not just the age class but overall record for 12 hours (87.29 miles, instead of 70.71). This would be way ahead of the 12 hour field, not just the 24 hour field. That gives me 12 hours to run 13 miles to finish my first 100! If I don't quit, walking the second half gives me a shot at winning the 24 hour.

Then, it's planning to run Superior again. Gotta get that monkey off my back. I've joked over the year that I'm slowly turning into Julie (I have her hat and pink gaiters already), but the way that she threw herself into training after her DNF at Superior in 2006 has me inspired.

Don't worry! It's all just pipe dreams at this stage. But the planning's half the fun.

9 comments:

Adam said...

I've been doing similar planning in my head this week. I might be the guy trying to chase you down on the back half of FANS.

Jean said...

Planning is always fun! Good luck to you, Steve, and I hope that you recover well and that all your plans come to fruition.

I loved those Mr. Peabody & Sherman segments on "Rocky & Bullwinkle!" :)

Julie B said...

If I see you running in my pink skirt I am going to run away from you :)

keith said...

I started planning my 100 mile Superior race next year but then I just stepped out of a freezing cold shower without drying off, then ran full speed and fell down a flight of steps into a pile of sharp rocks, beat my toes and knees with a baseball bat, tasered myself (bee stings), kicked a log repeatedly while simultaneously headbutting another and at the same time tried to chew a pb&j with a dry mouth.

I am hoping to volunteer at an aid station next year in order to get a fine feel for staying up all night and remain functional...I think my 100 finish is a couple years out!

I think your plans are all readily achievable for you! Good luck!

Diane said...

Hmmm... don't you mean "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"?

What would Mr. Haeckel say about you running in a pink skirt?

johnmaas said...

Wow,
Those are are some aggressive plans that you, Rocky, and Bullwinkle came up with.
I just might have to come up to FANS and see that bearded guy with the pink running skirt and matching gaiters smash the 87 miles in 12 hours, then watch as the crash burn happens at 16 hours.
Sounds like a fun day at Nokomis.
John

Kel said...

Well, you've already got the pink gaiters, so you're half way there ;)

As far as training plans go, Keith may be on to something!

sea legs girl said...

This is such a great statement: "I'm gonna crash and burn anyway, so I may as well do it my way. Just because something makes sense doesn't mean it's right!"

SteveQ said...

Diane, I think the process of future evolution is determined by one's current morphology, so Haeckel got it backwards (good catch, though!)

Sea Legs Girl, I never did believe Occam's razor. The simplest answer that fits the data is always wrong because one never has all the data.

Those two comments seem connected, somehow.