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








Sunday, December 5, 2010

New 100 Mile Training Plan

As I'm procrastinating getting out the door to do actual running, it's a good time to think about plans for the next year. I did a post once with an idea for a 100 mile training schedule (over 1000 hits thus far) and, while it still holds appeal to me, I can't help but tweak it.

What I need to run Superior Sawtooth, I think, is alternating weeks of very long ultrarunning type workouts with weeks of faster marathon type training. I've made the mistake of trying to do just long runs and ended up in worse shape. I've made the mistake of trying to just do continuous high mileage and the converse trying to get by doing too little. Heck, I've made every mistake in the book. Here's what I'm thinking right now:

2 Week Cycle

M: rest or x-train
T: 4 miles in 30-32
W: 16-18 under 3:00 with 10 @ current marathon pace
Th: 7 in 60-63
F: rest or x-train
Sa: 7 hours hill repeats (24-36 miles; 30-45x Brickyard Hill=7000-11000feet climb)
S: 4-4.5 hours single-track trails

M: rest or x-train
T: 10-12 in 105 w/ 3x 3 min. all-out uphill
W: 5-6 miles in 45
Th: 10-12 in 105 w/ Yasso 800's (10x800m, 1:1 work:rest)
F: rest or x-train
Sa: 15-17 in 2:45 w/ 4x1.5to2 miles in 13 w/2.5 min recovery
S: 10-12 in 105 w/ speed workout: sprints or 16x100m (in 20-26) with 2 min. rests

7 comments:

Evan Roberts said...

where is Brickyard Hill?

C said...

I nearly wept when reading '7 hour hill repeats'. That is my version of hell. Well, one of them.

Re: my sweater puppies. Their size may intrigue, but in actuality they're not that enticing. Sad, but true.

SteveQ said...

Evan, starting from New Zealand... it's about 1000 miles from the antipodes. It's in Lilydale regional park in St. Paul, MN.

I gave a total elevation in case anyone cared to make comparisons to other hills.

Evan Roberts said...

thanks Steve, i'm in MN now, so this is useful information! Still a drive, but a shorter one.

Anonymous said...

Doing speed workouts for a hundred miler? Makes about as much sense as one legged man in a but kicking contest.

It seems like the people I keep seeing doing multiple hundred milers I see at just about every event. I'll see them at 5k's, but they'll still be running 10-12 min miles. Run lots of slow miles with lots of different people. Have fun! The rest should just take care of it's self.

SteveQ said...

Anonymous, what I discovered was that speed workouts trashed my legs in a way similar to what happens in ultras, plus they help me keep a range of motion in joints that long and slow turns into a shuffle (and makes technical harder).

Anonymous said...

Keeping range of motion is good. I think of trashing the legs in a similar manner to ultras would be the long run. How about lifting weights?
Shouldn't a person also include some long walks as well. I figure if i'm gonna be doing a lot of shuffling during a 100, I might as well practice. Also I think it helps mentally, just being able to walk fast for a long time until i'm ready to start running again.