Training Recap: February 12-18

     It was a pretty basic week of training for the most part. I good solid week to add to the base. I would have liked to get some more speed or hills in this week, but I was hampered with a sore right ankle during for a few days, and did not want to push my luck. I am not quite sure why my right ankle was sore. Possibly running 32 miles in slippery conditions on Saturday the week prior caused it. Regardless, it resulted in a week full of base miles. The rest from speed work should give me a fresh set of legs for this coming week. Weather, permitting I would like to get a lengthy tempo run in sometime mid week.

     One thing I was reminded of this week was how beneficial it is to let your legs go hard. My legs were beginning to feel a little sluggish before I invested one of my morning runs into some all out pick-ups. I have done this type of work out a number of times this winter season, so it was not a huge shock to my legs. Instead, it really loosened things up and allowed me to feel a lot lighter and smooth on the following days. I might try something new next week, and put 2-4 short pick-ups at the end of the all or most of my runs. Check back next week if you are curious how this pans out, or if you are the anxious type follow me at twitter.com/zbitter.

     An aspect of my training that I feel has really been working is my bodies ability to run smoothly for long periods of time. I know I have mentioned this before, but I sense continued progress in this avenue. I always think back to the first marathon I trained for in 2008. At about mile 18, or around 2 hours into my long runs, my legs would feel like logs. I could maintain pace, but I would have to work much harder. These days I have been able to feel the same from the first stride to the last on runs over 20 miles. In last weeks case I went 32 miles and felt pretty even throughout. I am excited that my body is adapting this way, so I can avoid some of the dreadful ups and downs associated with ultra racing.

     I have some more exciting news that developed since last time I posted. I was blessed to be able to interview with two ultra runners, who are very knowledgeable about the sport. Jerry Armstrong, author of “Conversations with the Trail,” and Abe Clark, author of “Chasing That Elusive Horizon,” posted interviews with me. We talked about all things ultra, including training, racing, and future plans. If you get the opportunity please check them out!

     Below is a detailed list of the miles I logged last week. As mentioned earlier, if you would like more immediate information about how my daily training is going, please follow me at twitter.com/zbitter!

Sunday:

a.m. 20 mile long run

p.m. 3 mile shake out run

Monday:

a.m. 10 mile easy run

p.m. 10 mile easy run

Tuesday:

a.m. 10 mile easy run

p.m. 12 mile easy run

Wednesday:

a.m. 10 mile easy run

p.m. 6 mile easy run

Thursday:

a.m. 10 mile easy run

p.m. 10 mile easy run

Friday:

a.m. 10 mile workout. 10 x 45 second all out pick-ups with 2 minutes recovery jog.

p.m. 11 mile easy run

Saturday:

22 mile long run

Total: 144 miles

February, 2012