Training for 100 miles - Goal 1 complete - Goal 2 set

 

Complete - Running Goal 1, 2023  on the way to Ultra 100 in August 2023–Running the Rose 11-mile trail race in Tyler Texas was a success. I finished in 2 hours and 5 minutes, achieving all goals for the training race (Goal – Finish race 2 hours 15 minutes). My training at this point is on target, slowly increasing my overall conditioning and starting to see regular weekly improvements.

Running Goal 2, 2023 on the way to Ultra 100 – Complete the 36K (22Miles) Bridgeport Trail race on 2/11/23. Goal 1 for the race is to finish the race with a steady effort with my secondary goal of finishing in under 4 hours and 30 minutes. My current base mileage is at about 40 miles per week and I regularly run long runs of 10+ miles.

 

Bridgeport is a good balance of flat runnable sections, plus enough hilly/rocky sections to keep you awake. Each 11-mile full loop only has around 731 feet of elevation gain.

The course starts at the pavilion inside the OHV park which sits at a higher elevation than the hike/bike trail system. From the pavilion, the course will descend 155 feet within 1/2 mile on the OHV trails to the gate adjoining the hike/bike trail system. The next 5 miles will be on the flatter/easier sections of the hike/bike trails south of the power lines. The course will then move an additional 5 miles into the more technical/hilly northern part of the hike/bike trails before arriving back at the gate into the OHV park. The return to the pavilion will then follow a different 1/2 mile section of trail back to the pavilion climbing another 155 feet back to the start/finish.

 

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. The last time I was in shape to truly have a chance to run 100 miles was in 2019.