Training for 100 Miles - 21 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 

Training Week 22 – I finished training week 22 with a long run of 20 miles and a total weekly mileage of 50 miles. This ended up being a travel week, so I moved a few runs around and changed up the intensity of the other runs. In a perfect week, I would complete each run and workout as planned. As we know in life rarely will we have the perfect week.

 

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. 

 

Training Plan Week Starting 4/3/2023 – 21 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (52)

Monday – Rest / Strength

Tuesday - 8  Trail - 2 WU -.5 ME, .5 Rec - .5 HME, .5 Rec - .25 10k , .75 Rec - .25 5K , .75 Rec - 2m CD

Wednesday - Run 6 EZ Road

Thursday - Run 7 - 4 EZ - 3 ME Road

Friday - Rest / Core

Saturday – Run 22 Trail

Sunday – Run 10 Trail CRP  WEFG ( CRP Local Trail with elevation change)

Training for 100 Miles - 22 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 

Training Week 23 – I finished training week 23 with a total of 47 miles. My body and legs are feeling strong and I am seeing regular improvement in my conditioning. From this point forward until I start to taper for the Cascades 100 the majority of my Saturday Long runs will be 18 or more miles.  

 

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. 

 

Training Plan Week Starting 3/27/2023 – 22 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (50)

Monday – Rest / Strength Plyo

Tuesday - 10 Miles Trail - Ultra pace strong finish

Wednesday -6 Miles Road EZ

Thursday - Run 6 Vo2 - 1 WU - 400 x 10 w 350 Rec -

Friday - Rest / Core Work

Saturday – Run 20 road miles 

Sunday – Run 8 Miles Road

Training for 100 Miles - 23 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 Running Goal 3, 2023 finished on the way to Ultra 100 in August 2023–The Grasslands Trail Marathon is complete. I finished in 5 hours and 19 minutes. Missing my time goal by 19 minutes, I am still excited to see my conditioning improving each week and feel that I am progressing as needed to be ready in August to run the Cascades 100. Race Result

Running Goal 4, 2023 on the way to Ultra 100 – Complete the Ultra Marathon 50K (31 Miles) Wild Canyon Ultra on 4/22/23. Goal 1 for the race is to finish the race with a steady effort with my secondary goal of finishing in under 6 hours and 45 minutes.

There's no other race in Texas like this - and not many in the US for that matter.  The races take place on a rocky single-track trail that loops the course. You'll experience red rock canyons and buffalo herds that roam wild. You'll run through prairie dog towns on a course that's beautiful yet tough and rugged; down to the canyon's bottom and up to cliff tops with a 100-mile view.  

My base mileage over the next 4 weeks will be in the mid-’50s and I will run long runs of 18, 20, 22, and 20 miles followed by runs the following day of 10, 8, and 10.

Training Plan Week Starting 3/20/2023 – 23 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (47)

Monday – Rest / Strength

Tuesday - 8 Miles Trail 4 WU - 4 ME

Wednesday - 5 miles EZ

Thursday - Run 6  Vo2 - 1.5 WU - 400 x 10 w 350 Rec

Friday - Rest / Stretch / Walk

Saturday – Run 18 Road Whiterock Lake with friends

Sunday – Run 10 Trail CRP  WEFG

Training for 100 Miles - 24 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 

Training Week 25 – I finished training week 25 with a total of 47 miles. During the two weekends long runs, I found that my legs felt heavy and fatigued as they often will as the miles increase. Expecting the fatigue I work in a week of reduced miles or extra recovery every so often, allowing my body to recover and my training to continue increasing in the weeks that follow. This week I will reduce my overall mileage, add in a Training Marathon race on Saturday, and take Sunday off. I am so ready to get out and run / race with friends and have Fun! Fun! Fun!

 

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. 

 

Training Plan Week Starting 3/13/2023 – 24 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (41)

Monday – Rest / Strength

Tuesday - 7 Miles Trail 2 WU - 2 ME - 1 Rec - 2ME

Wednesday - 4 Miles Road Progression Run

Thursday - Run 4 Miles EZ – Work in strides.

Friday - Rest / Stretch / Walk

Saturday – Run Training Race The Grassland Trail Marathon 26.2 miles Goal under 5 hrs

Sunday – Rest / Recover

Training for 100 Miles - 25 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 

Training Week 26 – I finished week 26 with a total of 45 miles. We are in the time of year in North Texas when it rains consistently a few days each week. The rain often closes my typical training trail locations forcing me to relocate and run roads or flatter trails in the area. Training is still progressing well, slowly increasing my conditioning and endurance. I am feeling positive about achieving my upcoming training trail marathon next week in under my current goal time of 5 hours.

 

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. 

 

Training Plan Week Starting 3/6/2023 – 25 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (49)

Monday – Rest / Strength

Tuesday - 8 Miles Trail 2 WU - 2 HME - 1 Rec - 2HME - 1 CD

Wednesday - 5 Miles Road EZ

Thursday - Run 6.5 Vo2 - 1.5 WU - 400 x 10 w 350 Rec - .25 CD

Friday - Rest / Stretch / Walk

Saturday - Run 18 Trail North Shore Endurance run – last 2 miles Marathon effort.

Sunday - Run 13 Trail @ Knob Hill – Local fast trail with a combination of flats and small hills. 

26 Weeks to Goal Race Cascades 100 in Oregon

 

Training Week 27 – As planned I finished up with a total of 45 miles last week. I was not as recovered from the previous week's training race as I would have preferred so I focused more on easier base miles with a few miles of hiking.

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year. 

 

Training Plan Week Starting 2/27/2023 – 26 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (47)

Monday – Rest / Strength

Tuesday - 8 Miles Trail 6 EZ - 2 Increase effort @ or Near LT

Wednesday - 5 Miles Road EZ

Thursday - Run 6 – 1WU – 30 sec on 30 sec off VO2 every other mile to finish.

Friday - Rest / Stretch / Walk

Saturday - Run 18 Trail North Shore Endurance run – 3X2 min Marathon effort in last 3 miles.

Sunday - Run 10 Trail @ CRP – Technical hill and climbing work 

Training for 100 miles - Goal 2 finished - Goal 3 set

 

Running Goal 2, 2023 finished on the way to Ultra 100 in August 2023–Bridgeport Trail run a 22-mile trail race in Bridgeport Texas is complete. I finished in 5 hours and 27 minutes, achieving my first goal for the training race (Goal 1– Finish race at a steady effort). I missed my stretch goal, goal 2, by almost 1 hour (Goal 2 – Finish race 4 hours 30 minutes). I still believe this to be a successful training race as I found myself extremely congested with a head cold early the week of the race and started the race on race day somewhat recovered and physically at about 85%. My training continues to progress extremely well. The goal 2 race became a great training run working on my mental fortitude, through being slightly congested knowing I was not 100%. Race Result

Running Goal 3, 2023 on the way to Ultra 100 – Complete the Marathon (26 Miles) Grassland Trail race on 3/18/23. Goal 1 for the race is to finish the race at a steady effort under 5 hours with my secondary goal of finishing in under 4 hours and 35 minutes. My base mileage over the next 3 weeks will be mid to high 40 and I will run long runs of 15, 18, and 18 miles followed by runs the following day of 13, 10, and 13.

Grasslands The Grasslands Trail Run is held in the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands, with more than 20,000 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service and situated north of Fort Worth. The trails loop among rolling hills and through a mixture of pine and oak grove forests, open fields, and livestock. Run the 50-Mile, Marathon, or Half marathon and enjoy the beauty of the Grasslands while sharing the trails with horses and running past cows—don’t let the cows out!

The national grasslands in Texas are part of the western and eastern cross-timber vegetation types, with both hardwood forests and open grasslands. The national grasslands provide recreation areas and lakes for camping, swimming, hunting, and fishing and a habitat for wildlife. This makes for a fairly easy and maneuverable trail and promises to be a very exciting and slightly challenging run. The scenic views and the presence of beautiful wildlife will make this a very memorable experience.

I am determined to complete another 100-mile trail race before the end of this year.  

Training Plan Week Starting 2/20/2023 – 27 Weeks to Race Week – Total Miles (44)

Monday – Rest / Strength Train

Tuesday - Run 8 Miles Trail 2 WU - 6 WEFG

Wednesday - Run 5 Miles Road 1.5 WU - 3.5 progress to tempo

Thursday - Run 6  miles- 1.5 WU 4.5 EZ

Friday - Rest / Stretch / Walk

Saturday - Run 15 Trail miles North Shore EZ 4 WU - 8 increase to marathon effort - 3 CD NS Rocky side road add

Sunday - Run 13 Trail miles Knob Hill WEFG

 

 

 

 

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. 

Ultra Running - Get out and enjoy the Beauty of the World

 

It really doesn’t matter how fast or slow you run. Just getting out in nature, experiencing new places, and meeting new people makes trail running worth every last mile. Here are a few pics from the Tahoe Rim trail 55K last July. It was a very long and slow day for me. Still, the beauty and experience are something that I will never forget.

 

The Tahoe Rim Trail 55K Endurance Run takes place on high-elevation alpine and sub-alpine forest single-track trails and dirt roads in the Carson Spur of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The event is located on the east side of Lake Tahoe. All distances begin and end at the Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada, which is at 4,888 feet. The highest point of the event is just below the 9,214-foot Snow Valley Peak (which also provides one of the best views on the course). The low point of the alpine portion of the course is at the bottom of the, now “infamous”, Red House Loop (A Taste of Hell) at approximately 6800 feet. The course is marked with highly visible fluorescent orange flagging with a highly reflective tip.

 

My Current training is going well. I feel good about my chances of meeting my first running goal of 2023 next weekend!

Goal 1, 2023 on the way to Ultra 100 – My first small goal is to complete the 11-mile trail race Running the Rose in Tyler Texas on January 28. I will measure success by simply completing the 11 miles with a secondary target of finishing in under 2 hours and 15 minutes. This race winds through amazing East Texas pine forests among 100-foot-tall trees. The single-track trail runs along rolling hills and through some root-filled and pine needle-carpeted trails that climb about 1,000 feet over 11 miles. My current base milage is at about 30 miles per week and I regularly run long runs of 8+ miles

 

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. My one and only 100-mile finish was at the Rocky Racoon 100 in 2017 at the age of 48. 

March 2021 Week 14 Training 2021 Leadville 100 Trail Run

“There are no drive-thru breakthroughs. Breakthroughs take time.” Joyce Meyer

Week 13 of training and my legs once again felt durable. The main focus for the week was about loading my legs with time on feet and technical trail miles. Saturday's 20-mile trail run followed by a Sunday 11 mile trail run finished better than planned, feeling strong and ready to add additional miles. These runs focused on moving forward at a steady continuous effort while still feeling energized at the end. 

Tip - This is one of many small breakthroughs or breakdowns that will occur over the full training plan. Enjoy the success and do not lose sight of your goal. Even though I currently feel ready to run and add many more miles to the upcoming week I will keep it as planned stepping back the total miles for recovery while adding speed work to help increase the pace that I feel comfortable running all day. 

Week 13 recap (Weekend Back to Back Long Run)

Tuesday's 7 -mile easy road run. A nice easy 2-mile warm-up followed up by 5 miles at an easy feelgood effort. This run felt great and allowed me to keep the mileage up above 40 without affecting my weekend long runs for the week. 

Thursday I ran 8 miles on the trails.  A nice easy 2-mile warm-up followed up by 6 miles at a moderate steady-state effort. My legs felt great again and I finished this run strong.

Saturday 20 miles trail at Northshore - Very productive long day running on trails that provide multiple surfaces. Some technical, flat, and rolling hills provide for a solid long-run workout. 

Sunday  11 miles @ (CRP) 2 full loop of technical and steep trails - working on maintaining a steady easy effort with tired legs. Lots of steep climbs and descents make for a full workout.  

Week 13  finished out with 46 total miles, 3,767' of climbing, and 3,688' of descending.  

Workouts for Week 14 ending April 11, 2021 (Step Back week of reduced miles and adding speed work)

Monday - Monday is my Recovery Day

Tuesday - 7-mile road run @ Vo2 work - WU 2 miles - 4x25 seconds fast tempo - 4x.25 miles fast tempo- 2x.5 miles fast tempo - 1 to 2-minute recovery between intervals - followed by 1.5-mile cooldown (Goal for this run this week is to increase my overall fitness and provide the opportunity to increase my overall easy effort pace)

Wednesday - 30-minute Plyometrics workout (for muscle power, fitness, and fatigue resistance) 

Thursday - 8 miles trail run with Hill strides - Easy effort trail run attacking the hills with a hard effort  (Goal for this run this week is to work on fitness and muscle power and get stronger at climbing)

Friday - 30 Min strength workout (for fatigue resistance, muscle power)

Saturday -  10 to 12 miles  Road and Trails mix at WEFG (More of a recovery run with a local running group for fun and socializing)

Sunday - 6 to 8 miles road at a steady easy effort with a local running group for fun and recovery through reducing this week's total miles. Legs should be ready to start the next 4-week hard training segment starting on 4/12/21. 

* You can see how each run progresses in my Strava feed below

Photos from Saturdays run at Northshore Trail in Grapevine TX