Monday, December 30, 2013

Keys 100 Mile Training Plan


100 Mile Training Plan
Richmond, VA
Target Race - Keys 100 - May 17, 2014

So this is really going to happen.  Its no longer a day dream, but a real, in the moment situation for me now.  Stating simply that I'm excited is such an under statement.  I have so many thoughts running through my head, and feel it might be good to document some of them now, here, at the beginning of this journey. 

I've run my first 50k, first 50 miler, and now it is time to reach for that distance that I feel will best suit my strengths and personality.  100 miles.  I've dreamt of this since I was a school teacher in Virginia Beach.  I always have wondered what it would feel like to tap those physical and mental places within myself that only something like 100 miles can.  I'm not a distance runner, in a competitive-athletic sense.  I'm not competing for any win at any marathon.  100 miles is more than just the distance.  This is the beginning of my training for the Keys 100, so I can't say I know what 100 miles 'is'.  But I will say that I believe it will bring out all the strengths of my personality and soul.  This post is about some of the training plans I have for the big day in May.

Periodization
I've planned out the 19-weeks ramp up for distances, speed work, and preparation races starting on January 6th.  I'm starting on the 6th because I planned to give myself 3 weeks off from running after my first 50 miler (which was a great success and I feel I have already recovered fully, with one more week of rest to go) Each one of my training weeks start on a Monday.  Using the weekends for my long (and most of the time, back-to-back) runs, I have set up a lot of my Monday's to be rest or 'off' days.  Jaclyn and I have purchased a rower now, so a lot of my rest days will be spent rowing or in the pool swimming.  Most training blocks are two or three weeks long with a gradual increase in mileage.  Topping out at 85 miles, I have seven weeks of 70+ miles planned.  I have an idea on how most weeks will go, but everything is tentative now and certainly can be adjusted as we go along.  Obviously training for a 100 mile race the most important thing will be the "long run" each week.  The Keys 100 is almost entirely pavement, so I plan on a 60/40 mix of road/trail long runs.  I love the trails, so I can't exclude them…NOT gonna happen.  Of course the long runs are going to ramp up with each week, starting with a 20 mile run in week 3.  I haven't decided what the longest run will be for this training, but it will most likely be done is Virginia Beach, which has the best barometer to test my abilities with respect to the flat course of the Keys 100.

Preparation Races
One of the best ways to test fitness is to race, obviously.  I've planned 3 races thus far that fit into my training plan.  The first two races are back-to-back marathons in March, the Pocahontas State Park Marathon and the Shamrock Marathon.  The plan is to use these races to dial-in on the race pace required for the Keys.  I will not be racing here or shooting for a best time.  I will most likely struggle with running slow, but thats exactly what I need to "feel" that pace, especially while running on tired legs.  The third race will be the Charlottesville Marathon in April.  This is a very hilly course and logistically a great way for me to run, just being an hour from the race start.  My goal for the day after this race will be to run another 30 miles at home.  All of these races are designed during heavy training weeks, so there won't be any tapering.  

Rest weeks
A constant theme in my periodization is also "rest" weeks.  I have a total of 5 built-in, with just 15 to 30 miles of running, spending the rest of the time in the pool or on the rowing machine.  The goal for these weeks is just to get off the feet and recover from the impact of running.  I will also be shortening the duration of the workouts here, to recover from an all-around stand point (I also have a girlfriend I need to spoil, so planned 'us' time will be a major theme during these 7 days).  Rest weeks are huge for me.  I always come back stronger and really have a big itch to run towards the end of these weeks.  

Diet
Here lies my achilles heel.  Diet has always been my crutch.  I love food, especially cold pizza and chinese food.  Luckly I have a Jaclyn Battista on my team, as she prepares such great food with great nutritional value, otherwise I would never eat a vegetable or as much fruit.  I can't say I have a plan here, but I will say that I am smart enough to realize what I don't need, so I am going to have to rely on my discipline and focus on what I do need, rather than what I want.  Honestly this will be my largest hurdle throughout this whole journey. 

Personal Challenges 
Most people don't recognize these during a training plan, but I can't avoid them.  I have an amazing partner in Jaclyn, so there will be times where I need to plan the week differently or dial back the 'plan' to be sure to keep my relationship in a good place.  This is most important to me, so while training will be a priority, it will not jeopardize the strength of our relationship.  Second, I have an amazing job opportunity that I am happy to be a part of.  This is a major priority as well, as so many wonderful things could lead from this.  I am not one to work 100 hour weeks, but I will remained focused on progressing my career.  The key part of this is simply planning.  I believe that both my relationship and my career will be just fine, as long as I plan my practice and practice my plan.  I can't get lazy during these 19 weeks.  There will be a lot of mornings and afternoons where I would rather not run, but I will stay disciplined on what needs to be done.  

There is so much more about this race to share so please look for the next few posts to come. I wanted to keep this strictly about my training plan.  I will post on how my fitness is going through each one of the races this year and I also plan to post my race strategy, as I will have a full crew with me in the Keys crewing during my race.  

TFR -Wes

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