The workouts in this trainer’s videos are pretty cool because they are totally home non gym type things.
AM – 10.2 miles over at Metzger Farm with the BHS XC team (I got the invite again by the director of HS affairs in our home).
Kids had 8-12 300s, with a 200 jog. 300s were to be at mile pace for the kids doing 8, and 5k pace for the first four for those doing 12 (then dropping to mile pace for the remainder). Apparently some kids are ready to run 4:30 miles. Or not. I was hitting 5:20 pace for them, and was happy with that coming off yesterday’s longer run.
I was asked if I was training for anything, and I am not sure how to answer that at the moment. I have to figure out what is next, admittedly, I am interested in a PPM-Leadville double next year. I don’t take that idea lightly. I am still toying with whether I should do it, but if the registration for the two were today – I’d pull the trigger and go for it.
Weighing on my mind is some of the initial feedback that I got from folks when I pitched the idea. I hesitated to comment back on any of it because it seemed a bit too cliche.
Hearing from some folks telling me to go for it was encouraging of course. Hearing from some other folks it was a particularly bad idea made me (re)realize how this would be a pretty difficult challenge for me. I respect those folks because they have familiarity with 100s and the effort it takes. But still part of their feedback left me wanting to say, “yeah, thanks … ‘cuz your telling me this a bad idea is probably the thing that has me wanting to do it more now.”
Yeah so I have some research to do as I figure out what the plans are for next year. XC Nats, burro racing, Pikes, Leadville. All of it, none of it. In the mean time, good habits ain’t gonna hurt.
Generally, when I talk to folks who I trust on the topic, they seem to suggest to go non-competitive for the marathon (or just do the Ascent) or at least take the descent very easy (along with a program heavily focused on steeling the quads leading up).
Hypothetically, if I arrived at the summit in 3:20 or later, then jogging the down is supposedly a pretty easy choice. On the other end, if I got to the summit in 2:45-2:50, I can’t see myself saying, “okay, let’s get down in 2 hours plus” but instead I’d probably go look to get after it and see if I could break 4:30. That could be making a choice there to thrash myself that week to be looking at a long walk the next week.
So of course that means the actual result would probably be somewhere in between those two time bookends. A question tossed at me was “would you rather big buckle or PR at Pikes?” Today I think that is PR at Pikes, but I see that as a slim possibility.
Like I said, I am still sorting out what the approach, and various expectations are. While the challenge of doing PPM and Leadville excites me, it is not something I take lightly. I recognize the shifts it means, and my general reluctance to implement those things.
So more to come.
Are you planning to win any of them? No? Then do all of them. Sheesh. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the question is am leaving some of the fun on the table by splitting it up.
DeleteI love how some like to assume to know what you should or should not do or what you can and cannot do. If you want to do something big like doing them both I say go big. Whatever you want to do, do it. People have done FAR crazier and bigger things.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I guarantee you wont be the only one doing both the PPM and Leadville. That is too enticing a prospect for some to pass up.
DeleteActually I wonder how many are going to "triple" and toss in the Ascent too.
DeleteFor Pikes, you'll also have to factor in Fuller and I among the competition. How easy will you be willing to take that race if it would mean a loss to one or both of us?
ReplyDeleteGZ, factoring in these 2 meatheads would thankfully only require a moderate effort on Pikes. I still say you should hammer the down to fully appreciate what blown quads feel like at mile 50 a week later.
DeleteBrownie - what's your over under on the down?
Delete2:10. But if I'm ahead of you at the top, no way you get past me.
DeleteJaime, maybe you should make a trip down here next August???
Given your down history, 2:10 is fair. http://www.skyrunner.com/search/find.asp?Year=All&Last=Teisher&Sort=Dwn&Back=-1
DeleteI will take the bet if you get to the top before me that I'd still beat you down. I am willing to walk 30 hours the next week to assure that.
I'll train my ass off just to make sure you suffer at Leadville.
DeleteI got a big buckle a week after running Pikes marathon, FYI.
Ok, you just made it a go. And set your race reports as my reading material for tonight.
DeleteAnd he ran a beer aid station on the Ascent the day before.
DeleteUlrich did them both on the same weekend, so a week to recoup is no biggie.
ReplyDeleteAnd even more bad ass - Leadville first.
DeleteI am gonna be honest... you (on here, in your writing) seem like the type of person who'd rather do their best at a race they love than be a "marathon-maniac/finisher type". but things change. change can be good and fun. best of luck whatever you decide on.
ReplyDeleteJosh - it is not a completion thing for sure. I will look to be on top of both of them as well as I can be. Even though that is a total contradiction. BTW - glad to see you are working with David.
DeleteI believe Marshall Ulrich completed the Pikes Peak Marathon and Leadville 100 *in the same weekend* in a little over 36 hours. So surely you could do much better than a 30 hour walk with a week to recover in between. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it is true and the chance to do that actually does not occur next year, but occurs when the race is on the same weekend. He did Leadville first and then bolted down to PPM. Pretty amazing. The order is flipped of course.
DeleteRegarding a PR at Pikes or a big buckle, to me it's a no-brainer: Get after that big buckle. In the grand scheme of things, more people fail to get the big buckle than those who actually earn it. Plus, who cares about 26.2 miles when you can run 100 miles over mountains and bring home the El Plato Grande?
ReplyDeleteI understand your perspective there Wyatt. Mine is slightly different. If I had the opportunity to PR at Pikes I'd go for it. The chances of that happening are pretty slim, and if that opportunity knocked, I'd have to answer because those chances are not going to line up for me often. I'd still have chances to big buckle at Leadville. Hypothetically. So it is looking at the number of chances I have at each and going for what would be less likely to occur and hence the greater prize.
ReplyDeleteI will forgive your other comments about how Pikes is just 26.2 miles.