September 23rd- September 29th

"There is no way around hard work.  Embrace it." - Roger Federer

Monday:   

6:30 AM:  5.6 miles w/ 500ft of vert averaging 7:50pace. Easy cruise from the Coalton Trailhead west up the hill and back. More of a mini progression run with every mile being a little quicker ending at 6:35pace. Felt better than expected after yesterday's slog-fest.  

--25mins in the sauna when I got home.

12:30 PM:  Biked 10 miles w/ 500ft of vert in 45mins. Easy cruise around the neighborhood from the house. Super chill but still averaging a little quicker than normal. Such a great day out there!

Tuesday:  

7 AM:  8.8 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:30pace.  Another lap of Springbrook and Gashawk from Dowdy Draw this morning. Felt so good and moving so well that I got through the loops quicker than normal that I added on a mile of out and back just to fill in the time that I was supposed to be out running. Super pleased on how things are coming along right now.

4 PM:  40mins Lifting in the garage.

Warmup: Rowing and Mobility

Superset 1
Dumbbell chest press 3x10
Dumbbell Row 3x10

Superset 2
Goblet Squat 3x15
Romanian Deadlifts 3x12

Superset 3
Dumbbell bicep curls 3x10
Dumbbell tricep extend 3x10

3 Rounds
20sec calf raises
10sec hold up
20sec calf raises
10sec hold up
30sec rest

3x15 GHD Situps

-- 25 mins in the sauna right afterwards.

Wednesday:

6:45 AM:  8 miles averaging 7:30pace.  Easy 2 plus laps of Davidson Mesa after dropping Paula off at the airport super early this morning. She is heading out to help at USA Adventure Racing Championships on the East Coast. Felt good today, just cruised keeping the HR under 130 for the most part. 

10:30 AM:  40mins lifting in the garage.  Shoulder focused with 3 sets of pull and 3 sets of push lifts. Then a small core afterwards. Just needed to get something in but did not want to get sore with the 50K this weekend.

-- Followed this up with a 2 mile dog walk and 20mins in the sauna.

--  Planned on racing Cyclocross again this evening but between work blowing up and the fact I have a 50K training race this weekend I pulled the plug on it.  Guess I am starting to grow up which I don't like.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Forgot when I got up this morning.  All good and probably don't want to know anyways.  Had a binge episode yesterday for the first time in about a month.  Not sure what triggered it but it happened.  Back on the wagon today.

7 AM:  21 miles w/ 1100ft of vert in 1:28.  Easy spin on the gravel bike around the normal hood loop I ride all the time. Awesome morning out there! Started out cold but was perfect by the middle of the ride.  Almost got hit by a car only once so it was a great morning!  

Followed this up with a 2 mile dog walk and 20mins in the hot tub.

--  Heading to Fairplay late this afternoon to hang out tomorrow and run a 50K in Buena Vista on Saturday.  Should be interesting, have not gone that far since April.  Should be a good training race for Javelina in 4 weeks.

Friday:

7 AM:  6 miles w/ 500ft of vert averaging 8:15pace.  Shakeout jog from Java Moose in Fairplay up Beaver Creek Rd and back. Little bit of a climb heading out and downhill coming back. Tried to keep the HR under 135. Ended at Java Moose to work until about noon. The leaves are popping up here right now!  Not a bad Friday...  

-- Heading to Buena Vista (30mins away) mid-day to check in for the 50K run tomorrow and find a place to park the van.  Spent the afternoon working from another coffee shop in BV. 

--Finished book number 22 on the year, yeah I was bored in BV and read pretty much all evening knocking out the last 100 or so pages.  Interesting read...  Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.

Saturday: 

7 AM:  30 miles w/ 3800ft of vert averaging 9:50pace.  West Line Winder 50K in BV.  Really well put on race by Calab but that is expected. Just look at his other race Highlonesome 100, that has turned into one of the best 100s in the state and think his 2 50Ks he held this weekend will be the same. I have done a lot of racing and running in BV and saw some new to me trails which is cool.  Anyways a good day until the wheels fell off around mile 26-27 but that was expected since I have not gone that far since last Spring. The whole goal was to treat it like a training run for Javelina and keep the HR under 140 most of the time which I did with an average of 133. The wheels fell off in the way that my stomach was not to happy the last few miles, no puking but could have.  Stomach just was not processing the liquids for a bit.

Sunday:  

7:30 AM: 11.25 miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 8:40pace.  Easy cruise with Don from his house as an out and back on some dirt roads. Sore and legs somewhat shot of course but that was expected. Was not as bad has I had built up in my head, thought the body would have been worse. At least the weather and views were on point!

--  The drive home from Fairplay over Kenosha Pass was nuts... took me 3 hours to drive home and looking at Google Maps throughout the afternoon I could see that it just kept getting worse and worse.  Glad I passed over it about 11am verses 3pm.  https://youtube.com/shorts/Ldl1NmVohyc

Total Weekly Numbers

Awesome week of building... 2 more peak volume weeks then the taper.  Almost there but I can feel my running coming around which is nice.  Have another 50K planned this coming Saturday at Staunton State Park, approaching the same way as BV,  just a long supported training run.  This 50K has the same amount of vertical in 30 miles that Javelina has in the whole 100.   https://raceroster.com/events/2024/88453/suffer-better-8th-annual-fall-trail-runs