Week 3

Well... nice to see old friend Badaxe Will on board. I am the "Dog" he refers to, lots of history there... but mostly my running nickname, Roadog. I greatly appreciate his support, my guess is that the last 15 miles of this race is going to be an ugly delirious stagger into the night... I will be finishing (I hope) in the dark, but more on that as we get closer to race day. This past week saw more rest days than the first two ambitious weeks and more variety in my running. I ran up North Pack Mountain, short and explosive... mile and a half with 1000' of elevation gain, a lot of "up" as we say. Did it in 32:37, not my fastest ever (sub 30)... but quicker than expected. From what I've been reading, hill repeats and speed work are not mandatory for ultra-marathoners but recommended. So be it. Only ran three times, yesterday was my long run of 16 miles that went from hot (87 degrees) and humid to heavy drenching thunder squalls the last few miles... it's amazing that you can go from be cooked to borderline hypothermic in minutes! Builds character I guess. Took it real slow, worked on hydration and eating (hard boiled eggs).  Food and drink are critical components of this endeavor... I need to learn to manage them well or I will fail. No cycling this week, I needed the rest. Three weeks in... not much speed, but good mileage... the long runs are ramping up quicker than expected. After all, this is all about running long! Three runs for 24 miles... lost another pound. Keep on pushing...

Support Idiot 1 here. 


So my goal is going to be to hang with the Dog for the final 15 mile lap and provide whatever moral and/or practical support I can.  Goal speed:  16 min/mile for 15 miles.  18 weeks from today.  On it like a hawnet!

Week 2

Holy crap!... 18 miles on the treadmill, all power to my partner in crime... but that could cause brain damage. I guess you do what you have to do. For my part week 2 is in the bag. Still having some upset stomach issues (annoying) but otherwise a very productive week. I have ramped up my long runs aggressively, running a 5, 8 and 15 miler this week. Still taking plenty of walk breaks on the longer runs (it is only week 2 after all) but was pleased to run just under 12 minutes/mile on the 8 miler. That may not seem like much, but in the ultra world a 12 minute mile is quite respectable. Rode twice for 37 miles and took 2 days completely off. Dropped another 3lbs. This coming week I start integrating technical trail runs into the mix... tough footing and nasty hills, should be challenging.

Finally it Begins

Well, it took over six months to get started... but at least it is has begun. Work and life have gotten in the way over the winter and spring, but as of June 1st I am off and running. The goal... the Ghost Train Race on October 27th. It is a series of 15 mile out and backs... expandable to whatever length in 15 mile increments. My goal is a minimum of 31 miles (50K, the shortest of ultras) but better yet 3 laps at 45 miles. I have 21 weeks to get ready... this is about doing the distance, not time. I am running every other day at least 5 miles and cross training (primarily cycling) or resting on the days in between. This is my first weekly entry, which includes 2 extra days as June started on a Friday. Between January 1st and May 31st I ran 304 miles and rode once for 16... pretty pathetic. I am at least 35lbs heavier than I should be. However, this week I ran 35 (I say ran, but I am taking significant walk breaks because I have to) and rode 47... I lost 4lbs. I ran three 5 milers, an 8 and a 12... all very slow, but I did it. I am very out of fitness... but, I'm now on my way back. Until next week...