It's definitely a cliche, but I am constantly amazed at how fast time can seem to go by. When I first created the training plan leading up to the 2024 Cocodona 250, it felt like the race was a ways off and that I had lots of time to prepare and improve. Writing out a training plan does have a way of condensing time into easily readable sections, after all, four training cycles for me only takes up 20 or so lines of a spreadsheet but covers four of five months of total time. So even at the beginning it can sort of seem like the race is closer than it really is. But now that I am halfway done with my training, I am amazed at how near May 6 feels.
I touched on this briefly in a previous blog post, but my approach to training this year has been a bit different than what I have done previously. Taking a leaf out of some other runners' playbooks, I've focused more on strength training while reducing the overall running volume week to week. The total amount of hours spent moving and exercising isn't all that different, but my focus has shifted slightly. Some of this has to do with the convenience of having a home gym for the first time in my life, so motivating myself to do strength work is easier than ever. But mostly, I am finding that strength training has a noticeable, practical effect on my running. The two most significant improvements I've noticed are that my muscles are less fatigued at the end of long runs and I am recovering faster between training sessions.
Another difference in my training this year as opposed to what I've done in the past is that I am gathering accurate heart rate data. Formerly, I wasn't opposed to using heart rate data, I just didn't think it was absolutely necessary and I also found chest straps uncomfortable and couldn't get just a watch to measure it accurately. But now that Coros has released the armband heart rate monitor, I've been wearing it for all my runs and having the data available is a useful tool for deciding how to proceed with training. I still think it's possible to get lost in numbers and drowned in data, but as with any other tool, if one utilizes heart rate data properly and doesn't get bogged down in emphasizing it too much, it's a great indicator for how training is going.
For instance, I have been experimenting with doing one of my long runs every three weeks or so at Zone 2 in stead of Zone 1. My rationale for this is that I think lots of miles at the end of a race need to be run at just slightly faster than what one's neutral pace tends to be. And so some long Zone 2 training mimics that scenario exactly. Doing four or five hours of running at just a bit quicker of a pace than one would tend to naturally is great preparation for the inevitable miles and miles at the end of a 200 that needs to be run at faster than the standard ultra shuffle. This past week, my long run was 28 miles. I went to Canyonlands and ran a big loop on the White Rim Road that includes a super steep technical descent, 24 miles of non-technical jeep road, and then a super steep technical climb to get back to the plateau on which you start. The non-technical jeep road was the perfect place for stretching my legs and sticking with some Zone 2 training. Without a heart rate monitor, I would have had to guess whether or not my perceived effort actually matched where I wanted to be in regards to my heart rate, but with the monitor I was able to stay around 135 BPM for the entire run and keep my effort level exactly where I wanted to be. Long Zone 2 days take a lot more out of you than a long Zone 1 day, so I use this training stimuli sparingly, but I have noticed a difference in my level of fitness and my comfort running a bit faster than I am used to.
Another example of how I've used the heart rate monitor in a positive way is with the effort level on recovery runs. The day after that big Zone 2 run on the White Rim, I went for a six mile mellow recovery run and started off at my usual pace. I noticed though, that my heart rate was higher than normal and so immediately made an effort to pull back and go slower than my body seemed to want to go, finishing the run with an average BPM of about 112, solidly in Zone 1. Perhaps my perceived effort could have resulted in me making the same decision to run slower, but it is just nice and convenient to have accurate data on hand to be able to inform little training decisions like this.
Outside of measuring my heart rate, a couple other factors have contributed to a successful first eight weeks of Cocodona training. Last year leading up to the 2023 race, I aggravated some tissue in my knee resulting in patello-femoral distress that forced me to take a week off about six weeks from the race. It was stressful and I did not handle the setback well at all. Mentally I was a wreck and I was immediately drawn into the negative thought cycle familiar to all runners who have suffered injuries. This year, I aggravated the same tissue by running in deep snow the same day as going up in weight and intensity with strength training. Instead of freaking out and letting negativity take hold, I recognized the pain and acknowledged it for what it was. Luckily it was right at the end of the first training cycle and so I finished out my week, got some dry needling, and took four days off from running, nipping the problem in the bud with little to no stress involved.
Training through minor aches and pains is a necessity in a lot of cases, but over the years I've gotten much better at recognizing the difference between the normal soreness that accompanies hard training and the type of pain that will only get worse if you push through it. I remember at the beginning of my career asking a more experienced runner if she could try to explain the difference between those two sensations for me, and she pretty much said that it's an individual learning process for everyone. Speaking from experience, you know when you're hurt, like a torn muscle or something serious, but minor uncomfortable sensations are hard to tease out from one another. Thankfully, when the patello-femoral pain started for me this year, I recognized it instantly and knew what to do. I looked back at my training from 2023 and just repeated the steps I'd used to solve it a year ago. Not only did I manage to get rid of the issue in quick order, but I am proud that my mentality approaching the setback, however minor, was positive and practical.
The last piece of the training puzzle that's been different for me this year has been an emphasis on back country skiing in addition to running. Last year, I spent almost all my time on roads or trails just pounding out miles, missing a great snow year and only getting a few ski days for the whole season. But this time around, I've purposefully gotten at least one day of skinning in the back country every week when it has been practical to do so. Not only do I love skiing, but the different type of stress on the body gives certain running muscles a rest and manages to exercise others in just a slightly different way. By focusing on skiing, I've managed to maintain an impressive training volume whilst avoiding the dreaded pitfalls of over training. It's not like I've been getting three or four days a week on snow, but even just one day where I don't run and I do some cardio that hits in a different way gives my body the ability to recover more effectively between training sessions where I want to be at my best.
I know, specifically in regards to heart rate monitoring, that I am late to the game. But up to this point in my career, making training decisions based on perceived effort has been mostly successful. Having the accurate data just gives me the ability to be sure about where my body is along the process of recovery at any given time; there is no guessing involved. Similarly, the shift in focus from running to strength training and skiing doesn't require a big change in routine, but is a small adjustment that can make a big difference once training volume and intensity are reaching their peak.
At this point, with two more cycles (eight total weeks, ten if you include the taper) to go until Cocodona, I am feeling fit and ready. These last two cycles are all about sharpening what has already been a successful training program so far. I'm excited to see what I can do come May and what improvements I can make in the couple months before the race. Approaching these last eight weeks, I'm more motivated than ever but I also feel calm and collected, which has not necessarily always been the case in the past. If some unexpected setback happens in training I'll deal with it. More than ever, I am feeling confident in how I am approaching pushing my body and making training decisions week to week.
Good luck to everyone who has races coming up! 2024 is a huge year for me and I hope it will be a successful one for all of you as well.
Comments