Miles and miles.

I’d like to explain a bit of my view on mileage. Last week’s high miles wasn’t all that high for me, it was only 75, though it was biggest this season. I had been keeping it in 60-70 range so far with a base of 50. I am changing my perspective somewhat on simply putting miles in. My first year of running ultras (ok, second, the year I trained for first WS100 in 2004) I was obsessed about logging miles. I went a few times to high 90, but most of it were junk ones. I didn’t have any hills where I lived, and ran to and from work as well as to and from my yoga studio. Miles rolled easy. I did do speed sessions with local running club on a track (short intervals though as they were all training for half and full marathons) and may be a few hill workouts (what now I wouldn’t even call hills). Second year, in 2005, when I hired Scott Jurek for my second WS100 attempt, I started training smarter. There were more tempo runs and longer intervals, and hills increased in length and steepness. Luckily, I moved to Oregon, and finding hilly trails and fast training partners for weekend runs stopped been a problem. I also hit high 90th a few weeks, and there were quality weeks as well.

I am however very prone to injuries. Any kind of them, anything you can find in a running book. I need to be even more focused on how I build up and where I run. So this year I swore to be smarter in my training. With Lisa, I am able to split my days and do miles hard, fast or a mix of two. I will get to the same point of doing close to a 100 mpw, but that can wait. I am not that overwhelmed with numbers anymore, they will come when needed and when I am ready for it. No more just going out to put extra 10 to have a nice ending mileage, I don’t even count until the week is over. But the quality increased, and the understanding of the purpose for each workout is much clearer. I hope this will bring me to a better racing season and fewer aches and pains.

Obviously, those weeks that I did my 100M races went over 115, but that doesn’t count. Some people can easily withstand high miles, and it is helping them. I am working on faster turn-over, building threshold and uphill muscle. I am tired, but mostly because of quality, not quantity. I can fit in more miles, but don’t see a point of it anymore. Nor do I feel getting 3 x 15M runs would help me to become a better runner, I rather have those 45 split up. And if I miss a day, I don’t make up, I just move ahead. My cross-training days are hard, but use different muscle, so it’s kind of a rest, yet very fulfilling and serving a purpose.

Today was that x-training day. And then we took Stephen for a hike at Columbia river gorge. He is a great hiker, can kick my butt on any given day! Then we had fun running all the way down and went for a burger:)

I am getting calmer for upcoming Hagg lake and started making plans for the race. I like this feeling, between butterflies in my stomach and cold hard thinking of times and fuel. That’s why I race, for this feeling. Last year I went to races so often, I almost lost both of these feelings, and now they are coming back.

Have fun, everyone!