Training Log Archive: mariaamaya

So, today was supposed to be the 3 hrs 15 min run. However, my feet are a mess. I think I'm going to make an appointment for the injury from the boot that's on the right side. The injury on the left foot that's on the top of the ankle is getting much better! The right foot is a little concerning because it was getting better then suddenly changed for the worse.

Anyway, I needed to go out for something a little longer and I feel like I've lost some fitness so I went out for the 10 miles today. I'm leaning towards not doing the 50 miler (in two weeks) unless something changes drastically... for the better.

I'd like to keep my long runs around 10 - 15 miles for right now, until I figure out this thing. I am consistently icing morning and night and that's definitely helping. I need to keep running, no doubt and once I warm up, it's fine. The weekday intervals are great and not a problem, so everything but long distance I'd like to keep doing and improving.

I did everything on the schedule except Run 3 for this week.

Here are my splits for today:

Mile 1: 10:56 m/m
Mile 2: 9:45 m/m
Mile 3: 9:23 m/m
Mile 4: 9:25 m/m
Mile 5: 10:12 m/m
Mile 6: 10:08 m/m
Mile 7: 10:17 m/m
Mile 8: 9:52 m/m
Mile 9: 10:13 m/m
Mile 10: 10:02 m/m
Mile 10.46: 10:02 m/m

Very hot run!! I think it was 90 or so, but it was a wonderful run!!

I love doing these intervals on a track!!

Warm up:

Mile 1: 10:31 m/m

Workout:

Run #2: Flat Cruise Intervals on treadmill or a flat smooth surface outside. After the normal 15:00 easy run warmup and a few flat strides, the workout is 4 x 1 mile @ threshold pace with just a 1 minute recovery (instead of usual 2:00) consisting of easy running between each. Try to go no slower than normal easy pace though you may have to between the last few. Cool-down with another 15:00 of easy running.

Here are the splits, but these include the 1 min cool down so I'm not sure how fast I did them. I went by feel, so I think I was around 7:40 m/m, a lot slower than I should have been according to your plan! :(

Mile 2: 8:54 m/m
Mile 3: 7:26 m/m
Mile 4: 7:47 m/m
Mile 5: 7:31 m/m
Mile 6: 7:43 m/m
Mile 7: 8:44 m/m
Mile 7.92: 10:08 m/m

Great run, but out of breath and tough!

Wow, what a fast and unbelievably painful run!! No wonder I don't do these things! Geez, that hurt!

So, I don't have my mile times but it looks like I didn't do too badly. I averaged 6:32 m/m, which I was very happy with. I won my age group (41 - 50) and came in 4th woman overall, I lost being 3rd woman by :19 seconds. I know that's a lot in such a short race but I was happy.

My right ankle had started hurting on Tuesday (the Tuesday after the 56.25 miles I did on Saturday). Not sure what the heck happened, but I wasn't sure I was going to do this race. I've been icing, and taking advil like crazy. After this run, I really need to get off the ankle and just take it easy. I didn't twist it, I don't remember falling on it or anything. All I can think of was that the laces may have been too tight, the same issue I had during Leadville with these damn shoes! I will be getting different trail shoes - the problem is, I like everything else about these shoes! They are super comfortable. Maybe my gaiters were pressing down to hard on the lace part. It was only on my left foot.

Needless to say it's just gotten worse throughout the week. Friday night, my ankle was super swollen. Anyway, I will need to do something else this coming week, just don't know what. I don't think I can row, maybe the stair master, I hate biking, the elliptical seems like it will cause the bend in the ankle/top of foot that will still cause issues. Don't know... I will test out a few exercises tomorrow morning and see what I can do.

Otherwise, my right elbow is slllooowwlllyy getting better. My right foot where I got that bump from my Danner boots is getting much better. I think every part of me that matters is broken. Ugh... :( Maybe I should be smart and go do some yoga...

Warm Up
.28 miles, 6:00 min walk

Run #4: 60:00 easy effort flat recovery run, middle of week.

Workout
Up to 6.5 mph from 5.7 mph every 2 min up to 34 min

Cool Down
3.70 miles, 5:00 min walk

Cardio super easy, legs feel pretty good, feet need a break. Top of ankle is really hurting... :(

Warm Up
.27 miles, 6:00 min walk

Workout
Run #3: 2 days before 5K - 30:00 easy flat run at slower than normal pace, followed by 4 x :15 normal flat strides. This is similar to the warmup you’ll do before the race except just 15 or 20 minutes.

0-10 min at super slow 5.5 mph
10-20 min, increase to 5.6 mph
20-30 min, increase to 5.7 mph
@ 30 min X 4 strides @ 10.0 mph for :15 sec (down to 5.7 instead of 6.0 mph)

34-42 min @ 5.7 mph, slow relaxed.

Cool Down
4.33 miles, 47:00 min walk

Good little run, will try to keep it in mind for the race.

Warm Up
.27 miles, 7:00 min walk

Workout
Run #2: Early in week - 45:00 easy flat run with 4 x :45 surges at expected 5K race pace mixed in. Think about the race while doing these - ie get a feel for what you will be shooting for.

0-15 min at 5.7 mph (slow good start)

@ 15 min increase to 8.8 mph (6:48 m/m) for :50 sec, drop to 6.0 mph

@ 20 min increase to 9.0 mph (6:39 m/m) for :55 sec, drop to 6.0 mph

@ 25 min increase to 9.2 mph (6:31 m/m) for 1:00 min, drop to 6.0 mph

@ 30 min increase to 9.2 mph (6:31 m/m) for 1:00 min, drop to 6.0 mph

31-38 min @ 6.0 mph

@ 38 min, increase to 6.1 mph
@ 39 min, increase to 6.2 mph
@ 40 min, increase to 6.3 mph
@ 41 min, increase to 6.4 mph
@ 42 min, increase to 6.5 mph
@ 43 min, increase to 6.5 mph
@ 44 min, increase to 6.6 mph
End @ 45 min

Cool Down
4.96, 50:00 min walk

Thought it would be hard but it really wasn't, aside from my foot killing me, it wasn't super easy but pretty easy.

Great after long run, it's a workout that's not super easy but still a good workout.

Okay, so each lap was 6.25 miles. Much hillier than I would have guessed. No need to walk on purpose because there was plenty of walking built in, so good course for that. Here are my times:

Lap 1: 6.25 miles, 1:23:03 min, 13:17 m/m
Lap 2: 12.50 miles, 1:21:31 min, 13:03 m/m
Lap 3: 18.75 miles, 1:28:08 min, 14:06 m/m
Lap 4: 25.00 miles, 1:29:53 min, 14:23 m/m
Lap 5: 31.25 miles, 1:34:27 min, 15:07 m/m
Lap 6: 37.50 miles, 1:36:32 min, 15:27 m/m
Lap 7: 43.75 miles, 1:50:19 min, 17:39 m/m
Lap 8: 50.00 miles, 1:52:09 min, 17:57 m/m
Lap 9: 56.25 miles, 2:10:42 min, 20:55 m/m

10th place out of 27 women.

Lots happened. First, around 11am I ran into a guy masturbating on the trail, needless to say I kept going very quickly and stopped to inform the one aid station on the trail and then the staff stopped me to get all the details. This took longer than I would have liked but important that it was done. They (staff) found the guy (kid), followed him and then park rangers came out to search for him., couldn't find him but I think he knew he'd been spotted. It's not like he was hiding it from me when I passed him. This all happened during lap 3.

Anyway, then some guy fell, a woman walked with him and I tried to "race" ahead and let staff at the start/finish know that he wasn't doing well, bleeding, staggering and had a while to go.

Around lap 7 and 8 it started getting dark. I was doing fine. Around mile 35 was when I had hit the low, just like during Leadville. So, when it started getting dark, I wasn't doing badly, I was actually feeling pretty good. The race director kept telling me I was doing really well and trying to motivate me to keep going, so I did.

Finally during lap 9 I started feeling the nausea! At that point, I knew it was coming and I didn't want to go through what I had gone through during Leadville. This was supposed to be a fun run and it wasn't worth me going all the pain and agony. So I decided to stop. The race director tried to keep me going, he told me I was third overall, but it just wasn't worth it to me. Emotionally, I felt a little bad but overall I was okay with stopping because this wasn't Leadville.

I went home happy but he told me I had only done 50 miles, so I was a little (way) disappointed. The next day I checked results and found that I had actually run 56.25 miles.

So, here's what I ate. Before the race, at home small bowl of granola cereal, at the race 2 small pancakes with butter and syrup and a small peanut butter, honey, raisin ball that was delicious. I started on 1300 calories.

During the race I had made little baggies of one hard boiled egg, about 6 bites of sweet potatoe, 1 slice of bacon. I was taking that small bag and eating it at the beginning/end of each lap. I was also having a small cup (6 oz) of coke and a small bit of fruit. I did this for about 3 or 4 laps, having about 400 - 480 calories, then I started getting so thirsty and started having nothing but fruit, I started getting tired of the egg, bacon & potato. I also had a few chia syrupy squeeze things (80 calories) with the fruit. I was doing okay with calories but I started eating way too much fruit, i.e., sugar and that's when I hit me. So, I need to work on the eating situation and make it right.

Anyway, I ran 50 miles in about 12 hr 38 min and I was very disappointed. Although I did well compared to my field of competition, I did the first 50 miles at Leadville in 12 hrs and that was starting at 10,000 feet and going over a 12,600 foot pass. So, I'd like to be in much better shape for the OSS/CIA 50 mile night run on June 13th in about 5 weeks or so.

Overall, very fun run, completely different way of thinking and mentally challenging to do an "hour" run rather than a "mileage" run. I think it takes a lot more motivation and mental strength. I'm really glad to have done it and to have had that experience. I will have to do more of these in the future! I also have to dial in my whole eating situation after the 50 mile mark.

Great day nevertheless!!!