Is Strength Training Important?

I consistently lifted weights from the time I was 16 until I was in my late 20s. Then I started training for Ultras and my passion for throwing around iron quickly transitioned into covering miles. I have tried time and time again to get back into strength training as I believe it could make me a better runner. Time and time again I have pledged to do better and take time from running to cross train. The problem is I always fail. I LOVE to run. I can wake up at 5 am to run in the dark and watch the sun come up, no problem. Getting up pre-dawn to lift weights, no thank you. I will take my sleep any day over that. Maybe my problem is rooted in the lack of progress I see when lifting. If I run consistently I see measured improvement in energy, endurance, resting heart rate, body fat, and the list goes on. When I would lift consistently I did not see any real improvement. So what if I could bench press 10 more pounds this month than last month. Big deal, what does that get me in the real world, nothing. Covering miles, now that is something useful in the real world.

It is not my intension to get scientific here. I am going to go on the assumption that strength training can make you a better runner. There are many extreme cases of this. Here is an article on a guy who only did the basic crossfit workout each day (with no additional running) and was able to run 80 miles in 24 hours. On his blog, http://ultratraining101.blogspot.com, ultra author Neal Jamison has written about and shared others experience with crossfit and ultra running numerous times (here and here) including Adam Eidson's 5:19 finish at Holiday Lake after running only 7 miles in the prior 3 months. Those are some pretty amazing feats for non runners and there has to be something too it. I am not about to go and take up crossfit. No time or desire for that, but I think we can learn a lesson from this. Strength training is important.

Backing up that notion is an article written by Dr. Bill Henderson over on irunfar.com. Dr. Henderson sites some studies where strength training of the legs made the subjects better at running. This is attributed to better running economy. I think we are on to something here.

So where does that leave us runners who despise lifting weights? I am a firm believe that to be a better runner you need to put in the miles. So we must find the balance between running and strength training. The balance where weights do not interfere too much with running and everything else we all have going on. This is a question we all must answer. As for me.... I will continue to have a desire to do some strength training, but must find a way to fit it in. Maybe just keeping it basic with pushups, pullups, core, and some lunges / squats will be enough. It certainly is better than nothing.

6 Reasons To Use A Treadmill

Treadmills have been around for a long time. There is nothing polarizing about them. The "I hate treadmills" camp is strong, but I have a hard time finding anyone in the "I love treadmills" camp. There is also a strong opinion that running on treadmills is easier than running outside on pavement. I am not here to argue this point one way or the other. I for one am on the opposite side of this and think running on a treadmill can certainly be harder than running on pavement outside (given the conditions outside are similar). It is fine if you disagree and I will not say you are wrong or right. What may be harder for may certainly may be easier for you.

There are some major advantages to treadmill running:

1. Uphill Training - Unless you live in the mountains you probably do not have access to a hill that theoretically never ends. A treadmill gives you this. If you do have access to long hills you will have to run down after getting up. This may not always be ideal if you are going for just an uphill workout. I am an ultra runner and love mountainous races. I live in an area with 0 hills. The treadmill is essential to prepare me for the long 1000+ feet climbs of most of the races I run.


2. Speed / Temp Training - A treadmill allows you to hit a pace and stay there. You can turn your brain off a bit and just focus on pushing through the workout. You can easily measure your effort and improvement over a time period based on the same or similar workouts.

3. Mental Toughness - Most people will agree that running on the treadmill takes some mental toughness due to the boredom it brings. With no change in scenery you can quickly get bored. In my opinion (at least in ultras) being mentally tough is just as important as being trained properly. Hanging in on those tough treadmill workouts when your mind is bored and you can easily quit without having to walk 3 miles back to your house or car builds that toughness. Ultras that consist of loops are tough because of this car factor. A few years ago I dropped out of the Umstead 100 miler after 87 miles. I was at my car and a warm fire. If I was feeling that bad at a different point in the race I still would have had to walk it in and who knows, maybe I would of felt better. It is always easier to quit when you can quickly have the creature comforts we are accustomed to.

4. Race Simulation - Treadmills allow you to simulate a race course and reduce its length. A coach I had a few years back put me onto this idea. Break down your race into %incline of every segment and then simulate those climbs and flats/declines on the treadmill. This has really caught on as some treadmills now have a capability to upload a gps track and they will automatically change the incline based on real world data. I am going to write a post on this sometime soon and go into more detail about my manual way of doing this.

5. Time Saving - Unless you live near the hills or track you want to train on a treadmill can save you time (especially if it is in your home or at your work). I have a treadmill at my house and my office complex has one in its workout room. I can easily do a run at lunch or anytime at home. This gives me more time due to less driving, money savings on gas, and more time with my family.

6. Climate - Sometimes the weather is not cooperative even for experienced mountain runners. My former coach had a top of the line treadmill because he lives at high altitude in Colorado. The winters are snowed in, but he still had a need to get in quality workouts. This guy is no slouch as he has won the Vermont 100 and Leadville 100 twice. In my case the summers are hot and humid. This weekend the low is 80 with a "real feel" of 90. The high is 100 with a "real feel" of 115. I am sure I could go out and hit my long run in this weather if I ran at night and went really slow. I am choosing the treadmill instead. I know I will get a better workout this way and not be exposed to the heat and all the possible ailments it brings. I am not training for a hot race so why should I expose myself to this extreme heat when I can run a Race Simulation instead?

I hope you will consider the treadmill as just another tool to help you reach your goals. It can hold a key place in most runners training and can be very helpful in reaching your goals. In the following months I am going to continue to expand on each of the above points and hopefully give some more insight into how the treadmill can be a useful training tool. So what do you think, are treadmills useful to you or are they nothing more than "dreadmills"?

Foundations of Training: Influences

My training is based on a few different sources and life experiences. I ran my first ultra, the Holiday Lake 50k, in February of 2008. I had no idea how to train. I was not a marathon runner and had only been running for a year. I had only run 3 half marathons prior to this experience. That summer I ran the Laurel Highlands Ultra. I fell apart and walked it in a few minutes under the cutoff. I had finished but I had paid a hard price. I was hurt and hobbled. The next day I was on crutches and was like a zombie roaming around. 

Sometime after that I started to work with Paul Dewitt. Paul taught me how to train and different workouts do conduct for different reasons. For the first time every workout had a reason. This was something new and shaped how I train and introduced me to hill training and the treadmill.

I have always followed the blog  I Run Far. When I heard I Run Far editor Bryon Powell was publishing a book I immediately pre-ordered it from him. Relentless Forward Progress is highly recommended, especially for the training plans that Bryon presents. 

Within the last few months I have been using a heart rate monitor. I purchased the book Heart Rate Training and was hooked. The book is an essential tool for anyone training for any distance of race. It scientifically spells out what levels of effort cause what physiological changes within your body. I am an engineer by career so precision and science are second nature to me. 

Over the next few weeks I am going to break down the specific workouts I have been running while training for my 100. I will relate how Bryons book has helped me to build up my mileage and keep speed work in check and how Heart Rate training plays a significant roll in every run I complete.

I Hate Strength Training, But Its Important

I consistently lifted weights from the time I was 16 until I was in my late 20s. Then I started training for Ultras and my passion for throwing around iron quickly transitioned into covering miles. I have tried time and time again to get back into strength training as I believe it could make me a better runner. Time and time again I have pledged to do better and take time from running to cross train. The problem is I always fail. I LOVE to run. I can wake up at 5 am to run in the dark and watch the sun come up, no problem. Getting up pre-dawn to lift weights, no thank you. I will take my sleep any day over that. Maybe my problem is rooted in the lack of progress I see when lifting. If I run consistently I see measured improvement in energy, endurance, resting heart rate, body fat, and the list goes on. When I would lift consistently I did not see any real improvement. So what if I could bench press 10 more pounds this month than last month. Big deal, what does that get me in the real world, nothing. Covering miles, now that is something useful in the real world. 

It is not my intension to get scientific here. I am going to go on the assumption that strength training can make you a better runner. There are many extreme cases of this. Here is an article on a guy who only did the basic crossfit workout each day (with no additional running) and was able to run 80 miles in 24 hours. On his blog, http://ultratraining101.blogspot.com, ultra author Neal Jamison has written about and shared others experience with crossfit and ultra running numerous times (here and here) including Adam Eidson's 5:19 finish at Holiday Lake after running only 7 miles in the prior 3 months. Those are some pretty amazing feats for non runners and there has to be something too it. I am not about to go and take up crossfit. No time or desire for that, but I think we can learn a lesson from this. Strength training is important.

Backing up that notion is an article written by Dr. Bill Henderson over on irunfar.com. Dr. Henderson sites some studies where strength training of the legs made the subjects better at running. This is attributed to better running economy. I think we are on to something here.

So where does that leave us runners who despise lifting weights? I am a firm believe that to be a better runner you need to put in the miles. So we must find the balance between running and strength training. The balance where weights do not interfere too much with running and everything else we all have going on. This is a question we all must answer. I am taking the approach of more is less. My main strength workout is based on research presented by author and Master RKC Kenneth Jay in his book Viking Warrior Conditioning. Kenneth lays out protocols for increasing strength and VO2Max using the kettlebell snatch. Unless you have trained with Russian Kettlebells in the past this may not be a good fit. You must be proficient in the RK style of snatch or you will get injured. I am also going to do some basic movements, including pull ups, pushups, and squats. I will count this a success if I can get these workouts in twice a week. Ideally you would do the VO2Max 3 to 4 times.

I will keep you posted on how this goes for me. Hopefully it will work out and I will not fall off the strength wagon as my mileage and time on the road/trails increase.

Fun With Numbers - Analysis of my Average Weekly Mileage

I have been battling a calf injury for the past 2 months. This has left me with a little extra time to look at some mileage data. I started training for my first ultra in the fall of 2007. Since then I have kept track of my weekly mileage. I decided to produce some charts based on my 16 and 32 week averages. Below are those charts.

16 Week Average

32 Week Average

As one can quickly see my average mileage per week is at a low point right now. Part of this is due to some time off from injury, the rest is due to taking most of last summer and a few scattered weeks last fall off. On the contrary my race times are getting better. The last Ultra I ran was the Holiday Lake 50K and I cut off around 25 minutes from 2 years ago (also the catalyst of my injuries). Maybe if I can stay healthy and get my mileage back up I can make a run at a 100 this fall. Injury is going to dictate this. The first part of 2011 is lost, but God willing the rest of 2011 will be better.

If your interested - I produced these charts and keep my weekly mileage log in Google Documents. This "cloud based" service works well for non-technical spreadsheets and allows me access from any web-enabled computer or device. Drop me a comment if you want to know more about my setup.

The Importance of Warming Up

I have heard it said that a dog can teach you many things and over the weekend my 1 year old yellow lab Jack taught me a valuable running lesson on the importance of warming up. Jack is a puppy stuck in an adult dogs body. Since he will turn one on Halloween and it has not been humid and hot I have decided to take him on some short slow runs. These runs normally occur at the beginning of a workout.

This weekend called me to run back to back 3 hour runs.
Saturday Morning: My legs were sore and tired from running hard last weekend in the mountains and the kettlebell workout I did on Friday afternoon. I headed my local state park and started off on the 1.7 mile paved trail up into the park. I started way too fast and before I knew it I was sweating up a storm and had a little touch of blurred vision. I quickly slowed up, but the damage was done. The rest of the run was horrible as I walked for long stretches and ran intermittently. After an 75 minutes of this run some walk a lot pattern I finally pulled together and managed 8 ok miles of running. With my next race only 5 weeks away and the training I have been putting in I was just a little concerned about this run and my confidence took a hit. How could I run so well the previous Sunday and so poorly today? How would I run the second part of this back to back weekend?

Week of Running April 13 - 19 - pre Promise Land 50K

Back on track! I ran 65 miles this week, including a tempo interval session and a interval speed session. The highlight of my training was a  great 23 mile run at First Landing State park. It was a great day to run and I put forth a worthy effort, taking a few short walk breaks not because I had to, but to ensure I slowed down and not burn my legs out one week before a race. My original plan was 80 miles this week, but sometimes commitments get in the way of training. Not hitting my mile goal was not because I was tired.

Next Saturday I will compete in the Promise Land 50k. I have run 4 different ultras (5 total) in my short career, but regard this one as a favorite, maybe only second to Masochist. Here are some reasons for running promise land:

• Location - Everyone camps in a big field at a youth camp - with a bond fire Friday night who could ask for anything better
• Food -  Runners pitch in for Pizza Friday Night and Race Director David Horton and his family put on a huge cookout after the finish (fruit salad, burger and hotdogs with Mountain Dew!)
• Terrain - Nice mix of it here - a little dirt road running, a lot of grassy fire road running, some single track, and of course some river crossings
• Elevation - Tons of climb and descent - better warn your quads they are in for a nasty day
• Scenery - Good all around, apple orchard falls is as beautiful as the trail is steep
• Ending - A 2 mile run down the steepest gravel road you will ever encounter (you run up this bad boy to start the race)

Stats

• Weekly Mileage: 65
• Month To Date: 125
• 3 week average: 52

Week of Running March 30 - April 5 2009

Disappointing Lazy Slacker Tired Injured Un-Motivated - These words and more can all be used to describe this week of running. First off I was really hoping to just run an easy 40 miles this week. It had been a planned easy week to allow my body to recover some before I make the final push to MMT. I should be fully recovered after this week where I ran a total of 17 miles and walked 1 mile. 4 of those miles were very slow recovery runs early in the week. Then I just bonked and did not run for 3 days in a row. I have not taken 3 days off since after Mountain Masochist last November. The rest of the miles were done on a spirited 12 miler Sunday afternoon. I ran hard in the middle 10 miles and was pretty sore the next day.

The race is now less than 6 weeks away and I have 4 big mile weeks planned up until the taper 2 weeks out. Wish me luck, not only in running but getting my mind wrapped around training and the challenge of mmt.

Stats

• Weekly Mileage: 18


• Month To Date: 14


• 3 week average: 51

Week of Running March 23 - 29 2009

We are now less than 7 weeks away from MMT and I am excited. Running has been great and this week was highlited by a 38+ mile run on the MMT course on Saturday. I also enjoyed a great hike on Sunday in Shenandoah National Park with my friends. I covered around 70 miles this week, the most miles I have run any week except for Laurel Highlands Week last year. My foot was sore after the run and hike, but it is now feeling better. I wore the new Montrail 09 Hardrock for the run and they worked out great. I will be posting a full review on this shoe soon.

• Weekly Mileage: 70


• Month To Date: ~250


• 3 week average: 49

Week of Running March 16-22 2009

There are 7 weeks and 5 days left until the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100. I just had one of my best ever weeks of training. I am feeling strong and like I am rounding into ultramarathon shape. My week was highlited by a 24 mile run on the trails Saturday afternoon. I ran/walked a total of 65 miles this week, which I believe is the most mileage I have completed in a week except for last June when I finished the Laurel Highlands Ultra. I also had a great tempo workout and many medium length runs this week.

Now it is time to step it up even more. This week I have planned a 73 mile week, highlited by a tempo run, an interval session, and a 40+ mile long run over the weekend. I am also hoping to get some good hiking in on Sunday. This will be a really nice change of pace from the usuall running all weekend I have been doing.

• Weekly Mileage: 65


• Month to date: 175


• Year to date: 443


• 3 week average: 58

C25K - The Couch To 5 Kilometer Plan

Running is a huge part of my life and thus impacts all those around me to a degree. I wish all of you would pick up a pair of shoes and head out the door for a joyous run. It is a true stress reliever and builds confidence like nothing else I know of. For those of you who want to start running I recommend the 9 week couch to 5K (C25K) running program. The official site is located at http://c25k.com. The actual plan is located on the cool running site.

This program is designed to take you off your couch and put you on the road. You will start off with alternating between walking and jogging. Do you worry about pace. Most of the workouts are based on time. The ones based on distance can be easily measured with the odometer on your car. Nothing to precise here, do not worry about running exactly 1 mile, just get close. Give it a try and in 9 weeks you will be running 5k, or 3.1 miles. YOU CAN DO THIS. I know you can.

One last note: If you get a few weeks in are going to stick with it go and invest in a pair of running shoes. Go to a running store and get fitted for the correct shoe. They will measure your feet and watch you run and recommend a shoe. I know it is more expensive this way, but your health is priceless and the correct shoes will make it so much more enjoyable.

DISCLAIMER: Running is addictive. Try this at the risk of -

• Waking up early on the weekends to run


• Wondering why I missed my run this morning


• Getting wet while getting in your miles on the road


• Making your whole family healthier from you lifestyle choices

24 Miles At First Landing

I ran at First Landing on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and I had a great run. The run was highlighted by a spirited sprint the last 2 miles as I was using another runner who had passed me as a pacer. This day was completely different than last week. The weather was perfect and I saw a lot of squirrels and birds in the forest. I was listening to a Steve Runner on the Phedippidations podcast talk about "who do you run for". I have been thinking a lot about that lately. Who do you run for?

Week Summary:This week was pretty disappointing. I missed 2 easy days of running and was 10 miles below my goal mileage. I did get my hill, fartlek, and long run in. I did not lift any weights, which was a priority.

Weekly Total: 38 Miles 3 Week Running Average Mileage: 32 Miles

Plans: We are going to Pennsylvania for Easter. I am planning on running the first 20 to 30 miles of the Laurel Highlands trail one day and the last 10 in the dark another day.

Promise Land 50K Preview

My next planned race is David Horton's Promise Land 50K. This is the second race in the Lynchburg Ultra Series. It takes place on April 26 in outside of Bedford Virginia. The Holiday Lake 50K++ was so well organized that I am now a huge of Dr. Horton's race directing abilities along with his ultra running accomplishments.

The Promise Land 50K is a much different style of race than the Holiday Lake 50K++. Holiday Lake is very runnable with not a lot of elevation change, where Promise Land is run in the mountains with a lot of elevation change, as you can see below.

 I have started to run at Mount Trashmore City Park once a week in preparation. There are no hills in Virginia Beach so my options are limited. I have been running hard up one side and even harder down the other. Most runners drop out of ultras from suffering from Dead Quads. This condition is caused by downhill running. The downhill part of the race is the best opportunity to "make up time" from all the uphill climbing. My training also consists of a weekly 6 to 8 mile Fartlek run, daily easy runs, and a 20+ mile long runs on the weekends. I like to do the long runs at First Landing State Park. I feel this race is going to be perfect preparation for the Laurel Highlands Ultra, which takes place on similar terrain, has less elevation gain, but is twice as long.

Is anyone up for a Saturday long run in beautiful Bedford Virginia the end of April?

Ultra Training Guide

I have started an Ultra Training Guide. You can get to it by hitting the link at the top right of this page or clicking here. This guide will serve as a resource to anyone who is or wants to train for an ultra marathon. It is a work in progress so hang it there. I will be adding to it as I have time.

I want to point out one important resource that I used. The blog titled "I Run Far" by Bryon Powell. Bryon is a very experienced ultrarunner who has countless valuable posts. Two of these posts rise above the rest when it comes to Ultra Training: How to select your first ultra and Training for your first ultra. I highly recommend reading these posts as I used them as a guide for my training program for Holiday Lake. You can see how I trained for Holiday Lake at BuckeyOutdoors.com, the online training blog that I use. If you have any questions you can ask me, or check out Bryon's blog and post comments to him. He was very responsive to me and willing to help.

T-2

I ran this morning for the first time since Monday morning. It was cold and snowy here, well sort of snowy. I decided to run through 2 large areas of standing water that formed in the grass where I run. They were about 6 inches deep and Baily loved them. I though he was going to roll around in them. That dog loves cold water. This exercise was to simulate the stream crossings I will face on Saturday. It was COLD, but only for a few minutes and then my feet started to warm up. I really do believe that within an hour of a soaking like that my feet may be dry. I will have to test that theory out. The SmartWool socks are great.

The run felt good, even though it was only 4 miles. I was pretty effortless. Now I just need to sit back and relax and eat a lot of carbs. I cannot wait for Saturday to come.

Here is a pick of Baily hanging out at the beach. Proof that he loves to be wet and dirty.

T - 3 Until Race Day

It is almost here! I am run down this week and tired. I ran 3 miles Monday morning and felt good, but have not run since. Tonight I am going to put in 5 or 6 and maybe I will run 2 on Friday morning. I do not perform well with more than one day off at a time. Somehow I have been seeded at number 55 / 260 (see for yourself). I believe these seeds are based on predicted finishing order. I guess I have some high expectations to meet. Last night I had a scratchy throat and did not sleep well. I feeling pretty good today but it is a wait and see pattern for now. I am going to take it really easy on tonights run. More soon, I promise.

Let The Taper Begin

From the week after my last race (Rock and Roll Half Marathon, Sept. 2, 2007) until today I have ran 635 miles. I really did not get dialled in and hit my stride until the middle of December. In January I had weeks of 32, 50, 52, 52, and 33. Last week I did not hit the planned 45 miles, but it was not a bad thing. I look at it as a week of extra taper time. My body did not respond well to running so I took 3 days off from running.

This weekends long run showed the dividends. I just ran 18 miles on easy trails, but the speed and ease of the run shocked me. I was able to cover the distance in just over 3 hours. I ran the last 2.1 miles at a pace under 9 minutes per mile. Maybe not fast for most, but fast for me, especially after 16 miles.

Now I will officially begin my taper for Holiday Lakes. I am only going to run 30 miles this week, with a 12 mile long run on Saturday. I will rest on Friday and Sunday. Next week I will run 3 on Monday, 6 on Tuesday, and 3 on Thursday. It is going to be hard to not run, but the excitement of running and the extra sleep should leave me more than rested and ready for the race. I feel that my fitness level is growing and my weight is slowly dropping.

This morning I ran a 3 mile loop around my subdivision. I started off at a 9 minute per mile pace and was laboured for the first mile.  Once I was warm I fell into an 8:30 pace with no problem and I feel like I could have held this pace for quite a while. I want to run a half marathon this spring to gage how better off I am now that I was last spring. We will see how that fits into my training, schedule, and wallet.

25 Mile Run

Last weekend I completed my key training run for the upcoming Holiday Lake 50K+. I ran a 25.5 mile run at first landing state park. I ran 2 loops around the parks main 2 trails. The last 5 miles was brutal. I ran a lot faster than last weekends 23 miler. I did not restrict myself based on heart rate this time. The day was perfect, 40 degrees with some sun and no wind. This run build the confidence that I need for the race. I also am figuring out how to push past the pain. I know that I had a lot left in the tank and could push much harder when properly motivated.

I wore my Camelback Alterra hip pack to try it out on a long trail run. I also had an Ultimate Direction Hand Bottle. I am going to sell the Alterra on ebay. It did not work out well and left red and irritated skin where it rode on the tags in my briefs and shorts. I had to pull it pretty tight to prevent the bounce and keep it up above my butt. I guess if I had a bigger butt it would work ok. I ordered a second hand bottle yesterday. I plan on using two bottles and an Amphipod belt with a medium size pouch to carry food, keys, id, etc. I used to use this belt with two small marathon type water bottles. I could strap then back onto it if I need an extra fluid reserve.

I am starting to understand the mentality needed to push back the pain and just take it mile by mile. I am really trying to get my mind around running 70 miles. I feel this is important to really grasp it now. I listened to an interview with Scott Jurek and he talked about this strategy and how he must do this to do well.

Summary for last week:

52.5 miles with a 25.5 mile long run

Plan for this week:

40 - 50 miles with a 20 mile trail long run. I am starting to get a little tired and have not been getting enough sleep. I am really looking forward to two easier weeks as I taper down.

I have started experimenting with embedding flash into this blog. The first result is below, my hr and elevation profiles for this run.

Holiday Lake Course Map

Race director Dr. David Horton emailed out a map of the race course. I have attached it below for your viewing pleasure. It is not the best quality, but does show aid station locations. Today I ran 3 cold miles, it was around 28 degrees outside and my run felt good. My heart rate was low while my pace was faster than normal. I feel things are coming together. More after my long run tomorrow.

Holiday Lake 50K Preparation

It is now only 23 days until the race. I am getting excited about it and my miles are going up. Luckily I have remained uninjured and feeling pretty good through this mileage increase. This week my mileage will spike at around 56 miles and then a slight taper will begin. I hate the idea of the taper, but deem it necessary to success, especially with my less than gradual mileage increase. I cannot wait to get out there and test out my body. I have been doing mainly base training lately and keeping a sharp eye on the heart rate monitor. It will be very satisfying to just go out and run with heart, run as fast as my legs will take me! Trust me this is not very fast. I am a work in progress.

I now present my training plan leading up the the race:

This week -> Today 2 recovery Miles; Friday 4 easy miles; Saturday 26+ trail miles for a total of 56 on the week- all of this at base training pace

Week of Jan. 28 -> total of 50 miles with a 20 mile trail long run

Week of Feb. 4 -> total of 40 miles with a 12 mile long run (hopefully this short of a long run is not a mistake)

Race Week Feb. 11 -> Runs of 2 to 3 miles every day leading up to the race. I do not do well with days off, so I will run every day up to the race, once again hopefully not a mistake.

That is the plan for now. I must then focus on the build-up for the Laurel Highlands Ultra in June. I think I will put down some more base and then start to work on other things. I do not anticipate my mileage going much above 50 - 60 per week.