I headed out last Saturday for a 20 miler at Laurels Preserve. This was long run #217 for me. This was also the 43rd straight month where I’ve done at least 1 run of twenty miles or more. Yes, I keep close track of my long runs. My belief has always been that if you…
Speedwork
The title of this post should probably be “Speedwork?!?!” considering how much of it I incorporate into my training. Ever since I started running, I’ve shied away from running fast. Partly because I’m, well, not fast. Partly because I’ve always equated running fast with increased injury risk. And I also realized that I just don’t…
Lifetime Mileage Guidelines For Aspiring Ultrarunners
I feel like the ultra community doesn’t do a very good job of communicating what it takes to run ultras. I see people ask if they’re good to go for the race they’ve signed up for and the typical response is either “yes”, “maybe”, or “stop reading Goggins”. The general theme is if in doubt,…
The Sixty Mile Week
I’m in rarified air this week. I added some miles to my schedule and am now planning on hitting 65 miles over six days. How rare is this? Here’s a list of all my 60 mile weeks since I started running. So basically I average not quite 2 sixty mile training weeks a year. A…
Why Bad Runs Are Good
I have a theory. After years of trial and mostly error, I’ve come to the belief that bad runs are good for you. It’s not that good runs are bad, it’s just that you don’t get much training stimulus from them. A workout is supposed to stress your body and if you feel great after…
The Mid-Week 11 Miler
Math sucks. As you increase your weekly mileage, you eventually reach a point where your mid-week run crosses the double digit barrier. There are lots of ways to add miles (extra long long runs, doubles, no off days), however these tricks will only get you so far. Once you’ve hidden miles in all the nooks…
Long Live The Long Run Streak
It took me till the absolute last day of December, but I was able to keep my long run streak alive. I now have done a run of at least 20 miles in 38 straight months. Here’s my favorite chart updated through 2022. My simplistic theory on ultrarunning is that in order to be good…
A Down Year
My annual mileage is going to end up down about 10% from the past couple years. Here’s my annual totals since I started running: There’s no particular reason why my mileage is down this year. I don’t plan out or target a certain number of miles. My annual totals end up being just a function…
DNSing
I’ve decided not to run the Mason Dixon Shortest Day next weekend. This event has been on my calendar since this summer when I ran the MDLD. I thoroughly enjoyed that run and thought I would give it’s shorter brother a go since I had an open spot in my race schedule. Well, the summer…
Snooze Button Season
I’m firmly in snooze button season now. Almost all of my races and adventures are done for the year so it’s time to take some well deserved R&R. This doesn’t mean I stop running entirely. I’m still getting out the door each day to at least keep my run streak going (day #3753), however my…