50K Training Week One

I have decided to keep track of my training with a weekly summary of it here on the blog-a-log.  17 weeks of getting ready to run the North Fork 50K.  Before getting into the training I completed 17 weeks of 40 to 45 miles per week.  In my mind that is a good base to expand off of.  It is the kind of base that is twice as much as I have started out with on previous race build ups.  The week before jumping into active training mode I ran only twice, giving myself a nice reset and refresh week before jumping into a 50 mile week this week.

I have a schedule mapped out for each upcoming week that focuses on Monday and Friday being the hardest days, Wednesday being fairly challenging also.  Sundays and Thursdays will be shorter, recovery runs and I will take off Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Of course the weather will likely impact the schedule so I will adjust if and when necessary.

So, this week started off with a flat and steady 5 miler on the Santa Fe Trail in mind, however I was feeling fresh legged after only running 21 miles the week before and this run became a good tempo run for me, completed in 38:45.

Monday was a loop of the Falcon Trail.  This 13 mile run has become a weekly staple and it is such an enjoyable run with some good variations in it and  even a few stream crossings, not to mention that it is on the Air Force Academy so it is a well taken care of trail - albeit a bit snowy and icy at times. I went counter clockwise for a 1:59 which has been about average for the past 4 months.

Wednesday morning was a bit slick with freshly fallen snow on Mt Herman that made the 1600'+ climb up a bit slower than wanted event.  However it wasn't too icy like it has been in recent weeks, although just enough new snow to be slickery underfoot.  After the slow first 1 1/3 miles I was able to get a better move on and finished the 8 mile loop in 1:58.

Thursday was a slow and easy 6 mile recovery run on Santa Fe Trail.

Friday I was back on the Santa Fe Trail, this time starting at Woodmen Rd, headed North 9 miles at an easy 9 minute per mile average and then turned and came back at an 8 minute average.  It was much harder to maintain that although by the end of the run it had begun to rain steadily so that helped with motivation to get it done, which I did, finishing in 2:33 for an 8:30 overall average.

So, it was a successful week.  The encouraging thing for me was that Friday afternoon my legs were feeling good with no ill effects from the earlier long run.

Aiming for 55 miles next week.