Hello everyone! If you read my last post, then you'll know that I finished my first 50k Ultramarathon three weeks ago and did so without injury! Yee Haw! Goal met! After the race, I took an entire week off to do some much needed run-free recovery. Currently my reverse taper is in full swing. As for this week... I've been working on my FOCUS. Yep, you got that right! My focus! So, what does that even mean? Well, I've been thinking about everything I learned from the 50k — what went well, and what I NEED to focus on if I intend on increasing my mileage again to train for another 50k race. It just so happens that I've already selected the ET Full Moon 51k to run in August. So, as you see my first 50k will not be my last.
Be Intentional
To start with, I intend on selecting my remaining goal races for 2021 this week. I also intend on reassessing my training plan. If you remember, I removed most of my speed work during my 50k training cycle. This was intentional as my goal was to finish without injury and ramping up my mileage while adding speed work was starting to spell out impending DOOM, a.k.a. injury!
This time I'll be adding some short speed sessions back in. I'll select a half marathon between now and the 51k in August to keep me up to speed (corny pun intended) with racing long distances, while not completely murdering my legs. I'm sure the occasional 5k tune-up race will be thrown in from time to time as well.
The reset
It's time to implement what I learned from the 50k and reset my training goals. Looking back, I was surprised by just how challenging that long, (not to mention ridiculously steep), canyon hill was during my 50k, so tomorrow I'll head out to do a few hill repeats. I enjoy the hills, well mostly... I find that my legs tend to appreciate running hills much more than flatter ground since it employs different muscles... my glutes, not so much. However, it does give my joints a break from the pounding monotony of flat surfaces. Going forward, this reset will allow me to focus my upcoming training cycle on workouts aimed at further developing my strength and speed.
Here's what I intend to do:
Get a full 8 hours of sleep each night.
Take at least 1 full day off each week.
Daily yoga and mobility work.
Strength and core train at least 2 days a week.
Cross train on the bike at least 1 day a week.
Foam roll, stretch, and massages regularly.
Maintain a clean diet that fuels me.
Maintaining balance and momentum.
It's the little things that make a difference and maintaining a balanced schedule makes all the difference. Of course, challenges arise, and life can sometimes get in the way, so that's why I follow a plan. Having a plan helps me stay focused and organized during the day so I don't end up overwhelmed — having new shoes also helps! — I'm no longer a Hoka virgin, (sadly, I'm not affiliated with Hoka, because I think I'm in love). If I pick a long run day, I can generally stick to that day. Also, once I dive into a training cycle it's not that difficult for me to keep the momentum going because I log each workout session on my calendar. So, this week I'll plan the rest of my races for 2021, finish my reverse taper, and gradually start the process all over again! I intend on being a lifelong runner — there is no finish and that's how I prefer it.
How to you intend to progress with your training?
Are you preparing for any upcoming races?
How do you reset after a big race? Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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