Thursday, August 29, 2013

Prep for Yang Yang 100km Week -6

Monday:
Start time: 7:00 AM
25km Road run.
2:15:04
258meters
Shoes: PI Emotion M3

Notes: Great road run! Started off with moderate pace, but felt good and got a little faster. Best news is that I just felt a little more fluid on the road, something I've been aiming for.

Tuesday:
Start time: 8:00 AM
8km (backyard trails)
53:22
93 meters
Shoes: PI Emotion Trail M2

Notes: Was a wee bit hungover for this, had a send off for a friend the night before. Nothing spectacular, but was happy to get out and get moving.

Wednesday:
Morning weight: 87kg
Start time 5:45 AM
18.26km (Daeryongsan)
2:33
890 meters
Shoes: PI Emotion Trail M2

Notes:
A surprisingly strong run on tired legs. Had my fastest time up the mountain in under 53 minutes and shaved 12 minutes off last weeks full run. Feeling great and needing rest for the big out and back on Saturday!

Friday:
Start time: 7:30
10.1km (road)
45 minutes
Flat
Shoes: PI Emotion M3

Notes:
Wanted to keep the heart rate high on this one and kick a little bit. Felt pretty good, was mostly under 4:30's and did one or two under 4:10. Worked up a mighty sweat in the humidity. Feeling good going into tomorrow's 50k Gangchon run! Need to drink lots of water today!

Saturday:
Start time: 6:30
50.2km (mountain fire road, Gangchon)
6:20
3100 meters
Shoes: PI Emotion Trail M2

Notes: Good ol' Gangchon.
This run is the heart and soul of training for Yang Yang. The course is all on fire roads much like Yang Yang, and what I think are a bit steeper climbs, so it gives you that added training. It truly is a barometer for Yang Yang, as most who trained on this and ran the race last year have said. I have now done the out and back four or five times, and I have to say that this was one of my better attempts. It wasn't easy, in fact, it got to be a really hard slog the last 10km, but both mentally and physically I think I was better than I've been in the past. I managed to keep my spirits fairly up, even while the pain was increasing. My hip flexors became extremely tender, as they do, late in the run, and the whole question that entered my mind was "how do I do this for another 50km?". Good question, but I think it might be the wrong question. Katie and I talked about it and this is what we came up with:
A: Whatever distance your running, your mind will adjust to cope. On a hundred km run, I hopefully won't think the same thoughts that I think at 40km on a 50km run, that I am really ready to be done with the run.

B: I am hoping that with the taper, and some more core exercises over the next month, the pain won't come on until the latter part of the race. I went into this 50km with already 61km on the week, so I wasn't fresh. Part of the pain is coming from those other, aggregate runs. Again, all hypothetical but I hope its true!

C: Thinking about the race as a whole will be deadly. My race plan is to just knock out small goals and continue onto the nest. Rather than after the first 50km thinking, well I got 50 more kilometers to go, the foremost thought in my mind will need to be, make it to the next aid station or knock out these next 10km, etc. I don't need to be overwhelmed by the big numbers.

D: The watch: I have deactivated the sound alarm on my watch since my day on Jirisan, and I think it helps. When on some runs that beep for every kilometer can be motivated, I think in the longer runs it gets frustrating, because our sense of time becomes warped. What may be a 7 minute kilometer will feel like a 12 minute kilometer, and I just don't need to be reminded of that every kilometer. I'll try and look at the watch as little as possible, other than checking my pace every now and again.

That's it! Feeling pretty well and recovered quickly. Looking forward to some cooler weather training in September!

Sunday: (rest) morning weight: 86.2kg

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