Monthly Archives: July 2018

My 10 week Centurion training ramp up.

I find a 10 week training ramp up to be perfect Centurion race prep. Any longer than 10 weeks and I risk burnout or injury. My normal weekly training is 10 hours – 50 miles per week. This is a good base for me.  Prior to this 10 week race prep in 2018 I walked a 50K race in February. Walked a Marathon in March and again in April. Walked 100 Miles at the United States Centurion Qualifier in June. **** This is not Couch to Centurion in 10 weeks.****

 

Ten weeks before my Centurion race:

I walk most of my training sub 12:30 minutes per mile. During this Ten week ramp up I start increasing the pace with a goal of sub 12:00 minute mile average pace. I want to push the pace every workout. I want my training ramp up to be hard. Train hard = Race easy. During my taper I reduce the hours walked not the pace. I continue to do my strength training of Planks, Push-ups and Pull-ups during my ramp up.

Walking sub 12 minute miles most workouts and EVERY workout during my taper is a BIG confidence booster going into a Centurion race. I have no intentions of racing that fast. It makes my normal Centurion pace of 13:30 feel very easy. I want a Centurion race to feel easy for as long as I can. The only way that is going to happen is if I make my training Ramp up Hard.

TRAIN HARD = RACE EASY!

 

Week 6 of 16 week Centurion training (Active Recovery)

Walked 10 Hours 35 Minutes, 52.4 Miles, Average pace 12:08. My weight 178.2 

Saturday – One hour eight minutes 5.6 Miles.  4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Sunday – Four Hours two minutes Lane 1 on the 400 meter track 79 Laps 19.6 Miles.

Monday – One hour eight minute 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 3 pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Tuesday – One hour seven minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Wednesday – Two Hours four minutes 10.4 Miles.

Thursday – One hour six minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 3 Pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Friday – Day Off.

The best week of training I have had in a long long time. I feel confident and strong. I have had a great transition (Active recovery) the last eight weeks from my 100 miles at FANS. First recovery then building back up to my regular ten hour training weeks.

Now for the next six weeks I will prepare for my 100 miles in New Zealand. Six weeks of increasing distance and an aggressive pace (Progressive overload). I want to average under twelve minutes per mile on my one and two hour walks. Walk under twelve minutes thirty seconds on my long day each Sunday. The harder I work the next six weeks the easier my New Zealand Centurion will be. Any BIG goal is worth six weeks of hard training for the reward. Excited!

As to my weight. Back to my whole foods diet for the month of August. No more processed foods and dessert. I have ten weeks to drop ten pounds.

Week 5 of 16 week Centurion training (Active Recovery)

Walked 10 Hours 45 Minutes, 50.9 Miles, Average pace 12:41. My weight 178.2

Saturday – One hour ten minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Sunday – Four Hours three minutes Lane 1 on the 400 meter track 73 Laps 18.1 Miles.

Monday – One hour ten minute 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 3 pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Tuesday – One hour nine minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Wednesday – Two Hour six minutes 10.4 Miles. I am officially race recovered and heat adapted.

Thursday – One hour seven minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 3 Pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Friday – Day Off.

What I consider as a normal training week. 10 hours. How I train every week during my off race season (November & December). Another week of normal next week. It has been hard to hit the pace I like to train at because of the heat. You can not walk as fast when your body is pumping blood to your skin to cool. Your leg muscles just don’t get enough blood. After two years of mild Oklahoma summers. This year has been much more normal. I don’t mind hot weather. I prefer hot to cold. Train hot, race cold. That is most likely exactly what I will get this fall. Hot training in Oklahoma. Cold race in Auckland. Perfect.

My weight, WOW. I have been eating watermelon every night. I love watermelon. Might have to adjust my diet sooner than I planned.

Week 4 of 16 week Centurion training (Active Recovery)

Walked 8 Hours 39 Minutes, 41.1 Miles, Average pace 12:38. My weight 174.2

Saturday – One hour nine minutes 5.6 Miles.  4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Sunday – Three Hours two minutes Lane 1 on the 400 meter track 56 Laps 13.9 Miles.

Monday – One hour eight minute 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 3 pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Tuesday – One hour ten minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Wednesday – Unscheduled day off.

Thursday – Two Hour ten minutes 10.4 Miles.

Friday – Day Off.

Just one week after juggling my day off so I could get all my workouts in, this week I skipped a day. Life happens. If you have to skip a day of Centurion training. Skip one of the short days. Never skip those long walks. My legs are almost back to normal. I feel stronger every day. That power is coming back. After a long race your legs don’t recoil back as fast. Now I feel that pop coming back. That explosion of power extending each leg forward and pulling through. Add one more hour to my Sunday walk this next week. Next week’s 10 hours of walking is what I consider as normal weekly training. I will be back up to the norm. The real Centurion training will start in two weeks when I push that weekly total higher.

Week 3 of 16 week Centurion training (Active Recovery)

Walked 9 Hours 39 Minutes, 45.6 Miles, Average pace 12:42. My weight 174.2.

Saturday – One hour one minutes 4.8 Miles.  4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Sunday – Three Hours two minutes Lane 1 on the 400 meter track 55 Laps 13.6 Miles.

Monday – One hour eight minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 2 pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

Tuesday – One hour ten minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 60 Push-ups.

Wednesday – Day Off.

Thursday – Two Hour nine minutes 10.4 Miles.

Friday – One hour nine minutes 5.6 Miles. 4 sets of 2 Pull-ups, 15 Minutes of Planks.

I had to juggle my day off this week. Dialed back my speed while I upped the distance. That has done the trick. My legs feel much better. At this point in Centurion race prep, time on your feet is more important than speed. Don’t skip training days. Just rearrange your schedule.  I have decided on my New Zealand Centurion race pace. 13:25 per mile pace.  I want to average three minutes twenty seconds per lap lane one 400 meters. Lap splits would be:

1 hour 18 laps
5 hours 90 laps
6 hours 108 laps
10 hours 180 laps
12 hours 216 laps
15 hours 270 laps
18 hours 324 laps
20 hours 360 laps

403 laps total   22:21:40 Finish.  Easy splits to figure in your head. A very nice cushion for any unexpected problems.

My weight is still above where I would like it to be.. I am not to worried about it just yet. I have not gotten up to my eleven and twelve hour training weeks. If it is still up in August I will have to make a diet adjustment.

A repeat of this weeks workouts next week.