A Non-runner's Running Plan

It's been a week now since I've been training properly for the next ultra. Except I'm not much of a runner, and I don't have time to spending hours running every day, and I don't want to get injured, and I have other non-running fitness goals too.

My program looks like this:

Mon: General conditioning or running intervals
Tue: Clean (1-3 reps), Squat (1-4 reps), Upper body/Core if time, Conditioning
Wed: Kettlebell work (strength and conditioning)
Thu: Hills
Fri: Deadlift (1-4 reps), Single leg work if time (4-8 reps), Barbell complex, Some other conditioning
Sat: Med-long run or Trail run
Sun: Kettlebell work (strength and conditioning)

So there are 2-3 runs in there. The weekend run includes hills too. I know to run faster I need to run more, but I also need to increase my cardio fitness and I find body weight and kettlebell work do that the best with no risk of injury. I also have a pipe dream of entering a kettlebell comp so that fits in well. So far this week I have PB'd in the clean, squat and kettlebell snatch!

Today was hill day and I threw myself in the deep end for a Volcanic Hills Balls Of Steal run. Just an out and back today. It was very tough but I managed the return trip 3.5 minutes faster! It is so pretty out there. It was just me, the kangaroos and a fox.

45km Mt Dandenong

I've clearly been hanging around the wrong crowd lately. Yesterday I went for a 45km training run with Kate at Mt Dandenong. I have never done any long runs there before because it is all hills. For some reason I forgot about the hills when I thought it would be a good idea to do it. I also forgot that even if the weather's good, it is always muddy in some sections and it would have been smart to wear trail shoes instead of racing flats.

We met near Sky High and had a loop in mind, taken from the Moonwalk charity race. Our run started off really nice and it felt so easy like we could go forever. We were taking it easy but I think it felt so good because at this stage we were mostly heading downhill.

At around 7km we came across this funny looking wombat who looked like he'd been in a few fights. Wombats are so rare and this is the first time I've seen one in Victoria. He didn't mind that we went up close and I stuck my phone in his face for photographs.



Our loop was mostly pleasant. We went through an arboretum which had lovely deciduous trees in all their autumn glory. We also passed through another public garden that had stunning trees and I think I'll have to go back there soon.

From about half way I really got fatigued. I was so proud of myself for actually remembering to pack food and even having breakfast before setting off (I never eat before a run) that I forgot my salt caps. I was drinking plenty but the hills were taking their toll. We climbed up Heartbreak Hill, which was just a taste of what was to come next.

There was the Mofo-Hill-Of-Death that climbed nearly 200m in about 2km. I am pretty good at getting hills done but that one was so bad that Kate passed me, and I was counting 50 steps at a time before letting myself take a 2 second breather.

There were more terrible hills, even worse than that. At one point I thought I needed an ice pick to climb it. My Garmin died early on so I don't have data of the other steep hills.

I don't usually drink much water and I was glad I took my Nathan pack so I could fill my water bladder without it feeling too heavy. I drank all my water and at about 4km to the end I had to fill up from "not safe to drink" water. Normally I wouldn't fuss about 4km without water but those last 4km were all up up up and were going to take a long time. So I took the risk and I haven't died yet.

My tibialis anterior were cramping from a combination of hills and no salt caps. I'm surprised that my achilles didn't give much grief so I guess my method of low frequency and low mileage is at least doing some good.

It was such a relief after all that climbing to make it to the top where our cars were. We made it in a bit over 8 hours.

I think this run wasn't so much physically challenging as it was mentally challenging. If I was doing this by myself, I would have looked at the map to find a shortcut back to the car. But I couldn't do that here. We were going slow, but running more than I would if I was by myself. It was not that it was hard or painful to run, but mentally I was fatigued and the thought of running seemed harder than the action of running. Having someone else there with me really helped push me through and I must remember that feeling of pushing on in my next ultra.

As soon as we stopped my legs felt all crampy. The drive home consisted of a lot of swearing and wondering why I drive a manual. As soon as I got home I downed some Gastrolyte and felt much better. My legs are a bit fatigued today but not bad. It was a great run and it's good to know I can run an ultra without doing any running training. Long runs would be beneficial but are not a necessity. I really enjoy running out on the trails so I think from now if I do any long runs they will have to be trails.

1000 Steps again

Yesterday I met up with Kate again for the 1000 Steps. She knows even way crazier people than I have ever come across and this time she brought her friend Andrew along. He had just completed the 170km Marysville to Melbourne paddle/bike/run race last weekend. Solo.

We went up the 1000 Steps 3 times again. The first time up the stairs Andrew ran them. Not me or Kate though. It seemed much easier this time, although I didn't want to suggest a 4th rep. According to my watch the first rep was a minute slower but the 2nd and 3rd reps were about a minute faster than last week. It's amazing what a little bit of training does for your fitness!

I've got more plans to head up that way for a group run or two over Easter. Meanwhile I am focusing on training hard at the gym. I hit another squat PB today. I want to get my squat up to 80kg this year and my deadlift up to 120kg. Just as much mental strength as physical strength required. Hopefully it wont take too long to get there.

1000 Steps

This morning I met up with Kate at the 1000 Steps in the Dandenongs. Kate runs much more serious and crazy hardcore runs than I do, and she wanted to do 3 repeats of the steps.

The first time up was pretty good, and we decided to run down the Lyrebird track to make it a nice loop. I felt good after that but then it was time for round 2! Here I slowed down a bit, and after running back down the track I would have been quite happy if Kate suggested we'd had enough. But like I said, she's a bit hardcore, and she was training for The North Face 100, whereas I don't really train.

Half way up for the 3rd time I started to get dizzy. Actually I woke up feeling dizzy yesterday, have had a headache for over 24 hours and same with the dizziness thing. The run cleared me up a bit but I think I just got fatigued here. I was so glad to get the 3rd lap done!

It took us 1 hour 23 minutes and it was really tough. But I guess this is what real ultra runners do for training! Now that I've recovered, it was quite fun! I'll have to head out that way more often for some runs.

Unfortunately the Wilsons Prom run was cancelled due to floods. An alternate run in the Alps is on offer but logistically that would be a pain in the wallet. So what to do next? I really feel the need to enter something asap but don't know what!

New training plan... again

I am changing up my training... again... hence no posts in a while. I had been so intent on getting out for my 2.5 hour run every weekend but it wasn't working for me. My working structure has changed and I'm often so tired that getting up at 6:30am on a Saturday to run is not fun. And running should be fun. I also took some time out of running to fix my achilles. It's doing so much better now (about 90%) and I can't believe I didn't think to do this earlier. Anyway, I'm not going to do any long runs leading up to the Wilson's Prom Ultra (60km). I am going to do the exact opposite of everyone else that will be there!

Over the past two years I've learnt that heavy squats and deadlifts give me the required leg strength to run an ultra. 3 sets of 3-5 reps of squats and deadlifts is the equivalent of a weekly 3-4 hour run or even more! The only difference is a much shorter recovery time, and no more sleeping on the couch for the rest of the day!

I've come to trust that my training is suitable, and even preferable to the usual running programs out there. So now my 2 or 3 runs a week are interval based. Usually I'll do 5 x 6 minutes or 20 minutes worth of hill repeats or something along those lines to keep up leg turnover and good technique. I also seem to increase my fitness better doing bodyweight circuits, burpees and kettlebell workouts. I also don't get injured doing those things!

Wilson's Prom is on at the end of April. So that give's me 2 months of getting my legs stronger and increasing my cardiovascular fitness. I'm really excited about this as I've found with myself and my clients that bodyweight and kettlebell work increases fitness like nothing else. I'm really looking forward to this and seeing how my running will be affected, and how it will all go in April!

Perfect HTFU weather!

Thanks to tropical cyclone Yasi it is pouring with rain here. Perfect htfu weather for a character building run! Today I head out for 17km. The Plenty River, which was just a mere trickle last year, was very full, and I think most of the bridges will be submerged by the end of the day. The Main Yarra Trail was ankle deep in water most of the way! I only came across one crazy cyclist and one mad runner out there today. It was great!

I know in the last post I mentioned not getting carried away entering every race that piqued my interest... but when I saw that entries opened this week for the Wilsons Prom Ultra I couldn't help myself! So I entered the 60km option. It's on at the end of April so I really have to htfu, increase my aerobic conditioning and be mentally ready to handle tough conditions. I think it's rainy and windy at that race every year so I've gotta be prepared!

New lifting shoes

I've been on a bit of a shoe shopping spree over the past week. Recently I got some new Do-Win weightlifting shoes. They are basically the same as the Pendlay shoes but cheaper. And even cheaper still since I get them at trade price :)

It may seem strange for a runner who likes flat shoes to get lifting shoes with a heel but for someone with long femurs and who is totally inflexible, these have been so helpful in making sure I achieve proper squat depth each time. I'm sure I would miss depth at least once in each squat session. Of course now I've had to take a piece of humble pie and drop the weight a bit since I'm going full range each and every time. The shoes are also great for cleaning, or specifically for me at least, catching the clean.

So now I am the poser at the gym who goes in with two pairs of shoes coz I don't want to get my lifting shoes dirty from the carpark to the gym floor and so I can do my crazy conditioning work in my Volleys after I'm done lifting.

But it's not all in vain. I'm improving in all lifts and getting better at the explosive lifts. I am generally as explosive as a snail so in time this work should translate to better running efficiency and speed.

Things I learnt from the GOW

Trail running is not about taking it easy. It's about getting out of your comfort zone. It's character building.

Racing in bad weather is not nearly as bad as it sounds (see above point).

My unconventional training is effective. I don't need to spend hours and hours running each week.

Training on similar terrain would have helped immensely (although where to find mud during a drought, I don't know. Then suddenly La Niña popped up, turning the course to mud).

I need to carry less food - my pack is heavy enough as it is.

It is possible to run for a long time on fats and little carbs. Perhaps even preferable.

Is there such thing as a Quick Fix?

On Thursday I went to the physio and begged him for a quick fix for my achilles so I'd be ok for the Tan Ultra next weekend. Well, he did his quick fix but I'm not sure it was as good as last time.

Went for a test run this morning - Intervals at the track. Right achilles fine; left so-so. Didn't do any hills apart from the warm up and cool down so really can't say for sure. Just hope the Anderson St hill at the Tan doesn't cause too many problems.

It was such a beautiful morning. Frosty and sunny. And there were lots of people out on the track walking, running, or just walking their dogs!! I was not into having to get out of the way of a stupid yappy thing charging towards me. I tried to point it to go in a different direction but it didn't understand. Never come across a dog who doesn't understand that. Who walks their dogs on a running track anyway? The running track is next to endless walking trails along the river. I looked for a No Dogs sign but there was only a No Rollerblading sign.

So now all that is left for me to do today is wait for entries to open tonight for my fav race! I've got the website open, alarm set, and ready to hit refresh at the time!

After the Tan I think I will revise my training AGAIN to come up with a plan for the next one. I am finding the whole getting-up-early thing while working long hours very tiring so it's hard to find a balance between running, weights and metabolic conditioning. Not sure how essential running much is. The weights are essential for leg strength and recovery from ultras. But now my legs outrun my lungs so need to make more time for kettlebells so I can get fit again.

Double Whammy

I did my usual VHBOS run today and it worked out to be a touch over 27km and included Ingrams and Reynolds roads. Ingrams didn't feel so bad, and I was really relishing the hills, probably because I took the short way to get there so my legs were pretty fresh. By the time I got to Reynolds I was ready to get down on my hands and knees and crawl. My quads were burning. It was awful. If any crossfitters are reading this, imagine the worst WOD you've ever done and put all that pain into your legs, times it by 2, and that is how it felt. I kept going though, as I refuse to be a soft arse, and my achilles hated me for it.

After I said good morning to the little Asian lady who sings opera along the Diamond Creek trail, I headed home along Allendale Road. That sucked.

My legs just felt like they were on fire. They burned so much I couldn't even tell which muscles were hurting, if I was cramping, or if it was just tiredness. During the last few kms I narrowed it down to my calves and soles of my feet. At first I thought maybe it was because I wasn't drinking much but it wasn't a cramp, and I worked out the real reason.

I wore my Adizero PRs on this run. For the past couple of years, I have worn my Nike Free 3.0s on pretty much all my long runs, and most of my ultras. My feet never feel tired in them. I tell people time and time again that they are not a "barefoot alternative" shoe and that they are really just a light weight trainer/racer. This is so apparent now as I have been using them as a way to make the long runs more comfortable. You don't have to run correctly in them and it is so easy to become lazy in your form as you fatigue. I think today my calves were so sore because I had not trained them well for so long. It was the soreness you get when you start barefooting/minimalist/Pose running. My laziness had finally come to get me.


Tomorrow there's a Sri Chinmoy race on that I plan on doing to make this a 2-long-runs-in-2-days-weekend as part of my You Yangs training. I think I'll do the half marathon. Or if my calves are still complaining I'll go the 14km option. My feet will be fine as I plan to wear my Five Fingers.

Running an ultra with no specific training

Tomorrow I'm doing the Frankston to Portsea 55km. This race has a long history based on Percy Cerutty's interesting training methods so I am really looking forward to taking part in this slice of running history.

The only thing is I haven't trained for it.

Over the past few months my weekly training has looked like this:

Deadlift x 1
Squat x 1
1 other lift (eg push press, front squat etc) x 1
Kettlebells x 1-2
Other metabolic training such as TRX, ropes, bodyweight x 2-3
Running - hills x 1
Running - intervals x 1
Running - medium distance 10-25km x 1

Looking at that outline, it doesn't even look like I'm training for running. It just looks like general fitness. And if you were told that is a running program, what distance could it possibly be? 10km? Half marathon?

I have not run over 25km this year. This is mainly because my goal races are months away so I haven't been bothered, it takes up time, I'm too lazy to take water on the run, and I've been very busy this year so sometimes opting for a sleep in instead.

I know I can do 55km, but how will it go? Will I crash and burn at 30km? Will my ITB play up like at my last ultra? Will my head hang low as I stumble last to the finish line? Can I run the whole distance? Can I maintain a lively pace? Could I possibly even do it well?

Who knows. We'll find out tomorrow :)

First Long Run of the Year

Today I decided to go for a long run to see if my endurance has suffered, and to attempt to build up a solid base for my main races this year.

Although I had not been getting enough sleep during the week and have been walking around like a zombie, I felt surprisingly good when I woke up and had a rough idea of a 20-25km run. At 6am it was 26 degrees, I could see lightning on the horizon but no rain to cool me down. I was expecting my hamstrings to be a bit sore from heavier-than-planned deadlifts late in the week but they felt fine. My leg turnover was pretty good and it seems like doing lots of intervals this year (for distance, time and hills) has improved my general speed. Unfortunately with all the hills and heat my heart rate was so high I was forced to slow down. At the 14km mark I was overcome with extreme thirst and didn't bring water or any money to stop at a shop to get some. My HR was still so high but I forced myself to keep going so I could hurry up and get home and rehydrate. At 500m to go and 2 short but steep hills remaining, my HR got to 189 and I just walked the rest of the way, totaling 22.6km. After some water, a nectarine, some homemade boysenberry cordial and a shower I went to sleep for a couple more hours.

Despite totally crashing at the end, my legs feel absolutely fine considering it's been so long since any decent length run. All these deadlifts and squats must be making them nice and strong. Lots of intervals have improved my comfortable running speed. Now I either need to get fitter or the weather needs to start cooling down and I should be able to make the most of it.

I wore my new Adizero PRs. They are soooooooo comfy! But I think they will wear out quickly. Their light weight soles are showing more wear than I've seen on any other shoe before - and my fav shoes are still going strong after 1000-2100km.

2010 goals and new training plan

After all the running I've done this year, I have gradually gotten slower. I put it down to 3 ultras in the second 1/2 of the year and also doing my long runs at a more comfortable pace. It served its purpose this year for me because I ran further and longer than before, and my recovery from the ultras this year was much quicker than last. Now I feel confident at distance and know my body can recover well, it is time to change it up and get faster for 2010.

I think it's important to have goals so you know what you're aiming for and why you're doing it. In 2010 I want to run a 20 minute 5k and complete the ultras much faster. No set time for those, except for The Tan Ultra 53.5k I'd like to get under 6 hours.

This is my new plan to get me there, starting this week:

During the week:
All runs will be intervals or tempo runs. If I feel the need to do a recovery run then that will be at a very easy pace and done barefoot, focusing on form.
I will be sure to do additional workouts focusing on my weaknesses. I will be working on strength and/or high intensity workouts combining resistance and cardio.

On the weekend:
Long run will be at a lively pace. I will cut these back to around 16km and gradually increase distance to 30km at the same effort.


I just joined a gym this week (3rd so far this year!). I don't use machines (except the Concept 2 rower) and stick to the free weights. What I like about this gym is they have a good selection of non traditional equipment that I just can't afford right now including kettlebells, TRXs and tyres. It's also good because nobody else uses these OR the squat rack (they're all queuing for the smith machine) so I don't have to wait to use anything I want there. To give you an example, here's what I did today:

Warm up:
A couple of each with empty barbell:
Hang clean, hang squat clean, press, push press, push jerk, front squat, thruster.

Workout #1:
Deadlift 5, 5, 5, 5
Warm up 5 @ 40kg
50, 50, 55, 55
(Could've gone heavier but first time doing deadlifts in this gym and conscious of the noise of the weights. Next time I will do it outside where I did workout #2)

Brief stretch

Workout #2:
21-15-9 reps of
Kettlebell swing @12kg
TRX rows
Push ups

Brief stretch

Schedule

I've run home a few times but never to work. This morning I ran to work for the first time. It was such a beautiful morning and it was great as I got closer to work I could get off the streets and follow the Main Yarra Trail. I was nearly there when I took this picture. Next time I will pack some breakfast and eat it by the river instead of in a windowless office!



For anyone interested, I thought I'd write up my schedule for this week. I'm hoping it will stay pretty much the same every week. Although running to work can only happen once a fortnight. I've got my first 100km race coming up in a few weeks so this is my plan for increased fitness, strength and mental toughness.

Mon: Intervals
Tue: Crossfit followed by run (<10km) if not too buggered
Wed: Run to work (18km)
Thu: Crossfit followed by run (<10km) if not too buggered
Fri: Easy run (7km) or Rest
Sat: Long run (>30km)
Sun: Rest (45min easy walk)