JFK 50 Miler race report

Yesterday was the 6th time I've toed the starting line for the JFK 50 Mile race.  It gets a little bigger and even better managed each year.  My hat is off to the race director and all the great volunteers that make this happen every year.

I thought my preparation was good this year, especially the fact that I got out and ran the Appalachian Trail on eleven days in the two months before the race.  It's one thing to get some hill work included in your workouts, it is quite another to spend time running specifically on the trails you want to be able to cover efficiently. I worked hard on the trail during the race, but I definitely knew what to expect and went through that section in good shape.

Having said that, I'm looking at some of the data from the run yesterday.  This graph of my heart-rate, as a percentage of maximum over the race, tells the story ...

Mike's heart-rate during the JFK-50

Ignore the spike at the start - that's just the monitor not getting good data at the start.  For the first 3 hours (the time I spent on the Appalachian Trail) I was running at close to 85 % maximum heart rate, the upper end of my aerobic range.  Then I hit the long, flat C&O canal portion of the run, and saw my heart rate gradually slow until at the 6-hour point I was running just under 75 % max.  The last couple of miles of walking/running took it down even further.

While seeing my heart rate vary from 85% to 65% of max over 50 miles doesn't bother me, I can't help but think I should have taken it easier on the trail portion early on, and run the canal harder.  Of course, depletion of stored energy is probably a big factor in the trend shown in this graph, but I can say that I ate better before and during this run than I usually do during a race.

Mary did a great job of crewing for me yesterday.  Here's the picture she took before the start.

Mike before the race

I love running long because there is so much going on, it's a puzzle I am never going to solve, but I do have a lot of fun working on it.  Then again, Scott Jurek says run long, and do it with soul ... I hope I'm not over-thinking this!

Ready, or not ...

I've been using a piece of software called SportTracks to help me train with a little more insight. Here is what the last two months of training looks like, as I got ready for the JFK 50 mile run yesterday.

SportTracks 3 with the Training Load plug-in

This thing doesn't exactly speak for itself, but there is a lot of information presented in a way that makes you think a little differently about what you're doing to prepare for a big event.  Here's what is being shown.

First, the vertical bars represent individual training days.  Three of the taller bars are labeled A, B, and C - these are a 22 mile training run on the Appalachian Trail, a 50 km trail race, and the Toronto Marathon respectively.  The height of the bar is calculated based on time and intensity, a function of the number of minutes spent in each heart rate zone, so that longer duration events at higher intensities get a higher "training impulse" (TRIMP) value.

Over a period of time these individual training days average out to some 'chronic training load" (CTL), shown above as the blue area under the line labeled '1'.  As our training load increases through a training cycle, you would expect to see this line gradually increase over time.

The red line labeled '2' above is similar, but is called the 'acute training load (ATL).  While the CTL is a long-term sliding average of you daily training level, the ATL is a short-term sliding average telling you how what you have done recently compares to the long term.  Seeing ATL higher than CTL means your recent training has been harder than average.  It also means you are relatively fatigued, and not ready to perform at your best.  The green line labeled '3' is a plot of 'training stress balance' (TSB) that just represents this difference between ATL and CTL ... when the line is positive, you are relatively rested or recovered, and when the line is negative your are fatigued and not ready to perform your best.  You can see on the chart above where leading into the Toronto Marathon (the bar labeled 'C') I took a couple of days off from runnng, causing the ATL line to drop and the TSB line to go positive.  At the far right side of the graph, the day before the JFK, I am also pretty well recovered with a very positive TSB value.

The final curve shown on the chart is called an"influence' curve (labeled '4'), plotted based on work described in this paper - Influence Curves.pdf.  This curve is not at all affected by how you are actually training, it simply attempts to show when you should be training to best influence you performance on a selected target date.  In the graph shown, the target date is the day of the JFK 50 on the right side of the graph.  Not surprisingly the value is positive in the two months leading up to the target date, telling me it's a good time to be preparing.  You can also see a peak in the curve, indicating the most critical time period for training.  About 11 days ahead of the event the influence curve actually turns negative, indicating major training effort this close to the event will not help your performance at all - during this period you are better off doing low intensity efforts that slow the loss of fitness level you've achieved while allowing recovery.

Now that you have seen the charts, feel welcome to critique my preparation for the JFK 50.  My current thinking is that I'd like to see more regular and definite recovery periods during a training cycle.

Appalachian Trail run

Yesterday morning my neighbor Jenny and I ran a piece of the Appalachian Trail that is included in the first part of the JFK 50 Mile run later this month.  There were some branches down on the trail in a few spots that will probably require a little chainsaw work to get off the path. In a few shaded spots you can still see the remains of the frozen snow/slush from a week ago.

One of a few big branches down on the AT Trail

The trail is really beautiful at this time of year - there are getting to be a lot of leaves down covering the rocks, but at the speed I'm moving it's not a problem ...

I call them rocks - Jenny called them lots of things ...

Running towards Gathland Gap

My office

Thanks to Jenny for taking the pictures!

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Mary and I had good trip to Toronto for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this last weekend.  Toronto is a great city, with lots of neighborhoods to explore, and we did a lot of walking.  We arrived in town in time to catch a presentation by Scott Jurek, who talked about some of his running and sports nutrition.  I've been a fan of his for quite a while, and it was great that Mary got a chance to see and meet him in person.  

Mike and Scott Jurek

Mary is a good cook, and we've made several starts at going vegan.  Of course if you take your current diet and take away the non-vegan components you will probably think you are giving up a lot.  One point Scott made that we both came away with was that instead of thinking of what you are eliminating, you can look at it as an opportunity to incorporate a lot of new foods into your diet that  you haven't previously tried.


The marathon on Sunday was a well organized event.  My mile splits were a little interesting ... I ran a bunch of 9's and then fell into my ultra-shuffle at around 11:00 / mile.  What I think is happening is that I have a pretty good endurance base, but a lot of that is on trails at  ~12 minutes a mile.  I've done some hard hill work, and ran Yasso 800's at 3:55 or 4:00 minutes recently, but I just haven't trained long and 'fast'.  

Mike's Toronto Marathon Mile Splits

Mike near the finish line

Mary and I returned to the finish line in time to see a remarkable event - Fauja Singh, a 100 year-old runner finished the marathon in 8:11 (his 'chip-time').  We had seen some news coverage of his planned effort to become the first 100 year-old to finish a marathon, and I got to see him on the course during the race very early on.  Seeing him come down the street towards the finish line was a memorable event.


NPR story on Fauja Singh Toronto Marathon
                                         

An update, some thoughts, some links

Update:  Last weekend I ran the Punxsutawney 50K (a great trail-run ... I think it harkens back to the true spirit of long distance trail running, resisting the forces turning the best-known ultras into overblown commercialized productions, but I digress ...). This was my 6th finish on that course, and it's interesting to have a long-term benchmark of what the years and aging process can do to you ... Although it was my slowest pace yet for an ultra, it was actually pretty consistent with what I've done there the last few years.  On a more subjective level, the course this year was very very wet and muddy (there were extremely heavy rains on the days leading up to the event) and I honestly have never felt better/stronger covering that course.  So I take it as just another victory - for the guy at the back of the pack.

Some Thoughts:  We had visitors the week before the Punxsy, where I justified missing training by calling it a taper - then the week after Punxsy I definitely lightened the training load for recovery ... I need a good week this week to get back into training for fall racing!

Some Links:  I've been searching the web for Comrades info (the great South African ultra-running event), and as usual allowed myself to get sidetracked with other interesting bits. One was Amby Burfoot's blog, which yielded a couple of interesting ideas on training.  Amby Burfoot's story of his own Comrades run is here:   http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-281--11867-1-1X2X3-3,00.html  

It's a little ominous to be reading of a past Boston Marathon winner working so hard to beat the cut-off at Comrades.  

I found Burfoot's thoughts on different training methods revealed in another blog entry of his, talking about Alberto Salazar's win at Comrades in 1994 (an amazing sequel to his much earlier marathon wins).. "These days Salazar coaches a handful of top U.S. distance runners. He gives them their workouts. But if you want to know the truth, workouts are like peanuts at a baseball game. Everyone's got them, and they're pretty much the same. Salazar's workouts are no more magical than those doled out by Terence Mahon, Greg McMillan, the Hanson brothers, the supposedly high-concept Italians, or the low-concept, high-success coaches in Kenya and Ethiopia."

Bart Yasso (of Yasso 800 fame) had his own Comrades chronicled in a series of videos by RunnersWorld.  Video number #2 in the series is a good overview of Comrades.

Bart Yasso vs. Comrades video

I'm planning to run Comrades in 2012 ...

Falling Down - "That's ultra!"

Falling down - it's going to happen if you spend time on trails.  I like this example of how Dakota Jones handles it, writing in the Oct 2010 "Ultrarunning" magazine about running rim-to-rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon.  He says ...

"I was running down the south rim as the sun was running up the east and I kept looking at the fantastic rays of light spilling over the horizon until one of those awful waterbars that comprise the trail got the best of me and sent me sprawling down the trail.  That's enough to piss anyone off, and I was no different.  Banged up my knee and my hip and scratched the hell out of my palm, but also gave me an excuse to enjoy the view momentarily."

Talk about seeing the bright side of the situation ...

My next example isn't falling down exactly, but it shows the spirit of Andy Jones-Wilkins dealing with some adversity well into the 2009 Leadville 100 miler.  Hard times for sure, but I only hope to handle adversity this well.

Falling down - another thing to work on doing better ...

Running faster

I used to run some road races (mostly 10K runs) every year, but since getting the trail running bug I've almost completely dropped out of the road racing scene.  Two weeks ago though, I laced up my shoes for a nice 8K (5 miler) that I've done several times in the past.  Running conditions were good, I ran hard and ran a well-paced race, and really did the best I could - but my time was slower than I hoped. 

Part of the reason may be running form.  Here is video of Ryan Hall describing his idea of good form

and here is an editor from Runner's World talking about running form.

  

When I'm running fast I do think about Ryan's 'cycling' concept, and the high knees.  But, lots of long slow running seems to bring with it a distinctly different form.  In the name of efficiency, endurance runners often return their feet with a minimum amount of lift, very low to the ground.  Witness trail runners tripping over roots and rocks that are barely there ...

But the big reason is that you get good at doing what you train to do ... and if you train slow, you race slow!  In my recent race, I actually  ran 1 1/2 minutes a mile faster than what I've been running on my long training runs.  Greg McMillan has a calculator that recognizes the relationship of optimum training pace to your current race pace.  http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm When I plug my 8K time into the calculator it shows my "correct" long run time is indeed about 1 and 1/2 minutes per miles slower than my race pace.  My long run training pace was exactly what I needed to run that (slow) race pace.

So where does this leave me?  I started this training cycle with three months of good endurance base building.  I believe I would benefit from continuing in the base phase - I still have quite a few pounds to lose ... but I'm going to shift my focus a bit.  My base phase has had me spending a lot of time on foot each week.  I'm going to try to keep the mileage about the same, but include some faster paced tempo runs.  I'm also picking some training routes that have me running over hills quite a bit, to get ready for the Punxsutawney run.

I've got some long runs coming up on the calendar:
Punxsutawney 50K  - 10 Sep 2011
JFK 50 mile  - 19 Nov 2011

Running Stuff

People say running is an easy activity to do because you don't need much special equipment.  That said, after running for some time you do accumulate a lot of stuff.  This is what I use the most.

Shoes - I run in Brooks Cascadia shoes.  This is a 'trail' shoe, but I do almost all my running in them.  I think they are very flat, having a low heel even for running shoes. I don't track mileage per pair, but when I've worn down a few of the lugs on the sole to almost nothing I get a new pair.

Shorts - Gotta be a little fashion conscious ... shorts have gotten a little longer since I started running (and I've gotten older).  My favorite shorts are Nike - soft! - but I just found the Brooks Cascadia shorts, which have great pockets for other stuff on long runs.  Lots of shorts have a little pocket for a key or ID card, but these have virtually a small 'cargo' pocket.

pocket stuff - I carry a credit card (a lot of my runs are planned around passing by places I can get something to eat), and a $20 bill for emergencies.  On runs toward the city I carry my metro fare card - it gives me an option to cut a long run short if I run out of gas and just want to get back home.  And I need the key to get back into my house.

water - On runs over an hour I bring water.  I alternate between a handheld bottle, the same bottle carried in a waist pack, and a full-on hydration pack.  My hydration pack is from North Face, and I can also remove the bladder and use it as a light running pack - good for carrying a towel and something to read at the pool.  The packs from Nathan 'Human Propulsion Laboratories' look pretty nice though - I like that they have small pockets for a little accessible storage on the front straps.

gadgets - I run with a Suunto T6C running watch, its heartrate chest strap, and sometimes the shoe pod which enables the watch to show distance and speed.  I use software on a PC (Firstbeat Athlete) that reads the data from the watch and gives me some input on how hard I've really been working (or not) and what I need to do to improve.  Looking at this data and trying to make sense of it all has provided a lot of new insights.  Other gadgets include a flashlight - I use a small 4 x 2AA battery powered light, that is cheap, bright, runs a long time for runs after dark.  I don't mind carrying it in my hand.

misc. - Socks - I like Wrightsocks.  A collection of 'technical' running shirts ... can't wear cotton running shirts anymore.  I like a hat with a visor if it's raining.  Sunglasses and sunscreen.  Occasionally a camera, and an iPod Nano (surprisingly the music only appeals to me on a shorter hard training run, not something long and easy).

I don't carry first aid gear - which would be emergency foot care.  In my experience, I haven't had the need for it  but when you need it you need it.

That seems like a lot of stuff, considering the most fun I have is running light!

The Plan

You only need to stick to the plan on the days you want to improve.

Weekly Summary

27 June – 3 July 2011 (52 miles)

Mon:  ran to Cassatt's and home (8 miles)

Tue:  Ran across Chain Bridge, C&O canal to Georgetown for salad, then home.  Saw a small green snake on the C&O canal – I literally jumped in mid-air to miss landing on him … (17 miles)

Wed:  Washington Lee HS track … did Cooper test (warm up & test ~ 2.5 miles)

Thu:  ran to McLean Family for breakfast, and back home (4 miles), later to pool and home (4 miles)

Fri:  Ran to Northside Social for a sandwich, took metro back to West Falls Church (9 miles)

Sat:  run around the neighborhood (9 miles)

Sun:  rest and recovery

Metrics, VO2 testing, weight and performance

Most runners keep a running log, recording their performance of daily runs and racing events.  The essence of the data is time and distance, which represent intensity and duration of training.  Many factors influence performance, including day-to-day changes in health (physical and mental well-being), rest and recovery, the weather (heat/humidity), and running course/terrain.

My current running watch - not just a watch, but "a sports laboratory on your wrist" - is a Suunto T6C.  When I connect my watch to my PC after a run, I see heart rate, respiration rate, altitude changes and rates, pace, and various calculated values including calories expended and EPOC. It even grades the run in terms of the Training Effect on my fitness level.  Looking back at my note that "you can't manage what you don't measure" I am clearly measuring the heck out of my runs.  Is it helping me train better? 

Wednesday night I went to the track and did a Cooper Test.  Essentially you warm up, and then run as far as you can in 12 minutes.  Then take the distance and use Cooper's table to find your VO2 max number (or see a web site like this one .. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/MinuteRun.html ).  Your VO2 max number is something that you could also obtain, along with some other valuable insights into your running physiology, by paying some $$$ to a sports laboratory.  VO2 is interesting because it predicts (correlates with) the best performance you can hope to achieve in your sport.  An individual's VO2 max number is a function of fitness and genetics - fitness is the only factor we can change.

VO2 max is a measure of how much oxygen you can use.  To measure it, a sports lab would want a runner on a treadmill to breath through a mask, and directly measure the air and oxygen inhaled and exhaled.  The difference of course would be oxygen used.  Note that this doesn't have much to do with lung capacity - all of us with healthy lungs can take in more than enough air, and exhale it right back out.  The trick is to get it across the lung-to-blood boundary, and to your muscles to support the work they are doing.  The amount of O2 crossing that boundary is driven by the demand of working muscles, and VO2 max levels will be reached when you are working those muscles as hard as you can.  So this test is going to be stressful!  A final adjustment accounts for differences in body size - a heavily muscled big person will have a larger amount of muscle than a smaller person, so VO2 max is reported on a 'per kilogram of body mass' basis to account for body size.

This is where my light bulb starts to glow ... If you want to improve your VO2 max (and predicted performance) upwards toward your genetic limits, you need to improve muscle fitness and decrease total body mass.  There are limits on how lean you can or should get, but if you're carrying excess fat that isn't helping your VO2 max number one bit.  Making the denominator in the VO2 ml / kg equation smaller may be just as effective as increasing muscle fitness in improving performance. 

Training plans generally follow a path of building a conditioning base, building strength and power, and peaking for an event.  There is no denying the need to train hard enough and specifically for the task you want to excel at.   It's nice when losing some weight is a side effect of that training process.  Losing weight could ultimately play just as large a role as increasing fitness in trying to achieve new performance levels.  The metrics I record in my log each week for weight and calories expended may be just as important as times and distances.

Weekly Summary

20 - 26 June 2011 (16 miles)

Mon:  rest (Denver vacation)

Tue:  rest (Denver vacation)

Wed:  rest (Denver vacation)

Thu:  rest (Denver vacation)

Fri:  run/walk to Northside Social for lunch (13 miles)

Sat:  short run, at/above lactic threshold (3 miles)

Sun:  nada

Weekly Summary

13 - 19 June 2011 (64 miles)

Mon:  run/walk to Northside Social for a morning muffin (13 miles)

Tue:  into McLean for breakfast (4 miles)

Wed: 

Thu:  W&OD Trail, end-to-end (45 miles)

Fri: 

Sat:  rest (Denver trip)

Sun:  hotel treadmill (Denver vacation) (2 mi)

This was an unusual week - I took the day off before doing the W&OD end-to-end, then planned plenty of recovery time afterward ...

W&OD Trail End-to-end

For some reason yesterday seemed like the day to run the W&OD Trail end-to-end.  And if I don't run much next week (I'm traveling with family and long runs will be hard to fit in) I'll have a ready excuse - I'll be recovering.

The W&OD trail runs from Shirlington to Purcellville,  44.8 miles end-to-end.  Here is the map from the "Friends of the W&OD" website.

I ran the east to west direction

Mary dropped me off in Shirlington at the 0 mile mark early (on her way to work), with a little light rain and the chance of thunder showers making me wonder if this was a good idea.  The cool rain the first hour or so was actually very nice - it warmed up later in the morning, and I got some rain later in the afternoon, but all in all a beautiful day out there.

I ran with a hydration pack, and stopped at two "aid stations" on the trail.

 The Whole Foods market is literally right beside the trail in Vienna - I got a multigrain bagel and a muffin, and two Odwalla smoothie drinks

This 7-11 was also right along the trail, around Herndon I think.  I got 2 liters of cold bottled water here to refill my hydration pack.  I also drank from several water fountains along the trail.





I saw some great countryside along the trail, and a little bit of wildlife. 

 Cool bug

I passed this guy

Not pictured:  some deer, groundhogs, and rabbits.

The last 10 miles were getting to be a bit of a grind to the finish.  Mary had parked at the trail's end and come down the trail about a mile to  walk me in  - that was nice.  Here is the marker at the Purcellville end of the trail.

I am so done ...

It was a Grand Day Out.  My feet had some hot spots, but this morning it doesn't look like there will be any blisters.  I'm sore this morning, but nothing to worry about!

Now the C&O Canal end-to-end is hanging over my head like a monster ...

Weekly Summary

6 - 12 June 2011 (51 miles, 9:31)

Mon:  ran into McLean for breakfast (5 miles), later ran to pool and back (4 miles)

Tue:  ran to Cassatt’s for breakfast and home again (8 miles)

Wed:  Wash & Lee HS “track night”.  Ran 5 x 1 mile with full recovery in between (5 miles)

Thu:  ran to pool (2 miles) and return (4 miles)

Fri:  run/walk to Northside Social for a morning muffin (13 miles)

Sat:  ran to breakfast and home (6 miles)

Sun:  to Starbucks and home (3 miles)

More Thoughts on Training

There is a classic book on running, titled “Lore of Running” by Tim Noakes, MD.  It is a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge on running physiology, training and racing.  One section of the book contains short summaries of how the most accomplished and successful runners have trained over history.  There may not be one single best way to train, but Noakes identifies what has worked for these great runners.

I particularly like the description of Mark Allen’s approach to training.  Allen might be best known for having won the Hawaiian Ironman six times.  His three-phase training program began with several months of patient, low heart rate training, never exceeding a heart rate determined by Phil Maffetone’s formula.  By nailing his heart rate to that number, he could see his running time over distance improving by 3 or 4 seconds per kilometer per week.  As long as his performance continued to improve, he would stay in this first phase of training.

There is a saying in engineering management that “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”.  A heart rate monitor and a running watch are important management tools.  If you don’t measure your heart rate and time yourself over distance, you won’t get the feedback (and the encouragement) that comes with seeing that small but regular improvement.

Allen thought the months of relatively easy training in the first phase was the key to his competitive longevity, and thinks that more people don’t train that way because they are too ego driven and too competitive.  For me, the real shocker advice from Mark Allen is that he believes that as he aged, he would spend less time building strength and peak speed for events in phases following this patient aerobic training phase.  For athletes over 50, he suggests they may best spend little or no time at all in other phases.  

Another reason for staying with a long 'patient' phase is that I'm starting with some excess weight. Finding some hills to run repeats on, or doing speed work on the track would add some variety to my workouts, but also beat my body up and add some injury risk.  Just waiting for the time spent in this base phase to do its work removing some pounds will hopefully do just as much for improving my pace as would adding high intensity training at this point in my program.  For now, I plan to stay patient ...

Weekly Summary

30 May - 5 June 2011 (55 miles, 12:26)

Mon:  sailing out of Annapolis (0 miles)

Tue:  to Chain Bridge, down Potomac Heritage Trail into Georgetown (Booeymonger's), up C&O Canal to Chain Bridge and home (18 miles)

Wed:  (0 miles)

Thu:  ran to Northside Social for lunch, ran home (13 miles)

Fri:  to Chain Bridge, down Potomac Heritage Trail into Georgetown (Simple Green), up C&O Canal to Chain Bridge and home (18 miles)

Sat:  McLean loop (6 miles)

Sun:  rest

Potomac Heritage Trail

There is a piece of the Potomac Heritage Trail system that runs between Chain Bridge and the Key Bridge.  This trail parallels the better know path along the C&O canal on the Maryland side of the Potomac.  From where I live it's a neat way to get into Georgetown on foot.

The Virginia end of Chain Bridge

Getting on to the Potomac Heritage Trail can be a little dicey at this point.  I wait for an opening in traffic (it's a tough crossing), dash across the road, and jump the guardrail right by that post with the traffic lights.  There is a small web of dirt trails in the bushes there that will take you down toward the water's edge.  [UPDATE:  I found you don't need to cross over the road here at all ... there is a path on the upstream side of the bridge that takes you down the bank and safely under the bridge]  One of the first things you see is the remains of the old Chain Bridge, right below the current bridge.

'Old' Chain Bridge ruins below the current span

As you start down along the trail toward the city, you have to cross several rocky areas where water runs into the Potomac.  I've had different amounts of luck picking my way across with dry feet ... usually I get my shoes wet somewhere.  The trail at first isn't really obvious - you just stay along the river bank, choosing your way through all the rocks.  My Brooks Cascadias were made for this.

Rocky trail at the Chain Bridge end of this run

My sister in Hawaii has hikes that take you to waterfalls - we have them right here in the city too.  This is one of about three that I saw yesterday.

One of DC's waterfalls

At about the halfway point the trail starts to offer more and more runnable bits of trail, and by the time you get to Key Bridge it's a pretty clear trail.  This picture is the 'end' of the trail at the Roosevelt Island parking lot.  From here there is a footbridge over the Washington Parkway that gets you to where you can cross the Key Bridge into Georgetown.

End of the trail near Key Bridge

It seems like a lot of my outings are about going someplace to eat - I've been running to breakfast,  lunch and dinner.  The Georgetown turn-around is a good place to get some food - I like the salads at Sweet Green, right on M Street.

Good spot for lunch on the run

After all those rocks on the Potomac Heritage Trail, it's a much quicker return to Chain Bridge along the C&O canal, though of course it is about the same 4 mile distance each way.  This is a great time of year to do this loop - cool breezes, and no bugs. 

My Training Philosophy

The basic elements that describe any training program are the intensity and duration of activity, and recovery time. You stress your body by doing some activity for a period of time, and then during recovery your body adapts to the stress.  When most people start a new workout schedule to get in shape they put most of their focus on the element of ‘intensity’.

The advantage of higher intensity training is that it can maximize the improvement in fitness in the time available.  If you have a limited amount of time to train, it might make sense to try to find the optimal level of training intensity to maximize the benefit for the effort you are expending.  Unfortunately, there is a corresponding level of increased risk of overtraining fatigue and injury if you don't correctly identify your personal limits.

What I am doing this summer is exploring the other end of the intensity and duration spectrum – I am stretching the duration quite a bit beyond what I have done before (or had the time to do) and at the same time lowering the intensity. 

This approach fits me for the following reasons:

• I have the time to do it (currently 10-12 hours a week)
• I can cover some good urban distances on foot.  Nobody wants to ‘sacrifice’ all that time grinding out meaningless miles.  I am making covering ground on foot part of my lifestyle this summer, getting me to interesting destinations (even if I sometimes use the metro to help me get home …)
• My personal goals include covering some long distances on foot, and spending ‘time on foot’ is a big part of endurance events.

Weekly Summary

23-29 May 2011 (54 miles, 10:53)

Mon:  local run (McLean loop) (6 miles)

Tue:  ran to Cassatt's and home (8 miles)

Wed:  Across Chain Bridge, down C&O canal to Georgetown for lunch, across Key Bridge and home.  Left calve muscle is sore. (16 miles)

Thu:  Powhatan loop (6 miles)

Fri:  Ran to Northside Social for a sandwich, took metro back to West Falls Church (9 miles)

Sat:  McLean loop (6 miles)

Sun:  (0 miles)

16-22 May 2011 (35 miles, 6:50)

Mon:  Custis Trail to Georgetown, lunch, then back up C&O canal to Chain Bridge (18 miles)

Tue:  ran to Starbucks and home (3 miles)

Wed:  ran to Cassatt's and home (8 miles)

Thu:  in NY (0 miles)

Fri:  in NY (0 miles)

Sat:  in NY - ran up North Road a ways, and back (5 miles)

Sun:  in NY (0 miles)

9-15 May 2011 (56 miles, 12:06)

Mon:  ran to Roosevelt Island, up Potomac Heritage Trail to Chain Bridge, then home (16 miles)

Tue:  dropped car at Chesterbrook, returned home, piked up car, returned car ... (3 x 1.2 miles)

Wed:  ran to Booeymongers in Georgetown for breakfast, up C&O canal to Chain Bridge, and home (16 miles)

Thu:  McLean loop (CCW) (6 miles)

Fri:  ran to Cassatt's with Jen (9 miles)

Sat:  ran to St Paul's and home again (5 miles)

Sun:  

2-8 May 2011 (59 miles, 12:30)

Mon:  drove car to repair shop in Vienna, ran home, ran back in evening to pick it up (2 x 8 miles)

Tue:  ran to breakfast and home (8 miles)

Wed:  local run (McLean loop) (6 miles)

Thu:  loop through Georgetown (19 miles)

Fri:  ran to pool and swam a few laps (2 x 2 miles)

Sat:  local loop (McLean loop) (6 miles)

Sun: