Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Taper

Well, after months of training, the taper for the Bighorn 100 is here.

My last big effort (unless you count this morning's 400s) was Sunday. I ran a little over 24 miles on one of my favorite routes--Waterton Canyon and Section 1 of the Colorado Trail. A lot of people hate Waterton Canyon--a seemingly never-ending dirt road outside of Denver--but I like it because the 6.7-mile return trip can be mentally daunting. We often train our bodies but forget about the mental aspects of preparing for a big ultra. That's why I like to test myself in places like Waterton Canyon; the return trip can put me in the mental pain cave and I like that. On Sunday, I had another strong finish, which has become the hallmark of my new training approach. Lately, I almost never finish a long run feeling depleted; I finish a long run feeling like I could do it again if I had to.

Overall, with more than handful of 80+ mile weeks in the bag and lots of quality, I feel like I'm ready for Bighorn. These last five weeks of training have been super solid. I've also gotten out there for some groups runs with guys like Mike W., Scott S., Mark T., AJ, Chuck, Matt, Jon, John and others, which have made a difference. The group element has been huge for me.

As far as the nuts and bolts of training, going hard on hard days and easy on easy days has allowed me to execute when I need to and get the rest my body requires between quality sessions in order to promote recovery. I cannot emphasize enough how important it's been to me to go easy on easy days. We often stress ourselves to the breaking point because we tell ourselves, the more we run, the better. But, in actuality, we get better on the days that we rest. That has been my mantra for the last five weeks.

The taper has always vexed me. But not this time around. I feel like I'm entering my taper feeling good overall, not depleted. Over the next two and a half weeks, the key will be to keep mixing in some quality while also reducing overall quantity of mileage and time on the feet.

If there is one vulnerability I have, it's that I may not have done enough sustained climbs. I've done some good climbing overall, but with a very wet spring it has been hard to get to the mountains for big climbs and descents. That said, I've gotten to the trails and have logged quite a few climbs of 1,500-2,000 feet. And, honestly, I'm feeling good on the climbs. Not sure what's given me this little bounce--hill repeats, intervals, tempos or all of the above--but something seems to be working for me. I would be remiss in not also saying that Tailwind, Honey Stinger Waffles and Justin's nut butters been great on long training runs. It's critical for me that I stay within my hourly calorie and carb zones, give or take.

So, while I'm feeling strong, I also know that my goal for Bighorn is a respectable finish. I actually don't really care about my time; I just want to have fun and enjoy a 100-miler. If my body is working for me (and not against me as has been the case at Leadville), then it may just be a good day.

7 comments:

  1. Only one thing left for you to do now my friend. :) Best of luck to ya!

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    1. Thanks, Mike. You've been a great training partner and friend. A few more weeks and then the fun ensues!

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  2. quick question, as I'm also tapering for Bighorn, and I don't really have the tapering thing figured out.....will you run one more longish (30-33k) this weekend, which would be two weeks out from the race?

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    1. Hi Guy: No more long runs for me. This Saturday I'll probably go 16-17 miles and on Sunday even less. Long runs done. At this stage, there is very little one can do to help except rest and sharpen.

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  3. Thanks for the tips, have a great race and see you in Dayton.

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  4. Glad we could get out and enjoy some trails together, Wyatt. I think your new approach will server you well long term no matter how Big Horn goes. I don't have your experience, but I have enough to know that each on has a story and lots can (and will) happen. I am definitely hoping to see you have fun out there.

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    1. Thanks, AJ. I've enjoyed the group runs, especially the one on the Indian Creek loop. The beauty of that loop really stuck with me. I also appreciate your support through a tough spring (no need to go into the details; you know what I'm talking about). You're going to kill it at States! As for me, while I still believe deeply in Maffetone's principles, I have come to see the brilliance of Joe Friel. In a period of real crisis for me (as a runner) after Cheyenne, I turned to a lot of experts' work and it was Friel's approaches that I believe propelled me to a much better place physically and mentally. I am a believer. What's happened in the last five weeks is truly remarkable in my own eyes and relative to my own abilities. Suddenly, I'm improving and have gotten out of the constant stagnation I've been in for the past 2-3 years. Whether or not it all pays off at Bighorn is yet to be determined, but I do know it's made me a happier, better runner and person.

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