My relay team calls me the Dark Voodoo Princess. I earned the name the first relay we completed together because one of my runners was injured and I picked up the rest of her miles. I ended with 31 miles, and my first ultra. My straight forward, no whining attitude also contributed greatly to the name. I’m not very princess like. I’m more anti-princess. In fact, I believe that at least one of my team members is terrified of complaining at all because I would roll my eyes and tell him to “nut up.”
I headed to the gym for the first time since the 100 this morning for a short general strength training session. It felt good to be back. I have been fighting the urge to get out and do something, anything for days. I can tell it is time to get back to it when my leg starts bouncing while I’m at rest, too much pent up energy. And when I start waking up without the alarm at my normal run time.
Today I’ve spent some time constructing my training program for my next 100, which is approximately six months away, Pony Express 100. I’ll attach it to the end. I really want to build more strength overall and in my running muscles. Lean muscle not bulk, of course. Strength training increases your running efficiency by about 4%, reduces injury risk, and increases your speed. Research also shows that strengthening your hips virtually eliminates the onset of IT band syndrome and Runner’s Knee.
Most marathon training programs include speed work, easy days, and a long run each week. Some will throw in hills or alternate speed with hills each week. Ultra running is a little different. There are runners who don’t do any speed work at all because your focus is distance rather than being especially fast. Ultra runners also have to balance out the injury risk of doing the back to back long runs and adding speed on top of that. If you are a more injury prone runner, I recommend cutting out the speed or doing it every other week.
Where to put each type of workout, is determined by how long it takes to recover/benefit from a particular type of workout and your specific goals. Each type of workout focuses on strengthening a different physiological system that contributes to your running ability.
Speed workouts like explosive hills, 200 m repeats with full recovery, and the like train your nervous system, the communication between your brain and your body. The average runner benefits from these workouts within two days. VO2max training (anaerobic capacity) such as hill runs and mile repeats, take about ten to fourteen days to benefit the average runner. Tempo runs or marathon pace runs train your body to convert lactate back into energy. They don’t take quiet as long as VO2max, but are still at the seven to ten day mark. Long runs build your aerobic capacity and the benefits from them take the longest to develop, four to six weeks for the average runner.
These numbers can give you a good idea about how to taper for a race. If you know you won’t see the benefits before race day, why tax yourself with a VO2 max run a week before your race and risk being sore or tired.
My training plan includes four running days, but I actually run five because I have running group on Wednesday afternoons. We typically only run three or four miles, so I don’t count it. I don’t really have a rest day, but Mondays and Fridays are my easiest days which is why they bookend my long runs. I also make a couple of big jumps in my miles, which is not something you should do if you are a beginning runner or tackling a distance for the first time. You want to build 10% each week. My miles drop significantly every fourth week to allow for a rest/recovery week. My strength training/hips/ab workouts are posted on other pages of my blog, so check them out if you’d like.
|
Week |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Total |
|
1 May 5 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
3 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
3 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
4 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
10 miles |
|
2 May 12 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
4 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
4 Miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
13 mils |
|
3 May 19 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
6 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
6 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
8 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
4 miles Roll /stretch |
24 miles |
|
4 May 26 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
6 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
6 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
8 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
4 miles Roll /stretch |
24 miles |
|
5 June 2 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
7 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
7 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
5 miles Roll /stretch |
29 miles |
|
6 June 9 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
7 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
7 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
12 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
7 miles Roll /stretch |
33 miles |
|
7 June 16 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
8 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
8 Miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch
|
15 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
8 miles Roll /stretch |
39 miles |
|
8 June 23 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
Rest & abs Roll /stretch |
Wasatch Back 10 miles |
Wasatch Back 9 miles |
Rest & abs Roll /stretch |
24 miles |
|
9 June 30 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
17 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
10 miles Roll /stretch |
45 miles |
|
10 July 7 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
20 mils & abs Roll /stretch |
12 miles Roll /stretch |
50 miles |
|
11 July 14 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
20 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
15 miles Roll /stretch |
53 miles |
|
12 July 21 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
8 miles Roll /stretch |
28 miles |
|
13 July 28 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
22 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
17 miles Roll /stretch |
57 miles |
|
14 August 4 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
Epic Relay |
Epic Relay 25 miles |
Rest (20 miles) & abs Roll /stretch |
63 miles |
|
15 Aug 11 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
9 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
9 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
25 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
20 miles Roll /stretch |
63 miles |
|
16 Aug 18 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
5 Miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
8 miles Roll /stretch |
28 miles |
|
17 Aug 25 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
10 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
27 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
20 miles Roll /stretch |
67 miles |
|
18 Sept 1 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
10 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
30 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
20 miles Roll /stretch |
70 miles |
|
19 Sept 8 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
10 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
Red Rock Relay |
Red Rock Relay 30 miles |
20 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
70 miles |
|
20 Sept 15 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
5 Miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
10 miles Roll /stretch |
30 miles |
|
21 Sept 22 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
10 miles w fartleks & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles w hills & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
30 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
25 miles Roll /stretch |
75 miles |
|
22 Sept 29 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
6 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
6 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
10 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
10 miles Roll /stretch |
32 miles |
|
23 Oct 6 |
General strength & Hips Roll/stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
General Strength & hips Roll /stretch |
5 miles & abs Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
10 miles Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
20 miles |
|
Oct 13 |
3 miles Roll/stretch |
2 miles Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
Rest Roll /stretch |
Pony Express 100 |
Pony Express 100 |
Rest Roll /stretch |
105 Miles |
ultrarunningmom 