Maintenance Mode

What is Maintenance Mode?

Its what you put your body through to maintain fitness and ward off injuries that may be plaguing you off and on.  For instance this past week has consisted of:

• Monday - 55 minute spinning class, 20 minutes weights
• Tuesday - 7 miles easy
• Wednesday - rest
• Thursday - 50 minutes elliptical
• Friday - rest
• Saturday - rest
• Sunday AM - 8 miles on trails
• Sunday PM - 15 minutes stationary bike, 30 minutes weights, 45 minutes arc-trainer (its like the elliptical, but better mimics the running motion)

This was not an accident.  Just as I was getting back to training after a weird strain in my lower back, my lower right leg started feeling funny again (though there was nothing funny about having to worry about another stress fracture or strain).  After a week in maintenance mode it seems to have cleared up, but I move  forward even more cautiously.  It's easy to whine, but looking at my last month of training logs I probably have been pushing the long runs too far and too early.  I need to only be running a few days a week and maxing out my long runs in the 10-12 mile variety for the next month.  Plus, that should leave room for track workouts and some medium distance tempo runs.

I've also decided that it will be wise for me to switch from the Rock-n-roll USA Marathon in DC to the Half-Marathon option.  Really no point in doing this marathon other than as a training run (and to put another needless marathon on my runner resume), and it will just make me want to push myself too early.  My main focus now should be getting to the start line at Boston in April reasonably fit, healthy, and ready to enjoy 26.2 miles of America's oldest continuously run marathon.

8 Miles on road would probably not have been a good idea at this unpredictable stage, but 80 minutes of trail running in my (new) super cushy Hoka Stinson Trail shoes causes little concern in the pounding department.

While I am bummed that I doubt I'll get any faster this spring or set any big PR's, I know its a good time to have a season to kind of take things easy, and if I can stay healthy and get a few key long runs in I should be in good shape to at least enjoy running a couple marathons and ultras.  This should set me up for a great summer of training.  I think I would like to make the JFK 50 Miler next fall a focus race, though its so far off its hard to think about right now.

PR Running

In other news, my current go-to running store and source of Tuesday/Thursday fun runs - Potomac River Running - is moving from their current location in Ballston just across town to their new location.   This should be a nice chance, slightly closer to my apartment, closer to the Arlington running trails, and just more "wow" factor to attract more fun runners.  Okay, we all know that warm weather and day-light savings time attracts the most runners, but a snazzy new store location and beer stocked fridge can't hurt either!

Great Trail Run

After a few days of rest and cross training I have been feeling on the up and up this weekend so decided to test the waters with a trail run in my new Hoka Stinson Evo trail shoes.  I drove to the trail head which felt silly considering its only about a mile away, the purpose being to minimize pounding on my legs from pavement and instead stick with the soft, cushy trails.

Crazy looking Hokas! So Soft! 

Everything seemed right for a great winter run...and it was! Things felt great the whole time.  Entered through Donaldson Run Park in Arlington, too the Potomac Heritage Trail south-west towards D.C., did a loop around Roosevelt Island and retraced my steps.  Probably about 8 miles in distance taking 1 hour 35 minutes according to my stopwatch.  Felt so good!

Enter here.

What a site! A Trail Runners playground!

Bits of Ultra News

The Holiday Lake 50k++ ("++" since its notoriously longer than 50k) was run last weekend; put on my semi-famous Ultra Runner David Horton.  I had wanted to run it originally but wisely did not register.  Sounds like there was some stacked competition, including a new course record!  Hope to do it next year.

UltraRunning online has named their awards for the 2012 year, naming Mike Morton to the prestigious title of Ultra Runner of the year.  Lots of other cool award categories to read about too, like the best performance of the year going to Tim Olson for his win and course record shattering performance at Western States 100.

Lucky to Live in Virginia

The more I get into Ultra and Trail running the more fortunate I feel to live in Virginia.  It might not have all the sexy postcard races like Colorado, Utah, or California, but there are a load of Ultra Marathons run here all year, most within a 5 hour drive.  This seriously beats flying out west for races, or if you already live out there its typically a 10-12 hour drive to get just about anywhere since there is so much open space.

Some have heard of the "Grand Slam" of Ultra Running - I will attempt to make a "Grand Slam of Virginia Ultra Running" list.  None of which I have completed yet, but all of which I hope to complete in my lifetime.

• Grindstone 100 Miler
• Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Miler
• Old Dominion 100 Miler
• Tie: Iron Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run -or- Hellgate 100k (which one truly belongs??)

If you need some pointers in terms of Ultra and Trail running in Virginia, check out the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (which I am a member of).  Includes a great calendar with many races of interest, most local and some not.