When it all comes together.

Kids, it's important to look at the things that don't go well and look to improve in the future.

 

In running, you learn a lot from the runs and races that don’t go well.

 

Dehydrated? Drink more.

 

Ran out of energy? Look at your nutrition strategy.

 

Didn’t perform well? Look at your training plan.

 

But when you do those things, and it all comes together, you can accomplish great things.

 

I’ve taken a whole new approach to training for my next ultramarathon (Sept 2013). Rather than smashing out long runs over and over, I’ve focused on quality runs. I’ve spent my time in the gym building a stronger core strength and knee and leg stamina as well as flexibility. My plan is to reduce the risk of injury and improve the efficiency of my running. If I can run 100k in the time limit I’ll be thrilled.

 

In time I’ll learn if this strategy has worked and I’ll go over this approach and fine tune it, but for now I’ve had one of those training weeks when it’s all come together. And I wanted to write that down before I forgot the lessons I’ve learnt.

 

I spent one day this week in the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, where I underwent a full athletic assessment along with Jay (@borntoplodblog). His review of the experience is more thorough (and funny) than mine, but essentially I was given a lot of information about myself as an athlete to better understand and look to improve my performance.

AC/DC as a soundtrack helped on the treadmill

 

The most useful data for me was supplied on the treadmill where a computer analysed my breathing to identify my aerobic threshold. You can calculate the number yourself using various formula's (eg. Karvonen formula) but seeing as the scientists were happy to hook me up to the world’s most technical treadmill I figured I’d use their data. I was supplied with a book giving me all of the captured data from the day.

 

I was really happy with the results. When participating in endurance events, the key is to use fat as your primary fuel source. When the body uses fat to fuel itself, it is an aerobic cycle and produces no waste, so no lactic acid build up. Also the body stores loads of fat, which can supply enough energy to work for days, not just hours.

 

Everyone is different but on average the body uses fat as a primary fuel source between 50-70 % of your maximum heart rate. For me that would equal, 95-130 and thanks to the giant treadmill and supercomputer my fat MAX rate was calculated at 131 BPM. I also learnt about hydration levels and that mine was very high (bordering on too high) and about better fuelling before training.

 

I took the book home to study. I knew I was doing a long run the next day, I was hoping for 30+ miles. I was hoping to finish in 6 hours.

 

I applied all of the new information I’d got.

 

I knew I didn’t need to hydrate too much, no point in carrying extra weight if it weren’t needed so I stopped drinking an hour before I ran.

 

I used my heart rate monitor to stay in my ideal endurance zone.

 

And after 10, 9 and then 8 miles I stopped, got a new bottle of drink and stretched off before running again.

The beer was for after!!!

 

The run was fantastic, I learnt a lot from it to apply to other long runs. I tired towards the end and had to slow right down to keep my heart rate from creeping up. Whether this was exhaustion or cardiac drift (the heart beats faster as you become hydrated to ensure the fluids in the body are still getting around) I don’t know. But I cracked out 31 miles in 5h03mins and 55 seconds.

In that time I ate 1.5 sandwiches and had four bottles of Gatorade or Powerade, at 120-150 calories per bottle, where I burned off 4,326kcals on the run. I never got hungry or felt exhausted, it was just muscle tiredness.

 

My pace averaged at 9’48” min/mile and I ran over 2000 ft. of ascent.

 

 

I used a lot of information and experience to make the run happen and I learnt even more from it. What I’m trying to do now is use all of this to make a race strategy for my upcoming ultra. In four weeks I run the Stour Valley Path 100km race.

 

My first 100k.

 

I’m not relying on luck to get around. When I come up with a plan, the aim is to get it all to come together.