Leadville 100 Training Begins

"I'm running Leadville next year"... all of a sudden became... "I'm running Leadville in August!"
Happy New Year!

Whether I am ready or not...the Leadville Trail 100 Run will start at 4 am on Saturday, August 18th.  Runners will have 30 hours to get out to the Winfield checkpoint and back.  My goal is to do everything I can to be ready.  I want this so bad I can feel it in my bones.  It is the biggest challenge of my life and I am not on this planet to take the easy route.  Let's find out exactly what I am made of.  Am I tough enough?  Do I have the mental fortitude to handle being out there around mile 70... in the dark... in the middle of the Rockies... with 30 miles to go??  Makes me a little bit dizzy just thinking about it.  Ok... but... really how is this going to happen?  Running.  Lots and lots of running.

I can talk all day about running, training and racing.  But a 100 miler?  I am totally unqualified.   So I will pick the brains of some very qualified and accomplished ultra-runners, coaches, mentors and training partners.   I am attending the Leadville 3-day run camp in June which will give me a chance to see the trail,  run some of the biggest climbs and gather valuable insight and training tips.
My training is currently broken down into smaller, easier-to-comprehend bites.  My overall plan is built around cycles of increasing weekly mileage and progressively longer back-to-back long run weekends (B2B).   For the first three months of 2012 I am building towards the Swampstomper 50k in January, Sylamore Trail 50K in February and my first 50 miler in March at the Mississippi Trail 50.  Keying on these races helps me maintain a short-term focus and work on a gradual build towards Leadville without getting too freaked out/ keyed up too early.  One mile at a time.  One race at a time.

I have a handful of 25 milers under my belt now and a steady diet of 15 - 18 milers.  New Year's weekend was my longest B2B weekend so far.  I ran 27.5 miles on Sunday followed by 16 miles on Monday.  I absorbed it really well.  My new Hoka One One shoes have been remarkable (watch for a product review soon!).  The 27 miler was all about pace management, hydration, nutrition and focus. (one mile at time, pick up your feet!) Great training partners help too!  My recovery involved proper refueling, an ice bath, foam roller and compression socks.  The 16 miler started a bit sluggish, as expected, but I felt really good in the last hour.
So that is how this journey begins.  Running lots of miles, paying attention to the details of nutrition and recovery and relying on the knowledge of those who have been there before.  Next up is the Swampstomper 50K on January 15th.  In the big scheme, it is just another training run,  No pressure to run fast.  The goal will be to run steady and dial in nutrition and hydration.   Just keep running... one mile at a time.
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Run Smart. Train Hard. Race Fast. 

Listen to Coach Kevin each week as he co-hosts Pace Per Mile Radio. Listen online at www.PacePerMile.com and subscribe for free at iTunes!  He also writes the "MEMPHIS FIT" blog for the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce.