Training Update: December Ultra

I just thought I'd post an update on my condition and thoughts concerning my 50-mile 2011 Endurance Challenge Series Championship event in San Francisco, California .

Running has been going well.  The switch back to the Nike Frees after using the Vibrams has been a positive one.  As it turned out, my body could just not adapt quick enough to being virtually barefoot over long distances as Vibram Five Fingers causes you to be.  So, I'm not a die-hard Vibram Five Fingers Only ideologue!  As far as running goes, my principle is go as natural as practical and don't cheat.  I'm abiding by this.  I'm also enjoying my running as usual.  After taking two months off, I had to be careful with my run-length increases.  We're getting down to the wire now though, so I've got to go long.  I ran 22+ miles today.  Next week it will be a 26+ miler.  All four long run days in November will be 33-35 mile runs (God-willing!)  Please pray that I stay healthy.

Cycling days have also been enjoyable.  The long rides are a good way for me to have back-to-back long days without all the injury potential and impact which would result from two long-run days back-to-back.  It will be getting cold soon though, and I hate cold weather while riding.  I plan to increase my Wednesday ride to 80+ miles next week and through all the Wednesdays in November.

I'm not the best at any of this stuff really, but I really am convinced I'm cut out for long-distance events.  I'm patient, and I can easily put myself into a psychological state that accepts and even enjoys long-term effort.  I believe one of the keys to this is making the feeling/sensation of running and cycling normative in one's mind.  For instance, instead of the default feeling/sensation being sitting or lying down, what one considers their default sensory state should be the activity they hope to be able to do for long periods of time.  In this case it would be running.  I can truly say that when I settle into a nice long run in which the respiration is mostly aerobic (as opposed to anaerobic) sitting in an easy chair would NOT be more pleasurable.  There may be discomfort, but it's enjoyable.  It's not pain in a negative sense, and the effort feels like the most natural and desirable thing possible.

Going long is also a good time to listen to mp3 lectures and audiobooks on the IPod.  I do this all the time.

I'm looking forward to upping the long ride and run distances this next month and performing well on Dec 3rd.  I hope for a good performance, and I look forward to ultra training and competition being something I can continue engage in for decades to come.  Ultra distance athletes also often remain competitive through their 40's and until age 50 or so - unlike sprint athletes.

That's it for now, folks!