Training Ramblings

Over the summer I had a great ram up of running fitness, cumulating with pacing 45 miles at the Wasatch Front 100-miles Endurance Run in early September. I felt solid during the run, and at altitude, no less. Stoked on my summer fitness and after spending a weekend at a classic 100 mile race I have my eyes set on 2025, and maybe my first 100.

In an effort to use this fitness and fulfill some 100 mile race prerequisites, I’m running the Stone Cat 50-Miler on November 2nd. Here’s my reflection of what my training has been like since the Wasatch Front.

Sept 9-15:

Four days after Wasatch I was in California. I got tons of steps and a few lifting sessions in, but no running. I had hoped to get one or two in while out there.

Sept 16-22:

The following week my body was feeling two weeks of travel and I listened and took it easy, despite already wanting to be ramping up for Stone Cat. I got two runs in of 2-3 miles and plenty of time mobilizing, swinging kettlebells and doing pull ups. I also did Alex’s challenge of the month workout, and it left me sore for days! I hadn’t done a workout with such high intensity in a while and a paid the price.

Sept 23-29:

The next week the pull ups continued, this time mixed in with power cleans and power snatches. It felt good to move fast and athletically and move some weight. Hanging out with Kelly Starrett and getting a couple lifts in with my college roommate had me craving the gym and moving some weight around - despite my running motivation from a couple weeks earlier. I often find these two training desires at odds with one another, not because they can’t be done together, but because I can’t hold the level of fitness with each that I want at the same time. I settle for excelling in one while the other fades, and eventually it swings the other way.

Regardless, I got four solid runs in this week and managed it while Hannah was away on a work trip.

Sept 30-Oct 6:

More of the same this week. There was a lot going on and I crammed it in when I could, getting about 20 miles/3.5 hours of running and 4 good lifting sessions in.

Oct 7-13:

Feeling solid and motivated for running and get 5 runs in 7 days. Felt strong on all of them, and I’m starting to think despite feeling good after Wasatch, my body needed a while to get back to baseline.

Thanks for reading. Writing this out helps me organize my training and figure out what’s working, what isn’t and how to keep preparing for this upcoming race.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

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