I think that I am over-training. I hinted at this in my first post, but I am bit more convinced now. The bad thing is that I don't feel like I am over-training. I'm enjoying my runs (except for having to pull up my tights every two minutes on Monday, but that is another story). I ran almost ~188 miles in Jan, almost (but not quite) double my normal mileage. Yes, my legs are tired, but that's a price to pay when running that much, right? Well, to a point.
So why do I think I'm over-training? Little things. I've noticed my back is starting to hurt again after not bothering me for a few weeks, and my lower calf, which hasn't cramped since I retired, is giving me fits at all hours. Finally, there's my heart rate.
I've joined a indoor cycling studio to add to my cardio without the pounding of running. They project a profile and the goal is to get your HR to match the profile. Spinning with a purpose. My hope was to use these high intensity rides to avoid doing speed workouts on the track. Last year, I was doing pretty good on keeping in the zones. However, so far this year, I have been unable to get my HR to the higher zones. At least yesterday, I teetered on the 80% line. Two weeks earlier I couldn't even get there. Forget going to the 90% anaerobic. That wasn't going to happen.
So afterwards, I asked the owner what could be causing this. He showed me two identical rides that he did on two consecutive days. The difference in his ability to get to the zones on the second. It's the body's way of telling you to rest. And big surprise, trying to push hard after running for 4 hours the day prior was just not going to happen. (I completely forgot at the time that I had also run on Sunday with Mark for almost 3 hours). Yep, I was tired.
Time to rethink my training strategy. I was trying to use Training Stress Load to set a fitness goal for each of my A races, but given where I am right now, I may have been too aggressive. Today I changed my workout to a hike with the camera rather than the run that was originally planned. I'm also re-arranging some of my workouts for next week, adding shorter runs in rather than the long ones and making sure that I have a rest day prior to a cycle day. I'll have a coach as I start training for the Bear in May, so maybe that will help me avoid this.
From Jason Koop's book Training Essentials for Ultrarunning, he recommends a min-max approach to those with limited times. For a 100 mile or 100k, he recommends a minimum maximum of 9 hours per week for 6 weeks, starting 9 weeks before your goal race. As I look back on my other races, I didn't have time to train like I do now, yet I successfully completed them. I doubt I did 9 hours of running (I never cross-trained). I would do one long run on the weekend and shorter, but harder runs on the weekdays. If I was running during work, I'd do just over 4 miles, but the pace was at the 8-8.5 min/mile pace. I'd try to get my 6 mile trail run prior to work as far under an hour as I could, pressing harder each run.
I am now doing more trails running and they are longer. When I do the 6 mile loop, it's with Mark so we have a chance to run together, so it's not as hard (but still we try to get as close to an hour as we can). This week alone, I have two runs over 4 hours scheduled. I have however, started to add a hill workout into the mix to get some climbing. However, I haven't run on the pavement for over 2 weeks.
It has been said that it is better to go into the race slightly under-trained than over-trained. I need to take this advice to heart and slow down and focus.
On the good news side, I did take some nice photos today.
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