Go Hard

One of my favourite things about training hard is when you hit those moments where you reach a clear next level in fitness. Improvement in running is never linear. There can be an ebb and flow, mixed with a sometimes unpredictable performance in the day to day runs. This is why I like to take a medium to long term view for most of my training. Running rewards consistency over an extended period of time . Over the last couple of months I've tried to push out the envelope. This has resulted in a few ups and downs during that time. However, it has now brought my fitness to a new level. I'm not at my best ever race fitness, but I am potentially on my way there. What is this new fitness level? My body can now comfortably handle 100km training weeks. I haven't been at this level in a long time, and I haven't ever really sustained that level for long periods. So if getting a solid 100km training week is relatively comfortable, then it sets the base for some substantial i...

Three months left of dedicated training for the 100km. I'm happy with my preparation so far. However, it is really just preparation for the real training. I've been training to train. What happens next? It gets a lot more event specific. 100km is a long way so the biggest element of focus for February is volume. Both for the long run and for the overall week. Typically the true endurance adaptions take the longest, so this is what gets hit first. Supporting this will be a lot of strength work. Building a hard to kill body in order to handle the bigger training runs and eventually the race itself. This strength training will be a mixture of hill sprints, other hill drills, and weights work. The volume and strength combination should see a marked drop in the spring and freshness I like feeling in my legs. There will be a need to remind myself this is necessary to bring out my best later on. As a dressing over the main meal I will want to practice pushing hard. The best way t...