MdS training and time

A few people have asked me how I fit my MdS training into my life.  First and foremost, I have an understanding husband.  Secondly, my work is flexible and part time.  Most importantly, I get up really early!

Thinking I might go to MdS this year, I had to set better goals for my running.  I am pitifully slow.  As long as I'm outside, I don't even mind going slowly.  This is a problem when you're as slow as I am and compulsive as I am because one could stretch out a run so that it takes the entire day.  For a run to take all day, it is unacceptable!

Here's how I fit it in:

• I get up at 5:15 am and try to be at the gym, on the road or on the treadmill at home no later than 6:30 am.
• I am trying to get faster by slowly and steadily increasing the minimum speed I will allow myself and steadily increasing the maximum speed I will attempt to maintain over the course of a run.
• Sometimes I run from one job to the next or to an appointment or whatever.  Run the dog and/or go to the mailbox.  You get the picture.
• The plyometrics, XFit and pullups are misleading on the calendar.  On any given day, the total time these activities take is 15 to 30 minutes.
• If I've got skate or bike or swim listed, it's in lieu of running, not in addition to running.
• I set time limits for my longer workouts.  If a run takes me longer than the limit, I still stop running.
• Monday and Friday are rest days.  I do my mile at 6:00 am.
• I pick out my clothes in advance.  Go to the gym dressed.  If I'm coming home afterward, I come home wearing my gym clothes and shower at home.  You'd be surprised at how long it takes to change in and out of clothes.  Sometimes this one bites me in the butt.  It's been below zero many mornings and I forget to bring pants, I run in a skirt or shorts.  The 15 minute drive to the gym is cold and the 15 minute drive home is cold!
• I try to plan out each workout all at once the week before so I know exactly what I'm going to have to do.  No guess work.  

So, yes, I spend a lot of time exercising but much of it occurs before anyone wakes up in my house.  Lucky for me, my husband gets up at 8:00 am on Saturday and Sunday so I can get a good 1.5 hours in before he is even awake!

MdS training

Several people have asked what I'm doing for Marathon des Sables training. Here ya go...

November 2010 REST 
After Antelope Island 100K and State Your Intentions the following weekend, I took the rest of November off.  It was a good chance to think about the past year and the upcoming year.  My mind needed to rest as much as my body did.  2010 was tough, the year began with a stress fracture of the neck of my right femur.  In June, I developed a sinus infection that I ignored.  By August, it did not disappear and developed into bronchitis.  On the positive side, the stress fracture started me on a quest to streak again.  I've done a mile a day (walked, ran and/or crawled) since February 13, 2010!

December 2010 PATHETIC RETURN 
I came up with a training plan based on Bryon Powell's MdS running plan.  Bryon's site, iRunFar.com is awesome for ultrarunners and aspiring ultrarunners!  I HAVE TO plan out my runs, exercise and movement or I will find other things to do that don't involve exercise.  I started out slow, mostly walking.  I finally realized that I ran very little last year.  I got into a bad habit from the stress fracture and sickness.  I didn't push myself.  Slowly, slowly, I started pushing myself to run a little bit and a little faster.  Seriously, slowly.  I was running .5 of a mile at 4.5 miles an hour and then walking the rest.  I started doing yoga every Tuesday and The Practice on Sunday a month at Yoga Tejas.  Yoga has been just what I needed mentally and physically.  We are lucky to have such a great yoga studio in Teton Valley, Idaho!

January 2011TRYING HARDER
In January, I finally added some body weight exercises and pull-ups, lots and lots of pull-ups.  I really want to take part in the Teton High School's Cross Fit program but the timing and drive just won't work into my schedule.  Coach Schumacher gave me a fantastic handout with sample workouts.  I'm using that once or twice a week.  I'm increasing speed and duration with my running.  Some of you will laugh at this but I have worked up to running 5.1 to 5.5 mph for about an hour before I have to walk!  Last Sunday I started in on pack training.  I did too much too fast.  My right hip really paid for it.  After some nights with cocktails to dull the pain and fear (of breaking that hip again), I realized I ought to try upping my hydrocortisone.  All better with more HC!  Definitely muscular pain.

February 2011 PEAK TRAINING
This month and next will be full of pack training, speeding up and a few long runs.  I'm also starting plyometrics.  Heat training will start next month, right before I leave for Morocco.  Heat training will be the hardest part of all of the training.  I will have to drive to Jackson, Wyoming six days a week for three weeks to use a sauna.

My training plan


 If you want to see what I've actually done, usually much less than I have planned, CLICK HERE.  I don't tend to do the biking on Wednesday although I should.

I am an idiot