Week One of the build-up to the Meet Your Maker 50 is in the books.
Simple but successful, I managed three quality runs, two days of weight training and an easy spin on the bike. Other than lifting, the intensity level wasn’t high and the overall pounding on the body was limited, making for a quality transition week into training.
Of the 27 running miles this week, the final 16 came Saturday at Shawnee Mission Park. It was a perfect morning to be on the trails with temperatures around 70 and the humidity around 73 percent – not too hot, not too uncomfortable. I ended up running an extra mile because my pace was quicker than expected. My plan called for 15 miles or three hours on my feet, and I got 16 done in 2:59:34. I had a green smoothie for breakfast – which I do most days, but hadn’t tried before a run previously – and I think that played a factor in the faster pace and the body feeling stronger. I’ll have to try that again.
Next week will get tougher thanks to a mid-week race/event – Koach Karl’s Hardest Half – a Fourth of July event that’ll cover approximately 16 miles and every steep, long hill in KC that Koach Karl can find. That’ll be Thursday, so I’ll be winging the rest of the schedule a bit this week. I’d like to bump the weekly mileage up to around 35 depending on how everything feels. The key is slow, steady progress with a focus on staying healthy and getting stronger.
Week One is done, and seven more weeks of hard training remain, closing out with pacing at the Leadville 100 before I get to taper for MYM50.
Chris Wristen 