Training for a trail running race. Part 1 of 2.
The last race i entered was in 2002. The distance was 13.1 miles, a half marathon on trails with less than 1000ft of total elevation gain.I trained for the race by running only and followed a simple plan out of a running book i checked out at the library. I ended up finishing the race in 1:43:25, just under 8 min mile pace. Five weeks ago i signed up for a 25 kilometer (16+ miles) trail race because i wanted a challenge but also to stay accountable with myself on a training program.
My training duration will be 9 weeks long leading up to the race on July 25th at Bridger Bowl Ski Resort in Bozeman MT.
I am currently on week 5 of training and feeling good. My weeks look something like this;
Monday & Wednesday- Running Fitness Progression Gym session- 1 hour Sport Specific Training
Tuesday – Fast paced short run. I started the first two weeks at 3 miles and now am running a 5 mile segment.
Thursday– REST
Friday-Moderate pace medium length run equal to about half the distance the long run on Saturday will be.
Saturday– Moderate to slow pace long run. This will max out at 13.5 to 14 miles for a few long run days.
Sunday– REST
To clarify, REST days for me still include activity such as mountain biking or rock climbing.
So far the training has been easy to complete though some days get mixed up do to other work or life responsibilities. The first week was an eye opener for me as i was very sore in my quads and calfs especially. More soreness came from the work placed on my quads and hamstrings during the first two gym sessions. Once the muscle soreness subsided i watched as my trail times improved dramatically over the following weeks.
Not knowing the course profile for the race is hard. Most likely it will have some good climbs in it much more than my previous race i’m sure. This race will probably see me running a 9:30 to 11:00 per mile pace. With that in mind i’m focusing on much more elevation gain in the remaining four weeks of training. I’m hoping it pays off.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog where i will do a recap of the race and my overall impression of this training program.
Cheers,
Brian Mulvihill
CPT- Wright Training
