Return to Pre-Surgery Training Levels

 

It's been a while, so I'm just checking in for a brief update (my first after turning 60 years old...YIKES!). The right knee continues to be stable and recovers from stressful workouts in a predictable way. After running 52.5 miles in less than 8 hours in December, I have decided to see if I can stretch that to 100k (62 miles) and am planning to race in April. 

I'm training in 2 week "hard" blocks with one-week cutbacks to rest between blocks. During the "on" weeks, I do a long run and two medium-long runs with embedded speed work. This is similar to my typical training workload in 2018 and earlier when I ran my fastest ultramarathons. During my VO2max phase (already completed) I did one of the speed workouts (typically 3-min repeats) on flattish ground or the treadmill. The second quality workout included similar duration repeats, but was run up a hill or a high-incline on the treadmill. (I like having two different training stimuli targeting the same cardiovascular effect.) I'm in the middle of my tempo/threshold phase now and I'm running longer repeats (8 to 12 min) and splitting my work the same way: flat workouts and hill workouts.

My speed (see above graphic where I reached 4:30/mile pace during a warmup strider) and power (from the hill work) have really improved during this build. I'm running in the 6:40s at threshold effort (also shown above). A few more weeks of tempo and then on to the steady state phase where the intervals will get longer while the pace slows a bit.

My long runs have been mostly between 9:00 and 9:30 per mile. My longest so far is 30 miles. I'll do a few longer runs, but will probably keep them under 35 miles. I think that is sufficient for 100k training.

I'm working on upping my fueling game and I'm taking in more carbs per hour than I have previously. I'll probably try to sustain intake during the race of 75 to 90 grams of carbs per hour.

Overall, I'm really excited about where I am right now in my training. I'm fitter than I was last December. If I can hold the same pace I held back then for just an additional 9.5 miles, I will break 10 hours in the 100k. That is a very rare feat for a 60-year-old. Anything can happen on race day, but the fitness is there. Those grafts in my right knee could fail at any time, but right now I'm savoring the successful workouts and enjoying the fitness. I'm blessed to have made it back to this level.