#50shadesofTreadmill Ultra Plan

By -
A while back, I wrote a training plan for a basic 100 mile week,  a few thousand of you have read it, and I've received some requests for an 'updated/what the heck am I running this winter' plan.  So here it is.  I'll break it down into what I am doing, and throw in a slightly less insane version.  My plan last year helped me shave almost 5 hours off of my goal 108K trail run, and hit the podium.  I'll link to it here.

So after a busy year of trail races, and my body being amply depleted, I took 3 days off of running while I moved to Sparwood, BC (yup, a whole three days, I'm a hedonist).  My October plan is about getting back to basics.  My runs will be a little more intense, no walking, and lots more slow running.  It's kind of like track work.
One last point in this.  I love my treadmill.  Like really love my treadmill.  (check out the hashtag #50shadesoftreadmill, its all me! hahaha).  I digress. I do enjoy the control of my runs though. I once heard that treadmills were used to keep inmates in from becoming idle.  Which leads to a whole new line of questions.  Which prison, and how do I get in??

 Ok...

Buckle up.

Here we go.

Promise.


I'll do this in a  one week format, but I basically do the same thing for 4 weeks (then I change it up).

I'm calling this the Boardwalk Empire week, as that is what I am binge watching on the treadmill currently.  I am convinced that if I only watch Netflix/Hulu/CraveTV/YouTube/Vimeo/MyOldNeighbourSunbathingInHisGinch while on the treadmill, I'll be Killian Jornet by the end of the winter.

Week 1
Monday- 10 mile run (Ladder between 7-8.2mph).
Tuesday- 11mile run (Ladder between 7-8mph, heavy on the 7)
Wednesday- 10 mile run (Ladder between 6.2-7.2mph)
Thursday- 10 mile run (Ladder between 6.8-7.6mph)
Friday- 20 mile run (Ladder between 6.2mph and 8.0mph)
Saturday- 7 mile run (Pace 7.0)
Sunday- Outdoor adventure in the mountains between 11-26miles.

*add elevation to flavour the runs to taste

This plan seems to get me between 85-90 miles in a week.  I repeat this plan four times, then pat myself on the back and eat a hero cookie #NoOneCaresWorkHarder.

Less Insane Week 1
Monday- 6 mile run (Ladder between 6-7.2mph)
Tuesday- 6.5mile run (Ladder between 6-7mph, heavy on the 6!  You may not be used to back to back runs, and may feel the need to put a gypsy curse on me, so take this easier)
Wednesday-6 mile run (Ladder between 5.2-6.2mph)
Thursday- 5 mile run (Ladder between 5-6mph).
Friday- 10 mile run (Ladder between 5-7mph)
Saturday- 3 mile run (take it easy, but no rest for the wicked!)
Sunday- Do something epic over 8 miles.  Climb a mountain, or if you live in the Prairies, run up and down that one bump again and again.

You may have never run 50 miles in a week before, and you may need to walk a lot.  All I can say, is that I've been there.  I've felt like my legs were made out of a combination of lead and pain.  It's all part of the process (plus, being that bragalicious runner at the office is so much easier when you can't get out of a chair without groaning in pain, eliciting the 'what happened to you?' from your envious coworkers, to which you can reply... I RAN 50 MILES THIS WEEK!).

Also, why in miles?

For the same reason they used to measure gas in 'Rods to a Hogs Head'.....no reason.

Also, what in the name of the good lord in a 'Ladder'??

A ladder is a segment in a treadmill run where you increase or decrease speed every minute or two.  Basically, its a way for you to not go insane on the mill.

That's all I've got to say about that (Forrest Gump Voice).

Crush Your Goals,

The Ever Sexy Canadian Ghost Runner

Find me on;
twitter @CanGhostRunner
Instagram canadianghostrunner
Strava Canadian Ghost Runner

Or be a cool cat and subscribe to my ramblings (blog).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shuswap Ultra

By -
Image
Shuswap ulta  My earliest memory is running on a trail with my dad (I had to be 3 or 4), and after running about 20 miles he took aside and gave me this piece of sage wisdom I will never forget.  He said;  'There are three things you should never trust in this world, a politician's promise, all lawyers, and a Race Director's course description.' This piece of sage wisdom has stuck with me for the last three and some decades, and on September 24th, 2022, it proved true once again. Here we go............. My buddy Tom and I like to get together every year and do an ultra.  It's a tradition at this point that has become a curse.  Every ultra we've done together shuts down operations after we've done it (RIP Mighty Quail Trail, and Diez Vista 100).  So we decided this year to try and break the curse with the Shuswap ultra 60km.  If you like this race, I apologize.  The odds are not in it's favour (we are batting 100% in ending races).   After race at the ca
Read more

Iron Horse Ultra: A Battle against our future Bovine Overlords

By -
Image
Iron Horse Trail   If you’re like me, your entire 2020 trail race season was thrown out the window about 6 months ago (welcome to day 192 of two weeks to bend the curve), so when I saw that Iron Horse was still happening this year, I was in.  I’d attempted it three years ago, at the end of a busy season, and dropped with shin splints sometime after km 100.  So older and wiser, I headed back up to St. Paul, Alberta to give this one another go (after swearing NEVER AGAIN!). St. Paul you will learn is a ranching community, there are more cows then people (there are a boatload of cows).  This is not to dismiss the town.  It is situated on a lovely lake, and also boasts a UFO landing pad.  Since cannabis legalization in Canada, this seems normal.  The general terrain looks flat, with lots of rural roads, and fence lines.  Iron Horse is advertised as a ‘flat, fast’ course.  It can be..... or you can get lost on a trail or road, and add some difficulty (if you didn’t get lost on Iron Horse
Read more

Redstreak Mountain Scramble

By -
Image
Tom at the Truck we spent the night in at the Redstreak Campground The Gear Bags After some time away from writing, and running due to injury, I decided my comeback should be something epic.  In 2016, I took my wife on a misadventure, that turned into what I would later learn is the saddle of Redstreak mountain.  We were not prepared for a long day, and it was very hot out, and did not have enough water or food for a 10+ hour day of hiking.  It was the first time I've been turned back on a mountain in a long time.  It stuck with me. Queue two years later.  The failure of 2016 has hung around me like a fog.  I've climbed countless mountains, and ran countless trail ultramarathons.  I have not been back to avenge my failure....until now. The following is a trail guide for Redstreak Mountain, and may not be suitable for all viewers.  Viewer discretion is advised.  It was a balmy Tuesday night, when my buddy Tom and I decided to head out to Radium to climb Red
Read more