6600 feet, babay! Of course I live here, so I'm acclimated. But you may be properly in awe, Mr. Sea Level.
But actually, the course was net downhill, and relatively flat. So for proper mountain punishment I'm thinking about the Silverton Alpine Marathon (http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/news/SilvertonAlpineMarathon_2004.html) next year or the year after.
Less of that Mr. Sea Level stuff. I'll have you know that I grew up a whole 300 feet above sea level, and my current above is at least 50 feet above the Great Undrinkable! Nonetheless, awe is properly installed and running. Congratulations!
I still remember the mountain biking at Hott.bob in '95 (starting around 8100 feet, IIR your altimeter readings C). After about 5 minutes, my lungs were complaining that they don't operate in vacuum. Then the pedal cadence got slower and slower and slower until I found a sustainable rate. Strangely, it wasn't quite slow enough to make the bike fall over. That said, the downhill part of the ride was more painful, thanks to the torn ligaments in my left hand.
As for the Silverton Alpine Marathon, do you get a pressure suit? I'm told that explosive decompression can be messy. ;)
It looks like you weren't completely beaten to death by it, too. Do you think doing such long training runs (the twenty, twenty-three, and twenty-six mile runs) helped you finish the second half faster than the first?
Did you use an off-the-shelf training program? Or did you roll your own?
I more or less follow Galloway (http://www.jeffgalloway.com). I don't take his training schedule as gospel, but I did my long runs of the length he specified on the weekends he specified (with a few exceptions for backpacking trips) from pretty much 16 miles on. I didn't really follow his daily schedule, but I kept to low mileage (not as low as he suggests) and ran only every other day (sometimes every three days), and rather than formal cross-training I just walked my errands on the off days (typically a mile to the grocery, and then back with a full pack). Other things I took from Galloway's program are the run/walk alternation and the idea of training quite a bit slower than I could run.
I definitely think that running over 20 miles a few times helped a lot. I don't know that a 26 mile training run is needed, but having those really long runs helped both physically and psychologically.
I found it really interesting to look at the results (http://www.csbservices.com/races/results/2004/04Durango.htm), with half and 20 mile splits. Several people powered through the first 20 miles and then collapsed, and I wonder whether they had just trained to 20 miles (which is the "conventional wisdom" longest long run). (Like, for example, the woman who finished behind me was nearly 15 minutes ahead at the half, and still 10 minutes ahead at 20 miles - and I came in 5 minutes ahead of her.) Even more had fast first halves and slower second halves. But I imagine that's just due to going out faster than they should, early on.
Another thing that helped me, I think, is that I ran by myself. Lots of people were running with partners, and sometimes I think that's not a good idea because the slower person will work too hard to keep up with the faster person at first, then have problems and have to slow even more, and the faster person will have to slow down to stay with her friend. But I was free to do what I wanted, pace-wise.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 06:57 pm (UTC)Enquiring minds are already wincing
Date: 2004-10-12 07:17 pm (UTC)Re: Enquiring minds are already wincing
Date: 2004-10-12 07:27 pm (UTC)But actually, the course was net downhill, and relatively flat. So for proper mountain punishment I'm thinking about the Silverton Alpine Marathon (http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/news/SilvertonAlpineMarathon_2004.html) next year or the year after.
And then I come to my senses.
Re: Enquiring minds are already wincing
Date: 2004-10-12 08:28 pm (UTC)I still remember the mountain biking at Hott.bob in '95 (starting around 8100 feet, IIR your altimeter readings C). After about 5 minutes, my lungs were complaining that they don't operate in vacuum. Then the pedal cadence got slower and slower and slower until I found a sustainable rate. Strangely, it wasn't quite slow enough to make the bike fall over. That said, the downhill part of the ride was more painful, thanks to the torn ligaments in my left hand.
As for the Silverton Alpine Marathon, do you get a pressure suit? I'm told that explosive decompression can be messy. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 07:42 pm (UTC)It looks like you weren't completely beaten to death by it, too. Do you think doing such long training runs (the twenty, twenty-three, and twenty-six mile runs) helped you finish the second half faster than the first?
Did you use an off-the-shelf training program? Or did you roll your own?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 09:55 pm (UTC)I definitely think that running over 20 miles a few times helped a lot. I don't know that a 26 mile training run is needed, but having those really long runs helped both physically and psychologically.
I found it really interesting to look at the results (http://www.csbservices.com/races/results/2004/04Durango.htm), with half and 20 mile splits. Several people powered through the first 20 miles and then collapsed, and I wonder whether they had just trained to 20 miles (which is the "conventional wisdom" longest long run). (Like, for example, the woman who finished behind me was nearly 15 minutes ahead at the half, and still 10 minutes ahead at 20 miles - and I came in 5 minutes ahead of her.) Even more had fast first halves and slower second halves. But I imagine that's just due to going out faster than they should, early on.
Another thing that helped me, I think, is that I ran by myself. Lots of people were running with partners, and sometimes I think that's not a good idea because the slower person will work too hard to keep up with the faster person at first, then have problems and have to slow even more, and the faster person will have to slow down to stay with her friend. But I was free to do what I wanted, pace-wise.