Training log March 2009 -- my first 100 mile running week

There were so many highlights to this month's running that I don't know where to begin. First, I completed my first ultra of the year on March 7th (my previous post includes some pictures and race recap). I suffered some pretty nasty toe injuries during this race that only got worse in the following days when I kept pounding away the miles despite the pain. Finally, after a brief three days of recovery with no running, I set out to accomplish something I had not previously attempted in my running career - 100 miles in one week. Why, you might ask, would anyone ever attempt to average 14.3 miles of running every day for 7 consecutive days? Well, for one, why not? I couldn't think of any good reason not to when I started (but I did manage to come up with a few as the week progressed). Second, I am heavily considering trying to run a 100 mile race sometime this year - possibly the Old Dominion 100 miler (http://www.olddominionrun.org/) on June 6th. So I figured if I am ever going to be able to cover 100 miles in the 28 hour time limit set for the OD100, then I at least better be able to run 100 miles in one week.

My first 100 mile week
Friday (3/20) - 17 miles total, out Glover-Archibold trail to Tenleytown and back to Georgetown along Wisconsin Ave, 15 min rest at house, then out to Dupont Circle, past White House, along Pennsylvania Ave around Capitol, back along Mall, Independence Ave, and Rock Creek Pkwy

Saturday (3/21) - 13 miles total, parked at Great Falls Visitors Center in VA, ran east out Ridge Trail, along Difficult Run and then Cross County Trail, and then looped back

Sunday (3/22) - 17 miles total, over Key Bridge and along Mt Vernon Trail to Alexandria, and then back crossing over 14th Street Bridge and coming home along Ohio Drive and Rock Creek Pkwy

Monday (3/23) - 14 miles total, met up with the Gtown Tri Team at the Front Gates, went over Key Bridge, along Mt Vernon Trail to Reagan National Airport, and then back crossing over 14th Street Bridge and coming home along Ohio Drive and Rock Creek Pkwy, then 2 miles of hill intervals on a treadmill and 2 miles on the track later that night at Yates

Tuesday (3/24) - 15 miles total, over Key Bridge, Mt Vernon Trail to 14th Street Bridge, loop around Hains Point/Potomac Park, up to Mall and around Capitol, back to Georgetown along Pennsylvania Ave

Wednesday (3/25) - 12 miles total, Glover-Archibold trail to Tenleytown, got lost running around up there, and finally came back along Wisconsin Ave, then 5 miles on the track at Yates later that night getting paced by a pretty fast undergrad

Thursday (3/26) - 12 miles total in the rain, to Dupont Cirlce, past White House, out Pennsylvania Ave, around Capitol, back along Mall, Independence Ave, Rock Creek Pkwy, up Wisconsin Ave, got ice cream at T Sweet's (with 2 miles to go), ran to track on 38th Street and completed miles 99 and 100 with ice cream in hand (and mouth).

Well, how did I feel at the end of 100 miles? Happy. Hungry. Tired. In that order. But while I was at times not feeling extremely motivated to keep going during the week, I never experienced any aches or pains or felt on the verge of injury. I thought this to be a good sign if I am to try a 100 miler later this year. Nor was I especially sore or feeling slowed down by the end of the week. I took a day off, and then went out the next day on Saturday and did an awesome 20 miler in the rain and mud along the Potomac Heritage Trail out of the Great Falls Visitors Center in VA.

Oh, and I got some new trail shoes this month too after those damn Salomon want-to-be-running-shoes-but-more-closely-resemble-ski-boots mangled my beautiful toes. I am now running in the Asics GT-2140 Trail shoes. Unfortunately, they are not GoreTex/waterproof like my old Salomon's but are only water resistant (i.e. step in a puddle or stream and your socks and feet are soaked). But I do really like them so far and anticipate they will be far more comfortable on my longer runs than the Salomon's ever were.

March training totals
Total mileage - 231 miles
Average miles per day - 7.5 miles

Seneca Creek 50+k trail race - March 7, 2009

50+k trail race, ~33 miles, finished in 6 hrs 32 min 05 sec, 56th place out of 108 male 50k finishers, first place finished in 4:17:12

I reached the 19 mile aid station in exactly 3 hrs and was feeling pretty good at that point - a little tired in the legs as this was the longest run of the season to date by this point in the race. Somewhere in the mid-20 miles into the race, I started experiencing some pretty bad pain in my right shoe. I wasn't sure if it was blisters, my toenails falling off, or what. When I finally checked at an aid station with about 3 miles to go, I realized that I should have cut my toenails before the race and that my pinky toenail was terribly tender from impacting my shoe every step I was taking. I pretty much hobbled into the finish it hurt so bad by the end of the run.
crossing a stream during the race






my toes a week after the race, my poor pinky toe is no longer sitting horizontal on my swollen toe but is at a horrible vertical angle causing significant pain with every step