Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Month of March is done

Training for Boston this year I knew, as with last year, that March is the crucial month. Last year I was primed and ready for it, this year not so much. Coming off the Disney Goofy Challenge (5:17:21), I knew I had to have a good, but short recovery heading toward Boston.

First long run in March was relatively short @ 24km, but 15km of that was a what I had hoped my MP of 4:30/km would be. Well that run HURT and the following weeks 33km was cut short to 30.5 as I hobbled home with a really sore piriformis. I did a lot of soul searching and realized there is no way I'd be in "race" shape for Boston this year, and opted to cut back the speed, get to the start line healthy.

Subsequent long runs for March have been 34.5,36, & 38.3. With each one I have felt stronger and fitter. The slower training was working, no speed in the legs, but for that I'll wait till race day.

So I have finished March with a great early morning run with Kimber, finishing off at 434km, just 16km shy of my highest month ever (last March). I do have some aches and pains to get under control in the next 20 days, but I feel confident for a good run/race in Boston this year.

I am looking forward to getting back to the trails after Boston, and switching to more time vs distance based training, still there is only one Boston.

Bring on April

Sunday, March 29, 2009

What is the Rock and Ice?

So what is the Rock and Ice Ultra ? To begin with it calls itself the other desert race, the 1st being The Marathon Des Sables a 6 day race across the Sahara Desert.

The Rock and Ice takes place not in the sand but in the snow, not it the heat of the desert, but the bitter cold of Yellowknife Canada. In the desert the temperatures are +40 Celsius, in Yellowknife -40 Celsius. Yellowknife, Canada has the honor of ranking first in Coldest Winter, Coldest Spring, Coldest Year-Round, Most Cold Days, Most Deep Snow Cover Days, Extreme Wind Chill, Most High Wind Chill Days, and Driest Winter Air. It is the perfect place for a race.

There are three race events; the one day 45km Cold Foot Classic, the 3 day 135km k-Rock Ultra, and finally the 6 day 225km Diamond ultra. In each of the race there are 4 divisions Male and Female and for each of those a Ski and a Foot/Snowshoe division.

For the Diamond Ultra you are required to pull all your supplies on a sled or pulk, for the Cold Foot and K-Rock you need to run or ski with a backpack to carry all your daily needs and emergency supplies and your nightly gear is transported to the caps for you.

I have decided to race the 3 day K-Rock as a happy medium between the 3 distances. I do not feel it will be an easy race to complete, actually quite the opposite, but I also feel it is something I am capable of completing and am looking forward to the challenges ahead in the next 51 weeks.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Beginning

The beginning of the "official" training starts after the Boston Marathon 2009.

Leading up to this I have been spending my time, aside from running, researching equipment, and planning a training strategy. Looking at this year results, in the Men's Foot and Snowshoe, 5 of the 8 competitors dropped out. This enforces the prepared boyscout in me and I know I have a lot to learn in the next 51 weeks, including this blogging thing.

I will be starting, as per Kimber's suggestion, putting together a master list that I will publish and then start whittling down as decisions are made.
Hope it is a fun journey

ETA - Here is the Gear List Link - a work in process document, but when finished something I hope I can share with current and future competitors. Comments on the list ALWAYS welcome