I’m a little more than two months out from Badwater 2018. Here’s a little update on my training:
I felt very strong and fit for Salton Sea which was 80 miles, two weeks ago. I recovered almost immediately. I ran a very hard 12 just a few days later. This past week, I ran with my weighted vest, which I consider one of my secret weapons. When fully loaded, it weighs 40 pounds. It adds to the difficulty of my workouts tremendously. Then, when I run without the vest, I feel like I’m flying through the air.
I’ve been sleeping fairly well. My energy level remains very high. I’ve been doing lots of strength workouts in preparation for two months of very high intensity and high volume training. My back and abs/core as well as my hips feel solid. I haven’t had any aches and pains or signs of impending injury.
My morning resting heart rate has been in the low 40’s consistently. Yesterday it was 41. I use this as a measure of my fitness but moreso as a measure of my recovery status. Thus, I avoid overtraining and undersleeping. If you have read some of my other blog posts, you know how much I emphasize sleep quality and quantity.
Next weekend, I’m doing my eighth Los Angeles to San Diego training run. It should be around 125 miles. On June 6, I plan on running 30 or 35 miles with my good friend Coach Tom Atwell on the La Jolla High School Track as part of his 100 mile Cancer Benefit Run. Then on June 9, I plan on doing my annual birthday workout: get up very early and do 53 chin-ups, 53 push-ups, 53 crunches and then go run 53 miles. That’s how this 53-year-old ultramarathon runner celebrates his birthday!
Between now and then, I’ll continue making all my other runs as fast as possible to get the most benefit out of every mile. I continue to train Jiu Jitsu when I can. I “roll” hard as well to sneak in additional cardio! (Never miss a chance to gain fitness.)
As I work towards my goals, I hope you’re making progress on attaining your health, wellness and fitness goals. Go for it. Do not settle.
