Wasatch 100 training has officially begun. While I have been running consistently over the winter, from here on out is when I actually must stick to a training program. Here is the website I found that has a weekly schedule to follow. The schedule is called: ultramarathon training program for first timers, aka "if you are clueless moron, follow this". That's me.
http://www.erunningguide.com/running/100-mile-ultramarathon-training-program-first-timers
It entails quite a regiment. Climbing will no doubt have to take a backseat on Saturdays. Here is my strategy for those of you who care.
-The great thing about the Wasatch, or maybe the worst thing, is that you don't(or can't) have to run fast. A 15 min/mile pace will put you at the Homestead in 25 hours, a great time. Kenyan 6 min/mile marathoners might gasp at such slow times, but the Wasatch is 4 marathons, so it requires a slower pace. I have no doubt I won't be able to hold a 15 min/mile pace the whole time, but its something to shoot for on all my training runs.
-25,000 ft of elevation gain in 100 miles=250ft/mile. This means that if I'm out running 16 miles, I'd had better log at least 4000' in order to best simulate the terrain. It does no good to run 26 miles but only log 1.5' of vert(all you pansy roadies). I will try my best to hit this goal on every run if I can. Some days may be more vert/mile but that is fine as long as I'm out for the recommended hours. I have a few masochistic summit linkups I'm hoping to conquer this summer so not every Saturday will be spent just logging miles on runnable terrain.
-I hope to tag at least one summit per week. It can be a small summit, like Mt. Wire, or a big one like Timp, but at least one per week that entails steep hiking and downhill pounding.
My first week went well. I logged 15 miles during the week, with around 4000' vert including a soggy summit of Wire(new PR somehow, 35:30. I'm coming sherpita), and my long run of 16.5 miles today was similarly 4500' in 3:08, solid 11 min/miles. (a hot out and back on the now mountain bike colony friendly Bonneville Shoreline above the U. Also, there are also now two zoos at the base of Emigration, Hogle Zoo, and the parking lot) I did regrettably drink liter(s) of unpurified Red Butte Stream water to prevent collapsing from dehydration. No dogs were upstream during my hydration.
Total: 31 miles, 8500'.
(My oz of dr pepper drunk to miles ran ratio this week was an astonishing 2:1. Watch out Steve)
Will be in Logan next weekend for conference, so I'm likely going to be enjoying some rendition of the Wind Cave/Green Canyon linkup prior to being told not to watch pornography by my church leaders.
