Project 9.5 Training Principles

• true hard / easy training
  • I have experimented with a number of different set ups over my 25 years of training and have come to believe the adage, hard / easy is the best way to improve over the long term. In order for this to be successful the easy workouts need to be very easy, at a pace that creates very little stress on the body and on terrain that reduces impact forces. Currently I use my treadmill on the soft setting at an elevation of 4%,( my treadmill has a feature where by you can adjust the softness, and on the softest setting it feels like you are running though a soft bog)
  • On the hard days, as a distance runner I focus on goal marathon pace workouts with my 10min intervals slightly faster than my goal marathon pace, my 15min intervals at goal marathon pace and my 20min intervals slightly slower than my goal marathon pace.
• double workouts
  • As a distance athlete I also come to believe double workouts can be of great value, but again done at a very easy pace, placing very little stress on the body.For myself these workouts can range from 30mins to 90mins and vary depending on the quality of sleep, some mornings I opt for more sleep if it has been a restless sleep.
• sport specific intensity
  • I think it is important to focus on training at the pace you wish to race, as a distance athlete I believe you are better to train longer intervals at close to goal race pace rather than doing short intervals at 5 & 10km race pace. I have tried both systems and for myself the longer intervals seem to be providing the biggest gains.
• over distance training
  • As a distance athlete and a ultra runner the long workout has always been something of a mystery to me. There are many theories and I think they all have value but the following are examples of what I think will provide the best stimulus for improvement;
1. long speed workout followed by a long workout the next day
2. long workout followed by a speed workout after a short rest
3. 20km and 30km test runs at goal marathon race pace
4. long hike followed by a long speed session the next day
• whole food diet
  • There are as many ideas on nutrition as there on training. The trick is finding what works best for you. Currently I am finding the idea of a whole food diet seems to be providing the best balance for myself. I have tried many different approaches to my diet over the years and currently my approach is very simple and based on whole foods. Breakfast focuses on a smoothie, fruit, whole grain bread and pure juice, mid morning takes the form of a smoothie, fruit, juice, lunch looks like whole grain, cheese, veges, water mid day whole food bar and dinner focuses on salad with sprouts, avocado, tomato and other with hemp seed oil and then rice or potato and chicken, fish or meat depending on mood.

Training for the week of January 21st to 27th

• Monday ~ AM 180min ski followed by a 120min run
• Tuesday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 4 x 10min @ Pace 3
• Wednesday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 60min @ Pace 1
• Thursday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 3 x 15min @ Pace 3
• Friday ~ AM 60min @ Pace 1
• Saturday ~ AM 2 x 20min @ Pace 2
• Sunday ~ AM Drove van though snow drift on route to Becky Scott Loppet and lost alternator belt and lost power, so spent a better part of the day being towed to Canadian Tire, being repaired and driving back and forth. Ended up completing a 90min run on the treadmill.

Training for the week of January 14th to 20th

• Monday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 120min @ Pace 1
• Tuesday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 4 x 10min @ Pace 3
• Wednesday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 60min @ Pace 1
• Thursday ~ AM 30min Pace 1 & PM 3 x 15min @ Pace 3
• Friday ~ AM 30min @ Pace 1
• Saturday ~ AM 2 x 20min @ Pace 2
• Sunday ~ AM 30km skating race in Goldbar in 1:37:27

Overall a good week of training. I have been doing my morning runs on the treadmill at 15% at a very easy pace and have been noticing good improvement in leg strength. The skating race was very strong today, with myself and Fast Trax teammate Will swapping the lead back and forth over the entire distance. In the four lap race, I lead the first and third lap and Will lead the second and forth lap, the forth lap being the finish line, maybe I should have lead the second lap:-)

This week I look to increase my morning workouts to 45mins as it is slowly getting easier to get out of bed and get going in the morning and then the Becky Scott Loppet this coming Sunday in Vermillion as preparation for this years Birkie where I look to do do the Birkie with a pack for the first time, I have completed 6 Birkie lites in the past 8 years placing 2nd in my strongest year, but have never done the Birkie with a pack. I will be joining fellow Fast Trax teammate Will who is also doing the Birkie with pack

Looking to 2008 ~ Looking back over 2007 and looking to the coming year I am looking at making a few adjustments to my training outlook. In order to do that I needed to make a few adjustments to the shop. It was a difficult decision but after some thought I decided to reduce the shop hours to 5 days per week so that I can have two days off to focus on my training and the coaching that I do though the shop. When I first started the shop my goal was to create a shop that truly focused on my love of sport and maintained a balance of work and sport, but as time passed the focus shifted more and more to the shop, to the point I was seemingly at the shop 7 days per week. At first this was fine as I love what I do, but over time it was starting to wear my spirit and there was less and less time to enjoy the sports I love.

With this new vision for the shop this new balance will allow for a better balanced lifestyle and I can re gain my focus on the goals originally set out in Project 9.5.

Once I have finalized my plan I will post my new direction for 2008. Items to be included;

• true hard / easy training
• whole food diet
• double workouts
• over distance training
• sport specific intensity

Progression ~ After taking a break from structured training, I resumed regular training and have been showing some very good signs of improvement. After receiving a suggestion back in October, from fellow ultra runner Harvey Stirling who has had similar back problems I made a appointment with Dr. Blair Schmaus of Spinal Symmetry, and after six treatments I have started to feel the pain subsiding and I can finally feel the hard training having some effect after what seemed like two solid years of constant glute and low back pain. As good as it seems there is still allot of training to be done and it remains to be seen if I can finish a marathon let alone an ultra in a solid pace but things look promising at this point.