A Great Month of Training

January 31st, 2010

Neytiri is always welcome to join me in an ultrarun, so long as it is not along tree branches due to my terrible fear of heights.

After reviewing my (pathetic) training for last year, I determined that 2010 would include a lot more mileage and a lot more weight training.  January was an amazing month for me.  I either ran or walked at least a mile each day, and hit the weights at least three times per week.  My total mileage for this month was 185 miles, of which 122 were run, 29 were walked, and 34 were snowshoe runs.  Since my entire mileage for last year was 654 miles, I feel that doing 28% of that training in my first month is a very good start.  My average mileage per week is 37, as opposed to last year’s average of 12.

I also ran several races this month, and set a nice PR in the Disney marathon.  In February, I have a race for each weekend, starting with a 50k and ending with a marathon, with two snowshoe races sandwiched in between.  I am starting to get faster, stronger, and perhaps even losing a bit of body fat.  Who could have predicted that regular training would effect these kind of changes?

I should also note that I no longer enjoy eating cookies, cakes, ice cream, or other junk food.  It came upon me a week or two ago that I would rather eat a big bowl of rice with a bit of butter and some soy sauce, or perhaps some corn chips with Mrs Renfro’s Green Salsa (basically just jalapeno’s with some extras).  I still eat a ton, but now I eat more wholesome food.  I don’t even like eating cookies when I run.  I am thinking about bringing some high calorie fruit like raisins, currants, dates, and maybe even plums for my runs.  Actually, some apples and oranges and berries and bananas would be good too.  A pity I am allergic to so many of them, but in small doses they should be all right.

All of this talk about food has made me hungry (that, and the 17 miles I ran earlier today).  I am going to have a Granny Smith apple.  What has become of me?  It’ s like I woke up one morning in someone else’s life.

“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”  -Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.



The Week in Review | Posted by Steven Latour

January Races. And February. And March.

January 17th, 2010

I pose with the characters from my favorite books. Our love is real though they are not.

I have run all of my planned January races.  Started out with the Beaver Brook 5k Snowshoe Race on January 3rd.  Moved on to the Walt Disney World unofficial “Dopey” races, consisting of a 5k on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday (January 9th-11th).  Yesterday, did the Feel Good Farm 9k Snowshoe Race.  Now, my body is ready for a little rest.

I have been doing great for mileage this month, including a PR of 55 miles the week of the Disney races.  I plan on averaging around 30 miles per week over the next couple of months.  I am getting faster, and even PR’ed at the Disney marathon with a 4:29 finish time, an improvment of 24 minutes, and my race time included 12 minutes worth of photos with Disney characters.

I am doing quite a few races next month as well.  On the 6th I will run the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50k (with a few of the Gang).  On the 13th the Horse Hill 7k Snowshoe race.  On the 20th, the Kingman Farm Moonlight 5k Snowshoe race, and finally on the 28th I will hit the Hyannis marathon with Running Rob.

In march I have already signed up for the Peak Snowshoe Marathon in Pittsfield, VT, and if Bogie is doing a Spring Fells Trail race I will be in for at least 32, and  maybe 40 miles.  All of this is in preparation for the Vermont 100 in July.  I enjoy races and I figure they are a great way to add up training miles.  I will adjust as needed in case of accident, illness, or injury (or just plain overtraining).  Enthusiasm is high and expectations are higher.  Glory awaits.



Race Review, The Week in Review | Posted by Steven Latour

2009 in Review

January 1st, 2010

Allegorical seasons of Alphonse Mucha.

Allegorical seasons of Alphonse Mucha.

Total miles run: 563              Total miles walked: 91

Number of runs: 76               Number of walks: 60

Average run: 7.4  miles         Average walk: 1.5 miles

Race miles:  285                   Percent race miles to total miles:  51%

This was a real eye-opener.  I had no idea that I trained so little or raced so much.  I guess I just kind of lie around doing nothing between races.  I also didn’t realize that I walked so much.  I usually go for a mile or two walk before I lift so that I am still getting some cardio and I am warmed up for the weights.

The thing that really surprises me about this is that I ran four marathons and four ultras this year (on a plan of five ultras, with a DNF at the Vermont 50 at mile 32).  The”slacker” training for ultras is usually written as about 40 miles per week.  I did 11 (12.5, if you count walking.)

The thing that does not surprise me about this is that I outweigh 99% of the people I see at these races.  It is my guess that they do not goof around and only run 563 miles a year.  Well, my goal is to get back to my fighting weight this year and I think I know how to do it: run more than 76 days a year.  I can’t believe I went for a walk almost as much as I went for a run this year.

I always have kept meticulous records in my training log, but this is the first time I have actually looked at them.  I kept thinking I must have torn a few pages out of my book, but the more I look at it the more it dawns on me that I am just a weekend warrior jogger with a high pain tolerance.  Can you imagine how I might do at a race if I wasn’t fat and I actually trained?  This thought gets me excited.

I have been running since January 2006.  My total mileage for walks and runs is 2,969.  That’s about 742 miles per year (walking and running).  I ran my first marathon on September 30th, after 444 total miles of training.  Overall, I have run 16% of my miles during races.  I now begin to understand why keeping a training log is essential.  It is also essential to actually look at said log more than once every four years.  Maybe I’ll only go two years this time.

The best part is that I qualified for and have entered the Vermont 100.  I will focus this year and actually train a little so I can get into shape for this.  I am really looking forward to actually running this year.  And walking.  It is still the best warm-up for the weights, and it gets me out of the house, which my wife highly approves of.

Here is my new eating philosophy:

“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today.” -The Red Queen in Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There By Lewis Carroll.



The Week in Review | Posted by Steven Latour