2023 Badwater 135 Training | Week 5

I was recently having some completely natural doubts about covering the Badwater course again.  I’ve shared with several people that the entire endeavor seems more forboding the second time than the first; the first I had the fear of the unknown, but this time I have the fear of the known.  I know there is no amount of sweat, tears, miles, or elevation I can put in that will make this race easier.  The best I can hope for is to make pieces of it a little “less hard,” and I will continue faithfully in those efforts over these next ten weeks.  All that said and done, I still sit here today and think “how on earth do I do that again?”

Darris chimed in and reminded me that’s why I’m doing the work; right now I am not ready, but by July I will have transformed into iron.  “Well, right now I feel like tin foil,” I responded.

Somehow this devolved into a ridiculous conversation about the stages of becoming iron, which – serendipitously – mirror the training blocks I have left to complete.  Tin foil, grill foil, sheet metal, and iron, followed by the taper, now known as the “alchemy” phase. 

Tired Sunday musings.

Week five was a planned stepback week as my basic plan is built around two high weeks followed by a recovery week.  Didn’t feel too stepbacky early on, as I opted to take two full days off on Thursday and Friday in preparation for a challenging 50K course on Saturday.  Also came to the conclusion I will not be drinking during the two-week working blocks.  I’m not a huge drinker to begin with, but after giving up alcohol for Lent and enjoying a few drinks over the past two weeks, I’m just realizing it’s not the time.  Will still enjoy a drink or two on weekends after the long runs are done, but it’s easier to just draw a line under the rest of it and say no drinking during the week.

Saturday, 4/15:  12 running miles with Darris, followed by a day long retreat with my church’s Vestry (think Board of Directors).  Was still feeling chronically dehydrated and really pushed the fluids – too hard.  Late afternoon sauna visit following the retreat.  Was sweating rivulets two minutes in – abnormal – and had to move to the lower bench (cooler, but still 160 degrees) for the last ten minutes.  As I’ve always said, the bad sauna sessions are more important than the good – the bad ones are the ones that teach you how to respond and adapt when your body is struggling.  Daily totals:  12 running miles, 50 minutes sauna

Sunday, 4/16:  Mini Towne Pass workout of only 6 miles!  Workout flew by and I felt the strongest yet – though I’m not sure what another circuit would have looked like.  New tunes also helped on the 8% incline.

1 mile warmup at 11:30 pace, working up to a 7% grade
1 mile at 11:30 pace, 7% grade
.5 mile at 11:30 pace, 7.5% grade
.5 mile at 11:30 pace, 8% grade
1 mile at 11:30 pace, utilizing a 2:1 run/walk ratio
.5 mile walking, 10% grade, 17 – 19 minute pace
.5 mile at 11:30 pace, 7% grade
1 mile cooldown, gradually decreasing grade and increasing pace

Sweat production still ramping up more quickly; clothes weighed more than three pounds when finished.  Headed directly to sauna for 50 minutes; no issues this time.  Daily totals:  6 running miles, 1864 feet of elevation

Monday, 4/17:  Boston Marathon day meant … feeling grouchy that my work volume was such that I couldn’t watch.  Until I realized I could flip my schedule and do my climbing workout in the morning and work a bit later in the evening.  Weighted hike at 10% incline for 1:53 totalling 6 miles and 3,179 feet of elevation.  Apparel:  cotton sweatpants, tank, cotton Boston sweatshirt, Boston waterproof lined shell.  (Not the standard jacket – this is a jacket I got the year I worked in the press room.  It’s heavier …)  Daily totals:  6 hiking miles, 3179 feet of elevation

Tuesday, 4/18:  Morning “Red Eye” straight out of bed (3 miles) consisting of a one mile warmup, one mile at 7:40, a quarter mile breather, and an increase back to 7:30 for the final half mile.  Followed this with the three mile uphill hike for 1585 feet of elevation and 50 minutes in the sauna.  Herein lies the real challenge: I typically do my longest run of the day before the sauna, as post-sauna runs are a bit more labored.  That said, the temperature was in the low 30’s when I woke up, and running in the 30’s, even with layers, just doesn’t do it.  We are too far in the process and too close to the race for me to be playing around with the “refreshing chills” of an Ohio spring.  Headed out mid-afternoon for my neighborhood 8 miler, pleased to find it wasn’t as slow or difficult as anticipated.  Daily totals:  11 running miles, 3 hiking miles, 1585 feet of elevation, 50 minutes sauna

Let’s talk about another elephant in the room now: time.  Yes, training for Badwater is time intensive.  No, I do not know how those with children or traditional work schedules do it.  I am profoundly grateful each and every day that I have the gift and privilege of being self-employed with a flexible work schedule.  That said, I do not have three months off to do as I please.  Getting these workouts in means 5:30 am wakeup most days, whether to work or work out.  Some days I am answering emails and doing project work by 5:45 to accommodate longer runs later in the day; some days I am running that early.  There is far less time to “chill” on weekends; they, too, are filled with work or workouts.  Still grateful that this is an option I have, and still in awe of those who find ways to make it happen with schedules even more strict.

Wednesday, 4/19:  Wednesday hill route with a strict reminder that I had a rough 50K on Saturday and I was not to overdo it a second week in a row.  I grant that temperatures were ten degrees cooler, but I was thilled with this workout.  Not only was my perceived effort on the lowest end of moderate the entire workout, I finally nailed the pace properly on the main sections of the workout:  8:58, 8:46, 8:42, 8:38, 8:33, 8:24, 8:18.  Note to self: relax and slow down on this workout more often?  Walked one block home feeling confident that training might actually be working.  Also thrilled to now have two run-free taper days.  Daily totals:  11 running miles, 628 feet of elevation

Thursday, 4/20:  Woke up around 5:30 and began my “sleep goblin” phase.  Spent the next hour deep in sleep for 10 to 15 minutes, waking briefly, and then “gobbling” another 10 or 15 minutes of sleep the way one stuffs their face without tasting food when extremely hungry.  Sleep tastes so good sometimes.

50 minute sauna session in the morning; was totally in the zone.  I realize the relative ease of this session was due to not running prior to it.  30 minutes strength and core in the evening.  Daily totals:  50 minutes sauna, 30 minutes strength and core.  Extra delicious sleep.

Friday, 4/21:  OFF.  Completely off. 

Weekly roundup:  40 running miles, 3 hiking miles, 4077 feet of elevation, 250 minutes sauna (four sessions), 30 minutes strength and core.

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