2023 Badwater 135 Training | Weeks 3 & 4

So that escalated quickly.

Back-to-back weeks of increasing run mileage, additional hiking miles, time in the sauna, and reacquainting myself with balancing work obligations and the additional sleep my body is demanding had me overwhelmed, motivated, and completely drained - sometimes all on the same day.  The line between complete preparation and overtraining for Badwater is even more blurred than a "standard" 100, and while I definitely danced with that line a bit, I also recognized it and made the adjustments my body started screaming for.  I'm excited to see the early signs of increased fitness ~ and thrilled to have a lower volume recovery/taper week that includes two days off before heading into the next tougher block.

Because work, family, and church demands (Holy Week) got the best of me in week 3, including a Thursday that boasted two doctor's appts for me as well as our cat Oliver having five teeth pulled, I supply only totals:

75 miles running including a "DIY Marathon" on Saturday, 4/1 and a 7 mile "Towne Pass Trainer"

7.75 miles hiking

7206 feet of climbing

4 sauna sessions

60 minutes upper body + core work

And on to Week 4:

Saturday, 4/8:  Second of back-to-back 21 milers with limited rest.  Finished my Friday 21, which I took intentionally easy, around 4:30 pm with the intention of heading back out by 6:30 am.  Had felt pretty trashed on Friday in spite of the easy pace, and was concerned I had a long morning ahead of me.  Instead, I met up with D's training group for the last 12 miles of the run and they held me to flat (and enjoyable) 9's.  Followed by a preview walk of our upcoming Race for the Cure 5K course - flat, leisurely, and creaky.  No additional workouts as I had Saturday work commitments and was also preparing to host my church's hospitality hour after Easter services.  Daily totals: 21 miles

Sunday, 4/9:  Towne Pass Trainer for 9 brutal miles.  Had to play with the pace on this one a couple times to catch my breath; layering it on top of back-to-back 21 milers, a tiring morning, and a bit too much pre-workout sugar (I wanted a cinnamon roll!) were all likely to blame.  Regardless, got the sucker done.

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%

.5 mile at 12:00 pace, 8% grade

1 mile at 11:30 pace, 8% grade, utilizing a 2:1 run/walk ratio

.5 mile walking, 10% grade 17 - 19 minute pace

.5 mile at 11:30 pace, working from 1% back to 5% grade

1 mile at 11:30 pace, 7% grade

.5 mile at 11:30 pace, 7.5%

.5 mile at 12:00 pace, 8% grade

1 mile at 11:30 pace, 8% grade, utilizing a 2:1 run/walk ratio

1 mile cooldown, gradually dropping grade and increasing pace

Followed workout with 45 minutes in the sauna, feeling far better than I had anticipated.  Daily totals: 9 running miles, 3044 feet of elevation, 45 minutes sauna.

Monday, 4/10:  Weighted hike (ten pounds in pack) at 10% incline for 95 minutes totaling 5 miles.  Felt the strongest I've felt on this weekend yet and was able to increase pace to the good.  Also the first time I noted that sweat volume was increasing (yay sauna!) and my layers were getting soaked much earlier.  

This was also the day that kicked off a transition in my metabolism, or what I'll call the "Feed Me, Seymour!" response.  I could not stop eating.  I would eat and hear my stomach literally rumbling and growling 30 - 45 minutes later.  While I've already increased my calories, I fed the beast.  Incessantly.  Daily totals: 5 miles, 2637 feet of elevation.

Tuesday, 4/11:  Regular neighborhood route of 8 miles in the morning, followed by sauna session.  First time extended sauna to 50 minutes.  "Mini tempo" in the afternoon (1 up, 2 @ 7:40, .5 recovery, .5 @ 7:40), followed immediately by 3 mile uphill hike for 1585 feet of elevation.

Still could not stop eating.  In spite of eating what felt like double my normal intake on Monday, my weight was almost three pounds below my "low threshold" on Tuesday.  While respecting that some of that is dehydration, redoubled efforts to stuff my face.  Daily totals: 12 running miles, 3 hiking miles, 1585 feet of elevation, 50 minutes sauna.

Wednesday, 4/12:  Or the day I got in over my head but made proper adjustments.  Wednesday hill route, which I've made a bit hillier by cutting out some of the flatter sections.  It was the first time the temps were over 80 degrees in Ohio, and though I've already been layering, it obviously hit differently in real heat.  What felt "moderately hard" for the first four miles felt like "time to stop at the top of this hill and catch my breath" by mile five.  And again at six.  After remembering I would have to adjust my pace even on the downhills - which I push the hardest on this workout to prep for the descent into Panamint Valley - I clicked back into a manageable pace for the workout and the warmth.  (And also stopped for additional water at the local library.)  

Quick break to drive back over the lemonade stand some kids had set up on my route, then three mile uphill hike for another 1585 feet of elevation.  Also ate all the food.  Low weight still a concern.  Daily totals: 10 running miles, 3 hiking miles, 2183 feet of elevation.

Thursday, 4/13:  Neighborhood "zipper" route of 8 miles in the morning, followed immediately by 50 minutes in the sauna.  Body felt trashed straight out of bed, and I knew I was going to have to make major pace adjustments for the next few workouts.  At the same time, a funny but familiar thing happened ~ as I tapped out my first 8 miles of the day at what my friend Molly would call a "joggy jog" pace, I thought to myself "oh, right.  I remember this."  

It's not the mileage.  It's not hunting for extra hills.  It's not the sauna and the layers and the heat.  It's all of it, put together.

So you steel yourself, mentally and physically, look up the next workout, and figure out how to make it happen.

Thursday had an afternoon workout that might have been a mini-tempo, but it was over 80 degrees again so I layered, headed outside, tossed in two hills to keep myself honest, and ran another 5 at a joggy jog pace, delighted to find my pace had improved over the morning run.  Followed the run with the 3 mile uphill hike for 1585 feet of elevation, devoured some Chipotle, and tried not to think about running 15 miles on Friday.  Daily totals:  13 running miles, 3 hiking miles, 1977 feet of elevation, 50 minutes sauna.

Friday, 4/14:  15 long, slow, boring miles in which I consumed the same amount of fluid that I normally do in 21 miles, blessed the very brief light rain, delighted in seeing Darris on the trail doing his own workout, and found the end of my iPod.  Daily totals:  15 running miles.

Weekly roundup: 80 miles running, 13 miles hiking, 11,426 feet of climbing, 3 sauna sessions.  Upper body and core work fell by the wayside this week, but we'll get back on track.