Run Log Update - April 15-May 12, 2012

I have fallen behind on the posts of my progress toward Hardrock. All is going well.

April 15-21, 2012: 21.0 miles in two runs: Recovery week from Traprock. Still managed a 13 mile run on the rail trail that took 2:14! Only 70' of climb for the week.

April 22-28, 2012: 26.1 miles in three runs: Long run was a 6 mile out and back on the Wapack Trail including Watatic (ended in a surprising "trail closed" sign) then stopping in Sharon to run a 9 mile out and back to save the day. 15 miles was a conservative guess for how far I really ran. 3,950' total of climb for the week.

Lonesome Lake and a wonderfully placed farm 

from White Ledges on Sunapee.

April 29-May 05, 2012: 29.5 miles in three runs: Long run was a tour of Sunapee with laps on the Goshen Trail, Wingding ski trail, and Newbury Trail for a total of three summits or 4650' of climb. 6800' of climb for week.

May 06-12, 2012: 31.0 miles in three runs. Long run was volunteering at the Wapack and Back 50 and 21.5 mile Trail Race. Swept the final 9.1 miles and then returned by the light of my headlamp and the city lights of Boston some 70-80 miles away. Ran into a porcupine (figuratively, not literally). 3,600' of climb for the week, 3,500' in just the sweeping of the Wapack and Back.

The training has been going well this last month. I am consistently climbing well. I am just feeling sluggish some days and feel like I am walking the thin line between trained and overtrained. This probably means I am training appropriately. I would rather be walking this line than the trained/under trained line.

The next couple of weeks will have me finishing up my training in New Hampshire. I have some trips to the White Mountains planned to do some multi-day trail running trips. I hope all goes well and I am able to recover well.

After a surreal Spring the weather is back to more of a normal pattern with 3 to four days of rain and one to two days of sun. It has been uninspiring to run at times but I have been able to get out regularly to get my mileage in. So far this has probably been the most regular training period yet for any 100 miler. My mileage would probably graph pretty linearly and follow the 10 percent rule. I have been throwing easier weeks in every third week in which I keep to my mileage schedule but I keep my effort minimal (flat runs as opposed to lots of climbing). I think it has been working fairly well but time will tell.

Starting to plan the nitty-gritty of my Hardrock experience. The manual is out...