The 6 Month Plan Training Template

If you follow me regularly (or look in the right corner of my page) you might realize that my major goal for 2012 is to run 100m at the Viaduct Trail 100m in Lanesboro, PA. This post is going to be dedicated to the next 6 months of training and the plan that I have to accomplish my goal and will also be stickied on the side of my blog to reference throughout.

As stated before, I'm breaking 2012 into 2 different sections. Pre-race and post-race, which revolves around July 7. After the 100m attempt (seeing that I finish) I will figure out from there what I want to do with my training for the remainder of the year.


I started out making this plan by mapping out the races that I will run prior to July 7. I did this in order to peak my training and allow for adequate rest before and after these runs so my performance is better during these runs. The following races are the ones I plan to do between now and Viaduct; some of these may change due to dates, finances etc. but I'm about 90% sure these are the ones I will partake in. As I finish these races I will update this post with my time and a link to the write up. For now, the ones in red will be ones I have not officially signed up for but plan to ASAP.

1. G.A.C. Fat Ass 50k- January 7, 2012- FINISHED 34th out of 80 for a 52 minute PR

2. TARC Spring Thaw- March 18, 2012


3. TARC Spring Classic- April 28, 2012


4. Wapack and Back 50m- May 12, 2012


*Note- On top of those 4 races I also plan to do the Mothers Day 6 hour walk/run event on May 13, 2012. I am aware that this will be about 12 hours after I finish the Wapack race (knock on wood) but I convinced my mom to do this with me recently and if I bail she probably won't do it. I'll walk the 6 hours with her which will probably be pretty painful but doable and be a good final test for my 100.

With that plan in place that leaves me with 4 ultra distance runs in the span of about 17 weeks and then another 8-9 weeks until I'm off to Pennsylvania. The only big concern I have with this race plan is the big gap of long runs between Wapack and Viaduct but if I can find another race or plan some kind of fun run with Contois (who is doing VT100 2 weeks after my goal race so I'm sure he won't be opposed to doing a long training run) then I think I'll be in good shape. I also think a completion of 50m during the Wapack race is more than enough stimulus to the brain and body to get me through a finish at Viaduct because the course is no joke and has far more elevation than the 100 will. I'm being brutally honest in saying that the Wapack was my last option just because I saw how tough the course was when I volunteered there last year and I'm well aware it'll be a long 50 miles.

I think the most effective way of gameplanning is to decide my plans between races and try to keep it close as possible. Since the GAC 50k is this weekend I will begin with the space of time after that race through the TARC Thaw race


G.A.C. Fat Ass 50k-TARC Spring Thaw 6 Hour (January 7- March 18)

The span between these 2 runs is the furthest I will experience between races. Since both of them will be similar distances I think I just need to continue to improve my distance running by doing 5-15 mile runs mostly but focusing on improving my speed. I think a good way to test how much my running improves will be to see how long it takes me to do 50k at the GAC and then seeing how far I get during the 6 hours in March. Obviously there will be variables but it should be pretty solid. To make sure I don't lose my endurance I will absolutely get a long run in during the month of February. I have spikes to run in the snow therefore I have no excuse and I need to keep in mind that it may be very important.

I haven't talked about strength training yet but as it was last year strength training will still take priority during this time of my 6 month plan. I will continue to only strength train 3x a week with SC powerlifting while I run on either Tuesday or Thursday and always Saturday. The main focus will be to start working towards all my strength goals I made for the year. I had originally considered doing Smolov's 3 week squat program following the GAC and I still may but I have to decide if it's worth sacrificing 3 weeks of good runs to do. At this point I am not sure what I'll do.

TARC Spring Thaw 6 Hour-TARC Spring Classic 50k (March 18-April 28)

From previous experience I've had trouble running during the end of February through March because in New England trails start to thaw out and they tend to be an absolute mess. I think between these 2 races I'm going to need to get a pair of road shoes and spend some time running on the roads. I don't think a specific long run is necessary during this time because of the proximity between the two runs (both exceeding 30m which is plenty long) but I will still train somewhere between 10-15 miles to keep improving. Also during this time I should be able to start working in my secret weapon which will be Lithia Springs in South Hadley, MA. The trails here are amazing and the hills are going to make for a money spot to train for the Wapack race. I know for a fact I'm going to need to bust my ass to make a good time during that race and Lithia can do that for me if I commit to going there once a week.

Strength training will peak during this race as the semester will be coming to a close and I will begin the transition to training at home for the summer. Might as well be honest and say that I will probably spend a few extra sets each week during this time working on my body because I know summer is just around the corner and I want to look good. If I do this I'll have to keep in mind that I have a bigger goal at hand and that is the first thing to go if I begin to over train.


TARC Spring Classic 50k- Wapack and Back 50m (April 28-May 12)
Obviously this is only 2 weeks but I look at it as the turning point for this whole plan so it has value. At this point I should have 3 races completed, hopefully with PRs and good runs piled up as I'e gone. The Wapack will be the final test before Viaduct and I need to spend this 2 weeks getting mentally ready. 50 miles in the mountains is going to be a lot more grueling on my body than a 31m trail run.

I likely will not worry too much about strength training during these 2 weeks. I may just take 2 light weeks to help recover and prepare. I'll buy my 3 month summer pass at this point because my gym has a May discount special but may freeze it until after the Wapack.


Wapack and Back 50m To Viaduct 100m (May 12-July 7)
This is where my training will take a turn from what I'm used to. I am going to make a conscious effort for the first time in over 18 months at this point to focus primarily on running with strength training being on the back burner. My decision behind this is for a confidence boost. If I can hit 4 runs a week with a long one every Saturday and maintain my strength levels then I think I will set myself up to finish my biggest goal of the year in running 100m while not losing sight of my other ones. It's not like I'll stop strength training but I will definitely lower the volume and increase the number of runs I do each week from 2-3 to 4-5. At this point a Saturday long run will also be guaranteed. I think May 12 through somewhere around the 20th of July will be how long I implement this idea, and then will taper until raceday from there. I benefit from getting out of school on the 8th at the latest whereas my running partner is still there until the end of June. I will have more than enough opportunities to run during the school week while also improving my sleep deprivation ability (a good tool for running 24 hours straight I'd imagine) by getting up at 4:30 every morning to run with him. Some of them will be hard runs of 5-7 miles, some will be longer (~10ish), some will be lighter and slower. These will vary during the week with one really long run every Saturday being consistent.

In the gym my mission will be to not overtrain. If by then I'm squatting in the 400's I do not want to lose that, but if I do I need to remember it will come back after I've run 100 miles. I will also considering following a Texas Method style setup, which would still be 3 days a week in the gym but with 1 light day every week. This way I could do 2-3 hard runs in between heavy training days and therefore improve drastically the level that I can run at.
____

It appears I have all the equipment I need to do this. I'm loaded from Christmas with all the tools necessary for completing my goal. I will be working 3 days a week next semester between 2 jobs so I will need to make sure those days I get what I need done and plan accordingly. I'm ready to do this thing and I think writing this post was the first step.

I'd like very much to hear any advice or input anyone may have because clearly I am no expert. Thanks for reading!