Training for Capes 100 - 100 Miler

Training for 100 miles is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. It cuts into family time significantly, and you're always sore, moody, tired. 

Training Plan

- Starting in January I started building some volume. 

- February I started a Garmin Intermediate/Advanced training plan, to train for a May Marathon.

- In May I ran the Fredericton Marathon (May 14) as a pace bunny and then the Ottawa Marathon (May 28) 

- Took the first week of June easy and started ramping up with the SWAP Running Intermediate/Advanced 100 Miler plan to structure my weekly running volume and intensity.

• Tried to stay in the mid-range of the recommended mileage for the week. 
• Typically would maximize the midweek runs (Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday).
• Ran with the ALC Run Club (think couch-to-10k group) on Friday and sometimes on Monday.
• Almost no doubles
• Would not split runs into two runs (i.e. 10 miles means 10 miles, not 5 + 5)
• Skipped almost all Mountain Legs
• Bailed on a few of the long runs.

Weekends consisted of back-to-back long runs, or very long runs:

• 15km in Chignecto + 14km in Centennial Park
• 47km Fundy Circuit
• 24km on Fundy Coastal + 25km in Moncton (Roads + Centennial Park)
• 17.5km North-west Trail + 21.1km in Centennial Park
• 37km Mapleton + Seahorse at Night (lots of weird shit) + 12km Roads
• 48km Cape Chignecto Circuit
• 16km in Centennial Park
• 13km in Centennial Park + 16km on the North-west Trail + 10km  Roads
• 20km in Centennial Park (Taper week)

In all, I had 7 of 8 weeks with +70km, and 4 of those with ~1,500m of elevation, topping out at 100km twice. 

Race makes the 100km week look small.

There is little physical benefit to going much longer than a 50km, it takes so long to recover. 

Weights/Strength

I enlisted a strength coach to assist with strength training, some basic stuff to prevent injury as my training load increased, and also to be able to sustain the load on race day. Did this 1 or 2, 30 minute sessions per week.

Legs

• Bulgarian Split Squats
• Single Leg Press
• Calf Extensions
• Single Leg Extensions
• Lunges
• Toe Raises (helped prevent rolling ankles)

Arms/core

• Lots of shoulder and upper back exercises specifically designed to maximize using poles.
• Rope Press Downs - Triceps focus
• Shoulder Front Raise (Free Weight)
• Shoulder Side Raise (Free Weight)
• Bar Pull Down - Traps  focus
• Rope Rotations

In hindsight, probably could have done a bit more to help with breaking (downhills), Gluteus Medius exercises for stability.

At no point were my arms or upper back tired. 

Nutrition/Hydration

For nutrition, I had prepared gnocchi in a ziplock bag from 0km to 85km, and had a second ziplock back from 85km to the finish.

Ate a Cliff Bar early, but I had no appetite for them after 40km.

Took advantage of chips and watermelon at the Aid Stations between 0km and 85km.

Ate a whole chicken/cheese quesadilla at 41km, 85km and 109km, took one for the road at 41km and 109km.

At night, I took a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of broth at each aid station (94km, 103km, 118km, 131km, 140km, 149km)

For Hydration/Electrolyte I started with Skratch Pineapple in my bottles - refilled at the aid stations with 1 Tailwind and 1 Water, until I got to 85km and noticed that Tailwind was causing some of my stomach problems. At 41km, 85km and 109km drank a 500ml bottle loaded with Skratch. 

Also filled a few plastic tubes with Skratch powder and carried them with me, and asked the aid station volunteers to fill with Skratch powder as they filled the bottles with water.

Also dipped watermelon in pure salt, twice. 

Mental Game

The key to the success I had was the mental game. I listened to podcasts with John Kelly and Courtney Dauwalter in terms of how the mental game is played. How to extend and shorten your perspective based on how you are feeling at any given time. 

Introspection/Monitoring

 As soon as the stomach became a tiny bit uncomfortable, I noticed the problem immediately and made changes - did not wait until it became catastrophic or too late. 

Feet and hamstring were bugging me early on, which made me change my Topo shoes at 41km (which was not the original plan).

Ensured to stretch whenever things got somewhat tight. Took some Tylenol at 85km and then every 5-6 hours thereafter.

Take stock of my emotions and thoughts that flowed through me, whenever there was a negative thought percolating, I immediately stopped it before it spiraled out of control.  

Control

I would not let myself even think negatively for a second.

I ran my own race, at my own pace - I let Paul or Luc go out ahead if they wanted to, I did not try to chase after a goal pace, or a goal time, I also did not wait for anybody. 

Took advantage of my strengths; runnable downhills, drop bag items, mental calculation, knowledge of the course, effective communication with aid station volunteers, effective communication with my crew in pre-race brief.

Areas to Improve

- My Aid Station times in the latter part of the course were quite slow.

- Come up with a better delivery method for my Skratch mix. 

- There were definitely some times when I could have ran, but did not due to laziness. 

- Could strengthen my quads and knees, especially for steep, muddy downhills - I was not strong enough to deal with them in the latter part of the race. 

- Same with hips.

- Better shoe selection to start the race.

- Arguably I could get a shoe that is a 3-5mm drop and cushioned, and it would be perfect.

- Come up with a way to reduce the number of sock/shirt changes.

- Train better, be more comfortable sustaining a ~140 bpm heart rate. 

- Be more efficient on climbs, heart rate would increase, but I could bring it down with more climbing volume. 

- Don't be afraid to ask for a pacer.