As most of you know, I’ve spent the past couple of months training for my next big challenge: running my first ultramarathon at the North Face DC Endurance Challenge 50K in April. I’m about halfway through training right now, and there’s still a lot ahead of me. There are definitely a lot of physical gains to be had during training. But a big part of the training is also mental, and it’s just as important to build up your confidence during this process.

The cornerstone, and biggest confidence booster, of most long distance training plans is the long run. It’s the workout each week (or two workouts, in the case of a back to back weekend) where you push yourself further, increase your endurance, and become stronger. There are a lot of physiological benefits to these runs, but there are also mental gains to be had. There’s a big difference between finishing a long run feeling horrible versus finishing feeling good. If you can set yourself up to finish feeling good, I think it has a profound effect on your overall strength as a distance runner. It’s a huge confidence boost, which is important.

There are both physical and mental aspects to confidence. When you toe the start line on race day, you may be physically confident based on your training. But you also have to feel mentally confident about the task at hand. All that work you did during training helps prepare you for that. At some point, it’s going to get tough on race day. Looking back on your accomplishments during training can be one implement in your toolbox to help keep you mentally strong.

I think that some types of confidence are in our nature – either you’re born with it or not. But others come from putting in the work to know that you can realize your dreams. You train for confidence. Trust in your training, and prove to yourself that your goals are achievable.

Today’s post is part of Debbie’s Wednesday Word link up. Each week she provides us with a word prompt and this week’s word, of course, is confident. This link up is great, and it definitely gets me writing about things I probably wouldn’t otherwise think to write about. Be sure to click on the button below to join in and see who else is linking up today!

How do you build your confidence when facing a challenge?

Well, I’m officially halfway through training. Eight weeks down, seven weeks to go until race day. I think training is a lot like a marathon, though. You’re not really halfway until mile 20. But I ran 20 miles on Saturday, so that’s gotta count for something! Here’s a recap of last week’s 50K training, as part of the Weekly Wrap link up. This link up is hosted by the lovely HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin’.

Monday – Cross training: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred level 1 workout. We got nearly 7 inches of snow and a nice layer of ice on top of that throughout the day.

Tuesday – 4 mile easy run with ‘Sven’ (the treadmill) in the evening after work.

Wednesday – 4 mile hill workout with Sven after work. I actually had enough daylight to do this workout outside, but the snow hadn’t melted much at all and I wanted to get in a quality workout. So back to the treadmill I went. I did six quarter mile hill repeats for a total of 624 feet in elevation gain. This was a tough workout for me. I managed to pack in more elevation gain than last week when I did seven repeats during a five mile workout.

Thursday – 4 mile easy run at a park in a nearby town. The snow pretty much hadn’t melted at all on 90% of the trail, which made for a really pretty run.

There were even some parts of the trail I ran on where pretty much no one else had been. That was pretty neat. I also spent nearly 3/4 of a mile running up hill on snow that had a layer of ice on top. So much for an easy run! My pace was easy, but my calves were screaming during that part. It was a lot of work running uphill through that snow!

The only downside to this run was that I severely underestimated how much colder it would be running next to the creek and river. In the summertime it’s nice, but this time of year I really need to remember a pair of gloves and an extra layer on top.

Friday – Rest.

Saturday – 20 mile long run. I also ran the Blacksburg Classic 10 Miler as part of my long run. I ended up doing 8.5 miles before the race, running the race with Barry, and then finishing the final 1.5 miles afterward. I felt great during my pre-race miles, but the actual race and the post-race miles were pretty tough. Full recap coming later this week!

Sunday – Rest. I was fairly sore from Saturday’s run, particularly my quads. But that’s to be expected, since I had issues with cramping the final four miles. Other than that I primarily felt fatigued and most of the soreness was gone by last night after moving around most of the day.

Total Miles: 32 miles

Despite Saturday’s tough long run, this week was a good one for me. During the week my runs felt good and it was a big improvement over week 7. The sunset keeps on getting a little bit later each day, and I’m looking forward to doing more of my weekday runs outside.

Who else raced this past weekend? How was it?
Are you good at dressing for the weather conditions when working out?
Daylight savings: yea or nay?

Last Saturday Barry and I were supposed to run the Blacksburg Classic 10 Miler. However, the race was postponed due to extreme cold temperatures. The race often gets rescheduled since it is an early-February race and weather is often a challenge. This year, they simply pushed it a week and so the race will take place tomorrow.

Here’s the tricky part: I had a 9 mile long run scheduled last weekend, so the 10 miler fit perfectly with my schedule. This week, however, I have a 20 mile long run on tap. That means I’ll be incorporating the 10 mile race into my 20 miler.

In some ways, it will be nice to share some miles with a race. I’ve done it many times before, like when I turned the 2013 Virginia 10 Miler into a 16 mile long run by running 6 miles beforehand. That time was actually pretty neat, because it was a new personal distance record for me. I haven’t run 20 miles since the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon, so tomorrow will feel much like a PDR as well. Plus this will be the first time I’ve pinned on a bib in 2016.

The race starts at 1 PM, so right now my plan is to run 5 or 6 miles prior to the race, run the race, and then tack on 4 or 5 more miles after the race. I’m a bit torn, though. Maybe I should just run 10 beforehand so that when I cross the race finish line I’ll be “done done.” I don’t know.

Here’s what I do know: Barry was in a similar situation several years ago. He also had to incorporate the 10 miler into a 20 mile long run, as he prepared for his first full. He ran 10 miles before the race, but the timing didn’t work out quite right and he had to wait around awhile before the race start. That turned out to be detrimental and he felt awful the entire race. So his big advice to me is to try not to have a long time between my pre-race miles and the actual race.

In 2013, at the Virginia 10 Miler, we timed it perfectly and only waited 5-10 minutes until the race start. Hopefully I can do the same tomorrow! If nothing else, I will probably do a quick outfit change before the race and then keep jogging around to stay warm until the race starts.

Runners, y’all. We are a crazy bunch.

Have you ever incorporated a race into your long run? How did it work out?

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for another Wednesday Word linkup, hosted by Debbie from DebRuns. Click on the button below to see who else is linking up and to join in!

This week’s word is stability. In regard to running and training, when I think if stability I think of having a training plan and a workout routine.

Usually following a training plan gives me a sense of stability with my running. It gives my running purpose as I prepare for a goal race. Everything is planned out and all I have to do is follow the plan. As I train for my first ultramarathon, I find myself feeling like I have an utter lack of stability, despite having a training plan to follow. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like this while following a training plan.

I am on week eight of training, so lets call that about two months worth of following a plan. Why do I feel like I have no stability? A big reason is that I have yet to follow a single week of training as written. I’m still getting in all of my mileage, except for one run here and there, just not in the planned order. I think that is making me feel out of whack and like my training is sporadic, even though it’s not.

There’s also a lot of unknown factors this time around. The distance I’m training for is totally new for me and theories on how to train for a distance vary widely. In writing my plan, I did my best to choose what would work for me while following some generally accepted strategies (i.e. back to back long runs, hill workouts, etc.). Come race day, I don’t know for sure I can do it. But that’s kind of the point in taking on a new challenge, right?

I would like to have a week of training where I follow my written plan to the letter. I think that would probably make me feel better. But underneath it all, I’m feeling uneasy because of the unknown. And the only way to answer that question will be to toe the line on April 9 and see what happens. I’m steadfast in my goal to finish and I’m very determined, and I hope that will be a big factor on race day.

How do you bring stability to your workout routine or daily life?
What was the last goal you had that was daunting? How did you keep your doubts in check?

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I also have some sad news to share today. Yesterday, our 12-year-old dog Simon, who lives with my Dad and sister and is the last of my childhood dogs, passed away. He had recently become sick and ended up passing much quicker than expected.

I’m glad I got to see him one last time the weekend before last, when I was in town. In a way, I kind of said my goodbyes then, just in case, although I didn’t think he would go so soon. Any thoughts or prayers sent our way would be appreciated. Particularly for my dad and sister, as this was especially tough on them.

I’m recapping my workouts from last week as I train for my first 50K this April. This recap is part of the Weekly Wrap linkup hosted by MissSippiPiddlin’ and HoHo Runs.

This past week was a tough one for me, and I’m really glad it happened to be a cut back week on my training plan. Here’s how it went:

Monday – Rest (I wasn’t feeling well and I was glad it was a rest day)

Tuesday – Cross training: 10 minutes of abs and some lackluster squats, push ups, and lunges. This was a pretty minimal workout. I was supposed to do a 5 mile easy run as well, but I was still feeling crummy and felt completely exhausted.

Wednesday – 3 mile easy run on the treadmill. This one was supposed to be a 5 mile hill workout, but I just did not have the energy. I thought I might try for an easy 5 miler, but 3 was all I had in me.

Thursday – Rest

Friday – 4 mile easy run. I finally started to feel a bit better. Not 100%, but definitely better.

Saturday – 5 mile hill workout on the treadmill. I did seven quarter mile hill repeats for a little over 600 feet in elevation gain. I was finally feeling back to normal and decided to do that missed Wednesday workout. I ran on the treadmill since the temperature was below zero with the windchill. I struggled last winter with a string of sinus and respiratory infections, and I’m trying to avoid that.

Side note: Barry and I were supposed to run a 10 mile race on Saturday but it got rescheduled due to the extreme cold temperatures. It has been rescheduled to this Saturday. I have a 20 mile long run on tap for that day, so I guess I will now be incorporating the 10 mile race into it.

Sunday – Easy 6 miler with Kim in the afternoon. The temperature had warmed up to the low 20’s and it actually felt balmy outside to me. Funny how your perspective changes after bitter cold temperatures. It also helped that the wind wasn’t blowing.

Kim and I had a nice run together and I felt really strong the whole time. Hopefully that bodes well for this week.

Total Miles: 18 miles

As you can see, it was a fairy rough week overall but it had a good ending. I was coming off of a high at the end of week six and was feeling strong. It’s definitely a downer to go from that to a week like this. It was ‘my time of the month’ this week, as they say, which usually doesn’t have much of an effect on my running or training. But apparently I have pissed off Mother Nature in some way, and I paid for it dearly. Let’s just hope I get back on her good side before April…

Who else is feeling the effects of the Polar Vortex?
How was your Valentine’s Day? Barry and I had a fun weekend and played a bunch of board games (call us lame, but we have fun playing board and card games). We ended the weekend with Risk – because nothing says romance like a game of world domination 😉
Does anyone else have the day off today for President’s Day?