Phase 2: The resistance/strength phase
Hard to believe this week will mark the end of the 16 week 'Distance Phase' of this training block in preparation for the Big Foot 200 race! With the holidays thrown into the mix I will have to admit that there have been some challenges. As with any goal, there have been some ups and downs and I tried my very best to both stay consistent yet also show myself some grace when life presented roadblocks. I will say running 50-100 mile weeks made this training block feel at times like a full time job! I spent a lot of hours out there on the trails! The colder weather set in mid November, this mixed with snowy slippery trails resulted in slower mile times and required additional time training. But the goal is to adapt and overcome. Training for a challenge this big certainly offers up its fair share of life lessons! Overall I am most proud of making my mile goals and I feel that I did do a good job in being creative with my training time and balancing my time with family through the holiday season.
Now onto the next phase of training! Time to build some muscle! Phase 2 'Resistance/Strength Phase lasts 8 weeks!
Big Foot 200 has a huge amount of climbing throughout the entire course. So, how does one train for that?
To start- I strongly believe that strength training is a MASSIVE attribute to feeling STRONG on the trail, especially when ascending. You've likely heard this called "hybrid training" which essentially combines (2) modalities - strength and endurance.
Think about it... your body/muscles are under TENSION while hiking and trail running. By building STRENGTH and loading your muscles, joints, and tendons regularly, this provides you with an opportunity to move longer, farther, and feel better while out there. Alright, you're probably wondering - how the heck do I mimic training in the mountains while living in Wisconsin. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure this out! But here's my approach so far:
The below activities are some of my favorite ways to train going UP, and will be incorporating these into my workouts and runs over this training block.
- Hill repeats
- Box Step-ups
-Treadmill incline work
- Stair Climber
I'll have to get creative with my approach throughout this winter season, but hey, that's half the fun! Right?
The goal is to train my engine AND build a strong frame to carry me up mountain sides and down the other side with power, stability and confidence.
As well as training for climbing, this phase will also focus on core and posterior chain strength. This race requires you to carry additional gear, water, and calories on your person at all times, for safety reasons. Some of the aid stations are spaced 15-20 miles apart. During this block I will start wearing my running pack during my runs, and also incorporating more of the RUCKING work (which is hiking with a weighted vest). This will be super helpful to get used to carrying the load of my gear/water and get my body acclimated to movement patterns with a pack on.
The distance I will be running will be modified, but not reduced. I will continue running 5-6 days a week. I will be increasing the speed of my tempo runs, continuing with back to back long runs, but increasing my miles dedicated to hill work. The main focus over the next few weeks, during phase 2, will be building overall strength, and increasing flexibility. The approach will resemble the technique used in the 'distance phase' but with an important difference built in. That is, I will be increasing my time in the gym building muscle, gaining flexibility and increasing mobility/agility work. As well as focusing more mile time on hill work. This approach will help build strength and power needed for mountaineering and injury prevention. With a race lasting multiple days it will be essential that my knees, ankles, shoulders and hips are well versed for the task at hand.
I will be posting some of my gym workouts as well as additional resources that I continue to use for my yoga and breathwork practices. Should be a fun and interactive next 8 weeks! I welcome any comments, feedback and encouragement on any of my online resources!
I want to finish this post by answering a question: I had a few people ask why phase 1 focused so much on building endurance before building strength? The two actually go hand in hand. The distance training I have been doing over these last 16 weeks, in addition to building endurance, prepares the body to "shift gears" to harder workouts, designed to increase the ability of the body to push uphill and hold pace at longer distances. Let's dig into the awesome science behind 'distance training' ...
The reason for adding the strength and resistance work after the distance build up, is to wake up additional types of areas of muscle cells and add strength to my endurance. Generally, I think of 'endurance' as utilizing slow twitch fibers and oxygen for covering ground and 'strength' as utilizing a combination of slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.
So far, I have primarily focused on the slow twitch fiber cell and building oxygen carrying systems. Following the 16 weeks distance phase, my mitochondria, or energy factories, are fully capable of carrying me 20 miles using primarily glycogen. One of the reasons a runner slows down after the initial 20+ miles of a race, is the necessity to begin burning fat, as glycogen stores are depleted. In the Distance Phase I focused on running long mile days at least twice a week. There was a method to this madness. When an endurance athlete is in the early stages of a long event, they have the use of primarily glycogen as fuel. Glycogen can release 4kcal per liter of oxygen, yet fat needs 9kcal/liter. Fat is dense and is more difficult for the cell to utilize as fuel, with repetitive long runs, the body begins to absorb and metabolize glycogen and fat more efficiently, as higher amounts of oxygen are now able to be absorbed and energy is available from both. The lungs have developed more alveoli to take up oxygen and the transport systems to the muscles are now highly developed. That, in simple terms, means that I will be equipped to burn fat more efficiently as the race progresses. The body stores about 1,800 calories in the form of glycogen. Approximately 1,500 are stored in the muscles and another 300-500 can be stored in the liver. If a runner is using the standard of burning approximately 100 or so calories per mile for a 150 lb person, at about the 18-20 mile mark there will have to be a shift in the ratio and types of fuel used. Practicing running long has begun to adapt the body to make the shift from burning glycogen to burning fat easier. Pretty cool science!!
Who knew so much went into preparing for a 200+ mile mountain race! HAHAHAHA
I want to take the time to say thank you for all the conintued support and encouragement throughout this journey! I greatly appreciate all the support and love from family and friends!
Much love,
Katie RN,CPT, Wellness Coach.
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