S2S Training: Week 1 of 14

Time to actually train for something!

I'm signed up for the Sky to Summit 50k in October and looking forward to putting in trail miles and vert to prepare for it. Last time I ran was in 2021 where I honestly felt like I crushed it... did tons of training, weekly Altamont runs, and placed 5th overall female. I am not coming into this training with as strong or as fast of a base, but we'll see what my Google Gemini-generated training plan can do... (sorry to the actual running coaches out there... )

I know my September weekends are going to be really busy and therefore not allow a lot of time for long runs, so I asked Gemini to front-load my training plan in August and also utilize my weeknight trail access (during D's NICA practice) to maximize my trail miles. I also asked it to give me weekend long run options - either single day long run or split days long run. I think it did pretty well and this allows maximum flexibility in my training while building around known weekly obligations (like 10k Tuesday). 

So the structure is 

August = rapid build to peak

September = maintain & strengthen

October = final push & taper

For this week:

I'll be at Trail Camp this weekend, so anticipating some decent trail mileage.

Monday

2 mi pup run @ 12min/mi

Morning slow run in Cleveland Park after camp drop-off. Legs were pretty dead from the Reaper 50k on Saturday!

2 mi trail pup run

Two loops of the 1-mile "Every Second" trail at Lakeside during D's NICA practice.

Tuesday

6.36 mi XC run @ 9:14/mi

Double loop on the work XC course at lunch. Pretty speedy for this course and it was still quite hot! Legs coming back to life.

Wednesday

1.4 mi pup walk

Met up with Robin and Ru for a pup & coffee walk from Swamp Rabbit Grocery. Lovely morning!

4.24 mi @ 13:42/mi trail run

Goal was 50-60 minutes of easy Zone 2 running, and with a hot tired pup in tow, that was pretty easy to accomplish. 😅 Really loving these evenings at SCRA (aka "Yo Mama's House") while D has NICA practice.

The trail names here are the best

Thursday

rest!

Friday

4 mi trail run

Group run on day 1 at Trail Camp! Took a loop from camp to the Joyce Kilmer loop in the rain. Moist fun in the woods!

Trail campers!

Saturday

13.7 mi w/ 3,500ft elevation gain

This was a rough start to a run give the *ahem* Trail Camp shenanigans on the river the previous afternoon. It's also rude that the worst climbing is right at the beginning - you start out with a huge stair climb from the highway. The trail ascends almost 2,000 ft in less than 6 miles, then bombs down the other side to the Nantahala Outdoor Center losing the 2,000 ft you had gained minus another 1,300ft in the last 8 miles. All that being said, it was an amazing run through the forest and there's such a sense of accomplishment doing a long point-to-point run like this! The rain at the beginning kept things cool, gave the forest a quiet creepy mist, and made the sunshine at the river at the end more enjoyable.

Sunday

rest

Week Training Summary:

✅Long run of ~12 miles with 2,000ft elevation - slight over-achievement, but goal met!

🟨10k Hill workout - not a hill workout, but did the 10k

✅Wednesday 50-60 min Zone 2 trail - done

✅Friday 4-5 miles easy - done

Just over 32 miles for the week, but they were all trail miles! 

Race Report: The Carolina Reaper 50k

I completed this race in 2024 and swore I'd never do it again. Last year I completed it as part of a 3-person relay team and had a great fun time, but there was some FOMO for all the people doing the really hard 50k solo. 

Soooooo when there was an email that went out towards the end of last year advertising a special "fire-and-ice" medal for completing both the Snowbird Challenge and Reaper Challenge 50k, I of course signed up only to then have the Snowbird cancelled (ironically) for snow.

I did not prepare or do much specific training for this race. I ran a few runs in the heat of the day in the month or so leading up to this race but otherwise was quite underprepared.

Sunrise over Paris Mtn as I departed for the race

I took basically zero photos the whole day, it was all about survival. Set up camp near the finish line with coolers, canopy, and chair. Ate my McDonald's breakfast biscuit and got ready to face the day.

I felt really good and strong for the first half (6 laps) and thought it would be just a nice hot day for a run. Cold ice towels, water, and whatever fuel I could manage between laps. However, into laps 7 and 8 I was still moving about the same pace to finish laps in ~30 mins (plus or minus a minute) but those felt so much harder. Obviously, accumulated fatigue and getting towards the hottest part of the day... yeah, that tracks.

Died on Lap 9 and almost didn't go back out for Lap 10.
But look at that elevation per lap! 😳

Then came lap 9 where I felt absolutely AWFUL. Didn't want to eat anything, couldn't get enough water into me to balance out the ridiculous heat. So so terrible. I'd honestly convinced myself to quit after finishing lap 9. I wanted to go straight home and sleep. The starting gun for Lap 10 went off and I was still sitting on the curb at my tent going "nope, I'm done, not going." I knew if I started Lap 10 I was going to finish it (because it's not even worth quitting with 2 laps to go). 

...and then I grumbled, cursed, and started Lap 10. Reaper wasn't gonna get me yet.

I told myself I could walk, slow way down, just barely make the cut-off for the remaining laps because with the small mileage left (~7.5 miles total for 3 laps) I didn't need much refuel in between to make it through. Friends who had finished their runs were willing to help and rallied to help with bottle refills, ice, cooling towels, and whatever I needed. I did lap 10, told myself one more lap to go, and then the final lap 12 would be the victory/beer lap because it didn't have a time cut-off. Even so, after setting out (in much happier spirits) for the final lap I was able to power walk under the 45-minute lap time. 

The downhill start was rough

My faces during the run say it all...

And then this dang climb to the finish line... UGH. Every. Time.

So while I'm happy(ish) that I didn't quit and finished the race, I am not looking back at it going "That wasn't so bad and I'll sign up again". I'm in camp "never say never" but it will take a LOT of convincing to get me out there for this one again. I think being out at the relay last year made it even harder to stay away, and I might just have to avoid this event entirely.

We'll see... 'til then, don't fear the Reaper... 💀

Life moves fast!

Ok so... in the past 2 weeks, I've packed up my apartment, moved everything to my new house, partially unpack (work in progress), cleaned out & turned in apartment keys, and made other large purchases like lawncare equipment. I'm exhausted from "major life decision"-ing. BUT... onward we march.

I won't go through the entirety of my runs and workouts from the past 2 weeks, but will highlight getting back onto the trails more in preparation for the Sky to Summit 50k in October! It's been several years since I did this one in 2021 and I'm looking forward to getting more trail time in preparation for it this year.

Super D started practicing 2x per week with the middle school mountain bike team which gives me mid-week opportunities to run trail while he practices. Last week I took him to the Saluda Confluence Recreation Area (SCRA) also known as "Yo Mama's House" and ran a few trails which were really nice! Ivy 🐾 was quite warm and didn't want to run as much as I wanted, but I let her get in the pond by one of the trails and she felt much better!

Another mid-week run was after work at the Cottonwood Trail, part of the Edwin M Griffin Nature Preserve in Spartanburg. Lovely little trail system, and got a bit over 4 miles done!

Last run worth mentioning is a Friday 5k with visiting running bestie A! Met her for a few sunrise miles at Legacy Park.

Looking forward to settling into new routines in the coming weeks... 

Busy week

A crazy week between holiday weekend and closing on my new house (oh yeah, I bought a house!). 

Monday

2.5 mi w/ pup

Easy run with pup in the park.

1.3 mi walk

Evening walk between storms - rainbow sighting!

Tuesday

6.25 mi @ 9:52/mi

Early 10k Tuesday under the Strawberry Moon because I knew the day would be insane (and I was right). It is SO HOT.

Wednesday

40 min work gym

I have to get more time in the gym. I have to get more time in the gym. I have to be more consistent in the gym.

Thursday

too hot for anything

Friday

13.5 mi at the Lake!

Set out for "something double-digit, maybe?" and actually felt good enough to go all the way to the end of Lake Road and back! I later realized this could be 13.50 miles for 13 stripes and 50 stars!

deer!

more deer!

Saturday

2.5 mi run for 250 years of 'MERICA 

5.5 miles kayaking

Took the 'yak out on the lake for a little solo adventure. Paddled all the coves up til I could see the Colonel's Creek bridge, then turned back. Took about 90 mins to get upstream, but only 30 mins to get back in a straight shot!

Sunday

15 min core strength + .6 mi walk

Getting to the end of a busy day but got in a little something-better-than-nothing workout. Mostly core, then took a walk to take out the trash and check the mail. 

Week-ending thoughts:

Since I've pretty much decided I'm done with Tri for the season, I'm working to shift back to more mileage and strength training. Still want to keep the bike as an option for cross-training but probably won't keep up the swimming. 

Got about 25 miles running for the week which isn't bad... want to try to bump up to 30-35 mpw in the heat of the summer then really ramp up (especially on trails) as the fall begins.