Year Begin

Hey out there...  It's 2013!  Another great opportunity to get out and do some running around.  The question is where to...?

Hope you all are enjoying the new year and shaking out those legs. 

2013 and the Beat Goes on...

Ah...  December and the racing season is winding down for the year.  Still up is the Nikolauslauf in Tübingen on 9 December, but otherwise time for good food, bad weather, planning and training.  As they say in Schwabeland...

While enjoying the short days and the occasional Christmas cookie it's time to start planning a bit for the upcoming year.  Work and the ability to get away is going to drive much of my plan and I'm certain there will be other distractions, but this is what I'm planning for 2013:

• Brocken-Challenge, 80KM, 9 February, Göttingen to the Brocken summit (Harz), Germany.
• This year marks my fifth running of the BC.  A super charity event!
• Bilstein Marathon, 53KM, 14 April, Kaufunger Wald, Germany.
• I'm new to the Bilstein and have not yet registered.  Looks like a great event!
• Hexenstieg, 216KM, 26 - 28 April, Harz, Germany.
• Second go for the Hexer.  Last year was fantastic!  Registration is complete.
• Le Grand Raid Dentelles Ventoux, 100KM, 18 - 19 May, Gigondas, France.
• I swore last year that I would not run this deliciously evil race again.  It's simply too wonderful not to.
• Cortina Trail, 46KM, 28 June, Dolomites, Italy.
• First year running the Cortina Trail.  A friend from Canada suggested it and we're going to give it a shot.
• ThueringenULTRA, 100KM, 6 July, Thueringen, Germany.
• Another of my annual favorites!
• Barbarossalauf, 323KM multi-stage, 14 - 19 July, Thueringen, Germany. 
• Yes...  323KM over five days.  First time giving this one a go.  Micha Frenz the organizer puts on super events and I thought I'd give this one a go.  Registration is complete.
• Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, 30 August - 1 September, Chamonix, France.
• The UTMB...  What more can I say.  I did not get a slot last year and have a guaranteed starter number this year.  2013 will be my third attempt.  Got to get this one behind me!

The year may see one or two additions or "did not register" and I've still go to settle on what comes in the Fall of 2013.  For now...  Time to focus on the Nikolauslauf and get ready for the Brocken-Challenge.  It's going to be a good year!

Been a While

Since I last posted something here...  You know how that goes with work, travels and all of the other things that occupy our lives.

This time of year usually marks the slow down of my running season.  In the past couple of years I've been headed to the last race of the season with the Alb Marathon.  For 2012 I've decided not to run the Alb again.  Am now headed towards the Roentgenlauf on 28 October and then hopefully if we can get spots the annual Nikolauslauf in Tuebingen.  These two races will wrap my season up for 2012.  Lots planned for 2013, but we're not quite there yet.  That said, much to plan and train for.

The challenge in the fall as things wind down is to stay focused and sharp with my training.  Planning the next year plays a big part as well as I try to de-conflict work and family requirements.  Truthfully, I enjoy this bit almost as much as the training and racing...

Stay sharp out there...

   

Recovery

Have not posted much here since the thüringenULTRA.  You know how that goes with work, family and all of the other "important" things that can occupy so much of our time.

The last couple of weeks have found me recovering from the TU and a twisted ankle which continues to bother me a bit.  At the time that I torqued my ankle at the TU I didn't think that it was that big of deal, but it has slowed me down a bit since.  The way I see it, it's all good.  I needed a bit of a break.

All that said, this past week was a pretty good training week.  Am now concentrating on a slow build towards either the Voralpenmarathon in late September or the Roentgenlauf in late October.  I'm registered for the Roentgenlauf and just may turn this into a back-to-back goal.

I capped this training week off with an excellent 16KM this morning.  You can't beat getting out in the woods early around here...

Brocken-Challenge Training III

With what will likely be my last post for the year 2011 and the last opportunity to get in a good training run
in preparation for the Brocken-Challenge I decided to try a new route today. And what a route it turned out to be! I hitched a ride out to Tuebingen and started my training route where we had started the Tuebingen Nikolauslauf and headed into the Naturpark Schönbuch traveling north. What a great place to run! Trails are mixed surface: dirt, gravel, and very little hard ball. The terrain is amazing flowing largely through the forest over rolling hills. The perfect environment to do a little training for running in the Harz. Plans for 2012 include much more exploration of the Naturpark Schönbuch.

Widemann Denkmal

Perfect training conditions for preparation for running in the Nationalpark Harz on 11 February 2012.

All the best in 2012!!!

The Seasons

are a changing...

I love this time of year. The mornings are cool and the days generally sunny. Looks like we're headed into a nice fall here.

Did my first run "commute" to work yesterday following the train-up for the UTMB and in preparation for the Alb Marathon and had an amazing time. I already miss the early morning sunlight which is fading day-by-day as we approach October, but do love the crisp morning air and the sunrises. Simply amazing!

I'm going to approach my train-up for the Alb Marathon a little differently than I have the other races I've run this year. I've developed a plan that rotates speed weeks with high-mileage weeks. Speed weeks will focus on hill work and 5 - 8KM fartlek rotations, while mileage weeks will include a minimum 13KM run with a weekly set of 25KM runs. During the week of 3 Oct I plan to get in two (Tuesday and Thursday) two-a-day 25KM runs. Essentially, back and forth to work.

Am a bit concerned about the compressed time line between when I started my train-up and the race, but am resting on the base of mileage and workouts I've gotten since my surgery in late February. I'm curious as to how the mix of speed work and mileage will play out over the 50KM Alb Marathon course.