This should be a relatively short entry. There's not a lot to report since I haven't raced since Naked Bavarian, but I said in my last entry that I would write at least one more time before BRM, so here we are. I'm in the throes of tapering for the race, so the usual jumpiness and weirdness that come from drastically reducing one's training volume after a prolonged period of high-volume training are starting to set in. This time around, at least, it comes at a really good time for me, as I am in the middle of writing my PhD thesis. The extra time I have each day is being put to good use. I got through my whole training cycle free of injury, and with a lot of solid workouts, races, and long runs under my belt. Since beginning this training cycle in early January, I have logged over 1,400 miles and more than 78,000 feet in elevation gain (23 times the elevation gain of BRM). I came out of the training cycle feeling pretty good, but I'm sure my legs welcome a bit of rest before heading to Roanoke to once again take on "America's Toughest Road Marathon" and, among others, Roanoke-based runner Pat Woodford.
In other news, Jeannine and I recently got to go to Chicago for the first time so that I could attend a conference. We got to see the sites and have some deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and local beer (I kept Goose Island in business). And of course I did the running geek thing and took some selfies while I was on my runs.
So that's pretty much it for now. The legs are feeling good, I'm feeling rested, and I'm excited to once again take on the mountains of Roanoke.
And of course this entry wouldn't be complete without a picture of Dr. Peter Venkman.
The People's Champion indeed.
Oh! And one more thing. This year, there is actually a free, downloadable app for the race. Just search for "Blue Ridge Marathon '16" on the app store of your device. It has live runner tracking, live streaming of race coverage, maps, event details, and more. The race will also once again be streaming online and, if you're in the local viewing area, will be broadcast live on WDBJ 7. Alright, see you on the other side.
Have fun,
Jeff
I support Jeff Powers because America. I urge you, reader, to join me in this endeavor.
ReplyDeleteI, Also support Jeff Powers .I shall join you in the endeavor...good luck Jeff. :)
ReplyDeleteHello. Congrats on the PR! I have one question for you - how in the heck did you train for Peakewood??? I live in Delaware but grew up in Roanoke. I have run the Blue Ridge half for 3 years now (was there again this past weekend) and there is NO WHERE in DE to train for it! Can you recommend any places I should be running in DE or PA to prep for next year? Thanks and again Congrats to you!
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy, thanks! I live in Roxborough in the NW part of Philly, which, along with the adjacent neighborhood, Manayunk, has quite a few good hills to train on. Nothing as long as in BRM (all about 1/2 to 3/4 mile in length), but some get up to 12% grade, so it's excellent training for the steepness at least. I just do a lot of repeats on these hills, and this has proven to be good preparation. Some of these hills are connected to the Wissahickon Valley Park, too, if you want to make a trip up. As for DE, I used to live in Wilmington, and there's a hill that's 0.3-0.4 miles in length in Alapocas Run that goes from Brandywine Creek up to Alapocas Rd that would be a pretty good one for hill repeats. I think it's actually part of the Greenway trail. I incorporated this hill into my training when I was preparing for the Finger Lakes 50 Mile in 2011. Rest up, and let me know if you have any more questions.
DeleteOh, also the Augustine Cutoff in Wilmington is a pretty long hill. Not as steep, but good if you want to push it with the pace and do some repeats. Also Lovering Ave, on the other side of the Brandywine, has a pretty good hill. It's actually part of the Delaware Marathon course.
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