Bighorn 100: June 15, 2012. For the last 3 years, B and I have made an autumn pilgrimage to the Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming. Some of the best days of my life have been spent camping and climbing on the endless limestone walls of Tensleep Canyon. I have always marveled at the beauty and ruggedness of the landscape. Now, I will get my chance to explore the range a little more. Training for this one will be a challenge under McCall winter conditions. The Bighorn has some massive climbs and descents and can get brutally hot. All of these conditions are hard to replicate up here during winter. I will report back as my training plan evolves. For now, I will focus on the 50K on Saturday. Then comes a brief rest and a 4.5 month buildup and peak in June.
Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run 2012 - Participants
| First Name | Last Name | City | State | Age | Gender | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy | Humphrey | McCall | ID | 33 | M | Bighorn Trail 100 |
Hey, I'm also training for the Bighorn 100 - you seem to have a little more experience running ultras than I do so I'm just curious about how you're approaching this one. Great site!
ReplyDeleteMuch respect for even trying to train for ultras in a war zone. This guy seems to have it figured out! Take a look at what he's doing- http://jasonschlarb.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteYou definitely have the resume to race a good 100 this year. You have even won a 100- so you know how to knuckle down when it hurts. It looks like you are stronger on the faster/flatter races. So I would definitely run some nasty/mountainous/technical/hiking adventures to get more in tune with the slower going over the long day. Also, with Bighorn being a late start (10 or 11am), you will definitely be running through the night. A good prep for that is to run once during the day- moderate effort. Then go out again at dusk and put in 15-20 on technical ground. The earlier run makes the legs heavy from the start. Heavy legs don't want to lift and clear rocks and other obstacles. Developing a smooth stride in that situation is the difference in 15 min miles and 10 min miles- a pace that passes people like they are standing still in the late stages of a 100. Hopefully you will have some time in the states to train these different scenarios before the race in June.
On the treadmill, I like to focus on steady and slow climbing. Speeds in the 5-6 mph range with angle around 10-15. Get some tunes on and visualize cranking up that last hill into Dry Fork Aid- with 13 miles of downhill to go.
Most of all stay healthy and come home safe. Eat real food when you can and sleep as regularly as your tumultuous schedule and surroundings allow. Toe the line like a coiled spring...
Strength and Honor,
Jeremy