Friday, February 28, 2014

100 Mile Training Plan

Below is the training plan that I hope will get me to the starting line, and prepare me to finish, my first 100 mile race.  It’s a plan that I’ve adapted from the one in Bryon Powell’s excellent book – Relentless Forward Progress.  I have extended his 24 week program to 36 weeks in order to accommodate a 50 Mile Goal Race which occurs at the end of Week 16.

The precepts of the plan are pretty simple. Build mileage steadily with 1 recovery week for every 3 weeks of building.  Back to back long runs on the weekend to practice running on tired legs.  And some sort of mid-week “speed work”.  Nothing too aggressive, just some fartleks, tempo runs or long hill repeats to get your legs turning over at a more rapid than normal rate.

You’ll notice that I don’t have many “zero” days scheduled.  I do this because, for one reason or another, off days generally happen on their own anyway.  But, I do plan on taking my “easy” days very easy and substituting cross training (or gym time) as the body dictates. Eventually, when the weather decides to cooperate, I will be doing most of my longs runs on the trails.  But, for now, I’m on the roads    ... dreaming of dirt.

100 Mile Training Plan:














Wk. M T W T F S S Tot. Comments
1 6 8 6 8 6 20 10 64
2 6 8 10 8 6 16 14 68
3 6 8 6 8 4 6 34 72 6-Hr Race
4 6 8 6 8 6 16 10 60 Recovery
5 6 8 10 8 6 24 12 74
6 6 8 10 8 6 20 18 76
7 6 8 10 8 6 22 18 78
8 6 8 8 8 6 16 10 62 Recovery
9 6 8 10 4 6 32 8 66 50k Race
10 6 8 12 8 6 24 12 76
11 6 8 10 8 6 22 20 80
12 6 8 6 8 6 18 12 64 Recovery
13 6 8 12 8 4 12 20 70 25k Race
14 6 8 6 8 6 12 4 50 Recovery
16 6 0 6 0 4 50 4 70 50m Race
17 4 6 8 6 4 16 6 50 Recovery
18 4 8 6 8 4 18 10 58
19 6 8 6 8 6 20 10 64
20 6 8 6 8 6 16 6 56 Recovery
21 6 8 6 8 6 20 12 66
22 6 8 8 4 6 28 10 70 28m Race
23 6 8 6 8 6 16 10 60 Recovery
24 6 8 8 8 6 20 12 68
25 6 8 8 8 6 24 12 72
26 6 8 6 0 4 50 4 78 50m Race
27 6 8 8 8 6 16 10 62 Recovery
28 6 8 10 8 6 24 12 74
29 6 8 8 8 6 22 20 78
30 6 8 12 8 4 10 32 80 50k Race
31 6 8 10 8 6 16 10 64 Recovery
32 6 8 6 8 6 22 20 76
33 6 8 6 8 6 26 20 80
34 6 8 6 8 4 20 8 60 Taper
35 6 8 6 8 0 12 6 46 Taper
36 6 0 6 0 4 100 4 120 100m Race


















69 weekly avg

4 comments:

  1. Michael! Be safe my friend. A day off here and there is a good way to stay healthy and injury-free. Remember you still build mitochondria and cardiovascular fitness while biking. And you let you're body recover and get stronger in the process. Mind you, you don't have to go the way of the Ferreira(read that how you may) but a few days are a good thing. Here's some salt to take that with. Happy Running!

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    1. Thanks Dan-ber! Even though they aren't "officially" scheduled, off days will find their way in there somehow. Work meetings, sick kids, driving rain, 100 degree days, etc. etc. I'll also probably substitute a day (or two) of running with some biking, or swimming. Just like I've always done in the past for marathon training.

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  2. Haha, 64 mile recovery week... I like your ambition Mike, good luck!

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