The Happy Runner, by David and Megan Roche was exactly what I needed to read in this phase of my training. I was first exposed to David Roche as a regular contributor to Trail Runner magazine. Then I started listening to the Trail Runner Nation podcast where David comes on as one of the coaches in the recurring Ask the Coaches episodes. Finally, I started listening to the SWAP (Some Work All Play) podcast with David and Megan Roche. At first, listening to David and Megan can be a little overwhelming. They speak so quickly that it sounds like they are in fast-forward mode but their banter is amusing and it's easy to fall in love with their genuine enthusiasm, kindness and unconditional support for all of their athletes and listeners. I like that I read the book after I knew what their voices sounded like so that I could actually hear their enthusiasm for the sport of running oozing from the book. It is clear that they know what they're talking about in terms of training for ultra running. I think their podcast is the only one I listen to where they actually cite peer-reviewed journal articles. They train some of the best ultra athletes in the world, including Clare Gallagher, Corrine Malcolm and John Kelly, just to name a few.
Besides the fact that they really, really love pizza and their dog, Addie, here are some of the key takeaways from the book. I can relate in the really loves dogs part, but unfortunately, pizza is an inflammation bomb for me. I think the best parts of the book are when Addie the dog speaks to the audience in all caps. Example: "I'LL BE HERE FOR SNUGGLES WHEN YOU FINISH READING ABOUT ZOOMIES" and "I LOVE LIFE AND EVERYONE AND FOOD MOST OF ALL".
Here are 4 key takeaways that made me feel really good about my current training, because I'm doing them all.
80% of your runs should be in the aerobic zone. I have definitely moved a little away from all MAF heart rate runs, but I still do them and I do plenty of runs in Zone 2. Obvious reasoning for this is that you want to train your body to use oxygen and fat as fuel if you want to go long distances. Fueling and glycogen stores will only get you so far. The glycogen stores will typically only last 90 minutes, which is why most people will hit the wall at 18 miles of a marathon. To date, I have only bonked once and it was on a training run. It was hot and my stomach had gone south so I couldn't take in as many calories. But since that one run, I really think that the aerobic training has done wonders. This past weekend I did a 30 mile training run and I was tired (mostly my feet), but still felt like I had gas left in the tank.
Even ultra runners should do speed work. I always thought speed work was a waste of time. I wasn't trying to go fast, I was trying to go long. However, following Krissy Moehl's training plan, I've been doing interval work pretty regularly and I've noticed that my "cruising speed" has increased. It's pretty awesome to see I've improved my average pace/mile since last year's 50K by about 2 mins and 30 seconds/mile this past weekend. It's remarkable in my mind. And the best part is that the speed work doesn't have to be grueling. They aren't suggesting 1 mile repeats or even 5 minute repeats (as I've been doing), but something as simple as starting with 5 x 20-30 second strides with 2 mins rest in between can really help. I think it's teaching the body to run fast and get that quicker leg turnover that really helps in the end.
Downhill running is just as important as uphill running. This makes a lot of sense. I've been focused on finding hills to run up, but it turns out that running down hills with purpose is just as important. Running down hills builds resilience and leg strength. Your quads lengthen under the load of downhill running and results in microtears in muscle fibers. Downhill running involves higher impact and requires your entire body to be more resilient. For me, it's also super fun. I love flying down hills, mixing up the footwork and feeling wild and free. With practice, the downhills are an opportunity to capture free speed as well.
"Specificity Matters, but not as much as you think." This was exactly what I needed to hear. A few weeks ago, I started panicking that I wasn't doing the right training to mimic the 50 miler I'm going to attempt a few weeks from now. But I love that David and Megan stress that the most important aspect of training is running and climbing economy. It's getting more efficient and building the right technique to move as quickly and efficiently as possible. Running trails is still my favorite, but unfortunately, I'm always so much slower on trails. My local trails are also so rocky, which are super fun for hiking, but not fun for running. It's really tough to get into a rhythm when every step you take is hopping from rock to rock or finding that tiny gap between rocks to place your foot or gingerly moving along the trail to not get tripped by a rock or tree root. Also, this close into the race, I worry that I will have a major wipeout and arrive at the start line with an injury. I've had falls that have take weeks to recover from.
The most important take away from the book is that self-acceptance and self-belief is the one attitude that will result in a happy runner. Of course, there are ups and downs as there are with everything in life, but it's really important to love the process and take a longer term view on your running goals. It's amazing what can be accomplished in a year or over a decade. Keeping the long game in mind keeps things in perspective.
One last thing that I took away from the book was being introduced to the Myrtl routine that was developed by Coach Jay Johnson. I noticed this week that my right hip started to bother me. It felt tight and I had limited mobility on my right side, so the timing for adding this routine daily was very well-timed. These hip and glute strengthening exercises, along with foam rolling and icing seem to be doing the trick for the moment.
Comments