Backing Out of Gravel Worlds - Making Hard Decisions With the Future in Mind

At least i got in one ride in Nebraska

I write this more as a way for me to think through things however if it helps someone else in the future that is a plus.

I am sure I am not the first person to back out of a race they have planned on doing for over a year but it is still a tough decision.  Even harder is that I waited till the day before to make the decision as I kept hoping for things to get miraculously better - all the while sorta knowing it was not probable.  To be honest I should have decided to not do the Gravel Worlds Double, or even just the ride, a week ago but again hoped for things to get better.  I have to say sitting here writing this with my foot throbbing some makes my decision make more sense.

My right foot has been sore, and even swollen, in some manner since after Yamacraw at the end of May and with my usual myopic focus on doing the Gravel Worlds Double I never took the rest I really needed.  I took a few days here and there but not the extended rest I needed.  Since the soreness seemed to wax and wane - who uses the term “wax and wane”, I guess I did - I thought it would slowly go away.  However, it never did fully get better and after long runs would flare up.  It did seem to feel better on long runs once warmed up but truths it was probably still being hurt as the pain/soreness came right back once done or at best a day later.

The good thing was that in general it did not seem that riding was causing any issues so kept up riding when I could.  However, I did notice over the last couple weeks that while it was no where near as bad as when I ran my foot was still sore after a ride.  On my last 100 miler on Zwift I could feel some soreness and I think I was over compensating as at the end of the ride I got a bad cramp in my inner thigh - same leg as my sore foot - and can’t remember the last time I had a cramp in that area.  So, instead of things getting better things were actually getting worse and I was just praying it would get better with no inkling it would.  The final sign was I did a 5 mile run Wednesday and the foot was sore the whole way and then did a 40 mile ride (where the picture is from above) and it was also sore the whole way and more sore afterwards than usual.  Running 50K was for a sure a no and after the ride I realized it was nto going to help anything and with Gravel Worlds being self-supported I did not want to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere or maybe worse force myself to finish and make things worse.

Not entirely sure the exact issue but know it is at least exacerbated by a condition I have called Accessory Navicular Syndrome which a very small percentage of people have - I guess I am special.  I have it on both feet but is much worse on my right foot.  It is an extra bone under the ankle area and the Posterior Tibial tendon attaches there and as the bone sticks out it can rub on shoes and also also be an issue if foot is not really stable - which mine is not.  The right side seems to be much bigger than the left and over years of rubbing I think there is probably some scar tissue there.  

All his said I am not sure if it is all the extra bone that is the issue but a combination of issues in my foot that just stresses it out.  I say this as the pain seems to run from my arch to the extra bone area to above the ankle and even on the tendons across the top of the foot - I do know at times I tie my shoes too tight.  Over the next week I will be looking to work out a plan to get this under control and strengthen my foot.  This will start with a good two weeks at a minimum of no running and will wait about a week to evaluate if I can start to ride again.  

I do have a race in Colorado the end of September so hope I can at the least get things under control to be able to ride with no pain.  I still want to get things corrected for running but may have to keep running to short stuff - like 5K’s - till my foot is strong enough to handle longer.  In some ways that is OK as while I like 50K’s I was looking to run shorter and work on speed next year to get my 5K time down and maybe do some track races later when I turn 65 in some Senior Track meets - maybe.

I have been listening to some podcasts by a bike fitter named Colby Pierce (Cycling in Alignment) and in a number of them he refers to the old mindset in cycling that pain was part of training - or something like that - and he is so right.  This was not limited to riding as running often had the same mindset.  Now this is not saying if you are doing intervals you will not hurt in some manner but more that we tend to just feel pain and have the sense that we need to just suck it up.  I Have been there and still have vestiges of that and it is nto a good mindset as more often than not leads to other and more serious issues. That was were I was with this current issues as while I knew I had a problem I put off dealing with it and just accepted it.  As usual if I had dealt with this months ago after Yamacraw I might have been good for the Gravel Worlds.  I have been getting better at this but in this case just did not stop and reflect more on the problem and count the cost of not dealing with it when it cropped up.

One of my goals is longevity in running and riding and that will not happen if I do not take seriously issues like I currently have.  Truthfully having a goal of longevity made this decision easier even if not easy since it was backed with a bigger goal than just this one race.  Even while when younger I could often just run and ride through issues often not dealing with them still led to issues but now I am older the consequences are greater and thus need to be taken more seriously.  I need to take this issue and learn from it and take some time to decide on what changes I need to make to get better and stay better.

Some areas I need to review and change with my paradigm:

• Add in strength and mobility work - need to see this as important as the actual running and riding and even replace some of my riding and running with it
• Not be so focused on distance in running and riding but on quality
• Work on alignment issues - as they affect my running and riding
• Be more intoned with what is working and what is not and being ready to deal with niggles while they are still niggles

More to follow but this is my start at changes

Gravel Worlds Double Weekend Workouts

Quite the last three weekends workout wise.  After getting sick about 4 weeks ago and being in the ER with severe dehydration I noticed that I felt I had lost some endurance - which I felt on my first long weekend workout 2 weeks after my ER trip.  But with the Gravel Worlds Double coming up August 25th and 26th I needed to get some good work in.

To do this I had planned three good milage weekends all the while keeping an eye on how my right ankle feels as it gets sore after long runs.

The first weekend was Friday July 21st and Saturday the 22nd.  The Friday workout was a comfortably paced 20 miler and as was my first long run since getting sick I went out really easy.  Felt good on the run and legs were good afterwards and ankle was just a little sore.  The second half of the weekend set was a 110 mile ride and was worried a little about this with the heat that had been around, in the high 90's to 100's F but thankfully was cooler - still hot at end but not what it had been.  The ride started well and even went pretty hard in places but paid for it later as the last 25 miles or so were a drag and just finished with an average pace much slower than usual.  That said looking back it was a good ride and a good end to a tough two day set of workouts.

The second weekend (July 29th and 30th) were back to back longer trail runs with Peter up in the Wrightwood CA area on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) so also got in some work at altitude.  Day one was supposed to be a point to point run but when we got to the start we found the road closed so changed to an out and back.  The original run was to be about 13 miles at about 8000ft but due to the change and now was going from Vincent Gap - up to Mt Baden Powel and then out to Windy Gap and back for an 18 miler (See Map Below) with about 5245ft of vert.  The run went well but have to say the downhills killed my thighs and my ankle was sore afterwards.  That said it went well but knowing I had another day of this was a little scary as had not done long back to back runs like this in a very long time.  The next day we ran a 12.3 mile loop (See Map Below) from Wrightwood that went up the Acorn Trail (steeper then the Baden Powel start) then over to the Mtn High Ski Area and down to Highway 2 and back to Wrightwood.  Legs were sore to start and that the run starts up hill right away made for a more casual start but that was good.  Once got rolling felt fine and then the descent down to Highway 2 was a little hard on the legs but finished up good on the 3.2 miles of downhill to town where I ran at a good pace and felt good.  When all done while legs were sore but I was much better than I would be - so the end of weekend #2.

Weekend #3 was not meant to be as hard as the other two but still a good amount of milage and effort.  Also, that week I did two good running workouts with some 20/60’s on Tuesday then a Tempo run on Thursday to give me a Total running milage in the last 6 days at 48 miles.   The 110 mile ride on Saturday was a good one, after a good last 7 days, and was much better than my last ride and got some good sections in and finished feeling strong.  Unlike the last 110 miler I did not slow anywhere as close to as much this time.  To finish out the weekend I did an 8 miler Sunday morning that turned out to be at a good pace after starting out slow.  Other than my ankle being sore it felt pretty good.  

The goal now is to reduce my running miles to get my ankle healed up well before the Gravel Worlds 50K run.  I will still do some intervals but just enough to keep my legs where I want them to be but feeling fresh.  With regards to riding will do what I can this last week at work in So Cal and get in a few Zwift rides next week but as with my running do just enough to keep my legs fresh and ready to race.

Again, after being in the ER 4 weeks ago I think this was a good 3 weekends of running and riding.

Here is the 17.8 Miler

Here is the 12.3 Miler

Update #1 on CGM Use

Spike is from Tortillas

Here is a short update after my first two weeks with my Levels CGM - using a Freestyle Libre sensor.

As I stated in the first post I was mostly going to get used to the CGM and how the data works for the first 3-4 weeks and that is what I have been doing.  I have seen spikes when I expected them - such as eating a Pizookie ( https://www.bjsrestaurants.com/menu-item/salted-caramel-pizookie-2) which is a sugar bomb I rarely eat or having some tortillas - in this case only three small ones with some Menudo.  But also saw that oatmeal with cream and nutter and nuts, even with honey and blueberries did not generate the spike I expected.  That said I would really need to do an experiment for me to see how I react to oatmeal with the other items in it.  Also, noticed on my 110 mile ride this past weekend I did not get a noticeable spike, that I can see, from taking in carbs in the form of Gel chews but did see one when done and taking in some carbs. 

To do some of this investigation I still need to learn how to download the native data so I can look closer at the long ride and at the timing of when I took in fuel.  I want to look at some other runs where I did not take in any fuel but just to see what is up.  This is part of my wanting to see how fueling for me works and the timing.

I did notice initially is I had some pretty low numbers when sleeping but over the last week not so much so not sure if it is just a matter of things leveling out or not.  Or maybe just how I ate on those particular days before going to sleep.  Another one of those areas to look at.

Now this may be me but I can really see how this can help one work to minimize spikes.  If you are completive or like a challenge just knowing, via seeing past spikes, that certain foods will spike my glucose I will work to avoid them to minimize spikes.  I am also seeing that my body takes care of these spikes very quickly as while I have seen a few good spikes they are very short in duration.  The flip side of this that applies to most is I can imagine that of one endlessly had these spikes ones body could break down over time.

As far as comfort I really do not notice it is on.  The one thing that is a little bit of a pain - not literally - is the CGM takes the reading from interstitial fluid so is why it is on the more fleshy part of your arm and from others that have used one I was told if you sleep on it you can get some faulty numbers at night.  Truth is for me it would not probably be an issue but as I am a little OCD now I was told this I try and not sleep on that side:). But other than that no issues at all and am about to change it out as the 14 days is ending and even the cover held up well - sweaty running, showers and all.

My plan is over the next two weeks to further see how things affect me and work to avoid some of the things I have already seen do so.  Also, I am going to try downloading the raw data so I can see what I can do with it.  Not sure I will have enough data to do much at Gravel Worlds but do look forward to see how my body reacts during the two back to back races.

This is a chart from yesterday showing nothing much going on during my ride ( https://www.strava.com/activities/9502302658 ) as glucose was stable the entire ride. I took in 157grams over the course of the 6:30 ride but don't see any change in numbers when took in gels.  Dinner was with the Pizookie sugar bomb.  The spike after the ride was when I had some pretzels and almonds when done.

The Start of My CGM Journey

While we do not want to be data driven and controlled - as far too many are - we also do not want to ignore the ability to gather data.  In other words do not be a slave to data but let data corroborate what you know and experience since when you do this you will find over time you will not need the data but better be able to do things intuitively.

So it is with me and getting a CGM.  I don’t have TY1 or 2 Diabetes, and am not Pre-Diabetic and as far as I can tell am not insulin resistant.  Let alone at most times I am relatively lower carb than most and a lot less than many that work out and race as I do.  Yea, I am the opposite of the ever increasing posts on working to convince people they need to take in more carbs than ever before.  Where as for a long time the goal was to take in up to maybe 60gr or even maybe 80gr of carbs an hour the use now is for close to or over double that at 120+gr/hr.  Now I get it - if your paradigm is carb centric and you are not willing to change that paradigm you probably only have one way to go - more and more carbs.  But there is a way to go and it is one our bodies was designed to go - that is to use the fuel - fat or carb - that is needed for the effort or situation at hand.  However after years of training our bodies to rely on one source, carbs, most have to make a n effort to get things back on track

My thoughts and plans for the CGM is to gain more info on how my body works to help my health and performance and also to help others in how to use carbs in a lower carb diet for health and performance.  The Bernal plan is to just gather info for 2-3 weeks and then start experimenting with different foods and timings to see what doe best for any given situation and effort.  In the midst of this will be my run and ride at the Gravel World’s Double the end of August and will be interesting to see what the data shows after the races.  Unlike a certain company that pushes their CGM set up to drive what you do even in a race I am just going to observer what happened and use that data to compare to how I feel and make adjustments.  The issue with making on the fly changes is that as context changes - temp, effort, fatigue and more - so does ones needs and it may not be the same from one time to the next.

As far as the CGM set up I chose I went with Levels.  As a bit of info if you are not diagnosed by your doctor as diabetic or pre diabetic you will need to go the route of one of the CGM health companies to get a CGM as you can’t just buy them and your insurance will not cover it.  While a topic for another day but it is interesting that insurance companies will only cover things when you are already sick instead of covering those tools that may help you not get sick - but that is how they work since sick people are more valuable to the medical complex.  I looked at a few companies and finally decided on Levels as at the moment you had a choice between a Freestyle Libre or Dexcom 6 and for now went with the Freestyle Libre as the Dexcom 6.  Some differences are that the Libre is a little smaller and needs to be scanned every 8 hours to down load the data while the Dexcom is live and downloads the data via bluetooth.  Also, the Libre is good for 14 days before you need to change it while the Dexcom needs to be changed every 10 days.  Then, depending on who you talk to one may be more accurate than the other but if Levels ever moves to Dexcom 7 which I hear is much better it will be good.  As Levels, as with others, is a subscription based you get a new set of CGMs every month and you can change from the Libre to Dexcom when you like or even stop the subscription for a period of time.  You do pay a yearly ($199/yr) fee for use of their software on top of the monthly fee for the CGMs ($199/mth).   Again, you can put the CGM’s on hold when you like and then start again.  My plan is to use one for 3-6 months then take a break then come back near the end of my year plan - actually got a free extra 2 months - and see how things are and decide what I want to do from there.

I am sure there will be more I will do as another aspect of this is to see how my system reacts to being fat adapted and what happens when working out and racing when lower on carbs.  As I have said this is not to have the data drive what I do in real time, even though it may help adjust it over time, but help fine tune my fueling and cooperate what I already know and feel - or if the data says something else change what needs to be changed.  IN working with Peter at Vespa we really want things to be organic and intuitive but also know that data helps to build a foundation that supports what we know.
That’s it for now as I head off to So Cal for work for a month - will be interesting to see how my body does when eating out for month on travel. I have to admit I am sort of a data geek so am really looking forward to this and truly hope that the info I discover will help others so stay tuned.

What is the plan - well as I said this is to be a journey to learn more about how my body functions and to be able to fine tune my diet and carb use for various situations be it just life or racing and training.  The first 2-4 weeks will mainly just getting used to the data and collecting it so I know what my baseline is.  Also, will collect data from the Gravel Worlds Double that is about 5 weeks away which should be interesting in and of itself.  From there, and maybe even some in the 2-4 weeks, I will do some testing of certain foods and food combinations to see how I react.  One thing I really want to find out is about what carbs work best when racing to give me the push I need.  I have already found how some combos spike my glucose more than others - I do not noice it directly but can sure see it in the numbers.

I am sure there will be more I will do as another aspect of this is to see how my system reacts to being fat adapted and what happens when working out and racing when lower on carbs.  As I have said this is not to have the data drive what I do in real time, even though it may help adjust it over time, but help fine tune my fueling and cooperate what I already know and feel - or if the data says something else change what needs to be changed.  In working with Peter Defty at Vespa we really want things to be organic and intuitive but also know that data helps to build a foundation that supports what we know.

That’s it for now as I head off to So Cal for work for a month - will be interesting to see how my body does when eating out for month on travel. I have to admit I am sort of a data geek so am really looking forward to this and truly hope that the info I discover will help others so stay tuned.

2023 Yamacraw 50K Race/Run Review

This past weekend (5/20/23) I ran the Yamacraw 50K in the Daniel Boone Nat. Forest and is one of the most beautiful runs I have done and this year with the rain and all the green it felt like the we had a rainforest right here in KY.  This would be my third run there with the last two runs being back in 2017 and 2018.  The first two races if I remember correctly were in March so had different weather and the trail looks much different - greener - this time of year.  I went into this race in better shape than back in 2017 where I ran 5:59 and 2018 where I ran around 6:36 or so.  Based on this I was hoping to go under 6:00 again and did not think 5:30 was totally out of the question.  Well that is because I forgot how steep and rocky some of the downhills were and that I have been pretty careful on such down hills - especially since my fall at Pulaski Park where I got a minor concussion.  I got a quick reminder in the first miles where the stairs and rocks start on the descent and I just could not get myself to run down them so I quickly had people passing me as I let them all “RUN” by.

In trail running you often try and catch up time you lose on up hill sections when running downhill - well not for me on this type of course.  So the way the race went was I walked the steeper downhills and got passed by lots of people and then when going up hill past people only to get passed again later.  Couple that with just feeling tired at the start led to a slow start to the race where usually you can pick up some time as the back half of the course seems more hilly.  I even went through the “should I drop out” thinking at around 10 miles with the first and second aid station coming up.  Did not help that I fell at about 10 miles, just before the second aid station, and cut my hand and elbow and tweaked my hip.  Was just not feeling it and as I fell on a pretty tame section of downhill I was even more cautious on the downhills to come.  That said, as with in 2018 where I felt the same, I trudged on hoping I would feel better.  Thankfully things went about the same as last time and I did feel better but still had a lot of downhill that I would walk to come so knew a fast time was out but wanted to finish and place as well as possible and win my AG.

I made it to the third aid station at about mile 16.9 which is before the river crossing and while not feeling great was not feeling worse other than my right foot was sore as usual and probably made it worse as twisted my ankle at some point.  Did not seem like a bad twist but was pretty swollen and some discoloration the night after the race.  I just worked to maintain a steady, if not slow pace, and worked to run all the hills but one where it was fairly steep and running was slower than walking.  There is a dirt road you get to at about 23 miles or so that is about mile long of uphill and worked it pretty good, per Strava was 10th fastest on the day on this section, and was able to pass a number of people.  After that there is about a 1.5 mile rolling downhill section that while not pushing was able to keep a good pace on to get to the last Aid Station at 26 miles and just under 7 miles to the finish.  

The last 7 miles is deceptive as while there are a couple good downhills they are steep in places with even some steep stairs to go down so had to walk as was pretty slippy.  The rain had started and was coming down pretty well from about 17miles or so and the steps in the final section were both rocks and wood logs that I really did not want to slip on. The last 3 miles or so starts with a good uphill that I once again was able to pull away on but then when came to the last steep downhill and I got passed again.  Thankfully there is about 1.5 miles or so of runnable terrain so cruised to the finish.

All in all I can not say it was a good race for me but was a good run.  I say this as I did not give in to my inclination to drop out and persevered.  I did learn that courses like this may be out for racing as unless I get better at downhills and am willing to take some risk I just can’t race when I can’t take advantage of downhills as I need to.  I was initially really bummed as I had felt I was in shape to do much better, and think I was, but just did not take into account the terrain.  Realizing this race does not have that much elevation gain but the issue, at least for me, is the terrain coming down I am still optimistic about the 50K of the Gravel World’s Double as it is on rolling dirt/gravel rods with 2000ft of climbing which will much better play into my strengths of just getting into a rhythm.  That is the other issue with the trails for this race was they are hard to get into a rhythm on - why I sorta like the long road uphill as can just set it in a gear and go.

Here is the Relive of the run:

For kit I had the following:
- Craft Trail shorts - with built in Compression short  
- Craft Undershirt - this is one I did that most would not as it adds a layer but what find, as much like with riding, adds a thin air layer and never overheated.  
- RunInRabbit Shirt
- Injinji Trail Socks
- Orange Mud Sleeves - again was not cold but like these as they have pockets in them and work well even when hot out.  Let me add they also protected my left arm when I fell. 
- UltrAspire Speedboat Waist Pack   
- Vespa Cap   (Cap from here is unprinted)
- Topo Mtn Racer 2 Shoes   

- Coros Apex Pro 2 Watch

For this run I was trying a little different fueling in using UCAN Edge Gels as used to use UCAN but did not like the mix as hard to drink.  Thus used the gels with 2 before the run for a pre-load then one every 1.5 hours - did not take one at 6 hours as did not feel I needed one.  Also used Vespa as usual with one before the race and then 1 every 2 hours - again did not take one at 6 hours.  Then along the way probably drank about 3/4 of a can of coke at the aid stations and a few gummy bears I had.  For my hydration I probably drank 3 X 550ml bottles of water with a total of one scoop of Keto Fuel in them for electrolytes and 4S!Caps - took 2 with each Vespa Ultra Concentrate. Other than the first 10 miles or so felt good but I think most of how I felt was in my head as in this runs it is more of a mental battle for me.

Pre-Ride Fueling

2 hours before
16 oz Coffee
2 TBLS Heavy Cream
2 Scoops Collagen
2 GLPC Capsule
2 Vit D (50mg each)
1.5 Hours before
1 - UCAN Edge Gel

30 minutes before run
1 - UCAN Edge Gel
1 - Vespa CV25
1 - TruNiagen

Totals for Pre-Run
Cals - 345
Carbs - 47g
Protein - 22g
Fat - 11g

Run Fueling
3 - UCAN Edge Gels (Every 1.5 hours)
4 - Small cups coke at aid station (about 3/4 of a can total)
2 - Vespa Ultra Concentrate (2 hours & 4 Hours)
4 - S!Caps (@2 Hours and 4 hours)
1 - Ubiquinel at 3 hours
1- Bit-O-Honey at start
3 Gummy Bears along course near road climb
3 X 1/3 scoop Keto Fuel for Electrolytes
1 - TruNiagen in water bottle
56oz Water

Totals for Run
Cals - 400
Carbs - 104g
Protein - 1g
Fat - 1g

Lessons Learned and Things to Work On
I already new I was going to be tentative on the downhills before the race after my fall in the past months and a few near misses since then but was not as ready, as I had forgotten, how steep some of the descents were - even on some short ones that were just rocks.  Due to this I need to readjust my plan.  That said I my quads also took a pounding even on the less steep downhills I ran and that added up over the run and for sure felt it for 48 hours after the race. I also knew that while I had done some trails in Pulaski Park it was not enough and as they are tame, relatively speaking, trails there would take more work and just did not get that time in

To fix this, and my friend Nelson Weaver - who by the way got 10th at 50 years old - shared with me, I need to do more downhill practice and training to get my legs ready.  Also need to do some one leg squats that should help.  My quads are pretty strong from riding and for my size are bigger than most, not bragging just the way it is, due to riding and I think this adds to the soreness as they just take a pounding then running downhill - so more practice there is needed.

For Gravel Worlds there will not be the same downhills but will be enough rollers that I need to practice that type of terrain for now as not real trail runs in the cards for a while.  But I do know I need to add in more stretching and mobility exercises - well any stretching and mobility would be good as don’t do any really.  Along with this I need to work on my foot strength as the issue I have with my right foot while not as bad as it has been is still not good.  Once it starts getting sore it affects my stride an dhow I run that does not help.

Also I need to fine tune my fueling as for Gravel Worlds I not only have the individual races to fuel for but I need to keep fueled for the day two ride.  For this I need to just find what level of carbs feels the best and gives me the energy I need.  While I used UCAN for this race when it gets hot out I avoid it due to how ti sets in my stomach so may go back to SIS gels for that.  I can use Tailwind as works well but the only draw back is it requires being taken with my hydration and at times I do nto drink as much as I should and if this happens I not only don’t hydrate as I should I don’t get the fueling I should have.

That’s it for now and thanks, if you made it this far, for taking the time to read my report and hope something in it help you in your endeavors.

End of a Good 2 Weeks Training

Over the last 2 weeks I have been working some short intervals into my training to work on variable

pacing - more on this in a post in the next week.  Last week I focused on running intervals and then this week on riding ones.  Also, this past Friday and Saturday I did a Mini Gravel Worlds Trial with a long run on Friday and a Century on Saturday - so here is a review of the last two weeks.

Week April 10-16 - Run Focused
For this week I rode a little less and thus upped my running miles with the goal to get in 2 short interval sessions and then a long run on the weekend.  In this I also rode three times for a total of 129 miles.  For the runs I started the week running on Tuesday with a 10 miler that after an easy 6 miles ran 16 X 20/60’s with the 20 seconds sections at 5K race pace of around 6:00-6:15/mile with then an easy 60 seconds rest.  While it is a hard workout it easily doable and no real after effects from it.

My second run was an easy 4 miler on Wednesday afternoon after a morning ride on the trainer so the next harder run was on Thursday.  For this run I did an 8 miler with a 40 minute easy warmup then did 12 X 20/60’s with the 20 second parts at 6:00 - 6:15/mile pace and again 60 seconds easy.  Run felt good but did know I was working.

For the last run of the week I wanted to do a 20 miler then decided to add in 5 X 1 mile intervals with 1 mile rest from mile 7 - 17.  Ran easy 3 miles followed by a relaxed 4 miles so started longer intervals at 7 miles.  Faster mile intervals were from 6:53 to 7:15 (one was at 7:46 but had more uphill to it) then the rest miles were at 8:12 - 8:31 with last 3 miles to finish the run at a steady 8:15 down to 8:08/mie.  Was a good run since although tired at end and a little sore from the miles felt good.

So with basically 3 hard running workouts for the week it ended well and felt good to go into the next week with my intervals being on the bike.

Week 17-23 - Ride Focused
As this was more a ride focused week I cut back my run milage and plan was to run easy - which I sorta did but more on that in a moment.  First run of the week was a relaxed one but after the initial 3-4 miles lowered the pace for last two as felt good.  Not sure why I did this as plan was to run easier but truth is just felt good.

For my interval ride it consisted of 2 warmup rides ( Ride 1 & Ride 2 ) followed by an hour ride where I did 10 X 60/180s.  For these the 60 second intervals were done at 120% of my FTP  (about 290w) which comes out to around 348w and then the rest was to ride easy for 3 minutes then repeat.  Hard to track the watts but seemed to be about right but I think the 60 second efforts may be a little long as the goal is not to be totally trashed but that end the interval before you begin to slow down.  Will try this on the next round at 45 seconds.  That said it was a good workout.

After another run Wednesday where I again ran at a good pace but was comfortable. Thursday I had planned to do a Team Time Trial (TTT) on Zwfit as my intervals for the week.  Since the team was to have 8 people figured I could do 1 minute pulls but would then get 5-7 minutes rest since in a TTT the rest is not as easy as when just doing intervals.  The problem was that when race day came due to some misunderstandings on registering we only ended up with 4 people for this TTT which I did after a 27 mile warmup.  As there were only 4 of us the plan was for us to see how long we could go with 1 minute pulls which then gave a 3 minute rest.  We did a get a ways at this timing but at about 1/2 way we figured we would go to 30 second pulls so we could pull harder.  The problem is shortly after that my internet went out so the way Zwift works you can still ride but do not see anyone or get a draft.  Thus I had to just ride hard and hope that when the internet came on I would be close so rode at around 250-300 watts for a couple minutes.  When the internet came on I was a little ways behind but as we needed 4 to finish the race they had throttled back some so I soon caught up.  After a brief rest I went back to 30 second pulls till the end.  This was much harder than the intervals intended.

As I had a century planned for Saturday I wanted to do a long run Friday morning so as to do a mini Gravel Worlds Double trial.  Thus, I ran a 15 miler on Friday morning with my initial plans being to run easy.  I did this for the first 4 miles but then felt good so just ran at a pace that was comfortable which ended up being sub 8:00 for the last 11 miles.  In the midst of this - and this was unplanned and not sure if wise but oh well - I did 15 X 30/30s as are talked about in the book I am ready called The Science of Marathon and the Art of Variable Paced Running.  These are very much like what we at Vespa OFM do with out 20/60s but with less rest and a longer interval.  The length is actually a guide - as it is with ours - as you are to run at pace and time by feel but is good to start with a the time till you get the feel for the length and speed.  Ran these by feel but for the 2 miles covered during running these the miles were at 7:18 and 7:15.  When done after mile 10 I kept pace at sub 8:00/mile and gradually got faster with last mile in 7:23.  This was much faster than planned but was a good test with a century to ride 24 hours later.  Also, after the TTT on Thursday I was happy with being able to run this pace

This past Saturday I did the Redbud Century and was a beautiful day if not initially cold and was windy for the entire ride - sure felt like it was a headwind for the whole ride.  While not the fastest I have done this ride I only stopped for maybe 5 minutes total for the ride and rode the hills at a comfortable pace and did not ride the first 10 miles or so as hard as usual.  Also, as has happened the last few years I have done this it ended up mostly being an Individual Time Trial so makes it harder physically and mentally.  That said felt good and when not climbing pace was pretty well at around 20mph.  Considering the weeks workouts which were pretty good for me I felt great after the ride - tired but feeling good. 

Fueling for the Redbud Ride:

Was cool out so did not drink enough as just did not "feel" thirsty and was not hungry. Also, while did ride a good pace did not really push it so did not need as much extra as I might have if rode harder.

Pre-Ride

3/4 of Modified BP Coffee

1 - Packet of Oatmeal

1 - Vespa CV25

Totals:

Cals - 617 

Carbs - 42g

Protein - 26g

Fat - 38g

During Ride:

1.5 bottles of water

1 Scoop of Tailwind

1 Scoop Keto Salts

2 - Vespa Ultra Concentrate (@ 2hrs and 4hrs)

1 SIS Gel (1/2 at 50 miles & 1/2 at 4.5 Hours)

Totals:

Cals - 228

Carbs - 57g

Protein - 0g

Fat - 0g

 
Here is the Redbud Ride:

I finished the week with a 3.25 mile run in the morning at 8:20 that felt easy and no real soreness from Saturday’s ride or the week’s hard efforts.

So that was the last two weeks and between being fat adapted and using Vespa my recovery has been great.  No way I could have done the workouts I did - whether I should have done them is another conversation:) - with my past fueling regimen that was more focused on carbs.  The lack of damage done by my fueling makes all the difference.  

The plan for the coming weeks with the Yamacraw 50K in about a month is to do a few more variable paced workouts and to make sure I am well rested for Yamacraw before going back to getting ready for the Gravel Worlds Double and then Gravel Loco in Pueblo CO.  For the next few weeks will be more focused on running but will still get in some good rides and at least one or two more long ones.  As I often get some foot issues, been holding up well so far, if I over do it I want to be careful with my long runs before Yamacraw.

Stay tuned for a post on Variable Paced running and our Disruptive Periodized Training

Start the Year with The 28 Day Metabolic Reset

As we end the year many look to make a New Years Resolution - many times only ending up failing.  I think this often is the case because the goal of the resolution is not backed by a clear reason, a plan and often no support from others.

Over the last few years I have been really pushing that people need to take personal responsibility for their health and in particular their metabolic health.  If the last few years should have told us anything it is that one’s health should be a priority so as to combat all that is out there to create issues.  When I speak of good health this is not simply so one can run, or ride farther or faster, but even more importantly so one can live life to the fullest.  What would be better than to have your health and the energy it provides so as to take care of your family, play with children and work to support them - let alone to be able to train to your fullest and get the most out of your body.

One of the tools to do this is the 28 Day Metabolic Reset we do at Vespa.  This reset  is set up, in general, to help people experience Optimized Fat Metabolism (OFM) so as to gain metabolic capacity so as to Athen have true metabolic flexibility - being able to use both fat and carbs for fuel as needed.  That said while I am pretty far along the OFM journey I find these resets work great to help me get my body back on track when I may have strayed some with travel and the holidays.  As an aside one of the great benefits of OFM is that as you work on gaining metabolic capacity your body can easily get back on the wagon - the Reset is one of the tools to help me do so.

We will be starting the Reset on December 26th and the first week is made to get ready for the things to come and thus allows you to get through the 1st and then hit the Reset with the holidays behind you.

Here are some of the things that come with the 28 Day Metabolic Reset:

• Daily Videos Directly From Peter Defty

• Private Facebook Community 

• Daily/Weekly Assignments and Challenges 

• Access to the live calls (run twice per year)

• Supplementation Documents To Help Integrate

• Huge Discounts on Supplements

Sign up and get even more information here for the 28 Day Reset and join me as we work to better our metabolic health and performance

If you want more info before the Reset on metabolic health we will be having a Free Metabolic Suit December 11th, 13th and 15th and here is information of the summit

• Live & Perform as if you are decades younger just like our Heroes

• Mitigate and even reverse chronic illness

• Slow or even reverse the aging process

• Manage your weight naturally

• Reduce or even eliminate medications

• Continue leading a highly active lifestyle for decades to come

The summit will have 3 live calls - 

Live 1 - Sunday - December 11 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST -

Metabolic Health - your key to longevity and peak performance

Live 2 - Tuesday - December 13 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST - 

Why dieting is costing you money and your health

Live 3 - Thursday - December 15 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST - 

How to transform your health and reverse chronic conditions

To join all you have to do is show up in the OFM Facebook Group - here is the link - 

(note - if you are not a member just click the join button)

If you want to get reminders so you don’t miss one of these insightful events click here 

In this summit, not only will you learn how to reach your potential, but sustain it without a rigid diet, highly structured programs, counting, calculating or an app telling you what to do.  We teach you to LIVE life fully as an individual, and it is our pleasure to both guide & empower you on this journey as we have done for hundreds of others!

Whether you are an athlete who wants to reach their peak performance OR someone who simply wants to live Life to the fullest at any age - this is for YOU!

Bookmark your calendar and click here 

So join me for the Metabolic Summit the join me of The 28 Day Metabolic Reset