Working the hills

The last few days the body has been slow (it is a matter of perspective...).  I've admitted I am a converted track guy, with a fair amount of road racing experience.  Taking on the marathon had my old college coach scratching his head - reminding me I was an 800/1500 kid.  The ultra world has him in disbelief - especially since I have made it my prime focus now. So the mile splits that have been crawling across the Garmin are slower than my road splits - by nearly 2 to 3 minutes. 

At first,  I was thinking it was simply part of the recovery phase. But yesterday amd today I took a closer analysis of my 'system' and everything was green. No soreness...no fatigue.   Maybe some muscle tightness due to abysmal stretching routine.  However, upon a bit further review, I have come to recognize that my post zion training has been with two significant variables not condusive to speed: very technical trail and total elevation gain. 

After Zion, and my decision to pursue faster ultra times - I relayed to my training partner my desire to increase my average gain per mile to 150ft.  Pre Zion I was just under 100ft /mile.  Unfortunately, the trails with the most ascent in the area are fairly technical - and descents warrant extreme caution.   I am seeking hills now - probably to the disgust of my training partner. Lately, this has come via trails behind Montville High School or the Connecticut College trails. I have grown fond of the "Conn" trails lately, as I can do repeats of their short and very steep (100ft) climb, via a looped section. I can add 400+ feet over the last mile alone, if I plan the run to turn from Connecticut river, and march all the way up to the arboretum.   I plan on adding another trail system soon, The Pipeline.  That 10mile run will get me 3000feet, and very tired legs.  While these aren't Colorado numbers, for southeastern Connecticut trails, these are good.   It is amazing though, how easy it is to avoid the hills if you are focusing on them!

Final note, to scare off the fears that I am slowing down. My last 3/4 of a mile were all road today. Without much effort, I turned in a low 7mpm clip. Positive mental step there.  Back to hills tomorrow.