Vermont 100 - Volunteer Experience #2

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The Vermont 100 weekend is a weekend to look forward to in my summer.  This is my second time volunteering for the event with last year (2016) being my first and I can easily see it becoming a tradition. Visit the race website for more info on the race.

My friend Liza and I went up together this year and had a blast.  Vermont and the Vermont 100 did not disappoint.  From amazing volunteers, enthusiastic runners and spastic weather, there was always something to see and be inspired by.  Flexibility was key for the weekend...e.g. sleeping in the car to avoid camping in the wet fields with looming clouds above.  Adventure!   We volunteered first at the Friday night runner dinner and then Saturday at Camp 10 Bear aid station from 6am-2pm.  I recognized a lot of people from last year and made some new connections.  I am tired but oh so inspired.

Here are my pictures from the weekend.

Liza and I starting out on the trip up.
photo cred: Liza


Friday was dreary and wet up in the valley


Runner briefing before dinner on Friday


the Vermont 100 also has a horse race. Horse use the same route as the runners

"car camping!"
View from the car


4am start for the 100 mile runners


Camp 10 Bear aid station

Runners approaching 10 Bear


Runner drop bags at Camp 10 Bear



First Week of Ultra-training, Check!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

I love talking running with other runners.  It warms me up; like a wax warmer sending heat and a beautiful fragrance to my soul.

With the first official week of ultra training under my belt, I am feeling motivated and energized.  This is partially thanks to the extra half week of rest due to my sprained ankle and partly to some encouraging conversations from really tough everyday runners.

For me, running is definitely not a solo sport.  It is way more fun to run with others and to share stories and experiences with people who "get it" and have "been there". I am constantly amazed by the people in my clubs; both the road runners and the trail runners.  These are people who hold it down with work and family like everyone else and still find ways to train 40, 50, 80 miles a week with thousands of feet of elevation gain to boot (I'm thinking maybe I'll resuscitate theRunnersRun Interviews sometime soon...there are some awesome stories).  It blows my mind but also makes it accessible.  Like...if they can do it, why can't I?  God made our bodies to do amazing things.  It's just a matter of focusing and finding the motivation to persevere.   With a bit of training and dedication almost anything is possible.

Increasing Mileage

This first week of ultra training was a 30 mile week.  I am training for the TARC Fall Classic 50 mile Ultramarathon on September 30th.  It is about 13 weeks away.  This first week was a fun week which spanned vacation on the Cape and lots and lots of fireworks.  It felt pretty easy to get the miles in.




I hope to run at least 30 miles a week for the duration of the training and to get a few (at least two) 50 mile weeks.  This is a lot of running for me but necessary.  The goal of this training regiment is to RUN MORE.  50 miles in one day is a long way and I will not be prepared if I cannot get at least two 50 miles weeks in training.  Check how I'm doing here.

I feel good now but the real test will be after 9 or 10 weeks of training when the cumulative fatigue starts to hit.  Like I told a friend from my club this evening who I ran into on my run, I'm taking it one training run at a time.  If I look out at future weeks in the schedule, I get overwhelmed :)

Training Plan

I plan to use the below plan as a guide for weekend long runs.  I found it using a random Google search that lead me to the Santa Clarita Runners Ultramarathon Training Schedule Generator.   I'm already a little behind the schedule because of the sprain set-back but I'm okay with adjusting.  The long run schedule seems logical and I will plan to follow the progression.  I plan to do my own thing for the weekday runs. Run-commuting to work (6 miles one way) is a standard weekly run for me and I'm hoping to incorporate a couple of back to back runs per week involving the commute.  Long runs will mostly be done on the trails to mimic race conditions.


Stay tuned for summer running fun!

How about you?
Do you think of running as a solo sport of more of a community sport?
Do you follow a plan when training for a race?