2008 was the Dipsea race that almost ended it all for me as a future participant. That is how I felt, numerous times during the race, struggling just to keep moving on Dynamite and then Hogsback. It was such a disappointment to be feeling that way while doing a race which had been on my mind all year long.
My training had been going well and I had high hopes for a strong race. Leading up to the Dipsea that year I raced in two Tamalpa Club races. These races told me that my training was on track and gave me a lot of confidence.
Shortly after the second Tamalpa race, and about 5 weeks before the Dipsea I came down with the flu. This was very depressing but I remained patient. Several weeks later I began to ramp up my preparation again and hit another obstacle. On a run one day, I was pushing pretty hard uphill when my quad seized up. I couldn’t run at all after that. I ended up walking back home. This injury continued to persist for many days and finally started to feel better but only with less than two weeks to go. I was beginning to panic.
The weekend before the big day I decided to test my fitness and see how the quad felt on the actual course. My plan was to run up to Cardiac and back and use good judgment to dictate my pace. The run felt very good, my time splits were close to my goal marks and my legs felt solid with no lingering pain in my quad. I finished the run pleased with the effort and headed back home.
In retrospect this was not the best lead up as I felt the effects of that run big time upon waking the next morning. My legs were sore and I felt drained most of the week. I was also obsessed with following a rather strict tapering regimen and then on Dipsea morning an extended pre-race warm-up. This preparation combined with a rather hot day on the course proved disastrous. I felt terrible. No energy, dead legs and little will to keep going. On my way up to Cardiac I even began to have thoughts about not entering the next year because I was sure I was going to miss the Invitation cutoff. As I crested Cardiac I looked down and saw that my split was actually right near that cutoff edge. This gave me just enough of a boost to keep pushing and I finished with about a minute to spare, keeping me back in the race another year.
In reflection, although avoiding illness and injury were also on my mind I knew that I needed to rethink my training if I wanted to race at a new level. I was not happy just scraping by and thought that I should be able to move much closer to the front. This meant formulating a strategy and possibly following a specific training plan. I had never done this before. I always have been able to train hard and rarely lack the motivation to get out the door. Winging it though just wasn’t working and incorporating a real plan seemed like the way to go. Although a bit hesitant at first, once I found a plan I actually enjoyed the structured approach.
The big difference was the focus on intervals and speed work. Short and long intervals, flat and hill repeats. I even incorporated a unique drill called Tabata which consists of sprinting for 20 seconds, then resting 10 and repeating this cycle 8 times. I think the act of really working my race system was the boost I needed to absorb the demands of this unique race. I was also able to stay healthy and had only a few minor injuries, none of which side lined me for more than a few days.
The 2009 Dipsea was a smashing success. My new training approach allowed me to cut almost 7 minutes off my time from last year, moving down almost 200 places from 403 in ‘08 to 217. I was no longer just making the cut being closer to the front then ever before. I was thrilled with my success and have since started thinking I can do even better next year. I must also give credit to the cooler temperatures and a more relaxed taper during the preceding week allowed me to be at the starting line feeling much more rested.
I have built a huge endurance base over the years and can slog up hills for hours but had never focused much on increasing my speed both uphill and on the flats. My training had been more about training my body how to hold the speed that I already had for the duration of the race. This new focus on shorter more intense intervals made a big difference in my running economy and tolerance running in the red zone. I feel like I have only just started to scratch the surface on how to effectively use intervals to improve my times even more. I can look at my weaknesses this year and see a direct correlation to how I trained and where I need to improve based on my race performance. Almost all my intervals were done on a medium grade slope similar to the Hogsback. The sections where I faltered were the Stairs, Dynamite and Cardiac, the step inclines which I didn’t focus my training on. These steeper sections must be addressed next year if I want to continue to improve and need to be an integral part of my new training plan.
As my clock continues it’s inevitable progress forward, I have learned that it really doesn’t have to limit my physical capabilities. Mostly because I feel that I am still so far away from my true potential. However, I know that to reach that ultimate goal of nearing the peak of my abilities I will need to continue to train smarter, and this does not mean just more intensity. I know that recovery plays a vital role and that improvement occurs when I can really put in those 100% efforts. Intensity and rest must be in balance. Injury and illness can come by not respecting father time and listening to those little signs that can be masked by obsessing about exercising and pushing hard every time I head out the door.
