Training Update 2/23 - 3/1 — The Liles Trials

Mar 1

Mar 1 Training Update 2/23 - 3/1

My training is absolutely heading in the right direction. The trend line is starting to flatten out versus some of the mileage peaks and valleys that have been present since the relocation. I landed over 60 miles and 10K of climb for the second consecutive week and my 4 week average is in the mid 50's with over 9k of climb. I'm not one to usually look back and compare but given the circumstances this year combined with the new surroundings, I thought it would be interesting to see how my past 2 February's stacked up. For Feb 2015 total hours training are down by 2 and there is a delta in miles of -29. My climb has gone up by a factor of 1.8x or +17,581 feet (an extra 3.3 miles up). A lot of factors are in play when comparing the two years. First for 2014 Feb in IL/MO was brutal. Super cold temps and lots of snow on the ground. I spent a lot of my mid week miles on the treadmill. Meaning I could travel farther without environmental factors (cold, snow, wind, hills) at a higher pace. This accounts somewhat for the bigger mileage last year but does not tell it all. On the other end of the spectrum in 2015 we have had ideal weather here in Portland so getting out was never an issue and I have yet to step foot on a treadmill since moving. However it is super hilly compared to my old stomping grounds. For comparison my standard 7 mile route from my house in IL netted me 167 feet of climb. From my Portland house the climb is 850 feet over 7 miles. The best I could do in IL without traveling somewhere by car was an 8 mile route with 450 ft/climb. Interestingly, my weekend trail runs are fairly close in terms of climb. The difference is my old weekend runs were 15 short climbs adding up to roughly 4k of vertical whereas here that same climb can be achieved in 2-3 climbs.

What does it all mean? Simply, I'm climbing more here during the week. Steady climbs of 2+ miles was unheard of in IL, here I can do that right out my front door. My in week runs that used to be flat and faster are now hillier and slower. I am adjusting to them though as last week's 7 mile staple runs was some of the fastest I have done since being here without feeling like my effort was any higher.

Feb's Compared