This week marks the end of our foundational training block. Over the past six weeks, we have laid the groundwork—we forged our ‘Why’, learned to master the little things, built our fueling and lighting playbooks, and understood the energy equation. Now, we take a deliberate step back. This is a planned recovery and reflection week. In any major project, you must pause to assess progress, integrate lessons, and adjust the plan. Our journey to 100 miles is no different.

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This is part of a series of posts regarding how we prepare, plan, and train to complete the 100-mile Ultramarathon Umstead 100. Our series for this event: Collecting Laps: one lap at a time to 100. For all the ultrarunning series, here, follow the link. Training for a 100. Alternatively, you can also follow our Podcast so you don’t miss the weekly summary post.

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Think of this as our first quarterly review. The upcoming training block will feature longer back-to-back runs and key tune-up races like the Derby 50k and Shakori 40 this fall. Those events will be our proving grounds. This week’s “taper” is not about laziness; it’s a strategic tool to absorb our recent training, heal the body, and sharpen the mind for the harder work to come. True progress is not just about accumulating miles; it’s about accumulating wisdom.

Assessment:

Your task this week is to conduct a personal After-Action Review. This is a structured look back at the first phase of our training. Sit down with your training log and be an honest, objective analyst of your own performance. Review your progress through the lens of our recent topics:

• Your ‘Why’ (Week 25): How has it held up? Did you need to lean on it during a particularly tough run? Is it still a powerful motivator?
• The Little Things (Week 24): What “pebbles in the shoe” did you identify? A chafing spot, a recurring blister, a piece of gear that annoyed you? What solutions did you implement?
• Systems Check (Weeks 23, 22, 21): How did your fueling playbook and lighting systems perform in practice? Did your A-List foods deliver? Did you test anything from the C-List? Did your headlamp battery last as long as you expected?
• The Energy Equation (Week 20): On your longest runs, how did your planned calorie intake feel? Did you feel consistently energized, or did you experience significant lulls?

This assessment is about recognizing what is working and identifying precisely where improvements are needed.

Planning:

Based on your review, your planning for this week is not about miles, but about adjustments. This is where we apply the “Plan, Do, Check, Adjust” cycle that governs all successful endeavors. For every point of friction you identified in your assessment, you must create an action plan.

• What needs adjustment? Be specific. “My nutrition” is too vague. “I need to find a non-gel food for hour three because I’m experiencing palate fatigue” is an actionable problem.
• What will you do differently? Propose a specific solution. “I will test salted potatoes and broth on my next long run.”
• What went well? Do not forget this! Reinforce what works. “My A-List fuel choices were solid; I will continue to make them the foundation of my plan.”
• How will you test the adjustments? Schedule it. The first long run of the next block is the perfect time to test your proposed solution.

Your success in March is being forged now, in these moments of thoughtful analysis and deliberate planning.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR IMPROVEMENTS TO CHANCE

Diabetic Learning Notes:

For the Type 1 athlete, a recovery week offers a dual benefit: crucial physical rest for our bodies and a much-needed mental break for our “pancreas brain.” The constant vigilance of managing blood sugar during long efforts is uniquely taxing. This week, we step back from the acute stress of the long run to analyze our data and refine our systems.

Your Assessment is a T1D Data Dive. Pull up your CGM data or logs from your key long runs. Look beyond individual numbers and search for patterns:

• Did you consistently trend low two hours into your runs? This could indicate your temporary basal reduction was too aggressive or started too early.
• Did your pre-run breakfast cause a spike that you fought for the first 60-90 minutes?
• How effective and efficient were your low treatments? Did you overcorrect?
• What was your time-in-range during the run versus the rest of the day?

Your Planning is about calibrating your system based on that data.

• If you identified a consistent pattern, your plan for the next block is to make one specific adjustment. For example, “I will start my 50% reduced basal rate 30 minutes before my run instead of 60.”
• If your breakfast caused a spike, your plan is to test a lower-glycemic alternative or adjust your pre-run bolus timing.
• This is the perfect time to prepare for the upcoming tune-up races. Frame the Derby 50k as a full-scale test of these new, adjusted protocols. The goal is to enter the next, harder phase of training with a more resilient and predictable diabetes management plan.

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 19	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	5	5	6	Rest	15	18	49
Actual	Stretches	10	12	Rest	Stretches	18	13	53

Next Week Plan:

Week 18	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	5	5	6	Rest	13	14	43