This is part of a series of posts regarding how I am preparing, planning, and train to complete the 100 miles Ultramarathon Umstead 100: Road to 100. For all the ultrarunning series here is Road to 100 last week’s post and for additional ideas follow the link. Training for a 100.

If you have been following the weekly plan and updates by now you probably just realize that there is going to be not only lots of miles but a lot of time on your feet. You perhaps have another runner or friend training for the same or similar event and are spending runs together, especially the long runs. Or perhaps, you are part of have joined a running club or group that you can run a few during their scheduled group runs. Maybe you are used to running by yourself and do not need any sort of company, just the passing of familiar faces during the runs is enough, or you might like the solitude or mindfulness of the lone long run.

Regardless of the preference, you might want to take this week to think about how you are going to tackle time, during the event.

Assessment:

With the event in mind take an assessment of the different segments of the event and start planning to put together an approach.

• Looped event: With this type of event you might have the luxury to assign specifics theme to each loops. If there are 4 loops, you might want to select music from the different decades or have a few podcasts ready for each segment. Audiobook (short ones) are also good options. Are you going to capture the experience on a camera phone or other video/picture devide? Plan for when would you like to do that.
• Point to point: Similar to the looped, divide the event mileage into different segments. Aid station to aid station or point of interest, the crest of a hill or climb, the view toward the city or lake. The river/creek crossing or the iconic bridge could also be options to use to divide the route and mileage. Similar to the looped version assign an intention and approach to each one of the segments.
• Be Flexible: Open up to other ideas and themes that you could, on a limited basis, try during the long runs. You do not want to loose the novelty effect and be tired of that type of listening, thinking before your event. Not everything is going to work out as plan, and minor adjustments are going to be nescessary.

The answers will help you get ready for the next step the planning session as you might want to start creating a list of the different alternatives available to you.

Planning:

Get ready to write down the list or map that will serve as a guide, an initial guide at this time of what you could use, the approach that will help you keep your mind sane during the event. You will be revisiting the plan as new ideas will come to mind during the training journey.

• Divide the music into possible genre: Rock, Latino, Pop, 80’s, Romantic, Heavy Metal, Mariachi and Boleros, Early High School years, most recent hits, country, Salsa and Merenge, Oldies and others. Right there there are over 10 options. Create playlist and try them during the training runs, prune, change, add as you go, you want to have enough time in each playlist to cover the segments plus.
• Find interesting podcast, stories or audiobooks: Similar to the music, find those topics that are of interest, pre-download those into you device(s) have them ready and check the lenght. For me I have use This American Life, Hidden Brain, Happiness Lab, Revisionist History, Freakonomics, Strength Training, Science of Ultra, Choiceology, How I built thisd, La Brega and others.
• List your devices battery life: This goes for your player and for your wireless headset if not using a wired headeset. If the device last 3-4 hours you might need to consider using multiple or plan with your crew or station to have the availability to either re-charge or change over a new one. I do have multiple I-Pod shuffles (They are discontinued) with wired headphones that I could use during the looped events. They are old, so the battery life does not last multiple loops.
• Consider the others activities: Keep in mind that during the 1st few files you will most likely be talking to other fellow runners running the event. Also if the event allows for pacers (Normally after certain covered mileage, in my case after 50 miles), the pacers will also talk to you and keep your mind fresh. In my case I plan to have enought playlist for 3 solid loops (38 miles) and partial playlist time coverage loops after I am able to have a pacers running with me.
• Consider dedicating a segment: During the event, another option coulde be, dedicating a segment or loop to someone or specific time in your life. Time you are setting especifically where you are going to spend thinking, reflecting, thanking/gratefulness and moving forward. Maybe miles 1-10 for friends, then miles 11-20 for family, miles 50-70 to the accomplishments that got you where you are now and so on.
• Ask for help: Ask friends and family to provide a recording (video/audio/written) providing a few words of encouragement and shared memories that you could have handy during the event. Especially during the darkest momentwere you are going to need that extra push, click and motivation to continue to put one foot in front of the other.

Plan, prepare, adjust, do not leave it until too close to the event as you might need to procure, test, and adjust. No surprises.

How is the plan going:

This week was another solid low mileage week. The workweek mileage was decent, after two heavy mileage weeks with 20 plus back-to-back long run weekends, this was a recovery weekend. Here are some highlights,

Monday: 25 minutes of Down Dog Yoga and some additional rolling

Tuesday run: Easy Run

Wednesday run: Instead of an easy run, I did a fun Light Post-workout, basically, run hard between a couple of Light Posts and easy during one. 22 of speed play.

Thursday run: Easy run instead of the Yassos, the previous day was some speed work. Is it the Hotel Argos or the Argos Hotel? Listening to the Zombie Run app to finish the story adventure Hotel Hijinks

Friday: About 25 minutes of Down Dog Yoga and a set of clams/reverse clams/squats

The long weekend runs were good too,

Saturday: This week calls for a low mileage long run. Headed out with a couple of good friends. Tried to fuel with tangerines and energy drink mix with ok success.

Sunday: There were some snow/ice storms passing by today. Glad that it was during the low mileage recovery week since this was a treadmill run, watching Boba Fett which was released earlier in the month.

This week actual numbers:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total	Plan
Week 6	Stretches & Rolling	4	6	4	Stretches & Rolling	14	10	38	41

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