Training for LBL

Week of Feb. 15-21 was my first attempt to test my foot before deciding whether I could join the team in Kentucky or not.  My runs were going well so I accepted the invitation.  This was before even meeting ½ the team.  That wasn’t until March 8 when we got the chance to train together in the canoe, on the bike and on foot.  Since I had kept a good base all winter the only thing I was worried about was my foot.  My 1^st adventure race was an 8-hr in Dec. ’07 (see report at http://midriversadventure.com/cwood07.html), which was the onset of my plantar fasciitis.  I had to stop running for an entire year.  When I was approached by the team to do LBL, I had only recently returned to running and had good reason to hesitate.

Here was my training regiment with only 7 weeks to train for the longest duration of physical fitness I’d ever tried.

• Week 1: 8.5 mile run, 1 mile run & 30 min row, 5.5 lb bag while 30 min. on stairs & 30 min. on inclined treadmill & 15 min row, 5.5 mile hike & some jog w/pack, 10 mile run w/pack (1:53 hrs), 42 miles on mtn bike w/lots of hills (10-4:00)
  
• Week 2: 30 min. run & 10 min. row, 22 miles on road bike, 1.5 hr run/walk/hills, steps w/pack along with weight lifting
  
• Week 3: 1 hr bike & 1 hr row & 1.5 hr treadmill & .5 hr stairs plus weights, 3 miles on treadmill w/pack & 10 min. on stairs w/pack, 22 miles on road bike, 2 hrs on mtn bike and 30 min. run/walk, 70 miles on road bike
  
• Week 4: 1.5 hr canoe & 1.5 hr bike & 1 hr trek/run all w/pack, weights, 20 min row & 20 min upper body weights, 126 miles on road bike
  
• Week 5: 9 mile run (1:45) w/pack, 3 hr mtn bike, fast 24 miles on road bike, 20 min rowing & weights, 24 miles on mtn bike at Berryman (7pm-12am), 126 miles on road bike
  
• Week 6: 1 hr run w/light pack, 10 min row & 10 min treadmill & 20 min swim & weights + hot tub, 1 hr b-ball & 15 min hill run, 23 miles on road bike, 40 min run w/pack
  
• Week 7: 24 mile road bike ride in wind, 14 mile road bike & 20 min run, RACE DAY (24 miles on foot, 15 miles paddling, 58 miles on mtn bike = ~97 miles)
  

*December - January I worked out 25 of those days, which isn't great but not so bad during the holidays.

Preparation:  There was required gear I had to have.  A fellow female adv racer lent a bigger pack to me.  I trained with a pack but never weighed it or put all race gear in it.  Therefore, race day was a bit of a surprise.  The pack was heavier than I expected it would be even after putting some items in the guys’ packs.  I brought extra gear to KY because I was still deciding on clothing and food up until the night before.

Food:  This was by far the most fun prep since I’m quite fond of food.  ;-)  I asked advice from other athletes about # of calories I needed to consume.  I was surprised to learn adv racers eat junk food and solids – though everyone’s different.  I counted & labeled my food and put into bags w/ 6 hours of calories in each.  As calculated as I was in prep it didn’t work that easily on race day.  It was hard to focus on eating on a regular schedule.  I also made some last minute changes, thinking maybe I had too many calories.  Some food I thought I’d like became an unpleasant thought during the race.  All food items below I tested on rides or runs, and were my favorites.  Some were regulars in my training and racing that had been tried and true.

Items that worked for me the best!
homemade brownies w/walnuts
Powerbar gel blasts (lemon & cola w/caffeine @ night)
diced peaches in juice (plastic container)
beef jerky (small amount & shared w/teammates)
Perpetuem (only good for 12 hrs; didn’t want after that)
**someone told me Hammer Nutrition makes Sustained Energy that I should try
banana flavored Hammer gel
brown sugar Pop-Tarts

Items that were just ok – animal crackers, Girl Scout thin mints, Snickers, Skittles, Twizzlers

Items that were NOT good – Cheez Its & nut mix, my favorite chocolate Gu gel