Three Weeks Training for Half-Marathon

I have fond memories of my last ascent race to the top of Pikes Peak, 20 years ago now. Crossing the finish line is exhilarating. At 14,000 feet above sea level and 3,000 feet above timberline, the air is thin and dizziness takes hold. But the feeling of accomplishment is unmatched. The 13 mile course has a rise of over 7,000 feet from the Manitou Springs starting line. It seems like a tall order even for the best conditioned athletes. Yet every year, normal, every-day athletes like me complete the course in fine order, experiencing the adrenaline rush of crossing below the finish banner, among the craggy rocks at the pinnacle of Pikes Peak. Serious distance runners choose the full marathon option, an event run the following day where the ascent is the first half of the race. Marathoners turn at the top and race back down the trail the same 13 miles to the finish line.

This year's Ascent finished last weekend. Sadly, my goal of being a part of the race did not pan out. Now, at age 47, having gone through 4 knee operations over the years, I can no longer train long distances. I have 40% of protective cartilage remaining in one knee, and just 20% in the other, which also underwent ACL reconstruction in 1986. I am essentially bone-on-bone, and the constant pounding of distance running exacerbates the arthritis that has begun taking hold in my knees. I can no longer train for long distance events. Yet every year, I am drawn by this event, and feel almost deprived as others experience what I can no longer achieve.

Having grown in popularity over the years, the race organizers established qualification guidelines for entrants. This approach makes sense, as it ensures a minimum level of conditioning to avoid health emergencies on race day, as well as dramatically limiting the number of eligible runners attempting to sign up for the fixed number of runners allowed by the national forest service.

A year ago, I established a goal for myself to get qualified for the Pikes Peak Ascent. The qualification is achievable my just the average runner. Run a half-marathon in 2 hours, 30 minutes (11:26 per mile pace), or a full marathon in 5 hours, 30 minutes. I set my sights on the Las Vegas Half Marathon in December, and turned to the popular Hal Higdon site for a half-marathon training plan. My wife Brenda used his plan successfully to complete the New York City Marathon last fall, and again to complete my favorite race, the Pikes Peak Ascent this. In addition to a training plan, a friend of mine who has run several Ironman-length triathlons, and also happens to have knee problems, told me of a running style that is less stressful on the knees. The "Pose" running method emphasizes a shorter stride landing on the ball of the foot, rather than on the the heel. This positioning causes energy to be absorbed by the calf muscle, reducing the pounding on the knees associated with a more typical heel strike.

I studied up and practiced the Pose running style, and progressed fairly well through the training plan. But about two thirds of the way through the program, my calves broke down as I pulled a lower calf muscle in my right leg, and I had to abandon the race. My running plans were over, along with my dreams of running the Ascent again. I went back to lots of bike rides to keep me in shape over the winter months. Fortunately, I love biking and I have several friends who I bike with on a regular basis. In my area, so close to the base of Pikes Peak, we have many hilly roads, so a great workout on the bike is just out the door.

Coming into the summer months, I decided to focus on biking, multi-sport, and triathlon events with minimal running requirements. I rode a century ride (100 miles) in June, did 2 sprint triathons, and did 2 aquathons so far this summer.

But with the passing of another Pikes Peak Ascent the familiar longing has returned. I've got a new plan now. In three weeks, the American Discovery Trail half marathon takes place right here in Colorado Springs. My plan is to essentially gut out a half marathon, with a minimal training plan over three weeks. I will use the Higdon plan as guidance, and try to build up to a 10 mile run over the next two weeks. If I can run 10 miles, I can surely gut out 13 miles on a race day.

My cardiovascular conditioning is very good due to my multi-sport events this summer. But I know from experience that running emphasizes different muscle groups, and so my great biking conditioning does not directly translate to good running conditioning. Sunday, August 16th was the first test. I would run 6 miles at a pace that would comfortably qualify me if extended over a 13.1 mile half-marathon. Then, over the following weekends, I would increase the mileage to 8 and then 10 miles. That would place me one week before the event on labor day, September 7. I would also put in at least one shorter run during the week, as well as continue with rigorous biking workouts a couple times a week.

Sunday's run went fairly well. I ran a 6 mile course on the New Santa Fe Trail, along the route of the upcoming event. I set a fairly easy pace at about 10:30 per mile. For reference, for my short 3 mile runs during a sprint triathlon, my best pace is a bit over 8 minutes per mile. For my run, I used the Pace running method, taking short strides and landing on my fore foot. My knees felt good, except for some soreness that developed in my right knee (the worst of the two) over the last couple miles. In the afternoon, I felt a slight amount of swelling, so I iced a few times over the course of the rest of the day. I should mention that I would have taken an anti-inflammatory, but I'm allergic to aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Alleve, so that's not an option for me. The plan now is to avoid any severe knee pain that would prevent me from leading a normal, active life, and at the same time recover for 2 or 3 days so I am able to run 3-4 miles mid week. If I can do that, I believe I am fully capable of running a half marathon at the end of the three week program.