Fitness vs Fatigue

After a full Ironman and my first ultra-marathon I didn’t understand what it meant to absorb fitness or how to strike optimal balance between fitness and fatigue.  It took moving to North Vancouver and shifting all my runs to the mountains to force this critical learning. 

Black Canyon 100km is in 29 days and my training has peaked at 112 km (70 miles) in 14 hours of mountain running per week.  I used to think runners got faster and stronger from running, now I understand that running exhausts the body and you get faster and stronger through recovery.

My legs don’t hurt but they are exhausted all the time.  After compression, foam rolling, and a good night sleep they’re ready for another run up and down the mountains.  I’ve learned to skip workouts if my legs are too tired, something unthinkable to Steve Day of 2014 training for the Ironman.  I now understand that extra rest and fresh legs will make me a stronger runner tomorrow.

After over 1,000 miles of running I’m getting physically and mentally prepared for Black Canyon.  Next week is my final big training week, then I enter my taper and cannot wait for the expected boundless energy and added spring in my step.  Until then I’ll continue to push the limits of physical and mental fatigue and employ liberal rest and IPAs to ensure I absorb maximal fitness.