Tamalpa Headlands 50K Training Week Fifteen: Peaking and Pacing

Ken Michal and his San Francisco 100 Mile crew/pacers, photo courtesy Tony Dunnigan

A good week culminating in a 25 mile tour of the Marin Headlands in the dark. I got a couple easy hours in and a good day spent commuting on the bike before running all night with Ken "All Day" Michal.

Here's the week:

Tuesday: Easy 60 minutes

Wednesday: 14 miles biking

Thursday: easy 60 minutes

Saturday: 8.5 hours pacing at the San Francisco 100

Totals: 37.8 miles, Avg HR 112, 6457' of climbing

While Ken's pace did not make for an aerobic workout on Saturday, it was quality time on my feet. My average heart rate for the 25 miles was really low, and I was able to experiment with some nutrition and gear options:

• I used Tailwind drink mix for the first three hours, and I felt great. No GI issues, my energy held up and the taste is mild and never became offensive.
• I had zero energy gels, although I carried a half dozen.
• I used a new chest-strap mounted headlamp, combined with a Fenix TK-22 handheld flashlight.

I will summarize my findings in my pacer's report, which should be up tomorrow. With three weeks to TH50K, I feel like I am in good shape, and a PR might just be on the table. The course has 2500' more elevation than Way Too Cool, but at sea level, I'm thinking I could still give it a run.