Slow Down to Race FAST
I've been wanting to write about how I've developed my training philosophy of training considerably slower in order to maximize an ultra distance race effort. I have learned that it is best to spend the bulk of my training week, 80% of my weekly volume, running below my heart rate threshold. I am then able to maximize 20% of my specific race workouts for the week. When I considered getting prepared for this 2019 race season I thought of the length of time I'd be spending on my feet racing. Lake Sonoma was a 7:25ish effort. Since August 2018 I've been training closer to 90% of my volume at a lower heart rate- that's 8 months! I still think I need more base fitness to race my best. So in order to make sure I keep my "storages" full and primed for my next race I need to get back to that base fitness... meaning back to slower base miles. The past few weeks after Lake Sonoma I wanted to take off a couple weeks to let my body repair. But having alrea