To train for Pikes Peak in late August I traded the track work for how many and where each aid station is. Heading on to the run and thinking there is an aid station at mile one, when it really is at mile three is not something you want in you’re A race. Since most races have maps online with aid stations marked, there is no excuse not to have a plan. Finally, there is timing. No, not what method will be used to monitor your race time, but what time does your wave go off? What time does transition open? Just like planning a season, I like to start from end and work backwards. If my wave goes off at 7, transition closes at 6:45, and I want to be there when transition opens at 5:45 and it takes me 30 minutes to get there, then I need to leave at 5:15, which means a nice early 4:30 wake up. I always set 3 or more alarms. It is my biggest fear to wake up at 6:30 and miss the race. So start the day right and give yourself time to relax and take care of things. We have all seen that person racing to transition, throwing their bike on the rack and racing to the water. That is not how you want to prepare for your big day.
Planning is the key. Have a complete plan in place and be ready to execute it. So don’t let you’re a A race be a disappointment because you didn’t take the time to check the small things. It is attention to details that can make all the difference.
AJ Johnson is a USAT certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at AJ@d3multisport.com.
KB Goes for Big Air at Pikes Peak
Racing the Double at Pikes Peak
After three seasons of erratic results and frustrating finishes, I
headed into the 2005 running season committed to two distinct
goals: PR at the Bolder Boulder 10km in late
May, and run a “Sub-3/Sub-5” at Pikes Peak.
The latter involves running the 13.3 mile
ascent in under 3 hours on Saturday, and
then running under 5 hours for the 26.2
mile round trip the following day. I was
limited to four days a week to run, so I put
together a simple schedule: Tuesday
evening, Wednesday and Thursday
mornings, and Saturday morning.
For the first few months, nearly every run
was aerobic base building, mostly in the
foothills near Boulder. Saturday was always
a long cruiser that slowly increased from
two hours to between 6 and 9 hours in late
summer. Occasionally I did some hill fartlek
or tempo running, but nothing was
structured, just a focus on base miles. This
was a continuing focus on base building I
started in 2004 while recovering from ankle
surgery. I was hoping to finally see the
fruits of that effort this year.
On top of base building, I felt track work was
necessary because I’d never developed the form and economy to
run smoothly below 6 minute pace. In mid-March I started weekly
sessions of 400 and 800 meter repeats on Tuesday. In April I added
in fartlek and tempo runs on flatter terrain. I scored two
unexpected results that month: a 5km PR of 18:20 and a 7:06 pace
at a hilly, muddy 25km race, good for 4th overall.
In May I continued the occasional flat tempo runs and Tuesday
track. Wednesday was a recovery run alternating flats, hills or a
complete day off. This meant that about every third week I ran
three days. My Saturday runs generally increased to 3 – 3.5 hours in
the hills at a very comfortable pace. In early May I ran a 25 mile race
above 10,000’ on a hilly course and averaged 7:43 for 5th overall, another unexpected success. In mid-May I ran a 5km on a gravel
course in 18:20. The base miles were paying off! I was running
faster both at an aerobic pace, and for shorter, LT efforts.
page three
Kreighton Bieger Finishing Strong at Pikes Peak!
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To train for Pikes Peak in late August I traded the track work for alternating uphill repeats (12-15 x 81-83 seconds) or uphill/downhill intervals (15 minutes: 9 up / 6 down). I started uphill tempo runs and rolling “hill cruiser” runs on Wednesday. I ran more at altitude, but always remained focused on building my aerobic base. My total training volume peaked at 6.8 hours per week, and I averaged 6.7 hours per week.
In June I was faced with a possible stress fracture and switched to cycling for 2.5 weeks. During this time I did essentially the same workouts, only with more attention on steep uphill riding as I found I could recover much more easily from a hard day on the bike than in running. Once I was back to running in late June, I felt refreshed and like I had not lost any fitness.
At Pikes Peak I relied on my aerobic base and ran comfortably under LT for the Ascent and finished in 2:44:13, a 16 minute PR good for 13th overall, 2nd in my age group. I was shocked! Going into the marathon the following day I ran a similarly measured, controlled race and summitted in 2:53:46 (my 2nd fastest time ever) and descended in 1:38:47, a 9 minute PR for the descent, to finish in 4:32:33 – a 16 minute PR on Pikes Peak, good enough for 16th overall and 3rd in my age group. This capped off perhaps my best two days of racing – running, cycling or triathlon – in over 20 years of racing. I was stunned.
Considering my average 6.5 hours a week of training, I feel like the most important factor in 7 hours of successful racing in two days was the solid aerobic base I started in 2004 and continued building in 2005. At times this meant I was running alone to maintain my “snail’s pace”, wondering how I’d ever run faster on so many slow miles, but as the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” You won’t build a solid aerobic base overnight – it takes months and months – and you won’t build it by hammering with your buddies every week. But if you have the desire, determination and discipline, you will reap the benefits… in the form of a PR – or three!
Kreighton Bieger is a former Junior National Cyclist and OK State TT Champ, who is now a trail runner who has been running and racing for over 20 years and still enjoys every minute of it. He lives in Boulder with his wife and son.