The Experiment

 A major appeal of running for me is the element of experimentation that it involves. Whether following a focused training plan or running for the sake of running, it is an opportunity to learn something about myself, mentally and physically. 

Each jump in mileage, teacher new race distance, each new workout is a chance to gain a deeper understanding of what I am capable of and what will benefit me most. Even in cases where the experiment fails, there is opportunity for learning. Maybe a specific mileage load is too much at this point, maybe a training plan gets me hurt, maybe I over (or under) train and fail to reach my goals for that season. That failure though, is just as valuable as any success because it gives me important information for future experiments. 


In order for any experiment to be valid and in order to actually learn from them, a person has to write it down! A good experiment requires a certain level of focus and intentionality (something that I think greatly benefits every part of life) and some of that can be accomplished by writing down the experiment protocol and recording the results as they occur. 


Strength training, for one example, is an area where I have done a ton of experimenting. My approach to strength training has varied from season to season. I began my (serious) distance running career, almost splitting my energy between running and lifting. While there were benefits to that for me (I almost never lost a kick), there were also drawbacks. I simply lacked the appropriate energy to train for the primary goal, which was covering a certain distance on foot as quickly as possible. The best way to train for running will always be running. I found that, for me personally, I saw greater speed and endurance progress when I allowed lifting to take a back seat to running. While my other sprint-distance compatriots did heavy, fast, and intense lifting sessions, I focused on overall strength and injury prevention primarily with body weight. It was over several years of trial and error that I found an approach that worked for me. Each season, whether it ended in success, injury, or disappointment, I learned something new. 


So, with that said, what is the experiment now? I am essentially conducting two studies through this current training block. The large, overarching one, is the ultramarathon experiment. At the end of my planned 21-week block, 12 of which are dedicated to building mileage just past what I have ever done previously, lies a 50k race that will be over 6 times longer than any distance I have ever raced before. Jumping from running 800s on the track to 31 miles on the trails with barely six months in between is daunting, and a little terrifying, but also infinitely exciting as an opportunity to try something new and learn a ton. 


The secondary experiment is with a training approach which mountain and gravel cyclist Dylan Johnson calls “oscillating training”. I have decided to take a cycling training approach which is defined by alternating weeks of high and low volume mixed with a consistent level of intensity. What this looks like for myself is a week of higher mileage, building to a max week in late August, followed by a week of low mileage, typically 50% of whatever my max would be. 


The rationale of this approach is that it gives ample time for recovery between large training weeks, allowing for more energy to be put towards intensity. Rather than spending three weeks at peak mileage, I can have a couple of big weeks with intense work buffered by lower volume weeks that allow me to absorb that training. Of course, this approach might fail spectacularly. I may not get enough volume, I may get too much intensity, maybe I jumped to the 50k too early and I will realize that mid race. No matter the outcome of this experiment though, I will learn something wonderful and valuable to apply to my next season and training block.


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