Training Overview #58 – Transition Week - Week of July 20 thru July 26, 2020

Training Thoughts: 
Last week I started talking about moving to the Hill Phase of my plan for a good 5K the first part of November and spoke of this past week as the beginning of my taper and move to the new phase.  Well, it more turned out to be that things were about the same until the end of the week as I ran and rode the same amount for the beginning of the week- thru Friday.  Thus, this week while being my official last week of base training before moving to the Hill Phase will also be a transition week with a few less miles riding, running will probably remain as is – depending on how I feel. I had planned to have my Hill Phase all planned out already but that is how things go as life happens and did not get it laid out yet but will this week so as to be ready for next week.  Next week I will for sure be sharing my 4 week Hill Phase plan.

That said; this week will be more of a Taper/Transition time as I not only get ready to move into hill/strength work but also cut back on riding to give my legs a rest for the Kentucky Gravel Championships on August 8th.  What I have noticed is that since my running miles have been higher than in the past when I cut back mileage I will be at what I once saw as high mileage but that is all part of progress.  The plan, and this will probably be repeated below, is to work to get some rest in my legs since with KGC I have to work harder on the less technical and road sections to make up for my lack of off-road skill so want to be well rested for this approximately 63 mile gravel race.

Not only will I be cutting back miles I also want to make sure intensity is notched back as well.  As you will see below I had a few days of what my be seen as harder rides and while I came through fine it is not a great way to get rested.  Also, with running and riding on the same days, and with the heat and humidity we are having here in Kentucky, it also adds to the stress level on the body and part of tapering is to reduce the stress.  This is important as often we just see a taper as reduced mileage but it is just as much, maybe even more, important to be aware of the effort being put out when tapering or in an active rest.  I know I have done long rides and runs that have left me less sore than shorter but harder efforts.  So this week the goal for riding is to watch my efforts with Wednesday BMTR ride being my only harder effort and the rest being lower Hear Rate rides.  As far as running it is supposed to be another hot and humid week so figure most my runs will be as this week slow slogs where I try and conserve energy as much as I can.

This week I will also be working on lowering my carb intake, for a week, from what it has been lately.  I do this not to lose weight but to be more of a reset.  Over the last 5 -6 weeks of higher mileage I had upped my carbs a fair amount, not sure the exact amount but it is indeed more, and rightly so as I had been working out more hours and thus my caloric, and carb, needs were higher and thus for me consuming more crabs was needed.  I know some have a much lower carb intake than I at higher mileage but for me I feel best with a little more.  My usual intake when I was at lower miles was about 150- 250 a day and while, again, not sure how much higher it is now I just know it is.  Not high enough to cause a weight issue but where it feels good for hard training.  Now the carbs I have been having were still quality ones (fruit, potatoes and such and basically no processed food) in general so not necessarily bad.  I have found, by checking my blood sugar regularly, I am not insulin resistant so carbs in that sense are not really an issue either.  However, that said I know I have to be careful not to overdo it as carbs can be addicting and it is not hard to find oneself just stuffing my face with them.  Also, on top of that I find that doing a reset once in a while helps with cutting inflammation and thus helping with recovery.  So, with a race coming up in two weeks I want to reset this week and then next week will be able to make sure my carb stores are where they need to be.

Another good part about cutting back my miles riding, since most are done early in the AM on the trainer on Zwift, I end up with more sleep.  Sleep is the one area I need to work on as often even if I go to bed early I do not get to sleep as quickly as I would like and thus do not get the rest I need.  Thus, an added benefit of this taper/transition week.

Overview of Weeks Runs and Rides:
While last week I sort of called this the start of a taper in truth that did not happen till Friday since my miles till then were basically the same as the previous weeks totals.  Thus my rides were about the same if not slightly shorter but in many ways faster/harder.  On Monday I rode the Stage 5 of the vTdF which included the Ven-Top – well part of it as found that it was a ways short of the top a fair bit and as time was short simply descended back down and will have to do it again another day.  On Tuesday I did the 6th stage of the vTdF which I rode as a category down so as to not ride too hard to simply road at a good tempo pace.  In the afternoon on Wednesday I had an 8 mile TT where I got a PR by 1 second and 3rd overall and first in the Merckx Category.  I still need to work on some things to get under 20 minutes but am close and with all the miles I have been doing it bodes well for maybe a good time next month.  Then on Wednesday I rode a quick BMTR Wednesday ride on the Fuego Flats on Zwift and finished up riding on Thursday with a quick ride, got mixed in with a group for half of it, so got in a few extra miles.  Riding wise I checked and found that for the last 30 days, as of this past Friday, I had ridden 1515 miles which is by far the most I have done in a long time and while am feeling a little tired all in all am doing well.

This week I basically did the same amount to running as last week but due to a dental appointment did not do all the runs on the same day as a ride like last week.  It was pretty hot and humid this week again which made the runs quite often a slog and goal was just to get through them as best I could.  Was happy though that I got in the runs I wanted with no foot issues again.  Ran a good paced short run on Friday to finish out the week and got 110 for the last 30 days.

- Monday AM: Ride #1 - 31.15 Miles   & Ride #2 - 30.01 Miles - Ttl 61.16
- Monday PM: Run – 5.58 Miles
- Tuesday AM: Ride #1 - 17.52 Miles  & Ride #2 - 27.07 Miles  - Ttl 44.59
- Tuesday PM: TT Warmup 19.98 Miles  & TT Race 7.96 Miles  & 2.24 Miles  - 30.18 Ttl
- Wednesday AM: - Ride #1 - 27.26 Miles & Ride #2 - 35.33 Miles  - Ttl of  62.59 Miles
- Wednesday PM: Run – 10.26 Miles
- Thursday AM: Ride – 68.57  Miles
- Thursday PM: Run – 7.28  Miles
- Friday: Run – 3.21  Miles
- Saturday: Rest Day
- Sunday:  Rest Day

Weekly Totals:
- Running Miles – 26.3 Miles
- Running Time – 3:50 Hours
- Riding Miles –267.1  Miles
- Riding Time – 12:31  Hours
- Total Miles –  293.4 Miles
- Total Time – 13:21 Hours

Diet Notes:
See below for Weekly ride fueling

Weekly Fueling:
- Monday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride – 2 X 24oz of plain water
- Monday PM Run – Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run
- Tuesday AM: Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride – 2 X 24oz of plain water
- Tuesday PM Ride: 1 bottle of SFuels Race during warmup and finished off during cooldown and did take one Maurten Gel before TT
- Wednesday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream W/ 1 Scoop SFuels Life During Ride - 24oz of Water with SFuels Train & 1 24oz plain water
- Wednesday PM Run - Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run
- Thursday AM: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride 48oz of Water
- Friday AM Run: Pre-Run Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life

The Week Ahead:
This week truly starts a taper and transition to the hill phase of my training.  With the Kentucky Gravel Championships on August 8th I will cut back my riding this week to about 200 – 250 miles or so but will work to keep my running at about 25 miles.  Might try and get in a little gravel riding on Saturday but will have to see how weather and schedules work out.  I will for sure be cutting down even more the week following, the week of the race, as it will be a tough one and will need all the energy I have to do well considering I have to ride extra hard to make up for my less than good gravel bike handling on the tough course that is out there for the 8th.


Last Week's Overview #57

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.

Receive 5% off with code TONYK5

Use the following code for 25% off, one time use per customer, 

click on graphic above: AmpHuman25

(Good til Jan 1, 2021)

Bi-Weekly RunDown #196

“I’d often eat a big fillet steak with all the trimmings before a race,”…… “Pasta wasn’t on the menu back then, and we didn’t have coaches up north. We just ran for the fun of it.”

Derek Ibbotson

Racing Past Article on Derek Ibbotson

Here are my last two weeks Training Overviews #56 w/info on fat adaptation and metabolic flexibility & #57 with a look at moving to the next phase of training in a week or so

Fast Women Newsletter #80 from July 13, 2020 and #81 from July 20, 2020

Check out the Citius Magazine Newsletter

The Pre Chronicles - Part 13 - The Final XC Races for Oregon - links to the first 12 parts at the bottom of the article

Mohammed Ahmed breaks the Canadian 5000M record

More "Whereabouts Failures" - this one with Elijah Manangoi who was the 2017 World Championship 1500M winner

Tick Check: A Guide for Running in Tick Country

I now I need to get back to doing these - Foot and Ankle Mobility Exercises

5 Basic Rules for Running on Technical Grounds

Dr. Maffetone looks at fasting

If you are working on being fat adapted a Long Slow Warmup (LSW) is important

The June 2020 digital edition of Trail Runner Magazine is free

I run in both these shoes and need to do a review but for now here is a review of the Topo Athletic Zephyr and the Ultrafly 3

Runner's World Podcast: Jim Walmsley - How to Run 100 Miles

Very much like the Lydiard plan in that you need to get the right recovery to be able to maximize the stimulus

50 years ago Ron Hill won Boston and the Commonwealth Games.  His time (2:09:28) still puts him in the top dozen on the British all time list


Masters News
Training for Aging Runners - https://www.podiumrunner.com/training/training-for-aging-runners/

Age is no barrier as this lady did her first marathon at 61

It is not only the younger pros that get bans for PED - US Masters runner Kevin Castille gets a 4 year ban for steroids


Local, to Kentucky, Races and Events (If you have a race in the area, including surrounding states, let me know and I will post about it)

Running groups are a great way to get to know people but also a great way to help you progress and get out and run.  If you are in the Elizabethtown KY area check out the Running Soles Group and if you are closer to Campbellsville check out the Campbellsville Running  Club.   Have another local running group in KY let me know and I will list it.

Check out these Race Companies for local races: Good Times Even Services & Central Kentucky Race Management.  For trail and Ultra races in Kentucky and Virginia check out Next Opportunity Events

The Lake Cumberland 1/2 Marathon is Sept 12th in Somerset KY

The 45(ish) mile Breaks Ultra will take place Sept 12th - as of now the race has permission to take place

If you want to check out a great trail but do not want to do an ultra try the Rugged Red Half Marathon in the Red River Gorge, KY on Sept 26, 2020 - Register here - No registration yet - decision to be made after July 15th. - NOTE, as of 6/30/20 this race has been canceled and made a virtual race

Come run the Officer Daniel Ellis Memorial 5K on November 7, 2020

Looking for other races around the world, here is where I get most of the ones I list: ahotuMarathons (covers the world), American Trail Running Assoc.  (Mostly US but does have other races on the list),  Running  in the USA & Trail Runner Magazine


Derek Ibbotson London WR


Jim Walmsley Hardrock 100 FTK Attempt? - Going on now but Garmin site went down so updates were delayed.  Last I say he was ahead of the record


The Grand Traverse


Eliud Kipchoge talks about his Sub Two Hour Marathon


This is the trailer for R2R2R.Alt coming August 8th


NN Running Team Speed Session Documentary


From Nepali village to world class trail runner


Portland Intrasquad Meet II - Where Moh Ahmed and Shelby Houlihan  got there 5K Records

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.

Use the following code for 25% off, one time use per customer: AmpHuman25
(Good til Jan 1, 2021)

Training Overview #57 – Preparing to Move to the Next Phase - Week of July 13 thru July 19, 2020

Training Thoughts: 
As I approach moving to the second phase, Hill Work, in my Lydiard plan for a 5K in November I have 2 weeks to go and will be cutting back some on riding over the next two weeks, basically starting Friday of this week. While a taper after the base phase is not normal I am doing an impromptu taper due to the Kentucky Gravel Championships (KGC) on August 8th and want to be rested for it as it is a hard race.  Also, as I have been doing some higher mileage I also want to back off some and transition to a little more running and sill use this short taper to make that transition.

As I move to the Hill Phase I will be running a little more and maybe even more important will want to do less double days with riding in the morning and running in the afternoon so as to make sure my legs stay fresher.  The reason for needing fresher legs is not just to feel better but to make sure they are fresh for the hill work and other leg strengthening work and tired legs can hinder that.  I am also going to work on some hill repeats on my bike to use that as well to strengthen my legs for future phases of training.

I have to say I am happy with the extra mileage in both running and riding lately as I have been able to up my mileage and stay healthy.  Even so I think 25 miles or so running is about all I think I can handle right now with the riding mileage I have been doing as riding and running all in one day does put a lot of stress on the legs and increase the tiredness.  The other thing I have noticed is that with the higher mileage and riding a regular century is making longer rides much easier and shorter ones seem even easier.  I am thinking that a 5K will seem like hardly any time out there at all.

Once I start the Hill Phase it will get interesting for me as I will need to be more intentional with what I do on a given day so that I get the correct amount of rest and the specific workouts needed.  I cannot just ride hard whenever I feel like it as it will in the end hinder the benefits to be gained during running, and maybe some riding, hill work as well as some fartlek and out-and-back runs.  It has been many years since I purposefully did hill work and am looking forward to this next phase – not so much the work as it can be painful but look forward to the goal of having a plan and working to stay with it.

Stay tuned as over the next week I will be lining out what the work out plan is for the Hill Phase.  I have some unknowns as still not sure when I will be heading back to CA for work.  When there the dynamics change due to my work schedule so much harder to get in riding miles but can get in more running but have to be careful then.  I figure I will just plan as if I am heading back there for the month of September.  I hope to share the plan either in next week’s post or the week after

Overview of Weeks Runs and Rides:
Going into this week I knew there would be some tiredness in my legs as this was the 5th week with pretty good mileage and 4th week over 300 riding.  Over the last 4 weeks I ended up with 1430 miles riding and 100 running for my biggest total in many years. I am about to head into a taper for the Kentucky Gravel Championship as well as getting ready to move into the Hill Training phase to prepare for my 5K in November.

This week I rode no less than a 100K each of 4 days and did my 15th century on the weekend.  The rides this week were at a good paces but for sure missing some snap as I found out on Wednesday’s group ride on Zwift as got dropped while sending a message as was not paying attention then with a climb up the Volcano knew it was not my day.  That said still averaged 3 w/kg for the ride so still a good one.  Monday and Tuesday were broken up into 2 rides each with a warmup and then a ride on the vTdF courses.  I intended to ride at a relaxed pace for both rides but on Monday for sure rode faster than initially planned.  On Tuesday I did a little better holding back as there was a bigger climb so just settled in to be comfortable.  On Saturday I did a 110 miles on the course I ride the most around here with 5000+ ft of climbing and most importantly I know where most the dogs are – I say most as some new ones today.  As I knew the temps were going to get hot and with the humidity the heat index was going to get up close to or over 100F I rode at a comfortable pace early and on the climbs, I did not want to over-heat and find out I had plenty of miles still to go.  Due to this once I got to the last climb I pushed it some and got a PR by a couple seconds then also pushed the last 13 miles or so which are mostly flat or downhill slightly.  Ended up close to my best time so a good ride for the conditions.

With regards to running again I ran in the afternoon after the long ride in the AM for the first 4 days of the week.  Monday I felt a little tired but good and as the temps were only, I say only since it has been so hot, 85F I ran what felt comfortable and ended up averaging a good pace for 10 miles.  The rest of the week were just easy runs to manage the heat and humidity and got through them OK.  For sure it is a test to run in the afternoon after a long morning ride and the heat and humidity does not help at all.  Best of all I had no foot pain and it is showing that for now this mileage is at a good level.  As I head into a taper it will be mostly for the riding side as will work to keep the running close to where I am now and use the riding for my long days.

Saturday’s Ride 

- Monday AM: Ride #1- 20.53 Miles   &  46.15 Miles  -   Ttl of 66.7 Miles
- Monday PM: Run – 10.21 Miles
- Tuesday: Ride #1 42.03 Miles  & 29.58 Miles  -  Ttl of 71.6 Miles
- Tuesday: Run – 5.34  Miles
- Wednesday AM: - Ride #1 40.08  Miles  & 30.16 Miles  - Ttl of  70.24 Miles
- Wednesday PM: Run – 6.64 Miles
- Thursday AM: Ride – 67.08  Miles
- Thursday PM: Run – 4.07 Miles
- Friday: Rest Day
- Saturday: Ride – 110.1 Miles
- Sunday:  Rest Day

Weekly Totals:
- Running Miles – 26.2 Miles
- Running Time – 3:46 Hours
- Riding Miles – 385.7 Miles
- Riding Time – 18:20  Hours
- Total Miles –  411.9 Miles
- Total Time – 22:06 Hours

Diet/Fueling Notes:
See below for Weekly ride fueling and then the fueling for the Saturday ride which this week was actually shorter than my weekly rides – but outside.  Most of my rides this week were pretty much fasted and went well

Weekly Fueling:
Monday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 24oz of plain water and 24oz w/1 scoop of SFuels Train
Monday PM Run – Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run
Tuesday AM: Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 24oz of plain water and 24 oz water w/1 scoop SFuels Train
Tuesday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run
Wednesday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream W/ 1 Scoop SFuels Life During Ride - 24oz of Water with SFuels Train & 1 24oz plain water & a Maurten Gel
Wednesday PM Run - Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run
Thursday AM: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of Water
Thursday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on run

Saturday’s Ride Fueling
Pre-Ride Fueling:

- Coffee with Coconut Oil and Butter, Collagen, Heavy Cream, Chocolate Primal Fuel (1 Scoop) (609.3/15) & 1 Scoop SFuels-Life
(50/0) – Total (659.3/15)
- ½ Cup Oatmeal W/TBLSP of Maple Syrup (104/22.6)
-1ea Vespa (18/5)
-1ea Altred
- Also use  AMPHuman PR Lotion
- Total:  781.3 Cals &  gr 42.6 Carbs

Ride Fueling;

- 3ea of 24oz bottle with 2 scoops of SFuels Train each (120/2 per bottle – Ttl 360/6)
- 1ea of 24oz of SFuels Race+ (100/15)
- 1 ea of 24oz plain water
- 4ea Rapid Rehydr8 – 2 ea @ 2.5 Hours and 4 Hours
- 1 Vespa at 2.5 hours (18/5)
- 1 Altred at 2.5 hours
- 1 Banana at 4 Hours (105/27)
- Totals:  583 Calories  – 53 gr Carbs
- Totals for Pre and During Ride: 1364.3 Calories – 95.6  gr Carbs

The Week Ahead:
This coming week I have some appointments that may, or may not, affect my schedule but if they do not the goal is about 250-270 or so riding and 25 miles running.  I am going to take the weekend off and if all goes well my take off from Friday to get an extended rest.  Tuesday, if my schedule works out I will be doing the 8 mile Barnsburg Time Trial over in Somerset so will ride less in the AM and may not run that day.  Other than that once I get to Thursday/Friday I will basically be starting a bike taper for KGC but need to figure out what I want to do as well as working on my transition to the Hill Training part of my Lydiard schedule.

Last Week's Overview #56

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.

Use the following code for 25% off, one time use per customer, 

click on graphic above: AmpHuman25

Training Overview #56 – Fat Adaption and Metabolic Flexibility - Week of July 6 thru July 12, 2020

From http://naturalrunningcenter.com/

Training Thoughts:
I am going to touch on fat adaption and metabolically flexible.  I am only going to touch on the subject from a very high level as to go deeper would take a much more lengthy conversation.  All I really want to do is give you some idea of what is meant by the terms “Fat Adaption” and “Metabolic Flexibility” and hopefully dispel some misconceptions often offered up when talking on this subject.  Also, let me add that this is not about a particular diet, such as Keto or LCHF, which are useful tools to being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility but about the concept itself.

First off, what is the general idea behind even wanting to work towards being “Fat Adapted” and having “Metabolic Flexibility.”  While carbohydrates are a ready and easy burning fuel it is a given that it is in limited supply as far as storage in your body.  A trained runner, or other athlete, can only store about 1,500 to 2,000 calories of carbohydrates but even a lean athlete has at least 50,000 calories of fat stored.  So, you can see where the most abundant fuel source is.  The issue is the accessing and burning of the more abundant supply and this is where the need to train the body to do so comes in and this does take some work – but I can tell you from experience it is well worth it.

However, this is not the end of the story and often many that speak of Fat Adaption from a negative perspective make it sound like those of us that practice fat burning are missing the boat and hindering our performance.  I will link to an article by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella below on the subject that has the graph I shared here on the Crossover point. The idea behind the chart is that there is a pace where we burn more fat and as our heart rate, in the chart shown by VO2 Max, increases, and thus the exertion level rises, we reach a crossover point where we start to burn more carbs.  Therefore, the goal is to work that crossover point to be as high as possible and limit the intake of exogenous carbohydrates to replenish carb stores by utilizing on-board carb stores for only when needed.

This is where metabolic flexibility comes in and is where it seems many that are opposed to being fast adapted unintentionally, or intentionally, miss-represent the process.  I say this since when talking about athletics and endurance there is a vast array of efforts which affect where one would seek to get the needed energy from.  For example; if you are running 800M and below you are pretty much anaerobic and will rely on carbohydrates for your fuel source as it burns hot and quick.  As the distance increases you start moving towards more aerobic work  where you will need either exogenous carbohydrates as you run out of on board supplies or some other fuel source – in this case fat.  The great part about being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility means we work to use the most advantageous fuel for a given effort- even shorter efforts within a longer effort.  Let’s be honest, most that run marathons and longer races are usually running at a HR that would, or should, be better suited to burning fat and even if as you near the end when you start going past the crossover point and start dipping into carbs you will have more on board than if you used them the whole way.  Thus “metabolic flexibility” refers to the ability to use both fuel sources as required in any given event or activity.

Another area that is often not touched on, and this relates greatly to riding bikes, is what about events that require efforts that are less constant and put one above the crossover point early on drops back down and the repeats again and again.  Many would use this as a reason to just rely on carbs and depending on the length of the event a whole lot of carbs.  However metabolic flexibility once achieved allows one to switch back and forth between needed fuels and thus not quickly consume on board stores of carbohydrates and thus lowers the intake of exogenous sources of carbs all the while having carbs when you need them.  As an example, in a bike race often they start of quick and will require burning carbs but after a time will settle down, depending on the length of the race, and you can then revert back to burning fat as your HR drops and you get to or just below your crossover point.  Warming up is key here to get the fat burning going so that it is ready when needed since the start may rely heavily on carbs.  But also, in a bike race hills are key make or break points as if you lose the group you are with going over the top and thus lose the draft you are more often than not going to be out of the race.  Of course you have to use wisdom here since going too far into your red zone may put you out of the race even if you do go over the top with the group. Metabolic flexibility comes into play here also since up till this climb you may have been settled in fine burning fat but knowing a hill is coming, and especially if you have had other such efforts already, you may need to top up the carb tank to make the break.  In running climbs are also important but can often be done at a more consistent and steady pace and there is little draft affect you will miss going over the top.  That said for me if I have a hard effort coming in a running race with a climb ahead I may take some extra carbs to be ready for the added effort if it is where I am going to push the pace.

Many who hold to the carb paradigm miss that those of us that rely on fat also use carbs strategically and do realize when we have had efforts that will use up on body stores will work to top up the tank between efforts as needed.  The great advantage is this topping up takes far less than it does for those that are relying solely on carbs for the whole event. Again, we can only store so many carbs on board so the less we can use when not really required the less we will need to replace them.  The great part about being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility is that rarely if ever do I bonk and if I should it is because I was going harder than I should have been and dipping into my carb supplies too often and not replenishing them.  But that is not only a fueling issue but about going past what I am ready for.  Is there a race where I would only use carbs – sure.  If was to race a criterium, a shorter time trial or running a 5K they will require primarily carbs and so be it.  Then, again, if I am riding a century at a good but constant pace I am prepared for I may be very close to my crossover point and using some carbs so will need take on some but will also be burning more fat and thus be able to rely on my supply of carbs longer.

At the least I hope this short overview gives you some insight into what fat adaption and metabolic flexibility.  Getting to where you burn fat and carbs efficiently is not an overnight occurrence and there are a number of ways to get there.  This is where many so called studies fail in that they often only give weeks or a few months but in truth for some it may take much longer.  Many do not want to take this time but to be honest it is not any different than the time it can take to be the best performer you can be.  I have been at this for 2-3 years and if you look at my fueling in my Training Overview you will see I often need very little in the way of calories and carbs and even when riding hard for a long ride I need way less than I have ever used in the past.

This is a good article on the subject by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella: Become a Better Butter Burner .  There are may other resources – at the end of this post is a link to the SFuels Quick Start Guide.  Also, whether you use Vespa or not their site has a lot of information on the subject .

Overview of Weeks Runs and Rides:

Good place to run on a hot day - Not far to go if have a bad day:)

Done with another week of, at least for me, higher mileage. That included easy rides/run, a few harder rides and heat & humidity.  With at least one more week of higher mileage before I start cutting back with 330+ riding this week I ended up with 1411 riding miles and 90.3 miles running for the last 30 days.

This week I rode 334 miles with 5 rides of over 60 miles.  Below in the links to the rides some are broken down into 2 rides only because for 3 of the days I rode a warmup then rode another ride directly afterwards.  Two of the rides were the general ride on the vTdF Stage 1 and 2 and the 3rd ride that was on a double ride morning was my usual BMTR Mid-Week ride.  Thursday’s ride on Zwift was an easy 65 mile then on Saturday I rode with a group in Elizabethtown for an easy 63 miles.  For Saturday’s ride the pace was easy with a number of recollect spots and stops for re-fueling but did go a little harder on some hills but then throttled back after the top.  Did have a few stretches where kept up he pace a little longer but all in a great relaxing ride to complete the week.

With regards to running I ran 4 times to get in 25+ miles.  The first two runs of the week, which were a little longer, were very easy as the heat and humidity was high and I was feeling it.  Then on Wednesday and Thursday ran a little less and at a little better pace even though it was still just as hot and humid.  The goal of this week’s running and next is simply to get consistent miles in and not to get injured.  My foot has been feeling pretty good but my legs are for sure tired.  Then again since these runs are the second workout of the day with 60+ mile rides in the AM having tired legs should be expected.

Whether I go one week or two before cutting back miles is still a little unsure as will depend on how I feel physically and mentally.  I may also do one more week higher mileage then cut back just a little before starting my taper for the Kentucky Gravel Championships.

Saturday’s Ride

- Monday AM: Ride #1 @ 19.01 Miles  -& Ride #2 @ 46.13 Miles - Total of  65.14
- Monday PM: Run – 7.39 Miles
- Tuesday: Ride #1 @ 41.12  Miles  & Ride #2 @ 25.16 Miles -  Total of 66.28 Miles
- Tuesday: Run. – 7.48  Miles
- Wednesday AM: Ride #1 @ 43.1 Miles & Ride #2  @ 31.42 Miles - Total of  74.5 Miles
- Wednesday PM: Run – 5.78 Miles
- Thursday AM: Ride – 65.22  Miles
- Thursday PM: Run – 5.09 Miles
- Friday: Rest Day
- Saturday: Ride – 63.1 Miles
- Sunday:  Rest Day

Weekly Totals:
- Running Miles – 25.7 Miles
- Running Time – 3:50 Hours
- Riding Miles – 334.2 Miles
- Riding Time – 16:01  Hours
- Total Miles –  359.9 Miles
- Total Time – 19:51 Hours

Diet Notes:
See below for Weekly ride fueling and then the fueling for the Saturday ride which this week was actually shorter than my weekly rides – but outside.  Most of my rides this week were pretty much fasted and went well

Weekly Fueling:
- Monday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
- Monday PM Run – Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Tuesday AM: Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
- Tuesday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Wednesday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream W/ 1 Scoop SFuels Life During Ride - 24oz of Water with SFuels Train & 1 24oz plain water & a Banana
- Wednesday PM Run - Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Thursday AM: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of Water and  1 scoop of SFuels Train
- Thursday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run

Saturday’s Ride Fueling
Pre-Ride Fueling:

- Coffee with Coconut Oil and Butter, Collagen, Heavy Cream, Chocolate Primal Fuel (1 Scoop) & 1 Scoop SFuels-Life

- 1 SFuels Bar
- Also use  AMPHuman PR Lotion
- Total:  839.3 Cals &  gr 30 Carbs

Ride Fueling;

- 1ea of 24oz bottle with 2 scoops of SFuels Train
- 1ea of 24oz of SFuels Race+
- 2ea Rapid Rehydr8 at 2 Hours
- Total:  220 Calories  – 17 gr Carbs
- Totals for Pre and During Ride: 1059.3 Calories – 47  gr Carbs

The Week Ahead:
For next week the goal again will be 350, or so, for riding miles and then 25+ for running miles.  However maybe this week I will run shorter runs and run 5 times but in truth the last week’s running 4 times felt about right as it gave more days of rest to my foot.  3 days did better but then runs are longer which now has its own problems..  Riding will be much the same as this past week since I will have two of the vTdF Zwift rides, one each on Monday and Tuesday, and then the BMTR Mid-Week ride again on Wednesday to go with a warmup ride and then on Thursday will be a long single ride as I did this week.  Not sure how far I will go on Saturday but will see what others are doing as may look to do another Century.


Last Week's Overview #55

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.

Use the following code for 25% off, one time use per customer, 

click on graphic above: AmpHuman25

Bi-Weekly RunDown #195

"Sometimes I run and I don't even feel the effort of running. I don't even feel the ground. I'm just drifting. Incredible feeling. All the agony and frustration, they're 

all justified by one moment like that." 

Steve Ovett

Till things pick up the Weekly RunDown will be Bi-Weekly

Training Overview #54 and Overview #55

Fast Women Newsletter #78 & #79

Don't know about where you are but it has been hot and humid here in South-Central Kentucky - how about running in the heat and here are the signs and symptoms of heat stroke

The Out-and-Back run is a key workout in the Lydiard System - here are some reasons given by Canadian Running but they miss a key on - it helps you learn pacing

iRunFar.com talks to Magda Boulet

Q & A with Haile Gebrselassie

A review of various Recovery Tools

John Kelly set to run the 'Hartley Slam' in the UK

So you want to do the beer mile - it looks like it is not just how fast you are but also how well you drink

Mo Farah to go for 1 Hour record September 4th in Brussels

Hmm, you may heard of EPO - it was a major PED in cycling and has been used in running - now it may may be used for Covid-19 - wonder how many can get a TUE for its use.

Amelia Boone on battling your inner critic

Need a new watch - here is a review of the Fenix 6/6S Pro Solar

The History of the 100 Miler Part 5 (1902-1926) England - Here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

A look at Extreme Endurance Exercise Stress

A look at the 2002 London Marathon

Canadian Running Weekend Recap from July 6, 2020

Women's Running's profile on Shelby Houlihan

Joey Campanelli breaks the Nolan's 14 Record - he did it unsupported and Northbound but broke even the supported times Southbound and Northbound

Trail running tips for beginners

Looking for a race in the KY/VA area the 45(ish) mile Breaks Ultra has the go ahead, at least right now, to take place on Sept 12


Masters News
Doyle Carpenter (80) ran 144.56 miles in 48 hours


Local, to Kentucky, Races and Events (If you have a race in the area, including surrounding states, let me know and I will post about it)

Running groups are a great way to get to know people but also a great way to help you progress and get out and run.  If you are in the Elizabethtown KY area check out the Running Soles Group and if you are closer to Campbellsville check out the Campbellsville Running  Club.   Have another local running group in KY let me know and I will list it.

Check out these Race Companies for local races: Good Times Even Services & Central Kentucky Race Management.  For trail and Ultra races in Kentucky and Virginia check out Next Opportunity Events

The Lake Cumberland 1/2 Marathon is Sept 12th in Somerset KY

The 45(ish) mile Breaks Ultra will take place Sept 12th - as of now the race has permission to take place

If you want to check out a great trail but do not want to do an ultra try the Rugged Red Half Marathon in the Red River Gorge, KY on Sept 26, 2020 - Register here - No registration yet - decision to be made after July 15th. - NOTE, as of 6/30/20 this race has been canceled and made a virtual race

Come run the Officer Daniel Ellis Memorial 5K on November 7, 2020

Looking for other races around the world, here is where I get most of the ones I list: ahotuMarathons (covers the world), American Trail Running Assoc.  (Mostly US but does have other races on the list),  Running  in the USA & Trail Runner Magazine


Steve Ovett's 1980 Mile WR


Golden Hour | The Best Hour in Ultrarunning


The Last Mile - Kaytlyn Gerbin & The 2019 Western States 100


A look at the Lake Charles Trail in Colorado's White River National Forest


2002 London Marathon


1997 World Cross County

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.

Use the following code for 25% off, one time use per customer,
click on graphic above: AmpHuman25

Training Overview #55 – Why the Higher Volume - Week of June 9 thru July 5, 2020

Training Thoughts:
As I shared last week my base mileage phase of training will come to an end on August 2nd which works out well with the Kentucky Gravel Championships being a week later on August 8th.  Due to the KGC on the 8th I will actually be doing a mini-taper for the last week or two of the Base Phase and first week of the Hill Phase – so my higher mileage will be cut back the week of July 20 – 26th as the start of this taper.  I want to make sure to be well rested for KGC, not just so as to do well but also so as to feel good doing this race as it is a hard and demanding course.

As far as mileage/time I like to work it up as my base phase ends so, for me I get the maximum benefit and strength from the increased volume.  Also, as I go into the next phase there is a level of rest that takes place mileage/time wise as I change focus and since the mileage/time naturally decreases.  Thus, for this base phase, extended as it is due to lack of racing, my goal is to be at 350 miles a week riding and 25-30 running for the last 4 weeks – and have two more to go.  This will push me and while my legs will be tired I will be building a great base to work from.  Also, as I just said, when going to the next phase I will be reducing mileage as I add in hill work and a little more specific work to get ready for my 5K in November.  This said I do need to make sure I monitor how I am doing as my tendency is to be so focused on the plan and doing what I have laid out that I often lose focus on how things are as a whole.

Also, I have found over the years as long as I watch my pace and effort my body reacts to higher mileage in a positive manner as I gain strength.  The added mileage/time helps me to be able to sustain harder efforts longer as I move to the next phases of training.  Let me add here that my 350/25 miles of riding/running is what seems to be good for me right now but you may work better at much less.  Even so I also do not keep this mileage/time up for the whole base phase as I add in rest weeks after 3-5 weeks of higher mileage.  For this current cycle timing is working out such that after two more weeks of higher volume I will have been at 5 weeks of higher volume things are just working out so that my reduction fits my usual rest plan as well as my phase plans for November.

As I alluded to above, you have to find the level that works for you due to fitness and time.  I add time as often what can be done is as much about the effort as it does life.  For example when working from home I have more flexibility but when I have to travel for work and am away for a month time is harder to find as I do not have my trainer and thus harder to squeeze in riding miles.  Since I have to be careful about running injuries I cannot just add a lot of running miles so I just go with the lower mileage/time that life allows.

Also, let me add that while my volume of training is lower than when younger I have adjusted it to where I am now.  This is a good reason to keep a running log/journal to try and find your own sweet spot.  A coach can help here but at the end of the day it still comes down to you as only you know how you react to the training you are doing.  A couch can just help you formulate a plan from how your body is acting to a specific stressor or set of stressors.  But, as I have said before while a coach can help it is not a necessity – just be very cognizant of your training and how you react to it.  Do not think mileage/time is the end all be all but it is important – you just need to find what works best for you.

Overview of Weeks Runs and Rides:
Another good week of mileage ending with a 110 mile ride in the heat.  The plan had been to get 300+ for the week along with 25 miles running and that came to be.  Most all the rides and runs were at a comfortable, we as comfortable as the distance and heat allows, pace and HR.  Thus another great week of base mileage in the books.

All of my runs this week were done in the afternoon after a long ride in the AM.  Not sure what was harder – running after a ride in the AM or the heat and humidity – I am going with the heat and humidity.  Not sure if a 10 mile run in 90F and humidity was a good idea but is what was before me.  The run, including the 5 miler on Thursday, were to say the least slogs but in a good way as they did not result in any foot issues and worked my legs when the conditions were not that great.  Thus I got in my desired 25 miles in 3 days and I will likely stay at this volume for another couple weeks at least.

This week I rode at least 60 miles in 4 of the 5 days and on the one day I did not ride that far I did 45 miles.  All of the rides except the Wednesday BMTR Mid-Week ride were mostly all at a HR of 125 or less.  The BMTR ride was a little higher as usual and with going over the same climb that I got dropped on during the previous weeks Fondo I was happy with the ride.  Saturday’s ride was a long one and with the temps starting at 65F and ending at 95F it was a warm one.  I worked to make sure my HR stayed lower – 120 or less – but it did go up a few times on some hills with the high of 154 being when I got my PR on the last climb of the day.  Was pretty happy with getting a PR on the climb at close to 100 miles and was not really going all out.  Also, knowing I was working to stay at a controlled pace and with the heat was glad to only finish 4 minutes slower than I rode this same ride 2 months ago.

Again, a great week of workouts even if I am tired after all the miles – but then again that is the goal right now.

Saturday’s Long Ride 

- Monday AM: Ride – 67.41Miles
- Monday PM: Run – 10.11 Miles
- Tuesday: Ride – 45.16 Miles
- Wednesday AM: - Ride #1 @ 33.85 Miles  &  Ride #2  @ 7.23 Miles  & Ride #3 @ 32.24 Miles   -   Total of 73.3 Miles for the Morning
- Wednesday PM: Run – 10.20 Miles
- Thursday AM: Ride – 64.08 Miles
- Thursday PM: Run – 5.27 Miles
- Friday: Rest Day
- Saturday: Ride – 110.22 Miles
- Sunday:  Rest Day

Weekly Totals:
- Running Miles – 25.5 Miles
- Running Time – 3:46 Hours
- Riding Miles – 360.2 Miles
- Riding Time – 17:43  Hours
- Total Miles – 385.7  Miles
- Total Time – 21:29 Hours

June Monthly Totals
- Running Miles – 49.1 Miles
- Running Time – 7:04:10 Hours
- Riding Miles – 1134.6 Miles
- Riding Time – 55:25:07 Hours
- Total Miles 1183.7 Miles
- Total Time – 62:29:17 Hours

Diet Notes:
See below for Weekly ride fueling and then the fueling for the Saturday Century

Weekly Fueling:
Monday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
Monday PM - Had lunch about 4 hours before the run
Tuesday AM: Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
Wednesday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream W/ 1 Scoop SFuels Life  and 1 SFuels Bar– During Ride - 24oz of Water with SFuels Train & 1 24oz plain water
Wednesday PM Run - Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
Thursday AM: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 24oz of Water and SFuels Train
Thursday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run


Saturday’s Ride Fueling
Pre-Ride Fueling:

- Coffee with Coconut Oil and Butter, Collagen, Heavy Cream, Chocolate Primal Fuel (1 Scoop) & 1 Scoop SFuels-Life

- ½ Cup Oatmeal W/Raisins
-1ea Vespa
-1ea Altred
- Also use the AmpHuman PR Lotion
- Total:  787.3 Cals & 42.4 gr Carbs

Ride Fueling;

- 3ea of 24oz bottle with 2 scoops of SFuels Train each
- 1ea of 24oz of SFuels Race+
- 1ea 24oz plan water
- 1ea Vespa at 2.5 hours
- 3 Pcs Dried Mango
- 2ea S!Caps at 2.5 Hours
-1ea Altred at 2.5 Hours
- Totals:  519.25 Calories  – 36.5 gr Carbs

- Totals for Pre and During Ride: 1306.55 Calories – 78.9 gr Carbs

The Week Ahead:
Not much to add here but will work to get in pretty much the same mileage as this past week - 300-350 riding and 20-25 running.  As far as how I get the riding miles in I think it will come at a more even load as not planning on a 100 miler this coming weekend.  Also, may do the running miles in 4 runs rather than 3.  It is a hard balance as 3 runs gives me more rest days from running but 4 days keeps the daily mileage lower.  Bottom line is while I want a couple more weeks of higher mileage I also want to make sure I keep an eye on things and cut back if need be so need to remain aware of how my body is reacting the training.

Last Week's Overview #54

As a reminder, you can join the SFuels Strava Triathlon Club, Running Club and/or Cycling Club - Signup for them all if you like.  Join others on the LCHF for Endurance journey

Also, check out the whole line of SFuels products: SFuels Life , SFuels-Train and SFuels-Race products.  Also, just back after reformulating them are SFuel LIFE Bars.  You can also access the new QuickStart Guide.