Monthly Archives: December 2017

Bear Mountain 50k training: cycle 1/6

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Coach Fuzz.

Okay, I’m just posting a single training log for every four-week cycle of 50k training. Otherwise I’d spend my whole life posting training logs. And I’d rather spend my whole life either eating or sleeping. Or running on the snow.

Week 1 (11/20/17-11/26/17): Base building. 20 miles. Really fun to be doing almost every run on dirt. I’m so glad there are good trails in the park right next to our apartment – there’s a great 4-mile trail loop, and by adding on side trails I think you could easily run 7 miles in an “extended” loop without seeing anything twice.

Week 2 (11/27/17-12/3/17): Base building. 30 miles. Also doing strength twice a week – either the rock climbing gym or a yoga/myrtls/strength routine at home.

Week 3 (12/4/17-12/10/17): Base building. 31 miles running + 10 biking. Yeeeah.

Week 4 (12/11/17-12/17/17): Recovery. 14 miles. I was totally ready for an easy week, and it felt good. I didn’t really keep my nutrition or sleep on track like I should’ve this week, though.

Total: 95 miles

Feeling: good

Palisades trails

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Trail, bare trees, and the Hudson River.

If you take the subway to 175th Street in Washington Heights (northern Manhattan), cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, and take a right, you’re all of a sudden in the woods, running on dirt trails along the Palisades cliffs and spotting deer, hawks, and other runners and hikers. It’s great! I did 9.5 miles out at the Palisades last weekend and it was just lovely.

The trails aren’t quite as technical and the elevation doesn’t change as much as it will in the 50k on Bear Mountain, but it’s still a good workout and a nice change from running park trails. There’s no water available in the winter (and only a single water fountain I’m aware of in summer) so you need to carry whatever you need. There are two main trails – the Long Path along the cliff tops, and the Shore Path down by the edge of the river. I almost always stick to the Long Path, running an out-and-back, but I suppose going back and forth between the two on the handful of connector trails would give some good elevation gain. Maybe next time.

Looking north along the Hudson River.