VISIONRUNUSA Series (2): Training

How do you train for a transcontinental run?  That's what I typed into Google when I first realized I was going to run across America.  I was surprised to find an article by Outside Magazine on point; although when I read it I realized that there was no training plan laid out. Next, I contact people who had run across America before including Marshall Ulrich, Perry Newburn and Rae Ainslee.  I also touched base with Adam Kimble and Lisa Smith-Batchen, people who would be attempting to run across America in 2016.  In all these conversations, I learned that everybody had different training techniques and strategies.  However, there was one commonality - everybody ran A LOT to prepare for the run.

I realized I needed to make my own training plan, and it needed 3 key elements: 1) I needed to become a "road runner"; 2) I needed to run everyday and increase my mileage; and 3) I needed to train my mind to not quit despite pain and hopelessness.  On top of the lifetime of increasingly longer endurance events which included 3 IronMan Triathlons and 6 100 mile runs, I would have 18 months to train specifically for the Transcontinental Run ("Transcon").

PHYSICAL TRAINING
I switched from being a trail-ultra guy to a road-ultra guy.  In December 2014, I ran 100 miles around a local Denver park on packed gravel and asphalt as a fundraiser for Anchor Center for Blind Children, and early childhood intervention center that is backed by the Delta Gamma Fraternity.  This was my first attempt at running in a self-supported format.  In January 2015, I ran the PR150+, a 183 mile crossing of Puerto Rico through hot, humid and hilly conditions on asphalt while being self supported.  For the next 3 months, I did marathon training for the Paralympic World Marathon Championships in London (April 2015), focusing on speed at the marathon distance.  In May 2015, I ran the Keys 100 on asphalt in hot and humid conditions in a self supported format.  In July 2015, I ran the Badwater 135 on asphalt in hot conditions in a self supported format.  In September, I ran 100 miles at Spartathlon in Greece in hot and humid conditions on asphalt.  My weekly mileage leading up to these runs would range anywhere from 50-80 miles per week.  I would run 4 days a week, with one day being a 20+ mile day.  On the off days, I cross-trained by lifting weights, biking and/or swimming.

Beginning in October 2015, I changed my training to be specific for VISIONRUNUSA.  I began running everyday.  I was already running 4 days a week, so I just added in a "recovery run" (5 miles) on the off days.  When I looked at my daily mileage, I realized it was way too low to train my body to handle 350 mile weeks back to back during VISIONRUNUSA.  I needed my bones to be more dense to not submit to shin splints or stress fractures.  I also needed my ligaments, tendons and soft tissue to get used to the shock of constant high mileage.  Beginning in November, I settled on running 10-13 miles 6 times per week, with one day of 20 miles or more.  This would help my weekly mileage climb to over 100 consistently.  I struggled to find time to cross train, and soon that would be totally non-existent.

I thought I needed to simulate BIG mileage weeks to see what it was going to be like when I was on VISIONRUNUSA.  Hence, I planned to do 7 marathons in 7 days the last week of December.  Then, I planned to run 7 50k's in 7 days the last week of January.  Finally, I planned to run 50 miles - 50k -50 miles - 50k - 50 miles - 50k - 50 miles for the last week of February.  In between those high mileage weeks, I would run 6 days at 13 miles a day and a marathon on the 7th day.  My training worked out as planned, except for the 7 days of 50k's.  I ended up with tendonitis on a hamstring tie-in on day 3, and I took day 4 off.  I gutted out day 5, 6 and 7, but I was in bad shape.  During all of this training and high mileage, I encountered various injuries including IT tightness, plantar soreness, foot pain, achilles strains, glute pain, hamstring strains, and shin pain.  All of the injuries resolved despite continuing to run day after day.  I tapered for the 2 weeks leading up to VISIONRUN, not running at all for the 4 days leading up to the run, while we drove out to California.  I believed the training went well as I PR'd in the marathon in January 2015 and the 50 mile distance in February 2015, where I won the race and became the 1st blind person to win an ultra outright.

MENTAL TRAINING
I hate running at night, because my eyesight is the worst in that environment.  Hence, I trained A LOT at night.  In the beginning, I was very emotional - angry, mad and sometimes sad.  Most of the time, this was brought on by the fact that I was in fact going blind, and it was now real.  I'm not sure how I even got the miles in when I was so preoccupied with my own little pity party.  In the Colorado Winter, when you train in the dark, it is also pretty cold.  I ran in below freezing, and sometimes below 0 degree temperatures.  I also went to the other extremes with the PR150+, Keys and Badwater races and training - those were races in very hot, and sometimes humid environments.  I sat in saunas, steamrooms and hot tubs, solving a rubik's cube until I couldn't do it anymore.  When I couldn't solve the cube, I realized my mind was not functioning properly, and I probably needed to leave the cooking environment.  I dragged a tire around my neighborhood and up hills.  I would sit at my pool and run around my neighborhood in blazing Summer temperatures with 3 pairs of sweatpants and 5 upper layers which included 2 down coats, all dark in color to try to increase the temperature.  I would do anything I could to make myself suffer.  I knew I had to get used to being uncomfortable, and I also knew that whatever I did for training would far fail in comparison to what I would experience on the run.

In summary, I RAN A LOT, and all the time - specificity training.  I also believe that the mind will quit before the body will quit; hence, I tried to be as masochistic as possible in any type of training I could devise to cause suffering.  I needed to expose and find where my week points were both mentally and physically, then ensure I had strategies to accommodate those weaknesses during VISIONRUNUSA . . . . but that is another blog in this VISIONRUNUSA Series.

Hope this helps and was insightful.

ONWARD!!!!

Jason Romero is a highly sought after inspirational speaker and the 1st and only blind person to run across America.  Jason is a member of the US Paralympic Team, holds 11 world records in ultra-running, a former attorney and business executive, and a single father of 3 children.  More information can be found on Jason at www.relentlessromero.com.