Between work, tapering for the SD100, preparing all the logistics for the race and the rest of my life, things have been very busy lately. As you'll see from this post, I've got nothing to complain about. Life is good and I've never been happier. Thanks again to everyone for the emails, phone calls and messages. I'll post more about the countdown to the race next week, beginning on Monday. In the meantime, check out whats going down here in SD:

Competitor Magazine and hosted an evening with running legend Dean Karnazes and filmmaker JB Benna last night at the historic La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas. There was Papa Johns Pizza for sale before the show and I loaded up on 5 slices. This reminds me; everyone keeps telling me how skinny I look--what’s up with that? It’s definitely something new for me to hear but I feel great and stronger than ever so that’s all that matters right now before the big race next weekend. It’s not skinny, its “lean” come on people, get it right Oh and now that I mention it, I went another hole smaller on my belt this morning…

...Now back to the show. The president of TCSD, Brian Long, publicly thanked the heroes who came to the assistance of club member, Dave Martin, who was tragically killed in the shark attack last month. They were called up on stage and met with a standing ovation from the sold out theater. It was a very special moment and I’m glad they were recognized for their brilliant actions under the most unfortunate of circumstances.

In addition to the Ultramarathon man himself, there were so many endurance athletes in attendance; the energy in that room was uncanny. I especially enjoyed meeting Jimmy from our beloved Marine Corp Marathon online community. He’s in town for the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon on Sunday and we sat together during the movie. Jimmy has run tons of marathons and from the sounds of it; he’ll be crossing over to the ultra marathon scene pretty soon. We both agree, the film is great and even better news; the film has been selected for national syndication.

Dean is truly inspirational and his values of inclusion of others and the promotion of health and fitness on a national scale make him a hero in my eyes and you'll see from the movie that he has a growing number of loyal followers who have all been inspired. After the showing, Dean Karnazes and JB Benna the filmmaker were on stage for a QnA. Dean actually ran from Sonoma to San Diego for the movie premier, traveling the coast from Mission to Mission along the way to raise awareness for their delapatated condition. He covered 700 miles in a week and a half and he's running the San Diego RnR Marathon this Sunday. Next week, he’s' off to run across the Gobi Desert as he attempts the 2nd race in the Desert Grand Slam Series. Dean keep's a that gets a little bit more attention than mine but maybe one day I'll get comments like he does

Here's the trailer from the film but keep a lookout because it will be in theaters this summer. Check the JourneyFilm website for updates. Without further adieu:


Tomorrow, I'm going to fit in a quick 13-mile run and head over to Barnes and Noble to finally meet Active Expert Matt Fitzgerald and film his Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Pre-Race Clinic called "The Art and Science of Marathon Pacing." Matt will speak for 30 minutes and then answer questions. Copies of Brain Training for Runners will be available for purchase and signing. For more information including time and directions, check out the Endurance Sports Blog.

Best of luck to Jimmy and the rest of you all running the marathon on Sunday. I'm playing chauffeur, super-fan and photographer for my friends who are running the marathon to help repay my debt for their support next weekend as my crew team at SD100. I'll be out at the start on the east side of 6th street, on the little bridge above the band when your heading south on Park blvd., then down on the west side of the 163 and over at the finish line taking pictures and video.

Make it a great weekend everyone!
~Toby

Last week marked the peak in my training--20 hours of running. I’ve slashed a full 50% off my training volume this week. The idea of cutting back this close to a race can appear counter-intuitive but in the endurance world, it’s a well-known strategy called tapering. I turned to Active Expert, Gale Bernhardt for guidance in outlining my remaining schedule to ensure I fully benefit from all my hard work done to date.

Gale: “There are lots of ways to structure the workouts in your taper weeks. One way is to apply the percentages above to your long runs and fill the remaining hours during the week with whatever is left. I'd keep the Friday, Sat., Sunday structure that has gotten you to this point and just scale those runs back. Run commuting may become a problem just due to distance and time. Fill in with the bike to keep your legs from too much pounding.”

Week 5/12: 8 hours preferable, no more than 10 for sure.
Week 5/19: 14.8 hrs (80% of max)
Week 5/26: 9.25 (50% of max)
Week 6/2: 1.8 hrs (10% of max: Run 30-40 minutes Monday, Bike 45-60 Minutes Tuesday, Run 20-30 minutes on Wednesday with Thursday and Friday off. The run, bike, run days are mostly aerobic and can include a few 20 second accelerations (not all-out fast) with lots of rest.)

I’m following Gale’s advice and structured this week around a SD100 group training run on the second loop of the race course Saturday. Plus, it’s supposed to be a scorcher this weekend so I can get more exposure to heat training.

This week is National Bike to Work Week and it’s been good getting back on the bike and the short break from the run comes as a relief after last week's volume. Here’s the week breakdown:

Week 5/12: 8 hours preferable, no more than 10 for sure
Mon: OFF
Tues: Bike, 1hr15
Wed: Bike, 45m
Thursday: Yoga, 1hr
Fri: Bike, 1hr15
Sat: Run, 6hr (Cuyamaca State Park)
Sun: Swim, 1hr (La Jolla Shores)

Month-to-date:

I'm in the peak of my training right now and I'm excited because the month countdown is about to begin. There are two more key workouts left on my training schedule before the taper process begins. This coming weekend, I'm stirring up the routine to challenge myself physically and mentally with sleep deprivation training.

During the SD100, I will run for 10 hours in the dark, from nightfall to sunrise, wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight. This will be only after completing the first 50 miles of the race so practicing night running technique is imperative.

This weekend:
5/9: 16M Run-commute
5/10: 39M Peñasquitos Canyon
5/11: 18M Mission Trails Regional Park

The session begins with my 16-mile run-commute on Friday.

Friday night, I won't go to sleep; rather, I will stay awake to run a series of 13-mile loops in Peñasquitos Canyon.

I've allotted 3 hours for each loop which is a very conservative pace, but this includes refueling time at my support vehicle after each loop.

I'll drop into the canyon alone at 3 am Saturday for my first 13-mile loop.

My second loop (mile 29-42) will begin at 6 am and I'll be accompanied by a willing companion and colleague, Carrie Smith for the next 13 miles.

The final stretch (mile 42-55) will start at 9 am and take until noon. Carrie will head out after 1 loop and Airey will take over and join me for the next 13 miles.

If you'd like to join in the fun, drop me an email at toby.guillette@active.com or drop by the Starbucks parking lot for 13-mile loops beginning at 6 am and 9 am.

I'm also going to be running 18 on Sunday at Mission Trails Regional Park so let me know if your interested!

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Last week, 80 miles (new personal record)

4/30: 16M Run-commute
5/2: 16M Run-commute
5/3: 30M Cuyamaca State Park
5/4: 18M Mission Trails Regional Park