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:

The week is well underway; I've recovered properly from the weekend mileage with rest both Sunday and Monday and a bike commute yesterday. Today, I’m back to my run-commute and Friday, I’ll do the same. Saturday, I’m planning on another 30 miler in Cuyamaca State Park. We’ve had high winds, hot temperatures and low humidity since the end of last week but we’ve seen a quick change and its cooling off which will make the long run Saturday less of a drain.

The race is in 37 days and I'm still feeling good about where I'm at. It's hard to feel "confident" because 100 miles is such an unknown but I do know that I've been responsible about increasing my volume without risking overtraining or throwing off the balance in the other areas of my life.

The loss of SD triathlon club member, Dave Martin, has been on lots of people's minds this week. It's been surreal as it was such a blow to the local community but locals were out in the water all weekend with the hot temps and many have resumed their routines of open-water swimming and of course, surfing. There have been some interesting reports released from shark experts like in this interview with Marine Biologist and shark expert Jeff Graham from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were able to recover shark teeth from Martin’s body and measured the distance between the bit marks to determine the size of the Great White at a minimum of 15 feet.

Also, part of the Los Penasquitos Canyon that I ran in 3 weeks ago burned in a brush fire on Sunday. It's right below the Active Network headquarters and we can see the whole affected area from the office. The spring is off to quite the start!

On a more positive note, the Triathlon Club of San Diego published a little blurb about my half-Ironman race in Oceanside in the May club newsletter which I've attached. It's on page 3 and 6.

I hope you all are having a great week,

~Toby

Friday I did the run-commute to-and-fro making sure I began Saturday on semi-fatigued legs. Plan was to run 24 with the SD100 training group and an additional 19 on my own for 43 on the day. I was stoked for a solid pace because this crew of ultra runners is legit--some are training for WS100, SD100 and AC100.

I was on the road by 6 am to Cuyamaca State Park and 49 miles into my 50-mile drive I realized I forgot my running shoes. During my long drive back to SD, I was really upset with myself for making such a careless mistake, especially since I had to run solo all day because of it.

I stopped at my house to find my shoes, drove to Peñasquitos Canyon and started running at 8:30 am. It must have been 80 degrees down in the canyon and temps continued to rise. My legs were solid, but I barely managed 26 miles because I was nauseous from the heat.

Sunday, while Marie was at tearing it up at the San Diego Mud Run, I warmed up with a few miles in Lopez Canyon and then stopped by to watch Airey race in a criterium. After that, I returned to Peñasquitos Canyon for more punishment. I was happy to get 13 more hot miles in and called it quits with 16 on the day, 70 for the week and only 10 shy of my original goal.

4/11: 14M

4/12: 26M

4/13: 16M

It was good for me to go back-to-back-to-back and its a great sign that my legs never got tired or sore. The conditions from the weekend took a lot out of me but it was a firm reminder of the challenge that I’m committed to for the next 8 weeks.

Updated Training Schedule: 

4/18: 14M Run-commute

4/19: 33M Noble Canyon Trail

4/20: 9M Mission Trails Regional Park

4/25: 14M Run-commute

4/26: 26+24= 50M Cuyamaca State ParkCuyamaca State Park

4/27: 4M (Marie--[La Jolla 13.1|http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1440796])

5/2: 14M Run-commute

5/3: TBD

5/4: 20M Lake Hodges

5/9: 14M Run-commute

5/10: 52M Peñasquitos Canyon (PCT?)

5/11: 18M Mission Trails Regional Park

5/16: 14M Run-commute

5/17: 30M Cuyamaca State Park

5/18: 20M Lake Hodges

5/23: 14M Run-commute

5/24: 24M Pacific Crest Trail

5/25: 13M Peñasquitos Canyon

5/30: 14M Run-commute

5/31: 9M

6/1: 0! (Marie--[SD Rock 'n'  Roll | http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1469693])

6/2: Memorial Day

6/5: Steve arrives

6/7: SD100

6/8: SD100

Will I get the Silver Buckle for a sub-24 hour finish?

The Bronze buckle for a sub-31 hour finish?

Or DNF?

Stay tuned for updates as I continue to train my body and mind for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on June 7-8.

This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of my life as an endurance athlete. Last year on this date, I ran the Lake Hodges 50K, stepping into the unknown with only an 18-mile training run under my belt. The events of the last calendar year yield a similar pattern of redefining my limits, chronicled here within this blog and embodied in my young adult life.

My journey has lead me to the summit of what I thought was previously possible only to be afforded a fleeting glimpse of higher mountain tops and greater challenges. First it was the 50K that presented the challenge, then came the 50-Mile distance that  broke me until I achieved success. I'm currently preparing for a 100-mile run in June and already registered for a 140.6-mile triathlon in November. Then what..?

"What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

To celebrate my passion for endurance, I participated in my first official triathlon, the Ford Ironman 70.3 California at Oceanside on Saturday. The race itself is a classic—season opener for the sport of triathlon. The field was stacked with Pros in both the men's and women's divisions. It was cool to hear all the hype before the race but I was there to push myself for a killer training session—all to build my body and mind for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on 6/7-6/8.

I like to set the bar high so it leaves me with more to be desired—this way, I remain motivated at all times. I projected my finish in less than 5 hours and a PR in the half marathon. I didn't reach either of these goals (haha) but I sure had a blast along the way!

The swim was nice and warm (60-degrees) in the protected Oceanside Harbor. No swell to battle, just a bunch of flailing bodies. I was surprised to see the different color swim caps (yes, mine was pink) during the swim--I must have caught up to at least two waves that started before my age group. I knew my swim was solid and projected 32-minutes which was pretty much spot-on as I was out of the water and into T1 in 33-minutes.

The bike portion began with a mistake within the first half-mile that would cost me later on. I somehow managed to drop my electrolytes on the ground, never to be seen again.

"Punishment = Glory"

Right?

In the meantime, I enjoyed pushing myself on the bike, which remains my weakest link in the trio. I've only been riding a road bike since August and my longest ride was done in the Anza-Borrego Desert with the Triathlon Club of San Diego (TCSD). We covered 60-miles that day in 106-degree dry desert air so 56-miles through the rolling hills of Camp Pendleton seemed easy, so I pushed harder.

Towards the end of the bike, my lack of electrolytes began to creep up on me in the form of cramps in my quads so I switch to Gatorade at the aid stations. I finished the bike portion in under 3-hours, averaging 19-miles per hour. My bike dismount into T2 was greeted by a full contraction of my hamstring when lifting my leg over the top-tube of my ride--foreshadowing the first portion of my half-marathon run. My right foot was numb for at least 4 miles and my legs were heavy and the impact of each step was loud—not my typical efficient running stride. The temporary discomfort was quality punishment training

The run remained the highlight of my day. I train alone so often that I was absolutely blown away by the volunteers, fans and spectator support--it was beautiful. I was proudly wearing TCSD apparel and encouraged by familiar faces and countless supporters along the 13.1-mile run course.

I appreciate you all joining me on this adventure--stay tuned for another year!

Along with the extra mileage on the trail, I've been "kickin' it up a notch" in the kitchen because of a  noticeable increased in my appetite for quality grub. Thus I've been in search of relatively simple meals that pack a whole lot of power (efficiency) In addition to upgrading my go-to Rocket Fuel, now featuring Quinoa instead of brown rice, this mouth-watering Salmon dish has become an instant favorite.

Surfing Magazine presents...

Mango Cilantro Salmon

What you need:

2 pounds fresh, wild salmon

1 white onion

2 cloves garlic

1 lemon

1/2 cup cream or half/half

1 ripe mango

1 tblespoon butter or olive oil

What you do:

Combine onion and chopped garlic in a saucepan with butter, medium heat. Saute till the onion is caramelized; add mango and lemon the stir in cream. Reduce heat, simmer for a minute or two, then cover and turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now, in a separate sauce pan, add 1/2 tblspoon butter over medium heat. Add one clove garlic, chopped. Cut salmon fillets into 4 pieces and add to sauce pan, Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook three to five minutes per side, thicker takes longer. Don't overcook! Rare is better than dry. Fish will flake when done. Add sauce from other pan, serve with couscous/Quinoa/brown rice and veggies. Bon apetit!

Your turn. Hook us up with something tasty!

Check out [Cookin' Up a Storm: Healthy Recipes By Melissa |

http://community.active.com/blogs/HealthyRecipesByMelissaE]

Saturday morning, Marie and I made our third-straight weekend pilgrimage to Cuyamaca State Park for our last long trail run this month. We got on the second portion of the SD100 race course for seven hours. There are still lots of downed trees blocking the trail from last year’s firestorm. No way will these be removed before the race which will be quite the surprise for runners who haven’t previewed the course. They got the best of Marie on several occasions. Her sexy legs still look sexy, but were badly scraped by the end of our 27-miler—ouch!

We’ve now scouted the entire race course and I’m feeling optimistic. I’m confident in my support crew, even more so now that it includes my brother—making a guest appearance from the east coast. Secondly, I’m stoked because my fitness level is right where it needs to be. This became more evident when the alarm sounded at 6:30 am Sunday--my legs were fresh and I crushed an 8-mile recovery run, followed by 2.5 hours on the bike like it was nothing. Training at altitude is amazing!

Monday, I spontaneously took the day off from work to capitalize on a mountain bike trip with my good friend Tim. He got us full suspension bikes for the day because he is scouting trails out near Idyllwild for a trail running event he is directing in October. The route we took was by no means suitable for this type of running event but we still had blast.

Training for my first 100-mile run is exciting and throwing a half-ironman in the mix has made it even more fun. The Ford Ironman California 70.3 on 3/29 is almost here. I’m going to hold off on any more long runs until April. Once April hits, I’m going to peak with some serious mountain running sessions (including night running sessions) into the beginning of May and then taper down to harness the energy for 6/7-6/8.

These are some of my favorite pictures taken last year. Enjoy the show!

!http://widget-f9.slide.com/p1/1369094286724936953/un_t025_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif|ismap=ismap|src=http://widget-f9.slide.com/p1/1369094286724936953/un_t025_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif|border=0! !http://widget-f9.slide.com/p2/1369094286724936953/un_t025_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif|ismap=ismap|src=http://widget-f9.slide.com/p2/1369094286724936953/un_t025_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif|border=0!</div></div>