That's the question I emailed to one of my running buddies just minutes after registering for the 1st annual Grindstone 100 to be held the first weekend in October. And by that I mean the ENTIRE first weekend in October.
The Grindstone starts at 6pm on Friday, October 3. It has a 38 hour cutoff. It includes over 23,000 feet of CLIMBING and DESCENDING. I asked David Horton, who is familiar with the course, how fast he thought the winners of this race would run. He said maybe under 24 hours. In other words, this is going to be a tough one. He said that fatigue from running for so long (two sunsets for sure) would be the toughest factor for many. That, and the climbing.
Without a doubt, it will be the toughest thing I've ever encountered. I've run 100-miles several times, but I've never run more than 24 hours. And for those of you who really know me, you know I have never really even run more than 22 hours (I tend to finish 24-hour runs quicker than some of my competitors).
Needless to say, this one is going to take some real planning and preparation. I also asked Horton where he thought my training emphasis should be for this beast of a race. He said ascending, descending, and eating. So those things will definitely factor into my training as the year goes on.
Some thoughts about my training for Grindstone:
- May -- a recovery month from the Spring races.
- June -- focus on base mileage. Some hill running.
- July -- training starts in earnest with the Sweaty Butt 50k. Hills, and long weekend runs.
- August -- Long weekend trail runs, hills. Run to/from work.
- September -- Labor Day training weekend, overnight trail run, one more long trail run, then taper.
Some of the epic runs I hope to work into my training include:
- Catawba Run Around (35 miles)
- AT running between Rt 311 in Catawba and Rt 220 in Daleville. (19 miles one way)
- Out and back runs between Rt 311 and Rt 779 in Catawba. (26 miles)
Once May rolls around, I'll work up a training schedule and post it here. Until then, my focus is on staying healthy and getting through the Spring races.
What is your big event for 2008?
Run like a Beast.
