Tire Pull

CROSSING THE DIVIDE...FROM RACING IN DESERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKING ON THE ITALIAN ALPS...

Well, I appear to have made it through my cycle of injuries and I am back at it in preparation for the
Tor des Geants!  This is Thanks to my Coach Cal and my MDS friend Eric who both provided valuable advice.  I am also trying something new based on a blog post of a running friend of mine, Marshall Ulrich.  I headed out for a long weekend in Ocala National Forest in Florida and brought a tire with me to drag around.  If Marshall says this is the best form of sport-specific cross-training a runner can do, then I am in.

I stay at a cute little cabin in the middle of the woods called Bear Hollow.  It is owned by friends who allow us to use it as a training base.  At 6am  I dragged my cooler out to the side of the sandy road and set up a CP with water, food and electrolytes.  There is a 2 mile loop that circles out and back to the cabin.  I planned to run one loop with the tire, one without, one with the tire, one without and so on and do so for 5 hours.  This would have me done by 11 before the Florida summer heat really kicks in.

I loved pulling the tire!  The resistance it provides really feels good.  It really works on your mid-section, not to mention your calves, quads and glutes!

 

Dragging the tire is helping me to simulate running hills, which is what I need to do for my upcoming Alpine race.  As you know, Florida is flat as ze pancake!

It was a fantastic workout, and I did the same thing the following day for less time.  I was particularly happy that my calves responded well.  I was going to ditch the tire if I felt even the slightest twinge.  So now I am hooked.  I will incorporate this into my training plan for the next 81 days 15 hours and 16 minutes before the race starts!

 

 Even though I have a CP every 2 miles...later in the day when it hits 85 F or 90 F I like to throw on my Diablo.  From Desert racing I have learned the dangers of dehydration and like to sip every 5 minutes to keep hydrated.  I have learned exactly how much water my body needs every hour through extreme trial and error!

An even closer goal to look forward to is my upcoming trip to Calgary, Canada.  I am heading to the Rocky Mountains in 10 days...I am so looking forward to it!  I am going to go play in Banff and Sunshine, and maybe fit in a trip to Kimberley for some climbing.  It is going to be fantastic training and it will be wonderful to hook up again with family and friends!