Three days ago, I completed the Conquer the Rock 25K trail race at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina. According to some of the local trail runners, Conquer the Rock boasts the toughest course in the state. Featuring over 4,000ft of elevation gain for the 25K loop, runners start at the base of the mountains near the campgrounds. The course first climbs up Pinnacle Mountain, the state’s second-highest point. Next, runners descend down to a fun ridgeline trail that takes them from Pinnacle over to Table Rock Trail where they will begin their second big ascent. While not as steep or high, the climb up Table Rock is still not a great time, especially after Pinnacle. After conquering the rock, runners face an intense descent with already-wobbly knees back towards the finish line. Those who run the 50K on Saturday turn right around and complete the loop a second time. Some of these animals even raced the 50K on Saturday AND the 25K on Sunday. Not this guy.
Here are a couple videos on the race and course:
This was another great event put on by the Upstate Race Series. I am already looking forward to my next race with them, most likely in October. In case anyone is looking for a challenge and wants to take advantage of early bird pricing, registration actually just opened for the 2024 event.
This was a pretty big event for me, as it capped off an eight-month season of focusing pretty diligently on building my aerobic base after going a couple years without prioritizing running or conditioning in general. It was my longest and steepest trail run or race to date, and it was my first big physical challenge following last summer’s hernia surgery and recovery. Although I’m shifting my focus towards strength during spring and summer–I’ve got two powerlifting meets on the calendar in July and August–I will continue to prioritize aerobic conditioning. I believe that the work I did over the last several months has set me up nicely for future races and my aim of balancing strength and endurance.
Next week, I will post some analysis of my race day performance; I also plan to write a longer article on my 20-week training program later on. Today, I’m going to share what race week looked like for me.
Like with everything else in this training season, Uphill Athlete was my guiding light for handling race week. To my dismay, I kept the training volume and intensity incredibly low and prioritized rest and recovery. In theory, tapering and resting for a race are what allow supercompensation to take place and open the door for peak performance on race day. Even with sleeping terribly on the eve of the race due to nerves, I averaged 8 hours and 26 minutes of sleep for the week–the highest of my 20-week cycle. From a nutrition standpoint, I didn’t do anything special before the race. I pushed a lot of fluids, aiming to get over 100 ounces of water per day in addition to things like coffee, juice, milk, creatine monohydrate, Mio, and LMNT hydration salts. Per usual, my meals generally consisted of a protein (grilled chicken, ground beef, eggs), a complex carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice), and a vegetable (spinach or broccoli) with intermittent snacks (banana, yogurt, almonds, crackers). The only thing I really changed was trying to avoid greasy things like restaurant food and frozen pizza during the latter half of the week. I didn’t drink any alcohol except for a 16oz Hamm’s after the race.
Here’s what my workouts looked like during the week:
Monday - Easy lift consisting of chinups, back extensions, tricep extensions, hamstring curls, and bicep curls
Tuesday - Easy 2 mile run with three 30-second “pick-ups” between an 8-9 minute pace
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Easy 3 mile run with four 30-second pick-ups
Friday - Easy 2 mile run with no pick-ups
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Race day
I walked the dog around the neighborhood or park and did 15-20 minutes of mobility work daily, even on the rest days. Overall, I felt pretty well rested and prepared by the end of the week. The lack of training volume as I approached the race did leave me feeling a bit restless and antsy, which I believe is common for any athlete who is nearing a big event or competition.
Next week, I’ll share more about my race experience. If you’re interested in seeing some more of my training leading up to the race, take a look at my Instagram below. Please consider leaving a like, comment, or sharing my posts.