2018 was spiced with several races, with the training progress for each being visible throughout the year (graph below).
Following the Munich marathon highlight, I trained towards a shorter mountain race in Spain 2 days before Christmas (14km, 500m elev). January was a rather shabby month but the decision for the ZUT (ZugSpitz Ultratrail) stood and I signed up by the end of the month before registration was closed (participant limit 2500).
I contacted coach Michael Arend of Michael Arend Training for an analysis of my current fitness level (level-up program) with suggestions and tips on how to continue for the ZUT preparation.
Ramped up my mileage towards 100k/week to start my 16-weeks training plan by Michael Arend Training, as can be well seen at the end of the graph below, getting back into marathon racing fitness.
Training summary 2018 and early 2019 (taken from Training Peaks): Each race can be identified through increased training load (blue curve) and fatigue before the race, and post-race recovery (yellow curve). Strong dip during the summer because of 1 month vacation (only few easy runs, mainly hiking) followed by marathon preparation.
Fun.Run.Dad 