5 Realities of Running 100 Miles

Expect the unexpected they said…well that’s a lot of help I thought to myself as I was preparing for my first 100 mile run. When I began the leap into long distance running I quickly realized the thing that drew me in was the unknown…very unlike me I must say. Thoughts like, "What would it feel like to run through the night? Would my legs fall off (spoiler alert…they didn’t)? Would I finish?" all crossed my mind. As I now have a few ultra distances under my belt (from 50k-100miles) I can say you never become an expert, you just learn to expect the unexpected and roll with the punches. Without fail, you'll have worried about one specific thing for race day (i.e. your stomach, getting lost, a recurring injury) for months and 9 times out of 10 that's the one thing that goes smoothly and something completely out of the blue knocks on the door. While I'm certainly no expert in ultra racing I've found the following five things to hold true every time, so if you're looking to make the leap be on the lookout for the following!

It’s not necessarily-shall I say...comfortable

Okay, so maybe this one's a "well, duh" statement, but running 100 miles doesn't necessarily feel "good". Now of course I should clarify, I'm not talking about true pain in the sense you've broken a leg or something. If in fact you are seriously hurt...well then stop- but if the bone ain't showin, keep on goin. It's when the legs start to talk that you know the ultra journey has really begun. Learning to channel that discomfort to propel you further is one component to the distance that keeps many ultra runners coming back for more. Don't shy away from the pain. Know that the inevitable will come and be prepared to dig deep, because at one point you'll probably have to bend down to tie your shoe and you will seriously start to question your life's decision. Oh and just so we're clear, the statement "it gets to a point where it doesn't hurt any worse" is true... until it in fact starts to hurt worse. The discomfort isn't forever and oh don't forget you thought this was all such a good idea you paid good money for this madness.

Food is your friend

We all know that ultra-marathons are really just eating competitions. Eat early and often! Some runners rely on sports gels and drinks, others partake in the buffet of sweet and salty snacks at aid stations (although if you've ever volunteered at a race you know to beware the community M&M bowl!) while others like to mix up their own homemade concoctions like rice balls or tubes of potatoes. Feeling tired? Try eating. Feeling sick? Here's a sandwich. Losing the race? The buffets over there. Winning the race? You should probably swallow that bite of quesadilla you've had in your mouth for 10 minutes (you know you've been there). The point here is it takes a lot of energy to cover 100 miles and that bowl of pasta the night before isn't gonna cut it. On a personal side note, you do actually have to eat the food and not just carry the Oreo around for two hours.

You might hallucinate

Your brain will like to play little games on you-just in case you're not having enough fun. It's not uncommon at night to think that log in front of you looks more like a body than a piece of wood...don't worry, it's most likely not a body-but then again you are running in the middle of the forest at 2am so who knows...but probably not. Hallucinations typically happen in the night hours when your headlamp makes every little tree look like an animal. Just remind yourself it's not real and try to refrain from talking to said animals.

You’ll feel sorry for yourself about ten different times

It's not uncommon to feel extreme joy and extreme despair all within thirty seconds during your ultra journey. Phrases such as, "I can do this!" tend to be followed shortly after by ,"I really should have taken up chess", so don't be surprised if it's not all rainbows and butterflies. Ultra-running may be the one sport where you can cry, laugh, smile, and moan all at the same time! Just remember this to shall pass. Every valley has a peak...but don't get too comfortable up there. I've found over the years keeping a constant smile on your face helps trick your brain into thinking you're happy, and makes your competitors think you're feeling stronger than you are...when in fact you literally can't remember a time you were not running this dang race! Keep going...keep smiling...you'll get there :)

You’ll be sad it’s over

Okay now here's the crazy part. You ready for this? You are going to want to do it...AGAIN! Yes, even after the the crying, the constant eating, the pain, the hallucinations, you'll find yourself quickly forgetting the struggles and looking fondly back on the amazing memories you've made...and the seven toenails you've left out on the course. In all seriousness, running a hundred mile race will be one of the hardest things you've ever done-yet one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Apart from experiencing amazingly beautiful terrain, you learn you are strong enough. Strong enough for 100 miles and strong enough for whatever difficulty you might be facing in life. You'll almost for sure say you'll never run an ultra again...but hours after crossing the finish line find yourself scrolling through ultra sign up. The incredible memories far outweigh the difficulties because after all, nothing worth having ever came easy.

Smoothie Bowls!

There've certainly been some challenges times this year, but not without a few positives sprinkled in here and there. One positive is working from home! Fortunately my work is still set up remotely and let me tell you how nice that’s been! One of my favorite things about remote work is being able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Well, to be honest, I’m having basically the same thing I had before quarantine-just a bit fancier! Instead of a smoothie in a to go cup I’m able to enjoy a hearty smoothie bowl…and I’m obsessed. There’s something about eating a smoothie out of a bowl instead of drinking it from a cup that makes it that much more special.

There a four components to make a perfect smoothie bowl. Protein, Fat, Fiber, and Greens. For my protein I’ll typically use Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder-low in sugar and plant based makes for the perfect source of clean protein. Fat is added by incorporating nut butters in a smoothie or sprinkling with roasted nuts on top. If I’m having a berry smoothie I don’t really like the taste of nut butter in it but enjoy the crunch from nuts on top instead. You can add fiber by mixing in flax or chia seeds; with little to no taste either option helps keep you feeling full for hours. My go to green addition is spinach. Unlike kale, spinach adds virtually no taste-and while kale or dandelion greens may pack a more nutritious punch, I’ve found if you don’t like what you’re eating you want stay consistent…so make sure you enjoy the taste! For a punch of phytonutrients and sweetness I’ll add a touch of frozen fruit-preferably frozen berries!

To top your smoothie bowl you simply need some roasted nuts, granola (preferably homemade or a very low sugar brand like Simply Elizabeth), and a little more frozen fruit and chia seeds.

Recipe:

2 Large Handfuls Spinach

1/4 Frozen Banana

1/4 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries

1 Tbsp Flax

1 Cup Almond Milk

Place all ingredients in high powered blender. Slowly add liquid until you reach desired consistency. You want the texture to be a little thicker than a normal smoothie…think ice cream for breakfast! Enjoy!

Navigating Training During Periods of Anxiety

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you just want to shove life in the closet for a bit and run away? That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling the past few days-one thing leads to another and the next thing you know you’ve lit the pasta on fire (as I reminisce about dinner last night). Sometimes we know exactly why we feel a heavy burden- perhaps things at work aren’t ideal, you’re stressed about a relationship, or even your physical training is lacking a certain umph, but then there are other times where your life is a bit like a combo meal and it seems a little of everything is coming at you and you can't pinpoint the source of your distress. Well, from life stress and training stress this month things have felt like I'm stuck in a constant string of Monday's (no offense Monday).

As I was running this morning, I noticed my pace was a little slower than normal. At first a sense of shame came over me...until a faint voice in my head said "give some grace to the pace." There I was, standing in a field of flowing grass, with those darn cows, crying & laughing all at the same. Give some grace to the pace.

I find so often when things aren't going to plan we tend (and by we I mean me) to throw in the towel completely. Thoughts pop up like, "If I can't hit the paces for a workout I'm not doing it at all" or, "Well, I had pancakes for breakfast now my whole day is ruined". If we can't be all in we resort to being all out...what if instead we gave some grace to our pace and made small adjustments.

Today, I was on a mission to put this thought into practice so I took to a few easy steps.

Something is better than Nothing-Workouts

It's so much easier to pick up training to a normal level when you haven't shoved everything to the side for an extended period of time. The koopcast often encourages athletes to reduce their training to roughly 70-80% during periods of rest instead of resorting to nothing. It's much easier on body and mind to make incremental increases to a training load then to shock the system when you need to jump back in. I was NOT feeling my cross training session today so I simply reduced it by half and it felt much more feasible. Instead of 200 push ups I did 100, instead of going for a 4 mile walk I did 2.5. Often times we so greatly want to veg out on the couch and watch re-runs of real housewives when in all reality that will make us feel much worse! By continuing to move in some fashion, you maintain the mental and physical benefits while telling your body it's okay to slow down a little. Don't stop! Just give a little grace to the pace.

Sprinkle in the Treats-Nutrition

I'm truly not a fan of cheat days or cheat meals. First of all, the concept of cheating convinces us we're doing something wrong-in turn creating a mindset of guilt, making it that much harder to eat "better". If you're not feeling on top of your nutrition (raise your hand if you've been the sole consumer of chocolate chip sales recently) don't think it has to be all or nothing-we're all only one meal away from making the more nutritious choice. Have a cookie or two with your afternoon coffee? Great! Hope you truly enjoyed it! Instead of convincing yourself that you've ruined your diet and might as well not care about your next meal, think of a way that your next meal can be just as delicious but maybe a bit more nutritious. Again don't lose momentum just give a little grace to the pace.

Even Superheros Sleep-Life

It's impossible (I'm sure there's some factual study to prove that claim) to be 100%-100% of the time. Perhaps you're feeling a little worn from a heavy work or life load and you need to rest. Your body can't tell the difference between life stress and training stress so it's common for one to spill over into the other. True rest is critically important to be able to perform at top levels in all ares of life. Disconnect from what takes your energy and connect to what recharges your batteries (and I bet that's not television or social media). Be intentional with your rest. Sit on your patio and drink coffee, read a book in bed, stretch with soft music playing. Sitting on the couch playing a video game me look like rest, but in all reality you're just swapping a pepsi for root beer. Be intentional, check in with how you're truly feeling, call a friend, cry to your spouse (sorryyyyy Kal) and give some grace to the pace in this crazy race -like what I did there?:)