Here it is. Race eve. Not just any race eve, but a 100 mile ultramarathon race eve.

It is Friday evening and I’m in Houston at Devin & Alida’s place. Devin is also running the 100 miler. Go us I’m just about to attempt to fall asleep at 7pm. 3:30am cometh quickly! 

I know people have questions about ultras, but particularly 100 miles in general.

#1) What will I eat?

I’ve written about it before, but aid stations (AS) don’t really have real, nutritious food. They have processed sugar, candy, etc. For this 100 miler I’ve made my food or bringing everything with me. At the AS I will eat cold, hard, boiled potatoes dipped in salt, fruit dipped in salt and hot chicken broth at night.

Here is the food I made and brought (and bought if we are going to get really technical!)

Sweet potatoes. I bought 7 LARGE sweet potatoes. I may never want to eat another one again! I mashed 5 and chopped the other 2. After mashing I added fresh, grated ginger, sea salt, a little honey, brewers yeast, cinnamon and a little Goji Juice. Once I filled the 25 little baggies, I added soaked chia seeds and hemp hearts.

Chopped sweet potatoes with fresh, grated ginger & cinnamon

Sweet potatoes with chia seeds

Sweet potatoes with hemp hearts and chia seeds

Row of sweet potato nutrition!

I will eat some pure energy nut bars (Lara Bar & Bearded Brothers), sunflower seeds, Q Energy, nut butter, and Gen UCAN. *I have no idea why it flipped the photos around. I didn’t have time to fix them. You’ll have to turn your computer or smart phone around if you are really picky

Gen UCAN (mix with water)

Justin's Nut Butter (almond)

sunflower seeds

Lara Bars

Bearded Brothers Natural Energy bars (with chia seeds)

Q Energy Drink (mix in water)

Alida also made cashew butter (raw/vegan) and I’ll have some with veggie chips. All the food I will be eating is additive free, chemical free, natural, and/or homemade. Just the way I like it

That’s the food part.

#2) Travel

For a big race (I think a 100 miler qualifies), I like to be at the race 2 days before hand. And smart decision that was. You never know about flight delays/weather/other. I flew into Houston, TX from Denver, CO. And not a moment too soon. A HUGE snow storm moved in just hours after I flew out. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. Thank the Lord I booked my ticket to fly out on Thursday.

Shannon picked me up at the airport and we made a quick trip to the store to get some ingredients (tuna, avocado, tomatoes) for my lunch. Then she dropped me off at Devin’s. I made my lunch, took a late nap, went and got all the sweet potatoes for race day and salmon for Friday’s night pre-race meal.

I had a good night of rest (although I was getting nervous) and woke up refreshed Friday morning. To a weather forecast of 80% rain and 83% humidity. 24 hours till go time.

I made 2 hardboiled eggs mashed with avocado and cut up cherry tomatoes for breakfast, then started preparing sweet potatoes! As they were baking I got some work done, shot a video, and tried to relax . Not much luck there. Ha! My best friend Rachel called me and then my friend Terry called and prayed with me. Definitely better after that!

Took a nap, mixed my sweet potatoes up and laid out all my food for tomorrow. This whole nutrition thing takes a lot of planning, prep and hard work!

Had salmon, peas and sweet potatoes for dinner and going to bed early. We have to be up at 3:30am and at the race by 5am. Race start is at 6am.

Pre race dinner!

I’ve trained hard for this. Put a lot of time, energy, and investment into it. I am ready by the grace of God.

My prayer is that I will run strong and that God will use my feet to honor and glorify him. And that children in Africa will be sponsored.

Thank you to my friends, my supporters, everyone that encourages me, and yes, even to the haters- you actually motivate me to do a better job for the Kingdom of God. So thank you!

I’ll be posting live updates as I am able (80% chance of rain might hinder that plan) or my crew will.

Till next time, may you be encouraged to go do something positive, something hard, and do it well.

Oh and you don’t want to miss tomorrow morning’s article. It’s really good if I do say myself.

Sweet dreams!

peace, sweat, love: life

In 11 days I will be embarking on my second 100 mile ultramarathon (and 12th ultra distance). Gulp. I’ve been writing my – ahem – detailed nutrition plan, crewing description and other ultra descriptions. While ultra vocabulary is second nature to me, in talking with my roommate (Kelli) I realize it’s not. So I thought it would be fun to do a little “ultra talk.” Enjoy!

Oh and before we go any further, I’m running 100 miles to help get 100 children sponsored in Africa with World Vision. Would you consider sponsoring a child with me?

Ultramarathon Definition First of all, an ultra is technically classified as anything over a marathon (26.2 miles). But running 26.3 miles isn’t quite what an ultra is. Sorry, nice try. The four classic ultra distances are 50K, 50 miles, 100K and 100 miles.

Crew Crew is typically used for 50 miles, 100K or 100 miles. Crew is your own personal support team. Sherpas. Moral support. Sock changers. You get the idea. Your crew can be 1 or 10. The crew meets you at the designated race aid stations. While the aid station (AS) are fully stocked with provisions and friendly faces, it is really nice to know that you have a team eagerly awaiting your arrival. The crew’s job is to get you in and out of the AS as quickly as possible. The clock is ticking! They will make sure you have the food you want/need, refill water bottle, pull your shoes off, change socks, bandage your feet if you have blisters, give hugs, pep talks…. Pretty much whatever you need. You might only see them for only five minutes in 90 minute or four hour stretch, but just that little bit of interaction is awesome. When you are out running in the big, spooky, dark forest, YOU CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THEM. It gives you something to look forward too. Crew is awesome. Side note: if you ever have the chance to crew or volunteer at an ultra (particularly a 100 miler), do it. The experience is life-changing.

Pacers Pacers are typically used for the longer ultra distances (100 miles). Pacers are other runners who will run WITH you, give you moral support, make sure you don’t wander off to see the teddy bears and encourage you. They are not mules (meaning they don’t carry any of your nutritional supplies or other). They simply run with you.

Ultra Environment Ultra races are primarily run on trails. Cross country. Translation = hard, challenging, not for the faint-of-heart. And if it’s an ultra, you can bet that the course will be unusually tough. From rocks to boulders to crazy elevation gain to LONG climbs to nasty weather (either freezing cold or really HOT)… Yeah, ultras are pretty hardcore if I do say so myself!

Aid Stations (AS) Aid stations are little pieces of heaven in the middle of hell (oops, was that too negative?!) AS are part of the race and as an ultra runner, we really look forward to them. Personally, I use each AS as incentive to get to the next one. While most of AS have a lot of junk food, my go-to food is cold, boiled potatoes dipped in salt, oranges, red grapes, watermelon … I don’t eat grains/dairy/processed sugar so my options are usually pretty limited. This is where crew comes in handy. The volunteers are always friendly, helpful and some have themed AS. Aid Stations are always a highlight of my race day! Not all AS let you have access to your crew, so you make the most of what you have.

Drop Bags Drop bags are small bags (not a giant suitcase) you’ve pre-filled with what you think you’ll need. If an AS doesn’t allow your crew in, a drop bag can be handy. Depending on the ultra distance, you might include shoes, socks, your special fuel/nutrition that you use, etc. Drop bags are at certain AS- not all of them.

Ultra Times If you have run marathons and are looking to run an ultra, first of all, congratulations! Second, throw your marathon times out the window. Marathon times mean nothing when it comes to ultra running. Remember previous definition of ultra surface? Cross country is hard. Fun, but hard. Running an ultra is more about enjoying the forest and challenging yourself vs time. By all means, have a goal time, but be realistic. For a 50k, you can add anywhere from two to four hours to your marathon time. 50 miles, double your marathon and then some. For 100 miles, survive .

Cutoffs. Cutoffs are time limits. You have to make it to aid stations by a certain cutoff time. Make the cutoff!

Ultra Conditions I touched on this briefly above. Ultra race conditions are usually pretty challenging (as if running 100 miles wasn’t hard enough!) Depending on location and month of ultra you can expect snow, rain, hail, lighting, bears, cougars, bobcats, snakes, steep climbs, mud, leaves, slippery leaves, roots, hidden roots, rocks, hidden rocks, beautiful scenery, boulders, crazy elevation (Leadville or Hardrock anyone?)… having fun yet? When you run an ultra be prepared for ANYTHING. While they are fun, they aren’t easy.

Have I whetted your ultramarathon appetite? I hope so! They are thrilling, exciting and will challenge every part of your being. If you are looking to run a ultramarathon, let me know!

Peace, sweat, love, life.

Photo of shoes after finishing Vermont 50 Mile Ultramarathon

Disclaimer: 

This race recap uses strong language. I debated about leaving the words out, but felt compelled to write it as I ran it. If this offends you, I am sorry. That is not my intent. If the word “fudge” (not real word) offends you, don’t read. 

Vermont 50 mile ultramarathon September 25, 2011

It has been five days since the epic finish of Vermont 50 mile ultramarathon. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the last 10 miles. And trying to make this race recap as clean as I can. And I am not just referring to mud.  I wasn’t supposed to finish. The math didn’t add up. But I guess God had other plans for me!

This was my fifth 50miler rodeo, but let me tell you running 50 miles never gets easier! You just lose a few more brain cells each time .

The weekend got kicked off to a great, rainy start. I landed in Boston (back on the East coast for the third time in 3 weeks!) Friday afternoon to gray, wet skies. I had a great evening with friends and the next day my friend Matt picked me up and we made a three hour-ish drive to Vermont. We caught up on the latest news, talked about running (shocker) and other stuff that would make you like to be a fly in the back seat.

We arrived in Brownsville, VT at Ascutney Mountain Resort where it was beautiful (hello Fall Foliage!) but also muddy. We picked up our race packets. Now a little side note. I absolutely love ultra packet pickups. The energy is amazing. So many wonderful, determined and incredible people. The atmosphere is totally different than marathon pickup. Runners that have run countless 100 milers, 24/48 hours races, etc. I am just thrilled to be in their presence!

Where it all started....

Looking at finish line (little did I know how much it would mean to me the next day).

Let the mud begin!

Matt and I met up with Doug and his wife Lex, his best friend Dave and fellow runners Adam (and his wife Jen) and Jeremy D. We talked about what would happen the next day and they asked me what to expect. My response was to focus on the finish line. Little did I know how important that advice would be! Gene also met up with us – he would be my crew. I gave him my Gen UCAN packets, some Action Wipes, a change of compression socks and some Honey Stinger Chews.

Packet Pickup (and mud).

Fun fall display!

The Green Mountains

Some dudes bike. How tall IS he? Do we have a Sasquatch in our midst?

This seat post was wicked HIGH.

After getting a game plan together for the morning, Matt, Dave, Doug, Lex and I made our way to New Hampshire where we were spending the night. You have to cram as many states in a three day trip as you can. Ha! Kidding and if you didn’t get the joke, go run a few miles.

Ready or not!

Doug made a delicious dinner – seriously – and we had a chill evening. With a bit of nervous energy as a side dish. Our wake-up time was 3:30 a.m. so we needed to go to bed ASAP. Which was 8 p.m. But it is always hard to fall asleep before a big race so I didn’t go to dreamland for a few hours. Which by that time it was time to wake up.

The three of us (Doug, Matt and I) got up and prepared for the long day ahead. Oh what fun lies before us! We left in the darkness of the morning and started driving to the race start. Arrived at the start at 5am and the mood was ecstatic. This race also had a mountain bike option. Which about 800 people elected to do. There were 500 runners. It was kind of cool to have both hardcore athletes in one event! It was dark till 6:20 a.m.-ish so for the first 90 minutes we all got to know each other by bumping into each other. Headlights only go far!

In the stillness of night...we are ready for you VT50!

Gene arrived to see us off. There were six of us that running together. Adam, Doug, Jeremy B, Jeremy D, Matt and me. (Notice how I had to put them in alpha order? Ha! )

Ready to run! I think...

Me, Doug and Matt

The bikers started going at 6:00 a.m. till 6:30am. They even had a tandem division. I didn’t see any, but man I sure wanted too! I have no idea how you ride a mountain bike with TWO PEOPLE.

Feet before (sadly no after)

Runners & bikers in the dawn of the day!

Getting ready to conquer the hills!

Me, Adam and Doug

6:35 a.m., the gun voice went off. Ultras are so much fun! We all just love to run, so there is usually no gun, chip timing, just a simple, “go.” Really!

Let the mud begin!!

And we all start out slow. When you are covering 50 miles in a single day, the goal is to survive (or win if you are super special) and have fun. The six of us kept together as left the resort. Praying we would all make it back in one piece.

As we started out, there was a runner who had who knows what jiggling in his pack. It sounded like one million marbles in a tin pail. I hate noise like that! Leave your change at home – it won’t buy you a finish line! We all tried to move away from him and thankfully on the second hill we did.

The weather was – thank God – not rainy. It was humid though and the start temp was 70s (which would climb into the 80s when all was said and done). The sun stayed behind the clouds till about mile 14. Then it decided to join in the fun.

The first few miles went by fairly quickly and before we knew it we were at our first aid station. I love aid stations. I’ve said it before and I will say it again here, aid stations are like little pieces of heaven. Even at mile 4.

The VT 50 is a fairly hilly course (see below). The hills came early and frequently. Oh boy. And with Hurricane Irene last month (Aug. 2011) it did some damage to the course. And resulted in a TON of mud, detours and slip n’ slides. And remember what goes up, must come down. I think downhills are almost worse then uphills! Running downhill takes a skill. Which I do not have masted yet. I am so afraid of tripping on either rocks, roots or slipping on mud that running downhill is on my list of must-get-better-at.

The Vermont 50 Course Profile

My goals for this race were as they always are:

1) Don’t die

2) Finish

3) Have fun/smile/joke

4) PR

And at the end of the race, a fifth would be added: try not to curse so damn much.

And here are a few facts about VT50

1) HARD

2) Course time limit: 12 (fucking) hours

3) HARD (just in case you forgot)

4) Aid Stations (AS) cutoff times were aggressive

5) BEAUTIFUL (yes, the fall colors were awesome!!)

Even though this was my 15th race for 2011, I was feeling pretty good, jovial, sarcastic and quite talkative (that ain’t new!) By mile 8, our group had broken into Adam and I and Matt, Doug, Jeremy B and Jeremy D. I was content to hang back and just enjoy the ride (run?) with Adam. We were at the same pace so it was a good match.

Back at mile 4

For this race, our crew only had access to three of the 10 aid stations (usually they have access to all). So these three aid stations became my light in the darkness. I won’t speak for the other five in our group, but I am sure they felt the same thing!

Finally at mile 13-ish we got to see our beloved crew! And plenty of other random people cheering us on. Always appreciated. I quickly downed 14 oz. of GEN U CAN, ate a few oranges slices dipped in salt, watermelon, grapes (LOVE) but alas no cold, boiled potatoes. Apparently the bikers liked them and left NONE for us. I also grabbed a paper towel and wiped my face. The sweat was stinging my eyes. I gave my sunglasses to Gene and about 90 seconds since coming into the aid station Adam and I were off. The other guys were leaving just as we were coming in. We wouldn’t see our crew till mile 31.

Pretty! Somewhere along the course.

Of course, as fate would have it, the sun came out just as we left. I think I pissed off the sun! A long section lay ahead of us, and the longest climb of the day too. Ending at 1800-ish feet.

But first a few facts if you are new to ultra running.

First, ultras are primarily 99.9 percent run on trails. And trails equal rocks, roots, technical, hills, downhills, in other words – it is HARD. Running cross country for 50 miles (or 100) is not for the faint of heart.

Second, six miles on trails vs. six miles on roads are TWO TOTALLY different beasts. In some ultra races, six miles can take hours as opposed to maybe 30-60 minutes on roads.

Third, running ultra marathons is just 100 percent mental. Yeah, your legs are doing the work, but your mind is telling them to go when they want to sit in the chair they see in the forest.

Long climb ahead

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Adam and I ran out and soon approached a long ass gradual climb. We walked. As did the other 20 people around us. Here is the other thing about ultras: Unless you’re in the top 10 everyone walks. And talks. It is probably our bodies instinct to make sure we are still sane. I always enjoy getting to know the runners around me. Most of us crack jokes. And talk about the finish line.

This course is beautiful. I think in part to keep your mind off just how bad your legs hurt! We run through a lot of farm land (near and dear to this farm girl’s heart) which included maple syrup taps and lines, picture perfect barns and houses with picture perfect horses. Oh to be able to sit down and actually enjoy the view! Ha!

Maple syrup tap lines

We continued to run and talk. And talk and run. There was this other runner who had to be at least 65. He had a 2003 American River 50 Mile shirt on. His name was Clem and we played leap frog till mile 33. At one point he said he had run AR50 13 times in a row. HOLY EFFING CRAP.

The stretch between miles 13 and 20 seemed to go on forever. FOREVER. But finally we came out of the forest and started making switchbacks up the longest point of the race course to end at 1800-ish feet. The view at the top was gorgeous! See, good things do happen at hill tops .

At this point, I had felt a hot spot (blister) a few miles back and knew I should take few minutes to take care of. So I slathered Vaseline on both feet. Sadly they had no duct tape.

I should also state that at each time we came into a aid station Adam and I both asked what the cut off time was with fear and trembling. This was a new thing for me. I have a run a bunch of ultras and HAVE NEVER BEEN WORRIED about cutoffs. NEVER! Remember, the course cutoff is 12 hours. Don’t forget this fact. It plays a HUGE part in this saga.

More pretty!

Love the fall colors!!

Another fact before you get your panties in a wad, neither Adam or I are slow runners. Personally, my 5k PR is 20 minutes and change. That is a 6:30 minute mile folks. And my marathon PR is 3:40. And I know Adam has run a four hour marathon. But road PRs get thrown out when you run trails. I really, really, REALLY need to remember this. Anyway, moving on …

We hit mile 20 and AS around 10:40 a.m. Again, no cold, boiled potatoes. This would be the theme throughout the long, effing day. I had fruit – including oranges dipped in salt. Salt, glorious salt. Remember it was hot and humid! Adam also took care of his feet and soon we hit the muddy trail.

We made a goal to get to next AS in an hour. This stretch was also difficult as we had a lot of downhills. Remember me and downhills? Yeah, really need to work on that. And God, the mud, the MUD! I ain’t talking about little man-made mud here. I am talking about weeks-of-rain mud. Some places we were up to our shins in it. Blood-shoe sucking mud. We tried to avoid the worst sections where possible which meant becoming one with a tree as we attempted to avoid the worst mud pits.

I remember running down a fairly steep hill on this section and slipping on mud and catching myself (HELLO ABS) before becoming one with the mud. It was a pretty epic save and even Adam gave me mad props. You know when you are running 50 miles, the little things become great things .

Running around the forest for the day. No big deal. (Sarcastic)

Pretty soon we were at the next AS and mile 24. It was 11:45 a.m. Right on time. 30 minutes before cutoff. And no COLD, BOILED POTATOES! Damn bikers, you! (Kidding people, kidding. Settle down).

Now here is what the surprising thing was. There were tons of runners all around. For “only” 30 minutes remaining at this aid station, I have to say I was shocked. There should not have been so many of us. Yes, the course was tough, but the cut off time should have been at least a hour, not 30 minutes. I had some turkey (hmm, GOOD), more fruit, more oranges dipped in salt and even watermelon dipped salt. Not glamorous, kids! OK, maybe just a little.

For today’s race, my goal was to stick to Gen UCAN (first time for a ultra distance race) and avoid grains/wheat and dairy. AS have Oreo’s, M&M’s, Gummy Bears, PB&J (usually a go-to food for me), fruit, potatoes, etc. Nutrition is a HUGE part of either success or failure in a race of this distance. You need to fuel to keep running but also to keep thinking clearly too. You need sugar, carbs and protein. And it is important to make sure your body likes the food it gets. One 50 miler I ran my GI system was NOT a happy camper. Lesson learned.

Adam and I left the AS and started making our way to the next piece of heaven. We had more hills to cover and so we walked out. Then I asked him if he could run. He said sure and we made a landmark and ran to it. And that is how we covered the next few miles. We would take turns picking out a tree, a person, a bear (kidding) or a bottom of hill and run to it, then walk.

We were almost six hours into the race and I had yet to use a tree. Yes I am talking about peeing in the woods. Here is a Sarah Stanley quote “we were born to pee naturally.” I was hydrating but it is amazing how the humidity and heat can take it from you. FAST! However, I finally used a tree in about 23 seconds flat and ran to catch up with Adam.

We passed a few people and that felt really good. But that good feeling would only last so long. About two miles from the Margaritaville AS I started to feel really out of it and pretty low energy. I really needed some GEN UCAN but I didn’t have a blender bottle to mix it. I knew I needed solid food or I would have an even tougher day. Finally, we came into a clearing and saw the beloved AS. I plopped down on an ice chest and wished I could just sit there all fucking day long. I was exhausted. I had some chicken broth with Ramen noodles. AND THAT FELT AMAZING. A little carbs and a lot of sodium. I had some more fruit then Adam and I left the AS. My spirits started to pick up a bit. It was a little after 1 p.m. and we had just run 27+ miles.

We were running through the country and came upon a horse drinking trough. A couple (yep, a husband and wife) were in front of us and they dived over to it and splashed the cold water over their arms/face. We did the same. Oh my gosh that felt AMAZING!!

We trudged on and passed Clem again.

The next AS would be where we would get to see our crew. And that couldn’t happen quick enough. Trust me.

The hills became harder. The mud muddier. The downhills more brutal to the quads. And the words that were in my head started to manifest. Verbally. Oh my fucking God. Make this stop! The course was beginning to chew me up, eat me alive and spit me out.

Getting to mile 31 and the AS where our crew would be was my motivation. For some reason, miles 20-30 on an ultra break me. Thank god I had that chicken broth and noodles at mile 27. These miles were a blur. Partly because my feet blisters were KILLING me. My left foot in particular. I started to run on my toes to help lessen the impact on the side of my heel where my blisters were. And partly because I cursing. Finally Adam and I could hear the faint sounds of cheering and we knew we were close to the beloved crew. If only they knew what they were in for!

We had a slight hill to run up, round a corner, checkin and arrive. Our crew came running out to us. I was feeling rough and tears were on the verge. I said I needed GEN UCAN to Gene and he ran to get it.

I checked in and the guy getting our bib numbers was saying something to me and I literally had no fucking clue what he was trying to say. Dude, I just ran 31 miles, don’t ask me questions! I don’t think he understood that I was having issues so he repeated the question again and I remember just looking at him and saying “hallefuckinglujah.” I think he was surprised to see a blond hair, blue eyed girl say that .

I stumbled over to the chairs our crew had set up and plopped down. Dave and Gene pulled off my MUDDY ass and stinky shoes and socks (sorry guys) and started applying Vaseline and then duct tape to my feet. I guzzled GEN U CAN, ate a few bananas, oranges, but sadly NO FUCKING POTATOES! We knew our time was precious time, so as much as we wanted to linger, we begrudgingly got up and started off down the trail.

It was 2:10 p.m. (approximately).

Then it happened. I saw a deer. Only it was a fern. I kid you not. Adam was like “deer, where?” I replied “right there!” He replied, “It is a fern.” OH MY GOD. My first hallucination. It only took eight ultra races! Then about five seconds later I saw a snake. Adam, was like, are you sure? And it really was a snake. I detest snakes. Thankfully, it was a little one and slithered off.

This section was designed to make us dizzy. I am sure of that. We kept running in circles it felt. Back and forth through the forest. And, oh, let’s not forget the sun! My feet blisters started to feel better. Although the duct tape was starting to cut the tops of my ankles. but at least I wasn’t compromising my running gait – as much.

With each passing AS our time window came more and more crucial. I even asked some other runners along the way if they were worried they replied they were not. I tried to take that as encouragement. Adam and I grew less and less talkative and I grew more and more like a sailor. Cursing each fucking step of the way.

I did coin a few more quotes for the day though.

1) Rally and persevere

2) The 11th commandment: thou shalt not quit

3) Hallefuckinglujah

We had a about an hour to get to the next AS and the course continued to give us a run for our $125.00. We like value . This part was also a blur. I vaguely remember hills, HILLS, downhills, trying to keep up with Adam running downhill (that dude can run downhill) and trying to keep from seeing things that weren’t there. However, this is where I started to shift into the zone out phase. Where the brain takes over. And the body just runs. It is like an out of body experience.

We got to the next AS with about 15 minutes to spare. Thank god. I stuck with my fruit dipped in salt and headed out as soon quickly as I could. Adam was right behind me.

3:15 p.m.

And oh my God, have I mentioned the hills? We had some more climbs coming into this AS and only more ahead of us. And the switchbacks. I tried to just zone out, but I was getting dizzy. And frustrated that the finish line wasn’t closer! Who’s idea was this? Why am I running 50 fucking miles? Who does this? I am crazy! Oh, is that a purple panda? I think so! Why do I do this again? Why don’t I take up knitting. Or maybe eating bonbons – while sitting on a couch. I want an ice bath. Not later, NOW. Adam, are you OK? Hello Adam! Adam you can do it! Keep it up! Oh look – mud! Haven’t seen you in like 53.7 fucking seconds.

We had an hour to get to the next AS. The continuous story of the day. I kept encouraging Adam (and myself). I prayed. Yes, you can curse and pray at the same time. I quoted Bible verses till I run out of Bible verses in my memory bank. Think the purple panda came out in the forest again. We ran, and ran and ran and ran …

Spotted a few runners here and there, but for the most part it was just the woods and I. At this point I knew Adam was tired and he said to go on ahead. I said I would stick with him as I wanted to get him across the finish line. But I did run on ahead and kept calling out to him with words of encouragement (I hope).

Another woman and I were running together and she said her husband is a ultra veteran and quit at the last AS. He told her it was a brutal day and he was done. It was reassuring to hear that others were having a tough time too!

I came across a road crossing and was told only (ONLY?!) 13 miles left. That spurred me on. But I was also worried about Adam. I ran up the this long upward stretch of the road. Then ran backwards to see if I could see Adam. Finally spotted him. Whew. Shouted to him to keep it up.

Finally, I rounded a corner and ran into more fucking woods. And another downhill. My quads are not happy! Adam caught up with me (remember he rocks the downhills?!) and we ran in tandem together for a bit. Some other runners came into view and we all commiserated together. Then I noticed that my shorts had ripped. On the inside of my right leg. As if worrying about cut offs wasn’t bad enough, now I had to worry about my crotch being exposed! Fuck, fuck, fuck. Yes, I actually said those words aloud.

I knew mile 40 AS had to be close. I ran up the hill to get there. Every second counts today. Little did I know how true that would become. Finally saw it and ran to it as fast as my tired legs could. Checked in and replied again (with great joy I might add) “Hallefuckinglujah.”

I waited around for Adam and finally saw him. I shouted “hurry up Adam!” I knew we were cutting it close. Too close. Finally. we headed out.

It was 4:26 p.m. The next AS was seven miles away. And closed at 5:45 p.m. We would have to HUSTLE like a son of a bitch to get there. Oh. My. God.

Ten more miles. Seven miles till crew. Dig deep Sarah, and dig deeper still.

I started running. And running. Adam told me that it was virtually impossible to make the cutoff. We would have to run nine-minute miles. The clock was NOT in our favor. Not one little bit. I didn’t want to believe it. I have never not finished a (running) race. And I didn’t want today to be the first. It was like a bad nightmare that kept ticking.

Adam told me to go. At this point, I didn’t know what to do. We had just spent 10 LONG, sweaty, hilly, muddy hours together. And oh yeah, 40 fucking miles too. A bond was formed. A friendship. In the past few months, I have read three books about Mount Everest. As I slowly let Adam fade behind me, it was one of the hardest things I had to do. I felt like I left him at Camp 5 as I went on to the summit. But I knew it was the right thing to do. Although I will always be haunted by this – I think.

I knew I had a little over a hour to run seven FUCKING miles. SEVEN FUCKING MILES after already running 40 miles. How in the fucking God damned world was I supposed to do this? I prayed so hard it hurt. I put my head down and started running. Fast. Reminding myself to pick up my feet. They were so tired. I spotted Adam at one point and shouted “you are awesome Adam!” and sprinted through the twisty trail that felt like “Chutes and Ladders.” Adam told me to tell one of his brothers to come and get him when I saw them at the AS.

I passed two runners, then a third. This lifted my spirits. I was like we have minutes folks, MINUTES!! It had been almost five hours since I had used a tree, so I squatted down right there on the trail and peed. God, I love ultra running.

I ran into this grass clearing. And ran down it as fast as I could. I kept checking my watch and looking back at what I just covered. I felt like I was covering ground (trail?) pretty quickly. I was SO tired. I wanted to just curl up on the side and sleep for days. Years. Forever. I told myself to dig deeper than I ever have. And I fucking did. I literally ran my heart out. I heard a bike behind me and my heart sank. I knew who IT was. It was the fucking sweeper. I ran faster. Stumbling over rocks, roots, up little hills, NOT stopping. The bike finally caught up with me and I was like “are you the fucking sweeper?” (Sorry dude) and he replied yes. More curse words. He told me I had a shot if I kept my pace up. “Don’t quit” he told me. (He also said that I had seven people behind me.) Hell no, I wouldn’t quit. My watch kept ticking and I kept running.

As the sweeper left, I ran even faster. I came into a clearing and a guy was running toward me. I asked him how much farther till the AS and he was like two miles (OH DEAR GOD PLEASE HELP ME). Then I realized it was one of Adam’s brothers – it took me about a minute to figure that out. Afterwards, I was like oh fuck I was supposed to tell him to get Adam. I shouted back the message. Then a bug flew into my eye. Really? Really? And then a HUGE mud pit. I ran right in the god damn middle of it. I wasn’t going to waste time trying not to get muddy. Not that I was clean to begin with! And then I started to emotionally lose it. Between the bug, the mud, the sweeper, the cut off time … it was all so overwhelming. Tears started to stream down my face. But I kept running.

I then passed one runner, then three more runners. We were on the road at this point and the pavement HURT like a mother fucker.

Rounded a corner and knew that the god damned mile 47 AS and crew HAD to be close. I was already getting emotional. I was SPENT. Spent I tell you! I gave it my ALL and then some. I refused to let the Green Mountains win. A random woman came running to me and was like you are all amazing. I just grunted.

Finally, I heard Adam’s brothers and wives and Jen (Adam’s wife), Dave, Gene and Lex SHOUT my name “GO SARAH!” I lost it. And just started crying. Sobbing to be honest. Jen ran down the hill, grabbed my hand and we ran up the hill together.

It was 5:46 p.m. I wanted to finish SO bad. A few other runners were just leaving when I arrived so that felt good. I closed my eyes, downed some GEN UCAN, stuffed a banana into my mouth and WAS TOLD TO GO FINISH. I left AS 47 around 5:50 p.m. Three more miles.

Gene asked me: “Do you want a pacer?” And I mumbled “yes.” (Pacers were allowed at miles 47-finish). And we were off. I passed more runners (three?) in the next half mile. I was NOT going to come this close to making the 12 hour cut off. Gene ran behind me. I trotted. And ate some oranges. Man I love oranges. Almost as much as peeing in the woods. Laugh people, laugh.

Thanks to Gene for taking this photo!

Then we passed a mountain biker! OH MY GOSH! Even though I was pretty out of it, I knew that was a good sign (for me, not them). We ran into the woods and Gene was like “can you pick it up?” I was thinking some nasty thoughts, but whispered yes and started to run. I could not talk. I was having a hard time catching my breath. The last seven miles DID. ME. IN. We passed two more runners and that felt good. Then another biker. Insert another high five. Gene kept encouraging me. Thank the Lord.

Almost home (finish line)

I remember a really pretty water fall and wishing I could enjoy it. I had to make that God damned finish line by 6:34:59.  I ran right though a stream. Wet shoes didn’t really matter at this point. I staggered up and down the hills. I kept hearing things. Like the finish line. But it was still a ways off. Sadly. Then a sign said one more mile. I mumbled “I love you.” Either to the sign or Gene. I am not sure. Then I realized I did say it aloud and Gene might think I love him! I mean I do, but not in that way … and I tried to apologize and Gene was like “just run.” I didn’t argue. I could not think. It hurt to think. Hell, it hurt to keep my feet moving forward. The downhills were killing me so I hopped sideways down it. I’m sure it looked amusing.

Run with all your heart, sister!

Remember the clock was ticking and I was going to finish even if it killed me. I dug deeper still, mumbled some other inspirational quotes to myself and envisioned that finish line with ALL MY MIGHT. Maybe to much might because I swear it kept reappearing. And then disappearing. Stupid finish line, don’t you know you are supposed to come to me?

And then. AND THEN! I saw the start of the Vermont 50 red tape and I knew I was close. I gave my waist pack and camera to Gene, took two more Honey Stinger chews and RAN. I knew the time would be a miracle. A pure fucking miracle. Everything hurt. EVERYTHING. My breasts hurt. My ears hurt. My feet hurt. My legs hurt. But yet I WOULD NOT give up.

I could see the finish line. A sign indicated it was a quarter mile away. Felt MUCH further, but what do I know. I was just happy to actually see the damn thing. Then I heard SCREAMS. And my people SCREAMING my name “GO SARAH! YOU HAVE 90 seconds to make it!” I gave it my all. And ran down that hill so hard it was a blur. I didn’t have the energy to look over at the screaming people. And then, THEN! I crossed the beloved finish line. And collapsed right into hay bales. Then onto the ground. And sobbed.  And sobbed. And cried some more. I was done. DONE I tell you! Done! I did it! I made the cut off. I finished in 11 hours, 58 seconds. I was the last sub 12 hour finisher.

The first words out of my mouth were “I had to leave Adam.” And then I saw Adam! I apologized and he said not to. He said “I have no idea how you ran those last 10 miles.” How did you do it? I said cursing helps. And faith.

Then Doug came over to me and gave said “I have something for you” and placed the VT50 medal around my neck. It is a moment I will NEVER forget. Thank you Doug. Thank you. He gave me his hand and helped me up. I sat on the hay bales for a bit and Dave gave me a shoulder massage. I was still in shock I made it under 12 hours. And I will be for a long, long, long time.

Me looking up at Adam and Doug holding my hand. You can see the tears in my eyes.

Doug pulling me to my feet. I. Was. Spent.

A smiling and exhausted Sarah

Dave saying job well done. You have FINISHED!

The rest of the gang came over. We walked up the hill, made our way to the cars, back to the house to get a shower. Ouch chaffing. Matt was hurting too. Got a quick photo, then hopped into the car to head back to Boston. I do not recommend driving 3 hours right after running 50 brutal miles by the way. Matt dropped me off and I stumbled up the winding stair case to get a few hours of sleep before getting picked up to head to the airport at 5 a.m. I also do not recommend catching a early morning flight right after running 50 miles.

I hobbled through the airport on little sleep, LOTS of pain and yet the pride that I just pulled myself through a VERY challenging race course. And lived to tell about it.

As I write this five days later I am still in shock. Not from running 50 miles. But from making the 12 hour cutoff when the math was NOT on my side. All I can say is that I gave it everything I had and then some. I can not put in to words how hard it was to run those last 10 miles as fast I had to. No words will do it justice. The memory of will last forever.

My fifth 50 miler DONE. And how fucking glad I am that although I was chewed up, swallowed and spit out I did it.

Honestly I can't believe my shoes look THIS good!!

Take aways:

- I felt that my nutrition was great. Not perfect, but I felt nutritional better than I ever had. I know I could have used GEN UCAN a few times between miles 13-31 but what can you do when your crew isn’t able to be there.

- Never say never

- It was great to have Adam to run with for 40 miles

- The mind is amazing and what it will do

- Finishing always feels GREAT. As does sitting down.

Next up: more flights and San Jose Half Marathon in 6 days!

Part Four.  When you run an ultra, you need to eat. And drink (not beer!). What kind of fuel does your mind and body need in order to survive running for hours on end? Here are some guidelines for a successful race.

#1) Me vs You. Remember what your body likes might be different from what my body likes. Every Body Is Different.

#2) Test! Use [long] training runs to try out different foods, hydration, gels, gus, blocks, and bars. And don’t forget times. Timing is critical to making sure you prevent bonking, cramps, digestion issues and fatigue.

#3) Fluids. There are many fluids on the market. I admit it is hard to make sense of them all. One thing you always want to keep in mind is stay clear of any drink that has HFCS (AKA, High Fructose Corn Syrup) in it. This is probably the only time I will ever say this, but drink your calories. Some people swear by Ensure. I like chocolate milk (cold in the Summer, hot in the Winter). You might not be able to stomach (pun intended) solid food down at mile 36.2, but you might be able to drink something. Try Athlete’s HoneyMilk if you are looking for a great source of protein on the go.

A) I swear by AquaHydrate Water. This water has minerals & electrolytes in it. Without sugar or food coloring!  I mix powders in & it gives me an extra boost. I also try to make sure I drink some a few days before a long run or race. To locate the water near you, click here (or have it shipped to you).

B) Emergen-C. You may not realize it, but Emergen-C has electrolytes besides vitamins and minerals. The B Vitamins are very useful in fighting stress, and lets face it, your body is under a wee bit of stress while running many miles over a long period of time. I always take a packet before flying as well as on race morning. Most stores carry them. For more info & a laugh or two, check this out. Another good one is Trace Minerals Electrolyte Stamina Power Pak. It can be found at Whole Foods or here.

C) As a rule of thumb, I don’t recommend sports drinks (and foods) with a lot of sugar or HFCS. Your body needs substantial liquids, not fake fillers. Personally I have had trouble with Gatorade. Look for fluids that are natural and don’t have added sugar and food dyes.

Tip: Don’t guzzle water/fluids at one sitting. Hydrate during the entire training run (or ride) and race. Don’t over hydrate. Don’t under hydrate.

D) I have had pretty good success with Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem. I have also used Hammer Nutrition Heed and Accelerade (**disclaimer, I am not a fan of the food dyes it is made with). You may also want to try CLIFF SHOT Electrolyte powder, NUUN, CytoMax,  or GU2O. Again, test them out and find what works for you. Before race day!

E) Tart Cherry Juice. If you haven’t seen the recent research information, then you’ll want to perk up & read this. Research suggests that consuming cherries (particularly tart cherries) helps with inflammation/joint pain, and aids in recovery. A natural way to manage pain! Personally I mix some Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate in my water bottle. For more info, click here.

Tip: Consume protein (and some carbs) within 30 minutes of finishing a long run/workout.

#4) Food. This is what separates boys from the men, the Nemo’s from the  Dora’s and the marathoners from the ultramarathoners. For longer distances, you need substance. And by substance, I don’t mean donuts. Nice try though.

A) Savory. At least with ultras you get to hit all the different food styles! Chicken Soup, PB&J (or almond butter) Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese (depending on aid stations at races) and other variety’s of soup. Also try Lara Bars. Made with nuts & fruit, they are wicked awesome. And Gluten free to boot. I will even admit I have a healthy craving for a Lara Bar.

B) Salty. You need to replenish the salt you are sweating out. Besides salt tablets, here are some popular salty foods. Chicken Soup, Pringles, Pretzels, Potatoes dipped in salt (personally this is usually my go-to food) or a banana. And yes, the first time you dip a cold, banana in salt, you know you have reached the dark side). Dean Karnazes likes Soy Sauce on his PB&J (yes, I said “ON”). If I want to try Soy Sauce, I think I would dip potato’s in it. But that’s just me.

C) Sweet. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t joking about the donuts. A little (and I said a little, NOT a LOT) of sugar might do you some good at mile 79. Or 82. Brownie Bites, Graham Crackers, Gummy Bears,  Popsicles, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Chocolate Chip Cookies are all sweet options.

D) Fruit. I ALWAYS crave Red Grapes when running long distances! Also a big fan of sliced Oranges, Bananas,  and Watermelon.

E) Gu’s, shots, & Besides real food, you also have the standby’s, such GU Chomps, Clif Shot Blocks & Roks, Hammer Nutrition gels & bars, PowerBar Gel Blasts, bars, gels, and Sport Beans. These will help you in between aid stations. For gel/gu most people aim for 1 every 45-60 minutes.

TIP: Aim for 300 calories per hour.

Other: While not a “food” per-say, I will add this. Make sure you incorporate Electrolyte’s into your training. Salt Stick, Hammer Nutrition and Succeed (S!Caps) are all really good options for you to try out.

The key to nutrition while on the run is to find what works for you. Not the person next to you. Not what works for me. Not what works for your dog. Try to stay away from processed foods (you don’t want to put your body under more stress by having it to digest it). Don’t cram hydration. Don’t eat everything in sight. Run and eat smart.

Part Five will cover training.

Sarah Stanley is a sponsored endurance athlete, coach, and loves to sweat. A healthy side of sarcasm is always on the plate. For kick ass running, health, wellness advice & inspiration make sure to sign up for the monthly newsletter here.

Photo by annia316

Running an ultra is more then just pulling on a pair of shorts, tying your shoes and hitting the trails. It’s not rocket science to run an ultra (remember you already said goodbye to your brain:)). But there are a few things that will make life easier for you, your feet and other body parts. Use your imagination.

Gear. So in case you haven’t guessed it, a birthday suit isn’t going to cut it. I know, sorry to break the news. One thing to ALWAYS remember. No matter the sport, never,  for the love of god wear cotton! Nothing against cotton, but it is not the type of material you wear to sweat in. Period. End of story.

Top Gear ( feel like Top Gun writing that!). Guys, read on. Consider yourself lucky- wearing a bra is actually hard work. And a expense you don’t have to worry about!

Bras. Women, wearing a bra is essential to running (this goes for ALL types of running). But maybe a little more critical in the longer distances. I’ll do an article in the future dedicated to bras, but for now, here are 2 of my personal favorites. CW-X and Moving Comfort. You want a high impact bra, so buy wisely!

Shirts. By now you know to buy technical apparel – right? Good! Depending on the weather, you’ll wear either long, short or sleeveless shirts. Personally I only wear sleeveless (I have the shoulders/arms of a rower) or long sleeves. One thing to remember, 30 or 35 degrees really isn’t cold when you will be running a lot of miles. Your body heats up very quickly. Remember this! If you are in doubt, wear layers. For cold weather, check out Under Armour Cold Gear long sleeve shirts. They rock. A tip: arm warmers come in handy when wearing a sleeveless shirt. I really like these.

Shorts. Okay, here is a little secret. The whole world will know. But who really cares anyway? I don’t wear underwear. Wearing shorts with liners means you don’t need to! I can’t imagine running a mile, let alone 50 miles or 100 miles with a wedgie. If you enjoy that feeling, knock yourself out! All I know is when you have to strip at about mile 60, you’ll be REALLY glad you don’t have to pull them off. I prefer either fitted shorts or mid quad shorts for running ultra’s. Brooks Running has some awesome ones as does LuLuLemon, However, recently I have switched to CW-X Compression Shorts. I ran my last 6 races with them. They provide the support, protection and of course compression. Check them out.

Pants. Again, don’t wear pants just because there is a chill in the air. For the truly cold days, I wear Under Armour Cold Gear pants (and shirts for that matter). They really do work. I have run in 5 degrees and have been warm. If it is really cold, double up. Wear a Cold Gear pant and a loser pant over top. I also love Mizuno special running gear.  A few key layers make all the difference when running in the REAL cold weather.

Socks. My last 7 races (including 3 ultra’s) I have fallen in love. With Mr. Compression. Caught ya didn’t I? I still swear by wearing Balega Socks. I put a pair of them on first, then pull on my knee high compression socks. Zensah makes calf sleeves, so that is another option. A lot of compression gear out there. Some of my favs: Under Armour, Trigger Point, InVigorators, and

Shoes. Call me a wimp, but I prefer to wear shoes. I’ll be writing another article on barefoot & VFF running. Some ultra runners wear trail shoes, I have found up to this point in my running life that I run better in regular running shoes. There are excellent running trail shoes on the market. Montrail makes some top notch ones.

Transportation. So, how are you going to eat and drink while running for long periods of time? I have tested out a few gadgets. I used to wear a Nathan Fuel Belt, but switched to a hand held a few weeks before my 100 miler. I knew I didn’t want to have that bouncing on me for 24 hours. I already was using a handheld in conjunction with my belt, so making the change was relatively easy. I use a 24oz Polar bottle from Hammer Nutrition. CamelBak Hydration Packs come in 30 oz. – 100 oz. They are a great option for long periods by yourself. Just be sure to try this option on a training run before race day. Extra pockets! I really like SpiBelt for carrying extra stuff (need a place for my BlackBerry!). I have the two pocket option. You can also attach your race number/bib to it.

Keep dry! Have things that can’t get wet? Like a phone, pills, or food? I use ZipLoc bags. The sandwich size is perfect. I always keep a box handy.

First Aid. Prevent chafing before it starts. Slather Bag Balm or Vaseline on your feet (don’t forget heels!), under your bra strap, under arms, back, little pinky (kidding) any place you feel you need it. Body Glide doesn’t quite cut it for long distances. And besides, buying the little sticks can really add up. There are many ways to take deal with blisters. I have had great success with duct tape.

Let There be Light! For overnight runs you’ll need flashlights and/or headlight. I really like my Black Diamond Spot LED Headlight. In fact, right now, REI has them on sale. Petzl (also from REI) has some great ones. Some are pricey- hey if you want to spend $400 bucks, be my guest! And get me one while you’re at it, pretty please! Get one that you can remove the battery cover EASILY. Nothing worse then fumbling around in the dark trying to either open the cover or show someone how to do it. For flashlights, easy to carry, lightweight, and one with a strong beam are best.

Be Safe! Regardless of your sport, make sure you are safe. RoadID has a fantastic way to let someone know that you are okay if you had a mishap. Make sure you get one ASAP.

Other. I can’t stand sweat in my eyes. In the heat, I wear a breathable cap. In the cold I wear a hat. Don’t forget gloves either! I actually always carry a washcloth with me when I run (remember that whole I-can’t-stand-sweat-in-my-eyes thing?). Not only does it keep my face dry, but it can also serve as a nice refresher if you happen upon a cold stream. Remember sunglasses, and of course a watch (Garmin or Timex are great ones). And ALWAYS have a sense of humor when running any distance!

These are a few (okay, a lot) of things that might make your next run or ultra a little more comfy.

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Photo by cogdogblog

If you read yesterday’s article, you now know what an ultramarathon is AND isn’t. Here are some nitty gritty training tips.

#1) Adapt.  Every body is different. What works for one person, may not work for you.  Some ultra runners run really high miles (85-140miles/week). Others run 25-50miles/week. Depending what distance ultra you are training for, depends what your weekly mileage is. For a 50k, it probably won’t be much more then training for a marathon. Maybe a longer run of 22 or 23 miles. For a 50miler, 100k, or a 100 miler, probably the main thing to remember is this: time on your feet. You could be on your feet anywhere from 8 hours to 36 hours. That’s a lot of time! For the majority of you (myself included) you won’t be running the ENTIRE time. That’s when you walk. Rule of thumb is to walk the hills. Become a great walker. Seriously. When I ran my 100 miler, I believe one of the keys to my finishing was that I knew how to walk. It may sound less than inspiring, but trust me, it will pay off in the end. Also, remember, “time on your feet”. For a long training run of 28-36 miles, make sure you include some walking time. If it is a lot of hills, you shouldn’t have a problem with that:)

#2) Not just running! It’s important to have strong legs, butt and core – no matter the distance you are training for. Incorporate one leg squats, reverse lunges, butt kicks, and walking lunges in to your training. Bridges are also a great exercise. Try them on a ball, take it to the edge and use one leg at a time. Plank and side plank are really great (and body shaking) core exercises. The key is not to stick your butt in the air, but to keep your neck and back in the same line. Don’t let your hips sag!

#3) Balance Baby! Running on trails will quickly test your balance, or lack thereof. You can’t always  prevent a fall, but you can prepare for one. Yoga poses are really good for balance. One of my favorite poses is table top and extending opposite arm and leg. Hold for 3o seconds. Then switch. Tree pose, Eagle, Warrior Three and Boat are all great for core AND balance.

#4) Nutrition. Nutrition. Nutrition. If you don’t get it by now, nutrition is key. Use your training runs to test out what GU, Gel, Shot Blocks, liquid, solid food works for YOUR body. Remember what works for your training buddy, may not work for you. One thing you don’t want to do is finding out on race day what DOESN’T work for you.

#5) Be Flexible. Be Patient. Be Smart. Did you just start running? Ran your first marathon and you are hooked? That’s great! But a word of caution. Going from running 26.2 miles to 31 miles, 50 miles, 62 miles, or 100 miles is no joke. It is a long freaking day(s). I believe the more running years you have, the better. Your body has adapted to running over a period of time and “gets it”. If you start going after the longer distance to soon, your body may react by getting injured, fatigued, or tired. Run a few marathons, then start entertaining the idea of an ultra.

#6) Commitment. If you think training for 26.2 miles is time consuming, try training for an ultra. If you have family, make sure it is okay with them. Long runs will take up a good portion of your weekend. It will require dedication. It may mean getting up at 3am to run 30miles before 9am so you can take your son to soccer practice. It means getting a good night of sleep. If you typically go out on Friday/Saturday night, you should probably reconsider.

An ultramarathon is more then checking your sanity at the door, it’s about running smart for a freaking LONG time.

Stay tuned for part 3 . I’ll cover gear and training/coaching.

Part 4 will cover nutrition (during race as well as pre/post race).

Part 5 Q & A (send yours to me: sarah [at] sarahstanleyinspired [dot] com

As always, make sure you sign up for the monthly e-newsletter. Personally promise you won’t be disappointed!

Photo by wanderingYew2

Got ultra on the brain? And by ultra, I don’t mean the beer brand. I mean running.

I have received a lot of questions on ultra running. Some from people who are training for their first one! So here is part 1 of a TBD part series.

What does it take to run a ultra? A lot of stupidity!  Kidding aside though,  it takes a lot of mental toughness, strong-will and a can do attitude. It’s also about being okay being by yourself. I think that is what separates running a marathon from an ultra. Running a marathon has crowds, cheer stations, girls kissing you (Boston Marathon), and oh yeah, special things like porta potties. Running an ultra typically is run on trails, so the only crowds are trees, deer, and hopefully no snakes. The woods serve as the bathroom. Seriously.

So, what exactly is an ultra? Besides losing your mind:)

First a definition. Ultrarunning/ultramarathon= a distance longer then a marathon (26.2 miles). Typical distances are 50k, 50miles, 100k, 100miles. Another definition could be to check your sanity at the door.

Where: Ultramarathon’s are typically run on trails as opposed to roads. Usually involves hills, rocks, boulders, crossing streams, creeks, rivers and encountering snakes, bobcats, bears, and even pretty things like flowers and snakes (not).

How:  Your mind. Oh and your feet/legs/arms help too.

When: Races always seem to be held during the toughest part of the season. So expect high heat temperatures,  rain, cold, snow, wind- otherwise known as hell.

Where: Outdoors. Trails. Mountains.

To run an ultramarathon you should be prepared to be self-sufficient.  You will be by yourself for long periods of time. Don’t carry everything but the kitchen sink, but make sure you have enough water/hydration and food/GU/Gel’s. A lot of my ultra’s I have run I have had to rely on the good graces of the people I encountered along my route. But they were an added bonus.

But for most ultra races, there are aid stations. AKA, an oasis in the woods. They are stocked with food, hydration, first aid (Vaseline, duct tape, tweezers, scissors, etc), and helpful people. Personally, my goal is just to make it to each aid station. Before the cut off times. If you don’t, you are out of the race.

Some ultra races have drop bag options.What it is not: a body bag. What it is: some of your favorite things. Like your teddy bear (kidding), socks, maybe a pair of shoes for a 100 miler, change of clothes (again for a 100 miler), food/hydration you use. This is probably the key thing. Most aid stations won’t have what you train with. So if you train with GU, Hammer, and other like products, make sure you have them with you. If you are Vegan or on a special diet, having the nutrition your body is used to, is key to running a ultra.

I have run a lot of distances over 26.2 miles and I have never used a drop bag. I have never used one during a training run, so I knew I would be okay on race day. If I can run 36 miles for a training run, then I can run 31 miles or 50 miles without such a luxury.

For a 100 miler however, I would recommend having a crew. Running 100 miles is no cake walk, so having all the support you can get is critical this race distance. When you have a crew they will have all the food, supplies, gear, special touches that you need. More on this in a future article.

Running an ultramarathon is a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, tears and conquering fears, but when you cross that finish line, man is it sweet. And the chair you fall into? Priceless.

Have ultramarathon questions? Send me email to sarah [at] sarahstanleyinspired [dot] com. For more useful running tips sign up for the e-newsletter. Happy trails!

Photo by Wolfgang

Some call it crazy, insane, freak, nuts, badass, or animal. They are really all words for “I want to be just like you”

Why on earth would someone want to run 26.2 miles, let alone twice, and to top it all off, the famous Boston Marathon course? Because this girl is so freaking passionate about kids, health & fitness, she decided to run the Boston Marathon. Twice. Having just run a tough 50miler 9 days before hand, it was going to be a real challenge. But childhood obesity needs awareness & thus the double, an epic day was on.

As you know, Laura Yasso & I were chatting via Facebook 6 days before the Boston Marathon & mentioned the double option. After I arrived in Boston Thursday I talked with Mark G & 2 minutes later, I confirmed I would indeed make the epic trek from Boston to Hopkinton and repeat.

On Sunday I met up with Josh Cox, Andy Baldwin, Michael Chitwood. For some reason my Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem was not in my race bag. Needless to say I panicked. Thankfully Josh is sponsored by PowerBar and hooked me up. Thanks Josh!

Michael, Andy, me, Josh

While everyone else was having dinner & eating bon-bons, I was tucking myself into bed at 6:30pm. Thank god for really heavy shades.

Woke up at midnight because I kept thinking that the 3 alarms I set wouldn’t go off. Dork.

3:30am finally came & I heated water in the coffee pot for my oatmeal. It never really got hot, so I ate half cooked oatmeal. Yummy.

Slathered on the Vaseline, got my fuel ready, looked longingly at the bed wishing I could crawl back in and knowing when I did so I would in serious pain.

4:30am, 32 degrees. Marathon Monday. Patriots Day. Double Boston Marathon day. Bring it.

4:45am. It was early. Nothing was open. Not that I drink coffee, but when the city is empty it just feels slightly lonely. Made my way to the finish line, um, start line.

Finish line at 4:30am

There were 5 (I think, brain is still fuzzy) guys that were also running a double. Translated, that means I was the only woman running it this year. Thanks Laura for leading the way:) She and Bart started this “tradition” in 2001. After a few photos, chilly hello’s and a few pleas to go back to bed, we were off at 5am. The guys took off. Laura & Richard hung with me for a few miles as they were fun running 15 miles or so. A garbage truck almost took me & Laura out in the first 300 yards or so. No, we didn’t scream, we just ran for our lives:)

About 3 miles in, Laura had to make a potty stop and they told me to keep on running. More like a slow trot, but whatever. It was fun to watch the sun come up, although it was behind me. The trees were beautiful. Grass was green (thanks to the 11 inches of rain the previous day).

Lovely trees on the way out

I was posting updates via Twitter & Facebook. I’ll post them here for your amusement.

5:31am. 30min into double #bostonmarathon. Twill be a long day

6:02am. Running past people’s cars getting towed. Oops.

Because I am used to running for hours, I will admit that the first hours are like running in a twilight zone. A very slow & painful twilight zone.

7:01am. Monday Fun Fact. I am the only woman running a Double Boston Marathon in 2010. [I believe this qualifies me as a badass.]

Now 2 hours in to the run & I ditched the sweatshirt. I kept the gardening gloves Laura gave me. Thank god. My hands are always cold.

8:05am 15miles in. Tad on the tired side. Very lonely out here. Getting water when I can.

This was not only a solo 26.2 jog, but to top it off, was also a self supported run. Not the easiest thing in the world. I planned the best I could, but one can only carry so much GU, water, fuel along with my dear blackberry of course.

I saw 2 guys up ahead at one point. With a water bottle. I ran up beside them & with one breathe told them what I was doing & 2 seconds later I had fresh water. Yay.

8:23am. @richroll And keep an eye on @sarahstanley doin a double Boston 52.4!

8:26am. 52.4miles to raise awareness for childhood obesity

8:43am. You can’t be shy when running long, slow AND solo. Just pawned off a banana & 3 bites of a bagel from some kind person. [ My eyes were running faster then my legs. I tried to spot people with grub WAY before I reached them. Poor things. They had no clue that their breakfast was about to become mine. ]

Thankfully as time went on people were setting up chairs, tents, couches (yes, seriously) and other paraphernalia.

8:45am. Thank for ALL your @’s means much. I’ll finish one of these hours:) [the @'s I received were my source of encouragement. Really kept me going. If you are reading this and sent one, thank you, thank you, thank you].

Prime real estate

9:02am. Just passed the 10k point. Saw the elites fuel bottles. Cool! [This was neat. I didn't have a chance to snap a photo, but I wished I ran back & took one. I was afraid the elite bottle police would arrest me:) ]

I knew I had to somehow pick the pace up. My legs were not getting with the program! GRR.

Because the route is mostly closed at this point on Patriots Day, cyclists must plan an annual cycling event because at least 877.456 bikes passed me. I was ready to ask for a ride. Talk about torture!

A group of teen girls were having bagels. With cream cheese. Strawberry cream cheese at that. Heaven. I made that bite last a very long time.

9:18am These next 5miles are going to be the death of me!

9:44am. Wheelchair runners passing me on the way to boston. Almost to MY half way point.

9:59am. I can the sounds of the Athletes Village. Music to my ears. About damn time!

This is where things began to get interesting. The first wave went off at 10am. It took me longer to run then I estimated (can you say 50miler 8 days previous were haunting me?!). I heard and saw the fighter jets go over head. And while super cool, I knew I was in trouble. 10 seconds later I was faced with a crowd of guys. Running straight AT me.

I saw Ryan Hall & shouted “go Ryan!”. That was wicked cool. Then the real joy began. I stuck to the left hand side because well, I had no other choice. By this time I was ready to kill the next person who told me I was going the wrong way. And the herd of boys did not disappoint. They shouted everything you can think of at me.

As if running 25 miles solo isn’t bad enough, picture the last mile running against 15 thousand super speedy people, men peeing on you (why they have to go 13 seconds in to the race always baffles me), crawling over uber excited spectators, getting smacked it the torso & face from high fives and navigating rocks, bushes, briar’s,  valley’s and ditches, well, I was glad that mile was done. And I made it out alive. Barely.

10:25am. Made it to Hopkinton about 15min ago. My drop bag is MIA. Shoot. Had to run against the 1st wave cause I was slow:(

So I arrived at Athlete’s Village. Or so I thought. Later I figured out that it was Spectators Village. Oops. I went over to the Medical Tent where my drop bag a friend had left for me. Or so I thought. The Medical Tent was a grass plot. I was SO looking forward to the PB & J. Damn it! I felt fine. Well, as good as one can feel about just running 26.2 miles only to do it all over again in about 9 seconds. I wandered around, trying to snag food. One lady gave me $5.00 ( I guess I won after all. Ha!) I came upon a shutter tent & they really hooked me up. I had a banana, fiber bar, chocolate chip cookie & some water. Before you judge, I needed calories. Remember I had 26.2 miles STILL to go.

I knew I needed salt. I saw 3 boys with a big bowl of fresh French Fries. With Salt. I was in luck. I walked over, told them I needed some and grabbed a handful. Yeah, that’s how I roll.

10:28am. Scored $5 bucks for food & a LOT of “OMG”. I feel ok. Ready for the 2nd half!

I heard the 10:30am start wave go off & I made my way over to the runners. Now the real test was going to happen.

10:28am. Back on the course. 1st mile done. Right leg not having fun. I’m still smiling though:)

11:23am. Someone told me for running 30 miles I still look beautiful. Little things in life!

I knew I still needed food, so I was looking for spectators along the route. With food. They were super awesome.  I will always remember ripping off a slice of bread & asking for salt. They dumped it in my hand. And I had to lick it up. Yummy.

After I left the self induced aid station, some dude shouted at me “taking a lunch break?”. Wrong thing to say buddy. I told I just ran a marathon, and “be careful what you say”. I don’t think he will ever forget it either!

My right leg really started bothering me. And by bothering me, I mean stabbing pain. It was already injured from the previous run. I knew that the 22 miles would be hell. And they were.

11:46am. Sad fact Marathon Monday I am super slow today. Shocker. However I don’t care!

12:20pm. I would do anything for a pb&j right now. Mile 34+ Its a beautiful day. Simply awesome out!

As the miles wore on, my run became a jog, which turned into a hobble.

1:11pm. Crazy. Insane. Freak. Its ok if people call me names. I know I’m doing the right thing.

This guy was amazing!

1:12pm. And FTR being at the back of the pack is kind of cool:)

Since I wasn’t going for any world records (hey, I was already the only women and won $5 bucks!) I decided to “enjoy” (read with a grain of salt) and talk with kids along the way. I was doing this for them after all. And this was the highlight of my run. While besides getting peed on of course.

These girls were so inspired by what I was doing!

It was awesome to be able to chat with kids and teens along the route back. I will do this again for this very fact alone.

Encouraged them to be active!

The miles wore on and so did my discomfort. All I wanted to do was sleep. Get another right leg. And eat a PB & J!

1:41pm. I love you guys/girls. Feeling very tired right now & your replys are really helping me. Keep em coming please:) 3/4 done

1:58pm. Mile 40 or mile 14 Boston finish line can’t come soon enough!

Big kid at heart fan

The weather changed. The sun was now clouds and a slight breeze. Thankfully I was able to score a random jacket on the ground so I wore that.

1:59pm. My face hurts from smiling so much:)

Didn't know I ran to NOLA!

These people actually made this for the race! How cool is that?!

2:19pm. It should also be noted I ran #50miles 9 days ago. Perhaps that’s why my legs/body are protesting right now:)

2:48pm. I’d kill for a chair, nap or anything doesn’t involve my legs being the main source of power:)

Love the kids!

3:11pm. Today is an epic day:) just wanted to use that word, haha!

Sadly they didn't pick up hitchhikers

The pain wore on and the miles loomed ahead. Why didn’t they move already? Running mile after mile with no familiar faces to cheer you on, wave a sign at you or give you a pat on the back………I was starting to feel very emotional. And yes I cried. I was in major pain, damn finish line was NOT in sight and all I wanted was a hug for Pete’s sake. God must have heard my plea because I was running up heartbreak hill and a little 5 year boy ran over to me and gave me not one, but TWO kisses. Hershey Kisses. Before you get all critical, just try running MANY miles without support. Yeah, I thought as much. His dad ran hobbled along me, gave me a pat on the back & told me to go get ‘em. It was just what I needed. Thank you to them!!

2 kisses!

To be honest the hills were not as bad as I thought they would be. But that’s probably because I have run many hills that were much, MUCH worse.

I was fading fast and just wanted to get the hell done. And with that I posted my last tweet.

3:47pm. I need a hug. Like 1 million actually.

All I remember was trying to run, but being forced to hobble. Crap. Crap. Crap. My goal was to get to the Citgo Sign. Because when you reach THE sign, it is exactly 1.2miles to the finish line.

1.2miles to go!

The sign seemed to loom in the distance. But with time, I FINALLY reached it. A few people were still out cheering for us stragglers. I for one, was happy about that. I must have looked rough because quite a few people kept asking me if I was okay. A few guys shouted “go baby go” and “come on sweet heart, almost there!”. It was great to hear those words. I was too tired & in to much pain to even explain that I was on mile 50. I high five’d a the few folks that put their hands out. Barely made a connection.

And then, I knew Boylston Street (finish line) was right under my nose. I rounded the corner and there she was. The FINISH line. Home sweet home baby. Home sweet home.

11:56:23hours, 52.91miles

I actually ran 52.91 miles in 11:56:23 hours. And it sure felt like it!

I did it!! 52.4miles

Reward.

My feet are very happy to be done. No amount of Vaseline could help them. Poor babies.

Best. Medal. Ever.

It was great to finish. And to get the most coveted medal ever. How I love thee! I had to drag myself back to the hotel. I was really in bad shape. I made a promise to myself to never do an ultra with out having someone with me. That night I had two allergic reactions. Not being able to breath or swallow is kind of scary. I think even the hotel was scared. I posted this before I went to bed:

I’m not doing any more races “solo”. I need someone to pull my socks off. Applicants will be selected very carefully:)

After a fitful night, I did wake up. A long recovery road ahead. I tore the muscles behind my knee. But even though I was (and am) in pain, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I know that besides kids lives being changed, kids at heart were too. And that is why I do crazy, insane, nutty distances and challenges. I’m not fast (not yet anyway), but its my passion for helping others that drives runs me.

And that my friends is a Double Boston Marathon EPIC race recap. I’m going to pass out now. Cheers!

Post photo by Randy. The rest by yours truly

**Warning: Long, graphic, inspiring race recap ahead. Consider yourself warned:)

To say that today’s race was epic is an understatement. Let me tell you all about it:)

I had every intention of getting to bed at an decent time Friday night. However, that was not going to happen. For whatever reason, I couldn’t fall asleep. To bad I couldn’t start running then. 3am came & I quickly had my usual breakfast of Steel Cut Oats. Left to go pick up friend Jason. Then made the trek down to the race start. Beautiful moon to welcome all of the runners.

Checked in. Mentally rehearsed the course in my mind (I ran it last year). If you have read my others posts, you will know that my training this year has been hell.

My goal for this 3rd race in 4 weeks was

A) Not die

B) Cross the finish line

C) Faster then last year (10:18 hours)

6:30am. The sound of the bull horn went off & we were on our way. I had NO freaking clue what was in store for me.

The 1st hour went by. My legs were not getting in gear. Usually takes about 10miles to get in the grove. So I prayed that would be the case this time. Wishful thinking.

Reached the 1st aid station at mile 7-ish. I have to say that this is one of my favorite parts of ultra’s. The men & women manning the aid station are always so helpful & encouraging.

This race is beautiful for the first half. Running through Bluebells helps the pain.  Kind of.

I use Hammer Nutrition Perpetuemfor my hydration. However for a 50 mile run, I didn’t have a way to make it all the way on one bottle. **Note, if you ever want to crew for me, please let me know!

About mile 21 my Perpetuem was up. I had to refill my bottle with-gag- Gatorade. Left the aid station. Boy, I was in for a tough day ahead. And it had already been going on 4+ hours.

The climbs came and went. Pretty much used to hills at this point in my running life. Then the hills started inside my body. I started getting sick. And not sick of hills (although I was). Started with diarrhea. Thank god for trails.

Mile 26.1 Had a Popsicle as I left the aid station. Gave my mouth something else to do before all hell broke loose. By this time the lead runners had already passed me. To make matters worse, the runners that should have been behind me, were in front of me. I admit. I was very tempted to call it a day. I knew it wasn’t going to get better. And boy was I right.

The next miles were completely hell. HELL.  I took turns throwing up & using the trees as an bathroom. Did I mention that it sucked?

The course is not easy. Heartbreak hill is going to have nothing on me-that’s all I can say. As the course, day & miles went on, so did my insides. At mile 31 I staggered into the aid station. A very helpful lady suggested water & ginger ale. Bring it on. This was the “Do Loop”. I was dreading (yes, shocker I know). This section is quite lonely. And to make matters worse, people kept passing me. I wanted to shove them off the path. No, more like puke all over them. Damn it. I want to run like them! This isn’t fair!

I ran, no trudged on. The tree visits were becoming more & more frequent. At this point I knew that my 3rd goal was not even an option. I would be lucky to make the cut off. Something I haven’t ever had to worry about before.

The next 20 miles were about two things. #1) Wanting to die. #2) Survival.

I can honestly say that it was NOT a pretty run. The last 10 miles took me THREE F*CKING hours. Double time. The farther I ran, the slower I became. The more I puked, the more I bitched. What the hell was I doing out here running for THE LOVE OF GOD 50 freaking miles?

Oh that’s right. A little thing called inspiring, encouraging & motivating the nation to be healthy & active. In that moment I hugged a tree (I felt it only appropriate since I was pooping & puking on them all). Yeah, I wanted a nice race time, but since that was not going to happen I (forcefully) reminded myself that TODAY was about crossing the finish line.

Yes I knew I was going to have people judging my “time”. I knew I would have naysayers looking at the race results and critiquing how slow I ran. But despite that, I knew that no matter how slow I was I was going to finish that damn race no matter how long it took me. Because today was about others. It was about inspiring a nation that sits to get active. And maybe, just maybe my horrible, worst, F-ing race EVER will inspire one person to get their butt up off the couch and place one foot in front of the other.

As I stumbled & walked (yep, walked) the last 5 miles (it was torture, trust me), I never cursed so much in my entire life. I was BEYOND thankful that I didn’t have to run another 50 miles!

12:26 hours later, the finish line never looked sweeter. I didn’t even have enough energy to run across the damn thing. You get a sweatshirt after finishing. They were out of small’s-he asked me if I wanted a Medium or wait for a Small. I said give me a Medium. And I wore it proudly for the next 3 days. Two of which were in the 80′s .

It was 7pm. Jason drove back to his house (thank god). His wife was glad we made it back alive. Then I had to drive back to my place. It took me a few try’s to find the street. Yes, seriously. I was a little out of it. Designated driver anyone?

At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter who came in first, middle or last. What does matter is that the HEART of not quiting when you feel like you are going through hell. When you want to call it quits. When you want to kick that runner sprinting by you. But staying as strong as you can & fighting to the bitter end.

I survived. So can you. Promise!

If you haven’t heard about the “power of red” yet let me tell you a little bit about it now:)

From the www.choosecherries.com site, states this: Cherries contain anthocyanins 1 and 2 that researchers believe can have a significant impact on relieving muscle and joint soreness more quickly. And, cherries’ powerful bundle  of antioxidants and carbohydrates offer added nutrition active people need.

Basically, tart cherries have special properties that help aid in muscle recovery & inflammation. This is REALLY great news for not only me, but for you. If you run, workout, have arthritis, gout, even fibromyalgia, cherries are a natural way to help manage pain and recovery.

I first started incorporating cherries into my diet during the summer when I was training for my 100 miler. As a fan of natural methods of managing pain & recovery I was very excited to hear about all the great things cherries have.

On my race day I drank the cherry juice and it really helped me manage the pain my body was going through. I highly recommend putting cherries into you diet.

You can find the cherry juice at a health food store such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Wegmans. Depending on where you live stores may differ. Just keep two things in mind. That is 100% juice. And the label says “Montmorency”.

Drink up! Cheers!