First 100 miler and the lessons learned,
This has been a long and stubborn journey, spanning nearly seven years. After finishing my first marathon in 2017 with no training, it wasn’t pretty, I naively signed up for a 50 miler two months later. I finished but it nearly killed me and really wasn’t pretty. Since then there’s been more failed attempts at the elusive 100 miler distance than I care to recall. However, that all changed at this years Jackalope Jam where I finally got my first 100 mile buckle. Lets dive into the valuable lessons I learned during the process.
1. Preparation Is Key
This one sounds like a no-brainer but it must be mentioned because I attribute the majority of my success to it. In the past I lacked any sort of structured training plan leading up to a race. Grit and stubbornness would only get me so far so this time I decided if I was going to make it to the finish line I needed a serious plan, I was fortunate to start working with Sam Harvey, a record holder for New Zealand in the back yard ultra event. Soon I was logging 65+ miles a week and sticking, for the most part to a structured training block. This made all the difference come race day. My body held up very well thorough out the day and I was back to feeling 100% recovered less than 2 days after the race.
Prepping for Nutrition/Hydration was also crucial. This took me the longest to get dialed in but was highly important. I tried to stick to 75-90 carbs per hour and 1 liter of fluids per hour. Mostly from peanut butter crackers, gummies, gold fish, coconut water, mashed potatoes, and trail mix.
2. Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time
You can’t let your mind wander and think about “how far you still have to go”. Since the race format was a 1 mile out and back It was easier for me to break the race down into pieces. I think I would have got in my own head much more had it been 5 x 20 mile loops but who knows. There’s no doubt, focusing on getting to the next checkpoint but never thinking beyond that is definitely a key factor in success during an endurance challenge. This is something that took years of practice and is still much easier said than done.
3. Crewing is Crucial but Aid Stations are Not Your Friend
I knew not having a crew would slow me down but I underestimated just how much time it would cost me. I had continuous issues with my gear/food tent due to the gusty winds. Not to mention it takes a lot longer to refill bottles, get food, change gear when you are solo. It also should be noted that if you are fortunate enough to have a crew; make sure you have the right crew. Preferably someone who has competed in ultra events and has a good understanding of when and what you will need next.
General Aid stations are distracting and stall forward progress. Especially at a race like Jackalope Jam where you pass it every 2 miles. I found it much faster to bring my own nutrition /hydration and have everything pre-packaged for every hour. This also insures you won’t have to run the risk of try something new on race day, but well get to that later.
4. Everything is Finite
This is something my coach had mentioned a few months ago before I completed the Grand Canyon Rim-Rim-Rim. It stuck with me there and the same thing applied during the 100 miler. There’s no doubt there will be many highs and lows during an endeavorer like this, but no matter how tough it gets, it won’t last forever. Same applies for the highs, when everything seems to be going perfect. Both are finite. It is always best to stay in the moment and roll with the punches as they come.
5. Emotions are Contagious
We get to decide our outlook and emotional response to everything that occurs on race day. It is wise to stay positive because emotions are contagious for your crew, if you have one. But also contagious to all the other runners suffering along with you. It was hard to feel like a victim when there are people doing the 100 hour event had already been going for 2 days before I started, some of them were even rucking it with 35 pound plates.
6. Sometimes You Do Have To Try Something New
Around mile 80 I started feeling pretty shitty around 3:00 AM. I had let my nutrition slip up after the sunset and now I was paying the price. There weren’t many people out on the course at this time but I ended up knocking out a few laps with one of the most positive runners I have met. Rich was rucking and was nearly 150 miles in and moving strong. I asked what his nutrition had been looking like? “Chocolate Milk and PB&J”. The milk was a surprise but we dove into the nutritional details and it made pretty damn good sense so I took his advice and knocked out two bottles over the next hour and it was like rocket fuel! It proved to be an absolute game changer.
This goes against the conventional endurance wisdom of “never trying anything new on race day”. Which applies to clothing, gear, nutrition, hydration, anything really. However, sometimes you have to improvise on race day, even if it means taking a big gamble. This time it paid off big time.