Jackalope Jam 2019

Well the 2019 Jackalope Jam is right around the corner, February 23^rd is quickly approaching, and the pre-race anxiety will soon be greeting me in full force. As with any big race there is always going to moments of nervousness, despite the many hours of preparation and training put in. Although I do feel slightly more confident having got a few ultra-marathons under my belt. This race format is different than most, there is no set amount of miles to run. There is only a clock counting down and who ever runs the furthest in 24 hours, wins!

Course Layout

The course is a ½ mile down and back, so each “loop” is one mile. To some, the monotony of seeing the same scenery for the entire day sounds miserable. However, from my experience this format is much better than a longer loop. Simply because you’re constantly surrounded by other runners and you do not have to carry water or food since you are never far from the main aid station.

Preparation

As far as preparation goes, I have been incorporating much longer runs than I have in the past. Some of them have been over thirty miles. I have also been spending more time in the gym strengthening my legs by doing high rep/low weight exercises. The long runs seem to prepare me mentally much better than running shorter distances during the week just to maintain high mileage.

I have also prepared for anything mother nature might throw at me on race day by training in the rain, wind and otherwise nastiest days possible. I made sure to do this after my experience last year being unprepared during a race when a brutal thunderstorm blew in during the middle of the night.

Nutrition 

Nutrition is another key area I have tried to prepare for because it has been one of my biggest weaknesses in the past. After 15+ hours of running my stomach has been known to essentially shut off and reject any form of hydration or food. This is a huge problem during an endurance event because of the calorie deficit that is ultimately caused from being unable to consume food. Not to mention the debilitating effects of severe dehydration, which can lead to rhabdomyolysis, something I also have experienced firsthand.  

Conclusion

I have one more long training run of thirty-five miles to do this week. Some would argue I should have already started tapering down and resting up for the race. But I generally recover quickly and feel it is necessary due to the fact I had to take more time off than I would have hoped for my recent head injury, but that’s a story for another day.

 

Overall, I feel pretty solid about this year’s Jackalope Jam and I predict that I will run over 100 miles during the race and receive my first buckle.  I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you and would be thrilled to hear about a challenge that you are currently pursuing.

 

Here is a link to the race if you would like more information.