Daily running is not a steady state affair. If only. Some days are better than others (stupid rain). Some weeks are better than others (stupid work obligations). And some months. . . This has been one of those months for me. Coming out of Eastern States, I was back to 100% physically within about 10…
I Could If I Wanted To
I mean, that’s the excuse, right? Sure I could do X. Anybody could do X. I just don’t want to. This is something we learn at a young age as a way to push back against our shortcomings. It’s also a nice lie we tell ourselves to boost our self esteem. It’s not that I…
Viaduct Plan B
I was planning to use the Viaduct 100M race last weekend as the primary training stimulus leading into Eastern States, however the race ended up being cancelled due to downed trees on the course. I think I’ve gotten faster at the hundred mile distance this year due to all the hundreds that I’ve been running…
Sigh. Here We Go Again
I was putting the finishing touches on my latest post (“2025 Viaduct 100M Preview”) when the email hit my inbox: Race Cancelled. Apparently, the region got hit with some nasty storms and there’s a bunch of trees down on the course plus most of the area is still without power. This is now the third…
Making It Up As I Go Along
A decade of experience and a massive base of running mileage (28,000+ miles) is an awesome thing. When I started out, I had 20 week training plans. There were build weeks, workouts, long runs, deload weeks, and even some back-to-back long runs thrown in for good measure. As my miles started stacking up, the mental…
It’s June. . . But ES100 Is Coming
What motivates you to train for ultras? How do you get out of bed before light when it’s raining outside? What forces you to do add that second (or third) workout to your weekly schedule? Or the extra repeat when your lungs are shot and your legs completely fried? The back-to-back long runs? How do…
Walking As The Ultimate Long Ultra Cheat Code
It’s been a while since I wrote about walking in ultras so I thought this would be a good time to revisit the topic. The stats from my last race showed that I walked for 38 hours and ran for 19 hours. I’m obviously moving faster while running so maybe about half the distance was…
How Long Does It Take To Recover From An Ultra?
I believe there are two correct answers to this question: The more ultras that I’ve complete over the years, the quicker I’ve been able to recover from them. Generally speaking, it takes me about a week to physically feel back to 95% or so of normal. Mentally, it takes maybe another week to want to…
Halfway To World Class Expertise
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he lays out the theory that in order to become an expert in a field you need to devote 10,000 hours of practice. Some people may quibble that practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. Regardless, I think everyone will acknowledge that the more you do something, the better…
2.5 Weeks Out. . .
I’m in the middle of my peak week in the lead up to Rabid Racoon and I’m just . . . cruising. Physically I feel good. My legs are much closer to the fresh end of the spectrum than my normal peak week mostly thrashed end. Mentally I’m in an even better place. Lots of…