[Part 2] What I Learned from Ultra
[Part 2] What I Learned from Ultra
with 7 takeaways on peak performance
The Comeback… Continued
Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes, 44 seconds
From July 21st until October 6th, I did my best running ever. In the 8 months prior I went hard for 3 weeks and took down weeks: 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.
You already know from Part I, I was doing too much. I had to redefine what intensity meant and what a 10/10 effort looked like in the context of ultra running.
In football, a 10/10 effort was giving everything you had in 7 second sprints over 2-3 hours. High intensity, short intervals.
In ultra, a 10/10 effort was giving everything you had over the course of 20-30 hours. Low intensity, long intervals.
I cut out speed work to reduce the variables I could mess it. All I focused on was increasing mileage so my body could get adapt to the impact of long distance running.
What happened surprised me. I started running faster and longer, and being more consistent, and having more fun. Hard work didn’t feel as hard anymore.
Takeaway #4: Redefine what intensity means. Raising a kid, starting a new job, running at altitude — changes in life, environment, and context all impact what an all-out effort means. Factor in new variables and design a better approach to giving 100% without old biases.
I did more research on fueling, rest and nutrition. I learned:
Proper nutrition and hydration — drink 16-24 oz of fluids per hour, with about 300-500 mg of sodium and 50g of carbs. I was doing about 1/3rd of that.
The body could only digest 200-300 calories per hour and eating anymore would risk an upset stomach. Explains why I ran so slow after my massive burrito.
Elite contrast therapy and breath work routines to boost recovery. I had more energy after my training runs.
How to track calories again to lose weight so I could reduce the impact on knees. I lost 11 lbs in 3 months.
Most important of all — I started giving myself some damn love. I thanked my body before, during, and after each run. I said nice things to myself like “You’re choosing to something hard. Give yourself credit!” and “You can do this!” and “I’m so proud of you!”
Instead of applying more pressure and piling on higher expectations, I began appreciating myself for what I was doing. I gave myself the affirmation I was looking for from others and became my own best supporter.
The positive self talk encouraged me and I stopped acting like a disgruntled boss all the time. Turns out being nice is a better long-term strategy for performance.
Part of my healing journey has been using love for motivation, not fear,. Doing things because I want to, not because I have to — using curiosity, instead of shame, joy, not guilt.
My training peaked at 83.74 miles, 3x 10 mile runs, and 2x back-to-back marathons. I was proud of my effort and everything I learned, and I felt ready for the big race.
Takeaway #5: Love is a better long term strategy for motivation than hate. Give yourself the validation you want from others. Replace criticism with curiosity, pressure with encouragement, and judgement with appreciation. You’ll perform better and have more fun.
Tapering
Two things went sideways during my taper:
I had my worst week of sleep over the past 6 months leading up to the race. The launch of QuarterLife was stressful and I couldn’t workout to regulate myself.
I ate 700g of carbs, roughly 18 total servings of linguini, rice, and bread. I was full beyond comprehension and couldn’t sleep as well.
What I learned:
Creating boundaries with work and leaning into other stress management tools, outside of fitness, is important for down-regulating for better rest and recovery.
I’d focus almost exclusively on carb intake, ignoring proteins and fats, because my caloric intake was way higher than my burn since I wasn’t running much either.
Intra-Race
A mile-by-mile breakdown with a (mood meter) included of race day:
Mile 0-10 (Okay): My pace was slower and heart rate much higher than I expected, 10:30 pace and 135 BPM, instead of 9:30 pace and 125 BPM. I woke up feeling 60% so my headspace wasn’t great to start.
Mile 10-20 (Better): The sun came out and I started cultivating gratitude: my body for getting me this far, the support from friends and family, the nature around me and gift of being alive.
The PB&J’s, pickles, and watermelon at aid stations were a nice changeup from the gels and meat sticks I had while training — and I appreciated the energy and support from the volunteers.
Miles 30-50 (Rough): Temperatures went up to 86°F and this was the hottest part of the day. I didn’t want to burn myself out so I did my first bit of walking and jogging to conserve energy.
Miles 50-70 (Locked-In): I was convinced I could still hit a sub 24 hour time and despite how daunt it felt, I pushed hard for 20 miles.
I listened to Mwaki on repeat for nearly 4.5 hours (h/t to Tyler Morris who listened to it for 24 hours) and pretended I was a psychopath like him.
Around mile 65 a dude ran up next to me and started talking about naps. Next thing I knew I found myself walking and laying down at the next aid station to close my eyes.
Takeaway #6: Surround yourself with the right people. The energy others feed you can make or break you. Protect your headspace at all times and don’t let your inner people pleaser stop you from creating boundaries with people who aren’t on your same wavelength.
Mile 70-80 (Miserable): I entered the dark place here. Familiar thoughts came back up, "Why am I here? Who am I trying to impress? Why do I do these things to myself.”
I gave up on my sub 24 hour goal to alleviate some pressure and fell back to finishing under the 30 hour cutoff. I felt bummed but I wasn’t going to quit this time.
Every step felt like pins and needles. I had massive blisters from my toes jamming against each other. I was loopy from the lack of sleep and took a few naps too.
Mile 80-90 (Miserable): I figured I could finish 1-3 hours faster by jogging, instead of walking, so at this point I did my best to speed things up. The pain from both was about the same.
I was impressed by how some of the runners were in such high spirits. I felt dead inside and seeing how upbeat others were inspired me.
Miles 90-100 (Miserable): My legs were shot and the sun was up by this point. I pictured a nice bed, food and shower in my future.
Post Race
Crossing the finish line brought instant relief. The contrast between the last 30 miles and how I felt after were night and day.
People were celebrating with coolers full of beer, loud music, and a buffet full of food. I was happy to slug a cold pilsner, down some chili and a burrito, and take a nap.
Over the next few days, I was proud, confused, happy, and a disappointed all at once. My feelings were everywhere and I needed a few days to process.
A part of me thought I could have performed better, and part of me was shocked I ran 3x further than I ever have and could still feel dissatisfied.
I was amazed at what I did, and I still questioned why I did things that felt miserable.
I wanted to be ecstatic with the outcome, but I was also okay being just happy.
I have a lot of big feelings and, sometimes, it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside. I’m learning to be okay with not knowing and embracing whatever comes up.
My therapist and I both agree — being hard on myself is still a reoccurring theme in my life. I put a lot of pressure on myself, many times with no realistic precedent.
I create expectation that often end in disappointment, and being wiser with what I demand of myself could help me appreciate what I have more.
I told her, “I keep moving the goal posts, even before I hit them, so I’m constantly chasing some impossible dream.” She wants me to celebrate more — which makes me cringe.
I have a list of goals I want to get to next. Many specific, ambitious, goals. But if the past is any indicator of the future, I’ll be miserable if I focus on them too much.
The real goal is to fall more in love with myself and the process of becoming better each day. I want to be less attached to my goals while still working towards them.
The last 3 months of training I had leading up to the race is what I really want more of. I was learning and growing and having fun.
I’ve spent a lot of time, money, and energy over the past 10 months rebuilding who I am. My mind, body, heart, and soul feel more connected than ever.
Now I’m focused on aligning my income with my purpose — cultivating deeper relationships and creating a predictable income. I’m excited for the journey ahead.
Takeaway #7: Fall in love with the process and celebrate small wins to find real fulfillment. Don’t move the goal posts too soon, you’ll never feel enough unless you allow yourself to. Focus on progress and detach from the outcomes. You’ll be happier and perform better.