What I learned in the 2nd 100 Miler

After running my first 100 miler, I learned that mental training was just as important as physical training. During my second 100 miler, I learned from the power of the walk. 

Enduring a 100 mile race is just that - enduring. How are you going to keep going for 100 miles without your body breaking, your mind crumbling, your stomach wrenching? It is a delicate balance of pushing forward and pulling back. It’s pouring down water, electrolytes, sodium, and calories when your stomach is rejecting anything coming in. One grain of sand in your sock feels like it's drilling a hole in the bottom of your foot. Your lungs are on fire causing a sharp pain in your back while your hamstrings are pulled so tight you are afraid they may snap. Finding that balance of not wrecking your body completely by mile 50 , so you can get through the next 50. 

Training for a 100 miler is not only about going out for a daily long run, it is so much more.
You need to find that line, know how to stay on the line, and trust your body.  My second 100 miler was a point to point road race starting in Cocoa Beach, FL running south down to Jensen Beach, FL. After my last race, my biggest concern was whether my hip and hamstring would lock up at mile 60 causing an inability to run like it did last time. I knew in the worst case scenario, I am a super fast walker and I could still make the cut-off by walking if it happened again. However, I wanted a better race than my first.

With the help of my coach, we switched up my training a bit. My training runs consisted of a lot of walking/running intervals. For a lot of runners, this is hard because you have to leave your ego at the door. My training runs became extremely consistent no matter what run/walk interval I would run. We found that the magic interval was a 2 minute run and 2 minute walk for me. I could keep the same pace running 2 and 2s for 4 hours versus just running straight for 4 hours. I could take less breaks and my body could recover the next day so much faster. Please note, I worked hard at becoming a fast walker. My walking pace is between an 11:50 - 12:50 minute mile pace. This is not the same walk I am walking the dog with. This is something that I practiced and trained just was much as my runs. 

Going into the race my body felt good, my training was at peak level, and I was confident in my race goal of running 2 and 2s for at least the first 50 miles of the race. If I could keep that pace, I knew I could reach the first 50 within 10 hours. Then if I switched to 2 and 4s when it got rough, I could complete the last 50 in 13 hours. I allowed time to take a good stop to change clothes, shoes, eat, and take any needed breaks as the darkness set-in. I stuck to my plan and completed the first 50 miles in about 9 hours and 50 minutes. My crew reminded me to slow it down a bit. I was feeling pretty good but I was also waiting for something to break. By mile 70, I did slow down and 4 and 2s were pretty consistent. I had a mild asthma attack, which resulted in sharp pains in my back. I got that under control after an hour of using my inhaler. Once that subsided, my gut started to go. The humidity picked back up and everything started to taste terrible. It would hit my gut and then sharp stabbing pains would come next. I switched up my nutrition plan to more liquid calories. This worked a bit but made my bathroom stops even more frequent. However, my body was still holding itself together. 

I was fortunate to have my 17 year old son, Preston, as my crew/pacer and he did a lot of the dark miles with me. We reached mile 90, which was the finish line, but then we were sent on a 10 mile loop over two bridges. My body and mind were still strong, but my gut was not. If I took a drink of anything I would have to walk until the pain would stop, then I could run again. I saw the two bridges that looked like mountains in the distance. Luckily, I relied on my hours of hill repeats in training. Walking up the hill, running down. Those bridges looked impossible during those last 10 miles, but my body took them with ease. I reached the finish line with my crew, my husband and son, and a big smile on my face. My time was 21 hours and 52 minutes. An hour and 8 minutes earlier than my A race goal. I finished fourth overall and third female. 

It was a great race. I had a few issues, but all normal during a 100 mile race. I was shocked at how well I felt afterwards. I really didn’t have any muscle soreness. I could move normally that day of the finish and the rest of the week. I was fatigued and it took me a few days to get back on my sleep and eating schedule. I do contribute this to the power of the power walk. You need to let the ego go and embrace the walk. It is hard, especially at the beginning of the race when everyone is passing you. There is nothing better than passing them back knowing you have not wrecked your body and you are still holding on strong. 

If you are a runner, I say “give the walk a chance”. If you are not a runner, there is still a lot to take away here. Sometimes in life, we need to drop the ego. We can’t go out so strong if we want to make it to the finish line. Whether we are working more hours than we should, taking on too many responsibilities, or giving 110% when mentally and physically, we can’t handle the load. It is okay to slow down, play it smart, know your strengths, and then go after that goal!