|
Welcome to the archive of the
ULTRAU TUESDAY EMAIL |
Photo courtesy of Full Send Media. Race by Go Beyond Racing.
|
|
Hi all,
Last weekend I was at the Go Beyond Racing Bristow 24/12/6 hour races getting loopy with athletes on a one-mile lap. One mile, as many times as you can in the time you have allotted yourself. If it sounds boring, check out these photos and then rethink it. The event is not only a celebration of running, but a great way to see what is possible and so many athletes were out there aiming for time and distance PRs or were supporting friends to their own PR. Women won every time category outright and by more than 10 miles with distances of125, 69 and 43 miles. "Katherine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, recalls in her memoir how her high school’s basketball coach—a woman—told her that women would never play the men’s version of basketball because the “excessive number of jump balls could displace the uterus.” (Outside Magazine, The Myth of The Falling Uterus) Nice job to the women for showing us that an excessive number of jumps can look joyous and for the record, nothing was displaced. The race also had more than one nonbinary racer in each division, the most I have seen at any race thanks to the celebration that is Pride at Bristow. And thanks to Go Beyond Racing, they enjoyed equal podiums. Joy. Joy. Non-binary joy!!! We are in an absolute boom time for running right now. There are shoes for most every foot, races for most every pace and there is no reason you shouldn't be a part of it. And even better, I offer free Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday nights, so you get a strong core, and you get a strong core and everyone gets a strong core! APPLE WATCH ACCURACY The title says your Apple Watch may not be as accurate as you think, but I think for runners the news is good. "Heart rate had a percentage error of 4.43%, while step count had an error of 8.17%. Anything below 10% is considered excellent, so you should feel pretty confident in what your Apple Watch says your heart rate and step count are for the day." On the other hand, the calories burned was off by 27.96% but do people trust that anyway?? Not sure if it is measuring high or low, but either way, ignore that very inaccurate part of your data set. RUNNING BAND There is a good alternative to the running vest for shorter outings. Also, as temps rise, wearing a vest on a shorter run or a run with consistent resupply points can be HOT. If you have been running a long time and tried a waist belt like this or these, you know the load can bounce and be super annoying. If you haven't tried a running band, it may be worth some new gear. Companies like Naked or Ultraspire have created snug fitting bands that use compression to stay on and hold your gear. They hold a soft flask so as you drink there is no sloshing like using a hard sided water bottle. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS Love this take on should women wear underwear. Happy trails, Dana
0 Comments
I have been tracking my workouts for a long time. I don't always look at the data but I like having it and I always name runs and bike rides, usually after the person I am with, the place I went and a hint to if it was fun or not. Looking at my runs from the last two weeks they have names like, "Why does this feel so hard?" "Waddling around with the dog" and "Maston trails until I died". Meanwhile the bike rides are "Good fun with Denise," "Awesome new trail" and "Hurricane Trail pure joy".
I knew the runs were not bringing the joy, but looking at the contrast in how I have been talking about runs vs bikes is prompting me to change up the training mix and clarifies where I want to focus this summer. There is good reason to track training, even if you aren't a data nerd. Sometimes you need a reminder of where you started, the places you have discovered and if you are feeling the joy. ANKLE PAIN I have recommended a modality for ankle pain twice this week so I thought it may be worth sharing since it is basically free and you can do it at home in just a few minutes (not in 30 sec as the linked video promises) You just need a butter knife. Watch this video detailing how to break up adhesions for better ankle movement and pain reduction. It isn't always super comfortable but you can do it yourself and control how much pressure you use. SAUNA AND HYDRATION If you use a sauna as part of your training or plan to use a sauna as part of preparation for a race listen up here. Podcast includes when to use the sauna hydrated and when to hydrate slowly after and best ways of hydrating with the sauna use. FASTEST KNOWN TIME
THINGS THAT SEEM LIKE A JOKE BUT AREN'T
STRONG If you are attempting to be Killian's pacer, climb Everest or take your local trails by storm, you should be strength training. Free Wednesday night class live to your screen. Find out more about Strength Training for Runners here. "Running is staring down the uncertainty of an effort for so long that you can’t tell which is worse, the discomfort of the distance or the weight of your expectation."
-Peter Bromka Hi all, Last night after returning from some fun trail time on the Cape Perpetua Trails near Yachats, OR I experienced some back pain. Upon feeling it closer, I noticed it was super localized and a small bump. Zooming in closer, it was a tick. EWWWW. Who knows how long it was there, but I was NOT HAPPY, nervous, grossed out and annoyed I hadn't felt it crawling on me. Since this is the season for ticks, I thought I would share some info so you are prepared in case you find yourself in a tick situation. There are approximately 65 human cases of Lyme Disease reported annually in Oregon, which is very low to be clear. The primary vector is the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus), which is prevalent in western Oregon and along the Columbia River in lower elevations. Only about 3% to 8% of these ticks carry the Lyme bacterium and transmission typically requires the tick to be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more. Risk of transmission in Oregon is SMALL but still there. As a native Pennsylvanian where 30% of Lyme Disease cases are reported, I was freaked out. I called the nurse line of my insurance and was told to go to Urgent Care. At Urgent Care they expressed how rare Lyme Disease was in Oregon BUT since I found the tick less than 72 hours in, I was a candidate for Doxycycline, an antibiotic that is just a one-day course. Potential GI distress from the antibiotic for me is worth not being freaked out with worry about getting Lyme Disease. So worry level is reduced and anti-biotics on board. GI distress, well, let's see what happens. I will for sure be upping my prevention game going forward including insect repellent and more monitoring post runs. If you live on the east coast or are visiting be sure to be vigilant. We need you strong for trails, mountains and fun. STRONG Strength Training for Runners is ON and LIVE this week, so join me Wednesday night. Always free. Bring your home weights and mini bands. GET OUT THERE WITH CHILDCARE Strava has announced a "Childcare so they can get out there" grant aimed at helping mothers get to more start lines. Strava will be funding 50 grants of $2,000 each to offset the childcare, travel, and support costs that often stand between a mother and the starting line. Apply by June 14. LENTIL PROTEIN I never thought of this one! "I learned something cool recently that might interest you (and your readers). My body can't handle whey, so when I'm looking for protein to put in my smoothies, I generally use cooked soybeans or pea protein powder. Both can be expensive (especially for the non-GMO stuff), but it turns out that you can just dump a 1/4 cup of yellow split peas into the Vitamix and make your own powder before adding the rest of the smoothie makings. 1/4-1/2 cup of cooked red lentils are also a good source of non-dairy protein." GETTING INTO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS If you are in Oregon looking to get into the Central Cascades, the Cascade Lakes Highway is open and many of the trailheads are cleared of snow for parking, but beyond that much of the area has 3-4 feet of snowpack. Here is a good post from Hike Oregon checking all the trailheads and trails on the Cascade Lakes Highway and beyond. Cal Topo also has snow depth maps so you can check your trail before heading out. RUN FOR MONEY What did it take to earn $1,000 at a road race in 2024, just in case you are feeling speedy and need another income source. Apparently the average marathon time to earn $1000 was 2:39:10 for women and 2:16:37 for men. "Injury management isn't for the easily discouraged. It requires being brutally honest with yourself about what your body is telling you. Some discomforts can be "run through" without making them worse. Sometimes, this strategy can even contribute to the healing process. Other discomforts will worsen with every step until they force you to stop completely. The tricky part? Telling the difference."
If you are in the middle of a niggle, pain or a full-blown injury, this article written by a PT in the midst of doing PT for his own injury is a good read. Amongst the many, good take aways include, all runners struggle with injuries, neglecting strength training when you need it most (in the midst of heavy training) is bad timing and recovery is not linear. I am thinking about this myself as I am doing PT which on some runs feels like a magic spell that is working perfectly and the next run is a full set back to where I started. But I am still getting on the ground to do all the assignments and most importantly, I believe! Now go do some clamshells and stand up tall! STRENGTH TRAINING Strength Training for Runners LIVE CLASS IS BACK this Wednesday. I will not only be teaching, BUT I look just like we left off since I didn't smash my face at mountain bike camp last week. ONE EXERCISE- STEP DOWNS If you don't have 30 minutes to spare, here is ONE exercise you can add to your day. Work up to 3 sets of 10 per side really focus on your glutes, we can all use more coordination, control and strength from our backsides. All you need is a step. FUELING ON A BUDGET Here is a great graphic showing price per carb for some of the most popular gels. My learning from this was that high carb drink mixes are more economical than gels (3-5 cents per carb for drink mixes vs 7-13 cents per carb in gel form). High carb drink mixes include choices like Skratch Super High Carb and Tailwind. If you want to compare gas station snacks to your favorite gel, Swedish Fish are 1.6 cents per carb, Nerds Gummy Clusters are 2 cents per carb and Oreos (Double Stuff because the other kind is trash), are 1.1 cents per carb. After doing that research on candy, my social media sent me a post about how to make nachos with green beans and now I don't believe in the internet anymore and to anyone making nachos without chips subbing in green beans I am sorry for whatever has led to this and there is a better way, I am here to talk. Happy trails! Hi all!
For those of you following along, last week I was crewing at the Sedona Canyons 125, one of 4 races held during the week of Cocodona. For me, the story of the week was Rachel Entrekin winning the women's race, coming in 4th overall, 5 hours after the first male finisher and 14 hours before women's second place. In videos she seems like both a normal person but also the happiest person out there. Being out on different parts of the course I will tell you, it is much more technical than the times of those front runners let on! For most of the runners there is a lot of walking, not easy when you have trained for a run. (and a reminder for everyone expecting hiking in your next race, it isn't the same as running, start hiking as part of training!) The cooler temperatures certainly messed with people's strategies and packing lists. Specifically, when you are counting on a race that is very hot and those temperatures don't play out, too many electrolytes can be a real risk. Then GI issues ensue making fueling difficult. Then every step takes you a little higher in altitude not making your gut any happier (or your pace!) Since fueling is the thing that takes so many people out, I have some snacking take aways for you:
STRENGTH No live class this week, I am taking a mountain bike clinic in hopes I can have an awesome season of riding without smashing myself. No skipping your squats, join HERE for a class from the archives. LOW IRON OR MENOPAUSE? Did you know the symptoms of iron deficiency and menopause are frustratingly similar? Here’s a list of symptoms associated with iron deficiency: Absent mindedness. Decreased cognitive function. Decreased exercise tolerance. YIKES! Depression. Dry skin. Fatigue. Joint pain. Sleep disturbances. Weight gain. Sounds a LOT like menopause. Full article here. Be sure to talk to your doctor about symptoms and advocate for testing so you can be your best self out on the trails! RUNNING ON MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS A question from an athlete was, which way should I run on a one-way mountain bike trail? Against the one way or with the flow of bikes? My answer is NEITHER! If you are running on trails with mountain bikes, that is fine, BUT when it comes to mountain bike specific trails with features for bikes like banked corners, jumps and trails designed for one way travel, please run somewhere else. Mountain bikers go really fast compared to a runner and fly around corners. Stay safe (leave ear buds at home)and run elsewhere. WHAT ARE WE THINKING? If you haven't seen this illustration from Semi-Rad, I just love how it captures the humanity of a race starting line. And the one that says, "I am going to place 158th," I feel seen!!! Hi all,
The Cocodona 250 and associated races are on this week, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE about a bunch of people shuffling for 250 miles across Arizona? You don't have to, and if you don't want to be convinced, move along to the next topic. But, if you are curious about people foot hustling for a very long time, I have some reasons to care as someone who thought it was the DUMBEST the first year it started.
I will have more reflections next week after I have crewed and paced at the Sedona Canyons 125, one of 4 races held this Cocodona week. Also, if you are thinking, MAYBE I could run farther than 100 miles, but 200+ sounds looney tunes, the Sedona Canyons 125 has a 75-hour cut off! STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS But first, don't skip strength training. I will be somewhere between Sedona and Flagstaff on Wednesday night, so no live class this week, but no reason to skip when you can do this one from the archives. A PERFECT MARATHON TEMPERATURE Do you have a perfect running and racing temperature? Researchers studied this and came up with 48 degrees F and low humidity as the perfect marathon temperature. Full article here summarizing the data, but in general, you are better to be racing a marathon in cold than heat, humidity isn't a real problem for most runners until it is over 65 degrees and there is a lot of individual variation so don't freak out if your next marathon is 70 degrees and 80% humidity. ALTITUDE NONRESPONDER Research shows that when it comes to altitude "some athletes struggle to acclimate or adapt and see no positive impacts of altitude training. These athletes might be seen as nonresponders to altitude." If you feel like you have friends who tackle summits with no problem but you always struggle, it may not be your work ethic or training. Read on. And a podcast with the How To of training at altitude. A LONG WALK Can I walk there? The answer is, how much time do you have! This guy is on a 27 year walk around the world. When I saw the headline, I had so many questions. For some quick answers, the start was southern tip of Chile, through to Alaska where he crossed the Beiring Straight ON FOOT. He has been jailed, laid up for the pandemic and has had some serious visa red tape. In total it has been 13 years of active walking, 27 days of swimming and it looks like there is another year to go to finish this thing. He has two self-imposed rules: he cannot use any form of transportation on his route, and is not allowed to go home until he is finished. At this point, what is home? I am about to barrel down the highway into the middle of no where Oregon, then onto the middle of nowhere Nevada, Utah and Arizona. There are Ruby Mountains to see, a rarely visited National Park to discover and the sounds of my feet and bike tires. I am headed into a week with more trees than WIFI so this email is coming to you a day early.
NO WEIGHTS NEEDED No live Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday BUT, don't skip strength training because I am out of service! Here is a video from the deep archives of 2022 when we lived in Portland, had a different dog and did strength training without weights. So, no equipment needed, but you do need 45 minutes. Mark the calendar, protect your time and get this done. If having no home weights was a barrier, now there are no excuses. SMOOTHIES I saw this article on How to Make a Smoothie and I nearly went blind rolling my eyes. Well, I read it anyway, because I like those "Four mistakes you are making" articles and then feeling smug when I am not making the mistakes. Turns out this article is actually quite good and if you have a post run smoothie or aren't having recovery fuel for workouts over 90 minutes but a smoothie sounds good, READ UP HERE. I promise you will learn something (or you can feel extra smug because you knew it all already!) The same person also has a podcast you may need to hear right now, Why slower runners still need carbs. CAN'T SLEEP POST RACE I got a great question from one of my athletes, basically saying, why can't I sleep after a big effort? My answer: After a long run or race you have elevated cortisol from the effort, that effects sleep and ability to stay asleep. Post long run athletes often have more caffeine in their system disrupting sleep as well as elevated core body temps which impede sleep and core temps can stay elevated with dehydration, also not helping you sleep. If you didn't fuel well post-race you can still be hungry and low blood sugar crashes at night cause you to wake up. AND of course there are sore legs making a good body position hard and killing sleep even more. You can read more here. RUNNING VESTS If you are looking to add a new running vest to your running gear, a bigger or smaller size or one that bounces less IRunFar has a review of some popular running vests so you can get an idea of where to start your search. “Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.”
― Doris Lessing, Author and Nobel Prize winner Hi all, IRONMAN recently released a report with new survey data offering insight into global athlete trends within the IRONMAN triathlon community. Surveying 10,000 individuals across 97 countries, the findings reveal a familiar barrier for many women: time. Specifically, women cited the demands of family life and the challenge of finding childcare as key reasons behind the barrier of "finding time" to participate in triathlon or endurance sports. Currently, women represent just 18% of IRONMAN triathletes worldwide. In ultrarunning, while women have made up just over 30% of race participants (across all distances) since 2021, that percentage has remained stagnant for more than a decade, according to Ultrarunning Magazine. The report also includes data from USA Triathlon showing that while men's participation in the sport has rebounded to 91% of pre-COVID levels, women’s participation has only reached 71%. Now, I would love to wait until society fully values women’s work—until household responsibilities are shared equally, and women’s sports receive the recognition and support they deserve. But we can’t afford to wait. Until those systemic changes come, we only have ourselves. So, I ask: Are you valuing your own participation in sport enough to set boundaries, ask for help, and make space for your goals? Can you separate what is yours to carry and what you have been carrying for so long you forget others can do it too? (simple to say, so hard to do, but we can do hard things, right?) And if you’re not the one trying to “find time”—are you helping your wife, daughter, sister, or mother carry the load? The conditions are always impossible. Do it now. BARRIER FREE, I MEAN AS BARRIER FREE AS I CAN I know going to the gym is a barrier for many, so join me live to your screen for Strength Training for Runners. Class is always free knocking down the barrier of cost, commute and fear of gyms. See you on Wednesday nights. During the height of the pandemic multiple sets of moms joined in with their kids. Feel free to bring kids mature enough to do a decent lunge! If I see a kid onscreen, I promise to help modify the workout as needed and keep the language clean. A LABORATORY FOR VIRTUE This podcast with guest Sabrina Little, discusses running as a laboratory for virtue and other deep thoughts including, “fitness is feeling like you are dying at a much faster pace than you used to feel like you were dying at.” ― Sabrina Little, The Examined Run: Why Good People Make Better Runners Happy trails, Dana Hi all,
Last weekend I was spectating at the Peterson Ridge Rumble. Almost a third of participants in the 20-mile race had a dog, so if you are into dogs, running and being in Central Oregon, put this one on your list. It was also the Bend Marathon, the Walla Walla 6 hour run, the Yakima Skyline 50k/25k and Gorge Waterfalls races. LOTS of athletes out there, so naturally I got to hear lots of post-race stories yesterday, basically, best day ever. POST RACE STORYTELLING Let's say you set out for a 4-hour marathon and run a 4:15, how do you talk about that race? Let's say you set out to run 30 miles on a weekend long run and "ONLY" get in 26. Do you swat away the compliments like flies, feeling undeserving that you are a badass because you ran 30 sec per mile slower than you hoped? Do you go on and on about how it wasn't very good and why it was terrible and you are terrible and everything is terrible? Is that what you would want to hear from someone who ran 45 miles instead of 50? Be careful of how you talk about big accomplishments that are just off the mark. Talking to coaches, besties and running friends about missing a goal is a great place for reflection, real talk and nuance. Find the faults, figure out how to get better, lament what could have been. But your cubicle neighbor at work who doesn't run thinks you're awesome. So does your hairstylist and neighbor. They don't care that your time isn't what you wanted, they are damn impressed you trained every weekend for months and got out early in the rain. They may never run a marathon or maybe will one day because you did. But one thing is for sure, they don't need to hear your negative self-talk about how the amazing thing wasn't good enough. More importantly YOU DON'T need to hear that about yourself. You don't need to hear yourself over and over saying the run wasn't that good. I wasn't fast enough. I didn't get as far as I wanted. Repeating these sentiments can make you harsher to yourself and social media is already working hard on that! By putting yourself down you are convincing your brain to feel pessimistic about your running and what you deserve. You deserve to feel awesome, even when you don't hit the A-standard, gold medal level you set for yourself. It is ok to accept compliments on your run without saying anything disparaging about how it went or about your ability. You ran far, even if you were bummed at the outcome. POST RACE REFUELING I had an athlete ask a good question about post-race refueling. The question was, I typically have a protein shake post run, should I do that at a race? Funny enough, I hadn't really thought of that for runners at a race since there is food, no need to drive from the trailhead home, no waiting, just eat. BUT, many runners can't finish a tough race and then go right to the post race burger/pizza/burrito. If you live for finish line food and can get in good calories with protein post race, then no need to bring anything to supplement. If you cross the line and may not be able to eat for hours, BRING THE SHAKE, it gives you hydration, calories and protein without you having to stomach real food if you aren't ready. A REVOLT "A revolt against impossibility." A podcast with Jacky Hunt-Broesma, a cancer survivor, amputee and trailblazing ultrarunner who just ran really far. PROTEIN FOR YOUR AGE Check out this newsletter which addresses protein needs in female athletes. A key takeaway here (and why you shouldn't just copy a friend or some Instagram meals) is that a women in her 40s+ needs more protein post exercise than a woman in her 20s. JOIN ME Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday nights. Always free. See you on your screen. I just read a great piece from Matt Fitzgerald about self-disqualification, "whereby runners eschew certain practices because they view themselves as unworthy of them."
He opens with a runner realizing that fast runners run right through puddles to optimize the route and how it didn't occur to her to just run through the puddles. No need to save a few seconds here and there as a "slower runner". I haven't had a term for this before but I see it in two areas for age group athletes and he addresses these in the article as well. The first is having a coach (or a prepared training plan). Many athletes think that a running coach or purchased plan is only for the fastest among us when in reality, it doesn't matter how fast you are running, if you want to optimize your own performance, a coach or plan is for you. As a coach, I promise you, finishing before the cut off of a dream race or going whatever far means to you is a really valuable and worthy goal. The second is nutrition. I am serious, if I hear someone say that they didn't fuel that much on a run because they aren't running that fast, I will force them to eat a gel standing there until they fully apologize to themself. Fueling information is readily available but yet so many athletes are leaving performance on the table under fueling, thinking it doesn't pertain to their speed or their effort. I have linked to this post before but it helps you determine how much to use fueling before and during a long run. Hint, it is more than you think and yes, even your run needs it. Are you feeling unworthy of finding a great training plan or coach, not fueling enough, not buying yourself new shoes when you need them, thinking sports massage is for someone more serious or refusing to run with a group assuming they are too cool? This is all self-disqualifying behavior and it is time to starting counting yourself in. Think strength training is just for strong people? Nope! It is for people just lifting their first weight and people who can deadlift their bodyweight. Need a way in? Come to Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday night and see what it is all about. RUNNING NEWS
THINGS I AM EATING
|
All images and posts © UltraU, 2022. Photos by Runnerteri Photography.