Tag Archive for: ultramarathon

6 common questions about ultra-running

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In terms of impressing your family and friends or work colleagues, it would appear the “simple” marathon no longer holds the same prestige. Ultra-endurance and ultra-running events are an almost-impossible test of the human body and spirit, yet their number has increased tenfold over the last decade.

As endurance specialists and experienced endurance athletes, we frequently get questions about this rapidly growing sport.

Here are some of the most common questions that people contemplating ultra-running ask.

Before you contemplate whether racing 100 miles or more is actually right for you, consider this…

Ultra-running is not everyone’s cup of tea.

But if it’s something that sparks your interest, start by asking yourself these questions:

  • Why that distance? Does it have a particular significance?
  • Where will it take place?
  • What time of year will you be doing it?
  • What type of terrain? Road, trail, flat, hilly?
  • Will it be point-to-point, an out and back or a loop?
  • Is the plan to do it in one attempt or break it into stages?
  • Will you be supported (e.g. crew and/or vehicle) or self-supported (no crew)?

Your answers to these questions will not only help to define an appropriate training plan.

They may also ensure the effective execution of your event and serve as a reason to keep going when the going gets tough!

Welcome to the post-marathon age

Everybody knows somebody who’s run a marathon.

It seems that now, a genuinely impressive feat has to be something longer and more extreme. Fifty kilometres is OK… Eighty kilometres is moving in the right direction. But if you can reel off numbers in the hundreds, preferably over insanely steep terrain, a wind-blown desert or some perilous jungle – Now we’re talking bragging rights!

With more and more stories of ultra-endurance feats circulating, we hope the following may provide some food for thought to help you defy your limits.

Is it actually possible?

Most people shy at driving 180km, 200km, 250km or more. Even less would consider cycling those distances. But yes, running those distances and for extended periods of time is possible with the right mindset, appropriate preparation and sufficient training!

Will my organs start shutting down?

While organs shutting down during an event is extremely rare, surviving ultra-running ultimately comes down to appropriate training, heat management, nutrition and hydration. 

We always recommended seeking the assessment and advice of your GP or Allied Health Professional before embarking on something like this.

The human heart is exceptionally well adapted to endurance exercise. In endurance events such as 100-milers, the heart is working at well below maximal levels, which it’s good at doing, as long as you’re well trained and healthy going into the race.

However, it’s important to note that the hours of pounding lead to accumulated damage of major muscles. This, in turn, loads the liver and the kidneys. In fact, studies show that it’s common for 100-mile finishers to have abnormal kidney values since they’re working extra hard to filter residue of broken-down muscle from of the blood. However, in 99% of cases, kidney values return to normal shortly after the race. 

Please note, if your urine is cola-brown, seek medical attention immediately!

How do you deal with sleep deprivation?

No amount of preparation can prevent fatigue!

For a 24-hour race, it might not be so bad. But once you start to stretch out beyond 24 hours, you become prone to trips or falls and hallucinations. In fact, after periods greater than 24 hours without sleep, cognitive performance levels are considered the equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1%, nearly twice the legal limit for drivers in Australia!

Training when fatigued reduces the chances that your mind will play tricks on you. We suggest training in conditions that are closest to what you will experience in the race. For example, start a few long training runs at 9 p.m. particularly after a full day at work. In the event that you do start thinking or seeing weird things, learn to slow down and take a breath.

You’ll inevitably experience something called “central fatigue”, a gradual decline in your nervous system’s ability to contract your muscles. Pairing cognitively challenging tasks with exercise while training can help to delay this decline. However, in most cases scheduling in a short nap at regular intervals beyond that 24-hour mark can help to reset the brain and ensure you can push on.

How do you avoid blisters?

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than a cure”.

There’s a range of products available to keep blisters at bay, including powders for socks that help dry feet out as well as preventing friction. Products such as Body Glide or 3B Neat are great for those areas where chafing between skin surfaces and fabric is likely to occur. Try applying these to problem spots between your toes, along the sides of your feet, and on your heels prior to racing.

We also recommend wearing socks with individual toes, like Injinjis, for anyone prone to developing blisters between their toes. Think about having extra socks and an extra pair of shoes available, often a different make than the ones you started with. This way, if you need to change shoes, it’s less likely you’ll get the same hotspots.

What about food and nutrition?

The most common issue in ultra-endurance events are Gastrointestinal (GI). 

Endurance running disrupts your digestion. It diverts blood away from your stomach to your muscles. As a result, any solid food that you consume can sit around undigested. With the constant jostling of fluid and food, causes problems often resulting in nausea. Your best chance of thwarting GI issues during a race is to train your gut by practising your fueling plan during training.

Personally we like using a combination of liquid food (e.g. Tailwind) and solid food (e.g. Clif Bars, Bananas, Chips, Vegemite Sandwiches, etc) but this comes down to personal choice and testing during your training. 

Check out our Evolve Endurance Nutrition Program for guidance on how to fuel effectively during your event as well as during your training and recovery.

How do I train for an ultra-endurance race?

Our ELEVATE Tailored Training Programs provide personalised plans designed to meet your specific needs and goals incorporating your current training regime, training availability, work, family and social commitments. So if you’re considering ultra-endurance running for the first time or looking to improve your ultramarathon experience, get in touch!

Jase Cronshaw is co-founder and co-owner of V&B Athletic. He is an Australian endurance athlete and coach, procrastinating artist, teetotalist, and a guy who loves to run! You can find him on Instagram @coachcronshaw

What should I take with me during ultra-running adventures?

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I’ve been asked recently by a number of people who are getting started on their ultra running journey, what do you carry for your longer endurance runs and ultra-running events?

The right gear can mean the difference between having an average run and a frothing awesome one. Conditions can change in an instant. To get the best enjoyment out of ultra-running, it pays to be prepared. You should, of course, refer to your specific event’s mandatory gear list.

Here is a list of the gear that I always carry with me when doing endurance runs or ultra-running events.

Running Pack

My go-to running vest for any ultra-endurance events is my Salomon Advanced Skin 12L, but this comes down to personal choice and fit. I also have several other packs and vests that I use when training or commuting, including an older version of the Salomon SLab, Kathmandu, Nathan and Osprey. My wife is a big fan of the Ultimate Direction Signature series vests.

Salomon is on the higher end price-wise and doesn’t come with the bladder or flasks, but for fit and function, I find they are superior. Other brands such as Ultimate Direction and Nathan do come with flasks or bladders. It’s best to shop around and find what fits you both physically and on price.

Hydration

Depending on the distance or the mandatory gear requirements, I carry two 500ml Salomon soft flasks on my chest and a 1.5L Salomon Soft reservoir in my pack. I fill my 1.5L reservoir with fresh water only, as this can also act as a refill for my flasks plus you should be getting the majority of your hydration from clean water, not supplements. In the chest flasks, I keep Tailwind mix in one and SOS Hydration mix in the other. The new Salomon soft flasks now come with wide mouth openings making it a lot easier to add your powder!

First Aid Kit

An essential item for offroad, remote location events. I use Ultralight / Watertight .5 Medical Kit from Adventure Medical Kits which contains your basic first aid items including bandages, gauze, sterilisation swabs and surgical gloves. It also includes my first aid blanket. The first aid kit is not so crucial for events that are well supported by medical teams on hand, but the first aid blanket should be a mandatory piece of your running kit, you never know when you may need to use it and it may not be you that needs it!

And for my runs in Australia I always carry a snake bite bandage!

Anti-chafe Cream

The best approach to beating chafe is lube up early! If you need to carry some with you, my preference is Neat Effect 3B Action Cream, but there are several great products available including Squirrels Nutbutter, Body Glide and 2Toms. 

Sunglasses, Hat and Sunscreen

I’m a big fan of Hawkers & Co. sunglasses. Their lightweight and robust design means they can take a beating and they’re cheap!

My V&B Athletic cap keeps the sun off and Cancer Council Active Dry Touch Sunscreen is a must for my fair skin, with a dry-touch and lightweight non-greasy formula with a matte finish that provides SPF50+ broad spectrum protection.

Waterproof Jacket

A good waterproof jacket is a must for any kit. Look for one with a hood and sealed seams plus be ready to spend a little extra to get a good quality jacket that will stand up against the elements! I’ve witnessed too many events where participants have gone for the cheap option only to find out as soon as the weather turns ugly, their $50 special from Kmart isn’t up to the task. Mine is an ultra-light Kathmandu Zeolite ngx2.5. It’s both water and windproof, breathable, abrasion-resistant and super quick drying – you can shake it dry and it weighs less than 300g! Its designed to fit over the top of your run vest or pack and folds away into itself (using its side zip pocket) making it easy to store in your pack or vest.

Head Torch

Ay Up Lighting Systems have been my headlamp of choice for years now. Their gear is bomb-proof, with excellent battery life and they will light up your path like it’s daytime! Petzl have come a long way with their lightweight models, longer battery life and their range are reasonably priced. I always carry a small Led Lenzer headlamp as my back-up spare.

Trekking Poles

These can reduce the load on your legs by up to 30% particularly on steep climbs and decents. I use Black Diamond Ultra Distance Carbon Z poles.

Waterproof Cases

Keep your gear dry! Exped Zip Seal smart phone cases are fantastic because you can easily use your phone while it’s still in the case. SeaToSummit Ultra SIL bags keep things such as clothing and food dry in wet conditions. A cheaper alternative is to use zip-lock bags. But experience has proved these are not very robust and are usually single-use, so not good for the environment!

Backup Power

The last thing you want is for your mobile phone to run out of juice when you need it most! I carry a Cygnett 4,400mAh Power Bank. It’s light-weight (110g) and gives me up to 2x full charges of my smartphone or GPS watch. Make sure you carry the appropriate cables for your device!

Compass

This is a carry over habit from my hiking days, just in case the GPS fails!

Nutrition

Nutrition is a very individual thing, but whatever works for you, make sure you test it out as part of your training. My preferred carry items are Clif Bars Crunchy Peanut Butter flavour, Smiths Salt and Vinegar chips (go for the Multipack 6 pack, they take up much less room in your pack) and Vegemite sandwiches. I also carry a few spare sachets of SOS Hydration with me. 

My drop bags have these same items ready for me to replenish with at check points when I run out.

Collapsible Cup

Leave no waste and be ready to drink anywhere! My collapsible silicone cup was part of a goodie bag from a Sky Running Ultra several years ago. You can get pick them up online from Pure Running.

Tissues

If there is a long distance between checkpoints and the call of nature strikes, you may have no choice but to go off trail and do your business. This is why I carry a small travel packet of tissues, just in case!

Always follow “leave no trace principles” – dig a ‘cathole’ 15 cm to 20 cm deep at least 30 metres from the trail and then cover the hole when finished.

Jase Cronshaw is co-founder and co-owner of V&B Athletic. He is an Australian endurance athlete and coach, procrastinating artist, teetotalist, and a guy who loves to run! You can find him on Instagram @coachcronshaw

6 Nutrition Tips every runner should know

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Are you a running newbie or a seasoned pro?

The right nutrition is essential to ensuring you’ll perform at your best come race day, though it is the often a forgotten part of these events.

Being able to tick the box that says you’ve run a marathon or done an ultra-endurance event is on many peoples bucket lists, and rightly so – being able to run for an extended period of time, on any type of terrain is a fantastic achievement!

Here are 6 nutrition tips to help you get your nutrition right for your next race.

Eat based on your goals

There’s been so much in the media in recent years about if you should be low carb, high fat; high carb low fat, or somewhere in between.

Best practice is about eating enough of the right nutrients to support your training, help you achieve your goals and keep you healthy.

Eating and drinking enough carbohydrate to support your training is essential; consuming carbs before and during your race allows you to race at your individual maximal sustainable pace. Not enough means you won’t be able to move as fast. Given that for the majority of people participating in endurance activity, the goal is to do the best you can (and by best I mean the fastest speed over the distance), carbs are king. This doesn’t necessarily mean high carb though; it means eating enough to support your training, which means more around training sessions and races, and less at other times.

The one caveat here is if you do happen to NOT be aiming for your maximal sustainable pace; maybe you’re pacing a friend who is less experienced, and doesn’t move as quickly as you, you’ll likely find that during the event you can get away with consuming less, as you’re moving at slower than your maximal sustainable pace.

Choose your food

Some foods are better suited at certain times than others.

For example, high GI carbohydrate which is digested quickly is better consumed either right before or during endurance activity, such as a sports drink or gel.

Lower GI or slower digested carbohydrate is better when you have more time beforehand, or the day before, such as whole grain bread, brown rice or pasta. Lower fat choices right before activity are also suggested, as higher fat choices slow digestion.

Donuts (unfortunately) do not make for a good choice!

Fasted and Fed sessions

Doing some of your training sessions fasted will help your body better adapt to using fat as fuel, as does including some sessions where you’ve eaten before. As a starting point, for your longer sessions and resistance sessions, eat something beforehand (e.g. banana, muesli and milk, toast with peanut butter and honey). For shorter sessions, do these without eating beforehand.

Timing is Key!

Eating adequate amounts before, during and after sessions is essential.

Eat something beforehand that is easily digestible that leaves you feeling comfortable. For most men, aiming for 40-60g of carbohydrate is adequate per hour during a training session or race.

Is this a lot? Potentially, and the reason it is important to test your fuel out in training sessions so you know what works for you. Aim to eat within 30 minutes of finishing the training for best recovery results, and to help manage appetite later on in the day.

YOU PLAY THE WAY YOU TRAIN

We all know not to wear new running shoes on race day; nutrition is the same.

Practice your nutrition strategies during training to help instil you with confidence in what you have planned, and to iron out any kinks in your plan. Check out our Evolve Endurance Nutrition Program for guidance on how to fuel effectively during your race as well as during your training and recovery.

Remember to Hydrate!

Drinking enough fluid day to day is essential for a number of reasons.

These daily needs significantly increase as soon as you add endurance training and events into the mix. Remember to check the colour of your urine and aim for pale yellow to colourless, and if you find you sweat a lot, also incorporate electrolyte drinks as well to help replace those lost in your sweat.

How to tackle your first Ultra Marathon

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Pace. Gear. Nutrition.

Three causes of the most common mistakes made by aspiring endurance runners when embarking on their first ultra-marathon.

We outline how to get maximum enjoyment out of your first journey down “the long trail”.

Never try anything new on race day

If you haven’t used it and tested it during your training, leave it at home on race day. That includes clothing, footwear, gear (i.e. head torches) and nutrition.

Your shoes play a pivotal role

Planning on wearing those fancy new pair of shoes for the first time on the day of your race? Don’t. New shoes can easily give you blisters and various other lower leg pains. This can easily ruin all the hard work you’ve put in to get to the start line.

That goes for clothing, gear and nutrition too

If you haven’t used it and tested it in anger during your training, leave it at home. Avoid the temptation to sport that wonderful event t-shirt you scored in the goodie bag. Even the smallest inefficiencies in gear become amplified tenfold in an ultra-marathon. Many times we fail to use race-day gear in training. Small things, both mental and physical like chafing and unwarranted fatigue, become huge setbacks and will quickly ruin your chances of a successful ultra-marathon campaign.

Carry ALL the mandatory gear and make sure it’s good quality

It’s worth the investment and not just because it will be checked. It’s there for a reason.

During a recent ultra-marathon event, we needed to use every single piece of mandatory gear. Bad weather had closed in and with a sub-zero wind-chill factor the temperature plummetted; many competitors were caught out and ended up being treated for hypothermia as they were under-prepared. If you’re going to buy one expensive piece, consider having a good outer-most layer that keeps you warm and dry.

A quality waterproof jacket, like Kathmandu’s Zeolite v2, can mean the difference between an awesome day out or one you’d much rather forget.

Practice packing and unpacking your pack

Ideally, train with a full pack with all mandatory gear and individually bag your items in waterproof bags. Use sealable bags like Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil bags or for a cheaper option GLAD Snap Lock Bags. They need to be sealable so you can squeeze the air out of them and keep the contents dry. Bagging them individually helps with packing but also means you can access things quickly.

Label or colour code your gear. This will help you to find what you’re looking for when your brain is no longer working properly.

What about those items you’re least like to use… Most ultra-marathon events now require you to carry your lights and hi-vis vest with you from the start. Pack these at the bottom of your pack as you won’t need them until later in the event. There’s nothing wrong with packing a lighter headlamp for the day. If you have a bigger, chunkier headlamp that will be your main one at night, you can collect this during the race.

Use gaiters

You don’t need to spend $100 on them. Cloth gaiters are available if you want to be fancy otherwise mowing gaiters from Bunnings do the job just as well for a fraction of the price. You want to prevent rocks and dirt getting in your shoes. As the saying goes “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

Don’t wait for chafe, lube up early!

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than a cure”. Lots of products available including powders for socks that help dry feet out as well as prevent friction with product such as Body Glide, Lanacane or 3B Neat for those areas where chafing between skin surfaces and fabric is likely to occur; between the buttocks, between the legs and beneath the breasts and for the gents, nipples. Also remember the shoulders where your pack may rub and the lower area of your back where older packs can rub; the newer, more modern vests like Salomon Skin and Ultimate Direction shouldn’t do this. Don’t wait for chafe, lube up early!

Use layers to manage your temperature

Most ultra-marathons start in the early hours. Use gloves early and at night when it’s getting cold. But also be careful of overheating, particularly at the start of your race – it may be cold early in the morning but unlikely to be cold enough to need your thermals on. You will heat up quickly.

With an event like Ultra Trail Australia the start can be congested for quite a while once you hit the single track, because of the number of runners in this event; it gets difficult to stop and disrobe out of your warm gear, and you’ll lose quite a few places if you need to do that in the early stages. If it’s cold, go with your waterproof jacket, buff and gloves as these can be packed away quickly and easily without the need to stop.

Wear headwear that you can adjust

A buff or neck tube is perfect as you can use it to trap heat when you’re cold or let heat out when you’re warm. You can also use it around your wrist like a sweat band to mop sweat and wipe your nose!

Mental strategies are key

Pack a change of shirt and socks for the mid-point… sure. However if everything is feeling great, socks and shoes aren’t rubbing, then consider not changing unless you absolutely need to and saving them for much later in the event. There is not much better feeling out there than a fresh pair of socks after 8 hours or so of wearing the same pair through mud, water and bush.

Nutrition

Hydrate!

Don’t just wing it on race day. Being properly hydrated in the days leading up to the race and not just downing that bottle of electrolytes at the start line is the key! At a minimum, you should aim to consume at least two to two and a half litres of water every day to ensure your body is functioning at its peak.

Before your first ultra-marathon

Ideally, you should have tested this as part of your long-distance training sessions to find what works best for you but decide in advance what you plan to eat before your event. As the golden rule states “Don’t try anything new on Race Day”.

During your first ultra-marathon

This is a very individual thing but whatever works for you, do it regularly and frequently throughout the race. You’ll begin the day feeling good and running strong, you’ll be churning through those energy stores, so avoid not beginning early enough. At the first signs of a sour stomach and we tend to shy away from eating. This is the last thing you want to do. You can’t run when you aren’t fueling and hydrating.

Check out our Evolve Endurance Nutrition Program for guidance on how to fuel effectively during your race as well as during your training and recovery,

Pace yourself!

Start slow and keep it steady

Avoid getting caught up in the excitement and going out too hard, remember you have a journey ahead of you so try starting at a steady pace.

Stay relaxed and positive

Think back to the hard work you’ve put in to get there – all you have to do is keep putting one foot in front of the other until you cross that finish line. Listening to music helps some to refocus when things get a little tough for others, having someone to share those dark patches with is a better way to keep their spirits up so if you fall into stride with someone, ask how they’re travelling!

Have fun!

Take a look around and enjoy the atmosphere.

Remember that you signed up for this whole crazy thing in the first place. You’re going to push yourself a little harder on race day, but it’s not supposed to be torture! You’ve put in all the hard work getting to the start line, now’s the time to enjoy the rewards that come with your first ultra-marathon!

Reset your frame of reference

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Technically a frame of reference is defined as a complex set of assumptions and attitudes which are used to filter perceptions to create meaning.

Situations and environments that we are familiar with and comfortable with are our frames of reference.

Therefore experiences we have in physical training and in life are directly linked to how we perform in certain situations.

Spartan Up!

“The development of mental control is the foundation for building an unbeatable mind that will not fail at any worthy goal or task…”

Spartan Race co-founder and CEO Joe De Sena and author of Spartan Up!.

Changing your frame of reference means every time you hit a challenge, be it a tough workout, your first marathon or climbing a six-metre cliff face in the pouring rain at 1:00 am in the morning; you have a choice.

Changing your frame of reference means making the choice to keep things easy and comfortable. The way you’re used to doing them, or intentionally making them harder or at least not avoiding difficult situations when they arise.

Expect the unexpected

You can’t control situations that may crop up in an event, such as an ultramarathon. Which is why I follow the principle “train for all conditions”. This applies as much to mental preparation as it does physical preparation.

Things will go wrong, and you need to be able to refer back to situations in which you’ve faced similar challenges. Change your frame of reference by embracing the obstacles and challenges that pop up, as well as actively forcing them upon yourself and you’ll reap benefits both in training and in life.

Sometimes that means seeking them out

By experiencing new challenges in life and learning how to overcome them will make you better prepared to handle future obstacles when they arise.

Don’t be afraid to follow the path less travelled once in a while.

If you’re thinking “it’s time to change my frame of reference” and looking to embark on your first challenge then check out this great post by Obstacle Course Racer and Coach Mike Meredith where he talks about finding his passion for Spartan Racing and what to expect when you take on your first Spartan Race event.