One Hundred Mile Wisdom

Staring down the start line of your first 100-mile race is daunting for anyone. In my final preparation for the Javelina Jundred this coming weekend, I asked veterans of the sport about one piece of advice they wished they’d had before their first 100-miler. What follows is a collection of wisdom nuggets you can apply to your first 100-mile journey.

Patrick Reagan, a former course record-holder at the Javelina Jundred, offers a critical cooling tactic. “Using an ice bandana is a key bit of advice that Chris DeNucci applied real-time for me at my first Javelina. At mile 40, I was losing contact with Zach Bitter and Brendan Davies. Chris looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Pay attention here and slow down. You need to refill this at every other aid station.’ I complied, and the rest is history.”

Legend of the sport and Chuckanut 50k race director Krissy Moehl said the advice she would give is, “Attend, witness, volunteer, pace and crew 100-miler races before you run one. Having multiple experiences around the distance gives you the opportunity to take in information that will be helpful in planning and executing your own approach once you toe your 100-mile start line.” Advice she wishes she had going into her first: “Trust that the experience of running 100 miles will take you through the range of emotions and physical sensations. Knowing that whatever you are feeling (high or low, pain or bliss) will change.”

A relative newcomer, but one who’s already posted some blazing fast times, Taggart VanEtten told us, “Be prepared to eat more food and drink more water during your race than what you originally planned. The more calories you can eat during the race, the better your outcome will be.”

Leah Yingling finished her second consecutive Western States in the top ten this year. Photo: Mike McMonagle

Leah Yingling was top 10 at both Western States and UTMB this summer, so she clearly understands a thing or two about running various 100-mile races. “Hundreds aren’t always determined by pure fitness. Sure, some race wins go to those with the most glamorous training. But the longer it gets, those things matter less, and controlling the controllables matters more. Be able to adapt on the fly, troubleshoot well, eat early and often, and (my favorite performance enhancer) smile.”

An ultrarunner who’s been at the top of the sport for a decade now is David Laney. He dropped some wisdom specific to his experience at Western States: “Honestly, the biggest problem at my first 100-miler was having bad feet. My feet got super wet crossing the streams and dumping water on my head. By Michigan Bluff I thought I had gravel in my shoes, so I poured more water in my shoes to rinse out the dirt, but that made it way worse, and by Foresthill my feet were super bad. The biggest fix has just not been getting my feet wet.”

Former Western States champion and UROY winner Kaci Lickteig also imparted some hydration advice: “I wish I would have known to take a bigger handheld. I took an 8-ounce bottle and expected it to last for multiple hours between aid stations. Rookie mistake!”

Makai Clemons set the San Diego 100 course record in his debut hundred this year. “Keep your nutrition and hydration strategy simple. This allows you to problem-solve and adjust more easily if needed. Be efficient in aid stations and if you have a crew, give them specific instructions. Whether you’re trying to win the race, break 24 hours or chase cutoffs, aid station time can really add up over 100 miles. You may feel bad a lot earlier than anticipated. But you may not  slow down that much if you can continue to eat, drink and keep an appropriate effort.”

With dozens of 100-mile podiums, Ashley Nordell offered up some simple yet sage advice. “100-milers are a series of peaks and valleys. You can feel exhausted and rough at mile 30, and amazing 10 miles later. Try to be proactive during a low and pick one thing you can do to turn things around, whether it’s fueling, hydrating or just cranking up Zach Bryan to 10.”

Ryan Montgomery, who finished in the top 10 at Western States, also mentioned the importance of nutrition. “I wish I knew more about nutrition before my first 100-mile race. Recently, I learned about my sodium and carbohydrate needs, and I was blown away by how much I have been under-fueling in my ultras for years. We ask a lot of our bodies, so I give it as much as possible—nutrition and recovery-wise.”

I appreciated the three-time top 10 finisher at Western States Katie Asmuth’s brutal honesty. “Expect that it’s going to feel miserable. Your nutrition that worked in training will make you nauseous. Your legs will scream at you. Your mind will be loopy. But accept that. Don’t tense up and panic. Notice those sensations and just keep moving forward. Don’t doubt yourself. Stop thinking. Fake a smile. And eventually the next high will come. Life in a day.”

Tyler Green cools off as he crosses the river at the 2023 Western States. He finished in second place. Photo: Paul Nelson

Tyler Green checked the same box as Yingling this year, taking top 10 at both of the aforementioned races as well. “Fueling isn’t something you really have a choice about. You simply have to eat if you’re going to continue to run strong. Every gel or whatever is an investment for the latter part of the race. Advice I heard plenty but still struggled with in my first 100-milers is to be patient in the first two-thirds or even three-fourths of the race. When you haven’t raced the distance before, it’s challenging to know how to regulate your effort for that long.”

Devon Yanko has been winning 100-mile races for 15 years. “First advice would have been ‘Wait until you are ready.’ I felt pressure to do my first hundred before I was ready because I was told that I should. I would have more importantly told myself to treat the first one like an experiment. You are just learning what works and what doesn’t and discovering the distance.”

UltraRunning columnist Dean Karnazes left us with some humor. “What I wish I had before my first 100-miler was a clue. It was the 1994 Western States 100 and I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. Some actual good advice came to me from the legendary Walt Stack: ‘Start slow, and taper from there.’ That quote always makes me laugh, and the simple act of laughing during an ultra can help you get through low points.”

Keely Henninger clocked a top-10 Western States finish in her first hundred. “Before my first hundred I wish I would have been told that my opinion at mile 80 does not matter. At that point, I need to trust my crew wholeheartedly and not try to voice my own opinion of what I think I should do. When all else fails, you probably need to eat more, so trusting your crew and listening when they tell you to eat at mile 80 and not resist them is so important to having success at the full 100-mile distance.”

Jeff Colt was top 10 at Western States this summer. “Never trust how you feel at the moment. Like life, 100-mile races are long. You might feel hopeless and defeated, but 10 minutes later or an hour later, you’ll be working with a different headspace and feeling. If you feel low, eat, drink, walk, give yourself some grace, but keep moving forward.”

Securing three consecutive top-10 finishes at Western States indicates some wisdom worth listening to from Zimbabwe’s Emily Hawgood. “Eat early and often. It’s going to be tough, for everyone. It’s a big deal to get to the start line and a big deal to get to the finish line. Celebrate every step between the two with all your might!”

Harvey Lewis is a regular at backyard ultras where distances push close to 400 miles. Photo: Howie Stern

Harvey Lewis is known to run so long, a 100-miler could be considered short based on his accolades. He said, “Focus not on a time but on having fun and the ultimate goal: finishing. Enjoy the camaraderie and nature as much as possible, pause once or twice and really take in the moment. Have a plan of something you’ll have to celebrate after. Afterwards, sign up for another race or event 3-5 months out to keep the momentum.”

Offering some training advice is Taylor Nowlin, who has run her way to top 10 finishes at Western States in each of the past 2 years: “I wish I knew that I didn’t have to run back-to-back 100-mile weeks to finish a 100-miler. When I ran WSER the first time, I literally ran as many miles as I had time for because I was using volume to gain confidence. My second hundred, I ran much faster on way less mileage and had a lot more fun training for it.”

The 2022 Western States champion, Adam Peterman, was concise with his advice: “Mile 99 exists. Remember that when you feel good at mile 20. It’s a long and incredible day, but no part of the race is going to take care of itself.”

Aliza Lapierre’s list of ultrarunning accolades is extensive. “The race doesn’t start until mile 60 or 70. The first chunk of the race is all about taking care of yourself. Taking care of your feet, chafing prevention, hitting caloric and hydration needs, pacing and using time wisely at aid stations are all pieces of the puzzle that allow you to get through the miles when you are most fatigued and in uncharted territory. Be patient, take care of the little things before they become big things.”

Jeff Browning has been logging hundred mile finishes for over two decades now. He has five finishes with three wins at the distance this year. “One, focus on 600-800 mg of sodium per liter drink rate (NOT per hour; and is a ballpark starting point). Two, vary your drink rate per hour, depending on heat and sweat rate. This can be tested with a digital scale and a one hour aerobic run in different temperatures to determine individual sweat rate per hour. Three, consume 200-300 calories per hour, preferably in small amounts per dose so as to not overwhelm the gut.”

What advice would you give to a runner lining up at their first 100-mile race? Which piece of advice from above do you appreciate the most? Leave a comment below and let us know.