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Autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, along with the end of race season. Consider leaving your watch at home or resist pushing the start button on the activity tracking app and just go run.
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Running 100 miles isn’t just a test of physical endurance; it’s also one of mental endurance. In the build-up to my first 100-mile race at the Leadville 100, I prepared myself to ace both tests. Here are three exercises that strengthened my brain so I could show up ready to tackle the distance on all fronts.
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Poles add the power of your arms to your forward motion for greater success, aid in stability, and off-load your quads on a steep downhill, which every runner knows can be the difference between a finish and a DNF. Take a cue from XC skiers, who have been effectively using poles for a few centuries: adding more forward power is a good thing.
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We all struggle with the moment in a race when the wheels come off and the pain and suffering seem unbearable. As the saying goes, “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.” I don’t really buy that suffering is optional in the sense that you can escape it altogether, but how well you manage the suffering and your reaction to it are certainly things that you have control over.
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Success at ultras depends in part on striking an appropriate mental balance between ambivalence and obsession, between not caring enough and too much. You should feel invested in the race and stoke a desire to finish as best you can, but also realize that it’s just one day of your life and it does not define you, nor will it negate all the worthwhile months of training leading to the big event.
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I’ve got four three-ring binders that sit on my bookshelf, each representing one year of high school cross country—the arena where my lifelong love for running was ignited. The fact …