Pre-Ouray 100 Reflections and Training Recap

 

"Who gets to do this stuff?!" I asked myself on top of Red Mountain during my final long run yesterday. Here I am on a Friday afternoon, sitting on top of 12,000ft mountain in the middle of the San Juan's in Colorado. We've been here for nearly three weeks now. We arrived in Colorado on my birthday, July 5th, and began what will be a full month stay leading up to the Ouray 100, one of the hardest and most beautiful ultra marathons in North America. It's not lost on me that I’m living a dream come true, in a sense. With a tremendous amount of help from my wife, Isabel, and an amazing team, we have crafted a life for our little family that has given us the flexibility to own and operate a successful fitness business (3CLICK Fitness, Performance Running Gym) and really live life to the fullest in conjunction. I'm incredibly thankful for that gift. 

I remember the first time I heard about an "Ultramarathon." I was sitting across from a new client of mine, Tony Villano. He was training for the 2013 FANS Endurance Run 24 hour race and looking to get expert guidance on how to add strength training into his program. He told me his goal was to run a full 100 miles in the 24 hours. I remember looking across the table at Tony, who was at the time a good 20 pounds overweight and still dressed in his paint clothes from his workday, and thinking; "This man is delusional." I had been running with my friend, Jess, every Saturday, and we'd worked out way up to 10 miles. We thought this distance was pretty impressive and even a bit crazy to be doing regularly. Meanwhile, Tony sat across the table telling me that he would be running at least 20 miles every weekend, and would likely work up to runs of over 50k in training. I'd run one marathon and hated every minute of it. I was a musclebound early 20-something that weighted over 200 lbs, not exactly the most efficient running build. I remember thinking "this man is going to run nearly the distance of a marathon every weekend? And then run for a full 100 miles in one stretch? Is that even possible?" Turns out he wasn't delusional. He went on to eventually crush his 100 mile goal at FANS the next year. By that time, I'd started training with him and had completed several 50k races and a 50 miler. 

Early on I found pleasure in a sport that was about pushing the limits. Every new distance felt like a new accomplishment, every personal best felt like progress. I loved the feeling of having something to work for that really allowed me to dig deep and find a little more of myself - to find new limits of my physical and mental capacities. As other runners who read this blog will relate to; I find that reaching these new goals and limits transcends running and spills into every aspect of your life. If you can run 100 miles in the mountains in one stretch, what can't you do? 

That desire to push my own personal limits led me to sign-up for the 2021 Ouray 100. A race I first heard about in the fall of 2018 when one of my first coaching clients, Ben, told me that he wanted to run it as his first 100 miler. To my shock, I would go on to research the race and realize it was quite possibly the worst 100 miler ever to start with, due to it's extreme difficulty. Nevertheless, Ben would go on to crush the 2019 Ouray 100, as one of the just ~30% of the field who finished the race.

On paper, this race may be the hardest in North America. The distance is just the beginning of why that is. Over the 102 miles, the race climbs 42,000 ft in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado at altitudes between 8,000-13,100 ft. Weather is always a factor, the San Juan's get very frequent powerful storms that are notorious for adding difficulty to events hosted there. During the race you can count of torrential downpours, thunderstorms, hail, and wind. The finishing rate hovers between 30-40%, very low for even a 100 mile ultra marathon. Average finish times are close to 2-days. Runners who take on this challenge are rewarded with quite possibly the most beautiful mountain scenery in Colorado.

I'm tapering now following what is likely the best training block of my entire life. After two years of lackluster running due to the stresses of being a new parent of two and owning a growing business, this was the year that I could get back to finding new limits. I partnered up with Jeff Miller of Northwoods Running, a stellar athlete and coach out of Silver Bay, MN. Working with Jeff has helped me grow as a runner and learn more than ever before about how to be successful in reaching my running goals. It has also led me to an injury free training block - I have not experienced a single notable injury since beginning to work with him in November of 2020. I've coached athletes for over two years, helping them reach some truly inspiring goals, but I wouldn't say that I truly understood the great value of coaching until this year after experiencing it myself. 

This training block, although solid, was not what you might think. It required adapting to the limitations of being a new parent and a business owner, and it required some real reflection on what was important for my success in my key race of the year. Coming out of Covid, my wife and I still take care of the kids with no daycare, and run the business (which would become businesses plural in May 2021 with the purchase of Performance Running Gym), Over the last six months, approximately half of my training was done with the kids. This meant slogging out most of my easy runs with the double stroller, and frequently taking my son on my back for "Weighted Hikes" at nearby Theodore Wirth Park. Whenever I could, I'd escape up to the North Shore or the Zumbro River Bottoms for some climbing workouts, which were key in preparation for a mountain event like Ouray. 

The #1 key for a race like Ouray is simple; fitness, fitness, fitness. I knew early on that not all of my workouts were going to be magical, but if I stayed consistent and built up a strong aerobic base, I would be able to perform well. This consistency led me to some solid race results early in the year, with a 2nd place finish at the FreeState 100k in Kansas, and a 6th place finish at the Poppleshoot Trail Races in Minog, WI. 

The biggest thing I've learned this year is problem solving. Where in the past I would let issues that came up during an event wreck my race - ether leading to me slogging it in to the finish or accepting a DNF, I've learned in training and racing this year that if addressed, most problems that arise during an ultra distance race can be solved and overcome. This is going to be key for finishing the Ouray 100 - there will be issues that arise, and there will be a solution for every one of them (barring any crazy injuries). 

I am lucky to have a great crew lined up for the Ouray 100. My wife Isabel (Crew), my friend Matt Van Donsel (Crew/Pacing), my friend Ben Foreman (Crew Assistance), and my coach Jeff Miller (Crew Captain/Pacing). I can't wait to share this adventure with them and am so thankful for their willingness to take time out of their lives to support this goal of mine. 

A few thoughts and commitments pre-race....

1. I am here to finish. Finishing is the only option. 
2. I will work w/ my crew to solve problems as they arise, keeping me on track for my best performance possible. 
3. I will smile at every damn aid station, no exceptions. 
4. I will remember how lucky I am to have this opportunity, and that the experience of this race is what I'm here for. That includes the pain, discomfort, and challenges. 
5. I will remember my "Why's"
• To find new personal limits 
• To fulfill a dream
• To be a good role model for my kids