Backcountry Beacon

People who run ultra marathons are either: (A) crazy, (B) life-long running fanatics, or (C) some combination of the two. At least that’s something you might think until you listen to Lisa Watson, an ultra-race newbie who just finished the 113-mile GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run. Her sanity is actually quite intact. She took some time out of her training regimen to let us know what it takes to prepare for a multi-day torture fest … er … run.

Can you tell us a little bit about the race?

The GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run follows 113 miles of trail from Buena Vista, CO to Beaver Creek, CO. It takes place in six stages averaging 19 miles per day with an altitude change of 4,000 feet. It is run in teams of two, and has every kind of competitor from the ultra freak to the recreational runner.

Is this your first ultra race?

I have run full and half marathons in the past, and I have competed in multi-sport races as an individual, such as the Pole Pedal Paddle in Jackson Hole. But I have never attempted a running race of this length. It’s unique in that it is an ultra marathon length but spread over six days, with incredible terrain and views to keep you challenged and inspired.

Since you’ve never done this kind of thing before, how did you know how to train?

I didn’t commit until I was sure I could work with Eric Orton, a trainer based out of Jackson Hole who trains many of Jackson’s top athletes. I had worked with him to prepare for mountain bike races in the past, and found him to be not only effective, but also accessible. Also, if you have not read “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall, go out and buy it.

From the moment you decided to run this race, has your training regimen changed?

The first things that came out of my mouth were, “I am really not a runner,” and “I don’t think my body is built for running.”  I am not a fanatical endurance racer; so I sincerely followed every word Eric told me. I was clueless as what to expect.

The last two months were focused on preparing myself mentally for six days of grueling conditions and countless miles. Eric’s philosophy is to train the brain with specific training runs in the last two months leading to the race.  So I have been running various weekly sequences that have mirrored the daily demands of the race.  Not by mileage, but by the course elevation demands.  Now going into the race my brain and body know what to expect.

What have you been doing to minimize the toll on your body?

I actually feel much stronger now. I was worried that the number of miles would take a toll on my legs and knees, but my body actually craves more miles on short run days.  My knees click and crack walking up stairs, so I was nervous that I had some sort of condition that could flare up during this training. Nothing has surfaced.  I have some scraped elbows and knees, some cherries right now as a matter of fact.  Tripping on roots and rocks will be the obstacle I need to look out for.  I went to get a pedicure yesterday and was a little apologetic for the condition of my toenails, half are either missing or dark blue, but I have always had this thanks to my feet being jammed in ski boots for most of the ski season.

What about food? How do you get enough calories?

This is going to be a huge challenge for me.  I am going to need to eat and eat and eat.  I have been perpetually hungry for the last three weeks, my stomach always growling and burning through everything I eat.  I can’t imagine what it will do when I am running four hours a day.  Yesterday, I had eggs and toast for breakfast, a bagel covered hot dog for lunch, pasta for a mid-afternoon snack and a gigantic salad for dinner.  I made a tray of brownies and ate half of those.  I am probably not the poster child for discipline, so you should probably check in with one of the runners who could actually win the race, as my guess is they have this all down to a science.

Tip from OriginNutrition

Rather than focusing solely on volume, get more out of food by choosing nutrient-dense options like eggs, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, bone broths, and coconut oil.  These choices alongside superfoods like nutritional yeast, spirulina, and goji berries, help meet your body’s higher needs for vitamins (for energy and to combat inflammation) and antioxidants (to repair the damage strenuous exercise can cause).  Healthy fats such as fish and flax oil are indispensable for lubricating joints and minimizing inflammation.  Magnesium-rich foods like almonds and avocados are necessary for their muscle contraction and relaxation properties. Because athletes need many nutrients at higher-than-average levels, they simply may not be able to eat enough food, so a B-vitamin complex, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and a mineral supplement can help meet their body’s needs.

How do you eat right before and during a race? That is, can you eat a sandwich without vomiting, or is it better to stick to gels?

A few days before the race, I will start hydrating with water AND sports drinks/electrolytes, and I will also make sure to eat a little bit more carbohydrates in my meals, but probably not much more.  The important thing is to stay consistent with eating meals and to get the daily calories I need.  I do not need a big carbo load because the majority of my race day energy needs come in the form of liver glycogen which are easily stored, but limited, which requires race day management.

It’s hard sometimes to eat enough.  And on some of the easier longer runs, it is good to run a little depleted so my body recruits my fat stores as fuel.  Fat is very efficient fuel, but for the race it will be important that I supplement with GU and hydrate frequently.  Even though I will rely on fat for quite a bit of my energy, my body still requires the carbohydrate load of about 60 grams per hour during the race.  My coach tells me that it is very important to keep my stomach as full as possible, which helps my stomach empty quicker, ultimately avoiding stomach problems.  So it will be very important for me to be consistent with my fueling each hour of each race day.

GU makes this product called Chomps that I am addicted to.  They are little squares you eat, a nice way to offset the stickiness of GU gel and makes you think you are eating.  And, I will really need to focus on post-race-day meals to replace as much lost muscle glycogen as possible, as this will help me to tap into my fat stores the next day.  GU makes products to help before during and after each day; I am going to use a lot of this up during the six days.

Tip from OriginNutrition:

Miso soup or chicken broth will nourish your body with minerals and electrolytes.  A couple spoonfuls of coconut oil are easy to digest and provide a sustained energy source.  Berries, bananas, mangoes, or citrus fruits give you an energy spike without a subsequent energy crash.  During the race, a periodic snack on dried fruit may be just enough to boost you without making you feel heavy, or you may choose to rely on an energy gel like this one.

What exactly will you carry with you during the race?

GU!  I am addicted to the stuff.  We are required to carry an emergency blanket and rain gear each day.  I am not used to running with a pack, so I have a Marmot hip pack and a lightweight backpack.  I will try both and see which I like better.  I will carry food, GU, water. Again, this will be a work in progress, see what works best for me.

POST-RACE UPDATE

Lisa finished in: 29 hours, 24 minutes and 13 seconds, 11th place for women

I am still somewhat in shock over the fact that I completed that race.  I never have understood people who are endurance fanatics, and I was completely in awe of the runners there.  The ones who were on the podium every night were having the time of their lives.  One guy fell running down Hope Pass; he tripped and fell into a rock and smashed his face.  He lost a tooth, went to a local dentist who gave him a root canal, and glued his tooth back into his mouth. That evening he was standing on the podium with a face the size of a bowling ball, excited to race again the next day.  A lot of people endured horrific pain in their feet, knees, etc.  The line in the morning at the medics tent was filled with people having their entire feet taped because of huge gaping blisters or getting their knees taped.  I endured three days of knee pain, but it was more an agitation and shooting pains, as if my knees were yelling at me or in shock, and I knew they would recover.

If I were to do it all again, I would have bought trail running shoes.  I am an idiot for that one; I had road running shoes.  Not the brightest planning on my part!  I also would have spent more time getting to know my partner ahead of time; no regrets there, and we were both forced into a last minute situation, but running 4-6 hours a day and spending every night together sharing a small tent could have been a lot tougher than it was.  I lucked out, but if she hadn’t been such a supportive and upbeat person, it could have made the entire experience worse.  And we were already in an uphill battle!

Have your own training tips? Leave a comment below.

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Tags: trail running, training