Being an avid runner who is a high mileage junkie, I already had a lot of base mileage in when I decided to commit to running the Hennepin Hundred in early summer and finally went all in when I registered through Ultra-signup on August 28th. I started out focusing on a plan in June. This plan had me running a 30 mile long run at week 14th. I found a race that while didn’t match quite up with the plan week it was perfect for a training run. So I signed up for Loopty Loop 12 Hour Ultra for July 28th, you can read more about this in another post.
At the beginning of June, I was playing around with a plan from Relentless Forward Progress where the weekly mileage topped out at 58 miles. I jumped into the plan at week 8 and made some adjustments to upcoming weeks to fit my race schedule. This plan seemed manageable with 5 days of running. With this being a different plan than I was used to, I didn’t have the confidence it was the right plan for me, but I followed the plan for 5 weeks. The plan was working well with my schedule, I was feeling good so I tested it out at Loopty Loop. Prior to running Loopty Loop, my longest recent training run had been 21 miles and I was planning to run 30 as a training run that day. I ended up finishing at 8 hours when I hit the 50 mile mark (I decided I wanted the 50 mile belt buckle). I felt strong for the little mileage I had put in so the plan was apparently working for me.
I missed my long back to back runs that I had been used to when I was following 
Ultra Ladies 100 mile training plan so I decided to move over to that plan. I think with the upcoming 100 lingering, for my confidence I needed to go to a plan that I knew was successful for me so I started with 11 weeks prior to the Hennepin Hundred. My miles increased along with my confidence. My previous experience with the plan made me feel that the back to back long runs were the key to my success. The plan has 5 weeks of back to back 30-20 milers on the weekends. I added in some 50 mile cycling for added endurance and use some different muscles.
At this point of my training, I decided to start doing my long training runs alone. I wanted to prepare myself for the long solo miles that I would have to run. I felt that I needed to build mental strength so I knew I could do it alone. I picked locations to run that I could easily support myself. I frequented a couple of metro parks: one with an 8.4 mile loop and another with a 2.7 mile loop. These allowed for me to not have to pack too heavy and still have access to my hydration and nutrition. Being the heat of summer, I was running many of my long runs with weather near 80-90 degrees. I required a lot of hydration as I am a heavy sweater. With the long miles by myself, I stocked up my Spotify Playlist, threw on my Trekz Aftershokz, listened , thought and ran for miles.
Music kept me occupied for a while and then I heard of some good running books so I decided to try an audio book. Little did I know the book I chose, “Let Your Mind Run” 
by Deena Kastor, would help the solo miles to pass quickly, but also became my inspiration. I grew to look forward to those long runs where I could listen to the book and start mentally visualizing running my first 100 miler. In the book, the author shared of overcoming obstacles and ways to mentally prepare for races. I took the ideas and started implementing them. I made a sticky-note to place on my bathroom mirror that read, “Sub 20 hour 100 mile finisher.” I read that every time I passed by my mirror and envisioned myself crossing the finish line under 20 hours.
Additionally I started scouring the internet for YouTube videos of the race. I would watch them over and over and imagine myself in those spots of the course. I would think about how I may feel at that point and I would mentally overcome difficult times. I knew I would face good times along with tough times. I prepared mentally for hitting my deepest lows. After all I was running 100 miles, I knew it was going to hurt so I had to be prepared mentally for those challenges as well as physically. All these solo miles and mental preparation became a key factor in my success at Hennepin: Never before had I spent so much time preparing mentally.
In addition to watching videos and mental visualization, I scoured the course map and aid stations. My pit crew members, my husband, Derek and son, Riley worked diligently at putting together an excel spreadsheet that listed every aid station. It showed the distance
between the stations, the overall mileage and had my overall finish time splits. I memorized my arrival times so I could know if I was on target. Of course, my crew would be watching over my pace and time as well. I had a small version of the spreadsheet that fit neatly in the pocket of my Nathan Hydration Vest so I could conveniently pull it out when I needed a reminder or lost track of where I was on the course. After running multiple miles, it is easy to lose track and math seems to be the first reasoning to go for me. It’s best for me to not attempt mental math at this time as I have panicked in previous races when my mental math had failed me.
I also spent time getting my body prepared for the long race. I used my standing desk at work so I would stay on my feet all day. When I came from work, I would run and then stay on my feet until bedtime. A few weeks prior to my race, I started doing Epsom Salt
baths to recover my muscles and I also did this to support my magnesium intake. I used Calm Magnesium because I had symptoms of being deficient with magnesium. I also read an article about banking sleep. So I started taking naps and getting in a an extra hour of sleep each night. My body was working hard getting in all the miles and the extra sleep was helpful. Additionally I had some sports massages to loosen my muscles. I made sure to get to get one last sports massage a week prior to my race.
The most important part of preparing for an ultramarathon is the mental and physical preparation, but another key component is planning gear, hydration and nutrition. I explored these aspects in my training to narrow in on what would work best for me at the Hennepin Hundred. I started by researching the average temperature that time of the year in Sterling, Illinois. I watched the extended forecast for days anxiously wondering what the temperature would actually be on that day. I prepared for all sorts of weather just to be sure I would be ready for all of the elements.
On race day, I ended up settling on my Adidas compression shorts: I chose these as they stayed in place during my long runs, were good in the heat, managed my perspiration and did not chafe. So about that, chafing was one of my biggest concerns, this could make or break a comfortable race. Like I mentioned previously, I perspire heavily so with that in mind I knew I needed a plan to prevent chafing. I have tried a variety products from lotions to sticks to rub on for chafing. I settled on Squirrel Nut Butter as I had used it with success all summer. A handy tip I discovered was making sure to rub it not only generously on my skin, but also underneath my clothing: I pay special attention to the areas that might tend to rub such as under my sports bra, around my chub rub and under my arms. On race day I even rubbed it between my toes. Next, I picked a sports bra that stayed securely in place. I suggest going to your local running store, being fitted, trying on a variety of bras, and find on what works for you. I also wore a lightweight Nike tank top. On my feet, I wore Smartwool socks and my Adidas Adizero Boston 7’s.
With my crew I had a variety of clothing to meet any weather I may encounter on that day. I had Nike arm sleeves to cover up my arms if the weather was cool, which I ended up using for brief periods when it was dark and temperature was cooler with a misty rain. These are easy to pull on and off to adjust your temperature quickly. I also had a lightweight Patagonia Windbreaker to be prepared for the possible rain in the forecast. We prepped the jacked with a rain repellant prior to the race to help repel the rain to keep me dry. This jacket I could easily tuck into my hydration pack for easy access if I needed it in-between aid stations. I had a variety of layers available including: capri running tights, long running tights, base layer Smartwool, a buff, beanie, Oakley Sunglasses, Nike running gloves, three pairs of shoes, several pairs of socks, a couple of pairs of shorts, a few sports bras and a couple of tank tops. I didn’t end up needing any of these items, but it gave me piece of mind. I organized and packed these clothing items in clear plastic drawstring bags and clearly labeled them with a Sharpie Marker so my pit crew could easily identify them and grab them for me at an aid station if necessary.
I explored a variety of nutrition and hydration options over the previous year and decided on Tailwind as my nutrition and hydration. I researched this very carefully and calculated closely what the number of calories I would require over such a long event. I actually reached out to Tailwind on Facebook for some support on making my decision. I used my Nathan VaporHowe Vest with 12 ounce ExoShot soft flask and extended straw tubes. This allowed for me to sip continuously from start to finish. I was able to closely monitor my fluid intake along with my pit crew. I purchased two extra of the soft flasks so my crew would be able to quickly and efficiently swap them out an aid stations. There was enough fluid in them to self-support parts of the course where my crew didn’t have access. I purchased 3-30 serving bags of Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel, Lemon, Berry and Naked. While, I knew this would be more than I required that day, I wanted to be sure to have a sufficient amount and a variety of flavors in case I needed a change. I also bought some 64 ounce bottles of spring water so we could mix the Tailwind to the amount required. I started that day with the berry and lemon mixed, but towards the end of the race I requested to switch to Naked as I needed a break from the sweet flavor. The aid stations also provided Tailwind, but I chose to mix my own so I had the concentration and correct amount of calories.
While I knew that using Tailwind I had all the nutrition and hydration I would need for the entire race, I also packed snacks. I had prepared myself mentally that I would need to be sure to keep my nutrition up as this is a key to not hitting the wall. So I picked a variety of things from sweet to salty: a fruit tray, cheese, crackers and sausage tray, cashews, chocolate chips, pretzels, Goldfish, sour gummy bears, beef jerky, gum, and Coke. On that day, I had a few raspberries and strawberries, some cheese, crackers and meat, some Goldfish and several gulps of Coke.
I put together a First Aid kit to be prepped for anything: a syringe, and needle for blister care, band aids, antiseptic cream, Tylenol, Kinesio Tape, scissors, Squirrel Nut Butter, contact solution, change of contacts, Boom Energy Gel, Hammer Endurolytes, eucalyptus oil and baby wipes. On the day of Hennepin the only First Aid I required was Tylenol and eucalyptus oil. I came into the race with a tight hamstring which required some attention so at aid stations, my crew rubbed the oil on my hamstring. I also needed Tylenol starting around mile 50 and required more after mile 70. Although I didn’t know it a the time, around mile 70, I tore a muscle in my right leg near my knee.
Knowing I would need to plan ahead for at least 24 hours of battery life on my electronic devices. I took double of my Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp, Trekz Aftershokz, back-up cell phone charger and charger cords. I also upgraded by Garmin to a 935 which has 24 hour of battery life. To conserve energy, I shut off the heart rate monitor on my watch. I turned my iPhone to airplane mode as well. I placed all of these items in labeled Ziploc bags for easy access for my pit crew.
For post race, I brought along my compression leg sleeves,
compression socks and compression shorts. This is one area that I faltered with as after the race I was too tired, sweaty and stinky to change into my compression gear. In hindsight, I should have put compression clothing on to help with the recovery. After the race, I was not up for eating and hydrating, which is another big mistake that I made. I had very little to eat or drink after the race which left me with severe dehydration. I had read about urine the color of coca cola and post race I experienced this: this made me nervous and I immediately started taking in water. Lucky for me this resolved quickly. Post race will be a focus for me at my next race. I spent so much time focusing on all aspects, but didn’t give the needed attention to this. I did however have a post-race recovery plan of going to our local physical therapy center, Advanced Physical Therapy and using the Normatec Recovery boots. After an 8 hour drive home, my legs were swollen and stiff, this set my recovery back a bit in addition to a torn muscle which I learned about 3 weeks post-race.
I plan to make some adjustments for my upcoming Tunnel Hill race to save time at aid stations so I can set a new personal record! Race Preparation is the key to success in any race, but it becomes critical with long endurance events.
Useful. Excellent ideas.
I think the mental prep is crucial, it’s the single most important element. It can be helpful to do long runs with others, but IMO it’s important to do them alone as well. I do them under unpleasant conditions, too, not letting weather or mood matter. And Mark Twight, in “Extreme Alpinism,” recommends an occasional “depletion day,” in which one trains long with minimal fuel and water (not none, but just enough to get by). Making training a challenge makes race day easier. This is all mental training.
Great post!
I completely agree. I also mix up my training runs where some days I run fasted just to have a different feel. I’ve also done destination runs to local pubs to grab food, eat and run back home just to get by body used to eating on the run.