Running a Healthy + Happy Ultramarathon
Lost but proud, what I thought about when running 57km
Bittersweet finish line— finally finding my way after being lost for an hour. Photo Cred: Matt Cecil @Finlayson50
If I hadn't just finished reading “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami, I would likely have been devastated to make a wrong turn 1km from the finish line of this 52km race. Instead, when my watch displayed 56km, I was once again climbing up a steep forest trail with no finish line in sight. But to even my own surprise, I was far from disappointed in my race egardless of my apparent outcome. By setting an intention of “focusing on the journey”, I had inadvertently protected myself from finish line disappointment. Below I will outline “What I thought about when running 57km”. Keep reading if you’re interested in learning some strategies for keeping upbeat and unhinged in an ultra, despite the outcome!
There are a few things I should point out that put me in an advantageous position here, emotionally that is, to have not been heartbroken by my navigation error. I am not a professional runner. I have no sponsors. I have never run a 50km race, and I had no family or friends at the race. The only person who cared if and how I finished was me.
Another advantage I had stashed away was my training as a Neuromovement® practitioner. Stemming from the Feldenkrais Method, ABM Neuromovement® is a holistic approach to making movement (and life) more efficient and thus easier. While most of my clients are coping with limiting diagnosis’, developmental challenges, injuries, and/or chronic pain, the truth is that the tools I have learned in my training to be a Neuromovement® practitioner are applicable to all hard things that pop up in life- like running an Ultra trail race. If running an Ultra is so far from your current reality, I truly hope you can find some ideas in this journal to apply to whatever challenge you may be facing today.
But first, why did I run an Ultra?
Since moving to the Comox Valley, I had met quite a few Ultra runners. On long runs they filled our rolling hours together telling me about their adventures up and over mountains, the burn, the hunger, and the pain. I wondered, would I feel the same? I was convinced that my Neuromovement practice endowed me with the tools to move my mind and body forward for long periods of time with ease. But how would I ever really know? I had to give this Ultra-thing a try.
My goal was not to win. My goal was not to run a certain time. My goal was to complete the 50km feeling strong, comfortable, and balanced. More specifically, my outcome goal was to complete the whole run with complete satisfaction in the effort I had put forth over the 52km. My process goal was to run the whole race comfortably in the green zone (more on that below), but with a constant hurry in my step. And finally, my training goal was to put in the hard work while still maintaining balance in my life.
I set a goal to train consistently for 4 months without allowing running to interrupt work or family adventures. Running can become quite addictive and I notice many runners sacrifice balance for the sake of being fast often leading to overtraining and/or injuries. I wanted to continue to work, travel, and play with my 3 children all summer long. I wanted to camp, surf, paddle, bike-tour, fish, mountain bike, and even do some city trips. I also wanted to continue my Neuromovement® practice, mindfully exploring a rich variety of movements to balance the repetitive nature of running.
By the time I started the Finlayson50 race, I was relieved because I had already fulfilled my training goal. An adventurous summer had come to a close and I had still managed to complete each run in Bill Pierce and Scott Murr’s Run Less Run Faster program. I had squeezed in 3 runs a week: 1 long hard run, 1 tempo run, and 1 track session. The race was just a celebration of working hard, feeling fit + fast, and most importantly feeling balanced.
The mantra I repeated throughout my race was, “You have been training your whole life for this”, these words were spoken to me by a long time running friend the night before my race. He was right, running an Ultra is more so about controlling your mind than just willing your body forward. Training your mind for an ultra starts well before an actual training block. I believe if you adopt a few of the mental strategies I am sharing here, you too can conquer any distance or feat you choose, or smile trying. Keep reading if you are interested in my tips for running a somewhat comfortable and enjoyable ultra race.
What to Pay Attention to While Running an Ultra
The thoughts that travel through your mind during a race have the potential to drive you forward or send you crumbling. I have a long history of the latter and did not want to succumb to negative notions after all my hard work. On race day I showed up with a commitment to control my thoughts to think only of that which would help me through this journey. These are the categories I kept within the forefront of my attention during the race. I was not able to pay attention to all of them at once, so instead I frequently scanned from one category to the next. The Neuromovement® sessions I practice regularly have served as my mental training for being able to attend to one thing while still keeping awareness of those in the background- a valuable skill to have in athletics, but also useful when tackling any difficult task.
1) Mind
2) Body
3) Route
4) Fuel
5) Surroundings
Nearing go time. Photo Cred: Matt Cecil @Finlayson50
1) MIND
There is no room for negativity in a race setting. None. By the time I laced up on race day, I had spent months eradicating any negative chatter. Which only left space for positive affirmations and non-judgemental musings. If I caught myself worrying, I mentally shook myself and refocused on the task at hand. There were even moments on the trail that I spoke out loud to myself, encouraging forward momentum and celebrating small accomplishments.
Studies show that there are children who escape war-torn countries yet are surprisingly free from any symptoms of trauma. Yet children growing up in stable countries can suffer a great deal of trauma despite their apparently cozy digs. The dividing factor being their parents’ response to stress. The parents that stayed calm, found joy, and continued to play games with their children managed to protect them from the ill effects of stress. Meanwhile parents who are less resilient to stress, instead tend to project their stress onto their children. Typically they also fail to play and find small bits of joy in their life, which negatively impacts their children’s mental wellbeing. What is my point? Life is only as hard as we think it is. And just like life, running is only as hard as we think it is. So keep it fun and remember you are fortunate enough to have chosen to do it!
Reality Check!
Not to offend anyone who thinks running 50 km is hard, but it really isn’t THAT hard. There are way harder things that people face every day. As I write this I know friends who are battling cancer, who have suddenly become paralyzed, or who have lost their children ever so suddenly. This is a race I chose to do, had time to train for, and has a clear beginning and end (or apparently clear!). There are way harder things unsung everyday heroes battle everyday with no end in sight. During the race and throughout training, I reminded myself that this running thing is a hobby, and I strongly suggest you do the same. But may I also suggest that if you decide to set your own sights on an ultra-race, do so only if running brings you joy. Otherwise do some digging to what really makes you happy and pursue that!
Create + Play Games
The climbing in the Finlayson50 is notorious for being relentless, like a persistent big brother who continues to nag and ridicule despite your pleas to stop. With each uphill climb, I focused only on the terrain that was visible to me. Never did I think ahead or reminisce about energy exerted prior. By staying in the moment and finding ways to play (in my mind) I was able to continue to listen to my physical needs while simultaneously keeping my mood light with “fun” games. These are some of the mental strategies (or games) that I played:
Battery Lungs: I imagined my lungs had a battery in each lobe. With each inhale each battery illuminated with blue light, recharging the cells. The fuller the inhale the more cells lit up. Suddenly these relentless inclines became a welcome recharging station. By the time I returned to the rare flat sections, my cardiovascular system felt full of life, I simply needed to will my legs back into propelling me forward.
Super Mario Kart Game: As I began to catch some of the die-hard 100 km runners I noticed my energy surging. The social aspect of running is enough to keep many runners going. Personally, I don’t love to chat while racing but I do thrive off the energy of sharing a common goal and passion. When I passed a fellow runner I would say a big hello, or if too tired I gave a thumbs up or wave, this would earn me a mushroom like in Super Mario Kart, I would then be rewarded with a burst of energy. Conversely, with every glance over my shoulder to check for competitors creeping up, I would slip on a rogue banana peel and lose energy- so this was to be avoided at all costs.
Running an ultra can become quite a serious affair if you allow it to, and many runners are pretty serious people to start with so the stakes are high. I will be the first to admit that I have not always been a positive and playful person by nature, take a look at my start line photo above for proof, hence why I need to practice these skills as much as the next runner. Try to keep your mood lighthearted and the fun factor high, with the hope being that upon finishing you will look forward to doing it again.
Music
I don’t usually run with music because the tunes distract me from deep conversations with myself. But two weeks before the race, I was struggling to get going on a solo 32km run, my mind was scrolling through the productive tasks I should have been doing instead and my motivation was at an all time low. At that time I was reading Marukami’s book and he had just mentioned that he ran with music. So I thought “why not?”- I popped in my ear buds and flew through my 32km run; up, down and around my local train network without any mental space to hesitate. While it distracted me from my internal conversation, it also overshadowed the boredom and discomfort I was feeling. I made a mental note to myself to resort to music if I was in need on race day.
When I put my earbuds in at 28km, it was the second time I had ever run with music (in my WHOLE life). My legs were screaming at me and my big toes felt like there inch-deep blisters forming on the undersides of them, I was ready for some distraction. I had come to realize I wasn’t going to be able to run this ultra without any discomfort. Luckily the music did it’s job, the second half felt like it went by as quickly as the first and my last 10km were as close to euphoric as running has ever felt. I was singing and dancing like a crazy lady as I motored through the forest. The downside was that I wasn’t able to pay attention to much else aside from the music. I stopped paying attention to the course, I made a few wrong turns, I missed hearing people yelling at me about these errors, I lost track of time in regards to fuelling, and ultimately I ended up lost in the forest with no clue how to get home.
Some people call me spacey while others say I have a knack for being in the moment. I think both are assets when it comes to long trail running events, the only thing I am missing is a crew to keep me fuelled and on the course! Until a crew magically appears, I won’t be running a trail race with music again. If you decide to, I strongly suggest you practice. I would also highly recommend spending some time choosing a playlist that motivates you. The random playlist I selected had some goodies but the emo songs sure brought my mood (and pace) to a crawl at less than ideal moments.
2) BODY
I still think fondly of Miss Pearson, the young and fit second grade teacher who sent me out to run laps when I lost control over my body and became a distracting chatter box. My ADHD symptoms would dissipate as my brain quickly organized itself to respond to the speedy demand set before it. While fast organized movement is one well known way to connect mind and body, there are other less demanding and even enjoyable ways to find connection.
Running provides a medium for me to connect mind and body. I love learning to master the art of efficient movement. I have made it more than a hobby and my work’s focus is on helping others to move with as much ease as possible. Endurance running requires a high level of movement efficiency while being frugal of energy expenditure, to be able to do this it is important to have a strong body awareness which if you haven’t been naturally graced with, I assure you can be learnt at any age.
Body Scans
Everyday I lie down on the floor, take a pause from life and listen. This daily ritual allows me time to notice unnecessary tension and to let go of these compulsive efforts. Releasing my jaw, letting go of tension across my chest, softening the effort in my hands, relaxing my belly muscles, and allowing my hips to roll freely. These cues will help all runners reduce any unnecessary efforts that are working against the goal of forward propulsion. These parasitic efforts zap energy that could instead be used for the intended goal. But often runners may not have the awareness to sense or shift these contractions.
How can you change what you don’t feel in the first place?
Try a Free Body Scan now:
Red, Orange, Green
I have a tattoo on my wrist of three dots- one green, one orange, and one red. This serves as a visual cue to aid me in self-regulating, which I find useful in many aspects of life in addition to running: while driving, working, grocery shopping, and most importantly managing toddler tantrums (mostly over now!)
Green zone: I feel good, my muscles are soft, my movements are easy, my breathing is slow, and my mind is calm.
Orange zone: I feel a bit uncomfortable, my muscles are getting tighter, my movements are stiffer, my breathing rate is increasing, and my mind is getting foggy.
Red zone: I feel intense. my muscles are working too hard, my movement is laboured, my breathing is heavy, and my mind is disoriented.
I try to avoid traveling into the red zone at all costs. The red zone is a place I look back on and cringe. This is when I get injured, run out of gas, talk too much, or drive too fast. I need to listen sensitively to myself even while exerting effort to avoid venturing beyond the precarious orange zone.
I use these zones when coaching many of my clients from those with chronic pain, to children with ADHD. Listening to and being able to label zones of regulation is an essential tool to aid controlling your emotions and energy. When racing, and in life, my goal is to stay in the green and traverse into the orange only for short periods of time.
Breathing
While my breathing was never overly challenged there were some moments I did catch myself huffing and puffing. What I did notice was that this was not due to an increased Oxygen demand but was more connected to how hard I thought I needed to work. Many of us tend to increase our breathing rate when we face or even just think of facing challenging feats. When I caught myself breathing faster and shorter, I made an effort to calm my nervous system. The challenge here being I was trying to calm down while still maintaining a hurried pace forward. I shifted my attention to my cadence and tried to maintain quick little steps while simultaneously slowing my breath. To some this can feel like rubbing your belly and tapping your head, but with practice I assure you that you too can learn to run fast and breath slow. A quick reality check was also helpful here- running is only as hard as I think it is. A positive affirmation to boot, “This is easy, my legs are light, step by step!” When my mindset shifted to simply moving through this task with a touch of hurry, my breathing rate also began to relax.
Posture
I will just touch on posture momentarily, for if I dive too deep into biomechanics then this brief journal may turn into a novel! When many people go uphill they have a tendency to lean on their knees and put all their upper body weight into their legs as they step up and over steep rocks. This is silly as they are then making their legs work even harder plus their lungs are compressed by their hunched posture and they are unable to get a full breath! To further complicate things they can’t see where they are going as they stare at the ground between their feet. I'm not saying I haven't done this, you better believe I have! I have bonked my head on countless fallen trees as I stare at the ground between my feet. One head bang into a tree…..Every. Single. Year. But I do I try to catch and remind myself when I do this, to stand up tall, look straight ahead, activate my arms, and slow my breathing. Easier said than done, but points worthy of consideration when training: Stand Up when Going Up!
If I had been more prepared and had known the elevation of the course I would have practiced with, and raced with poles. They would have served as extra traction to move up and forward and also helped to remind me to use my upper body just as much as my lower body. However even without poles, it is useful to imagine holding them which will remind you to move forward via counter rotation of your legs and arms and of course to stand up tall.
The hip dip lesson I practised and posted on IG a few days before the race were perfect for this race. Whenever my legs got achey I noticed that my upper body had stiffened and I wasn’t shortening and lengthening through my sides. When I allowed the movement to flow from my feet to my head, all movement became much easier. Admittedly my training included absolutely NO elevation, but I was still able to use my Neuromovement® know-how to maintain good biomechanics while climbing and descending.
Stand Up when Going Up. Photo Cred: Matt Cecil @Finlayson50
Descending
Running downhill offers a chance to take a free ride and recover. I trust my body and my foot placement from years of trail running and Neuromovement® practice, but if you feel wary please start slow. Like all good things, running downhill takes time. You must learn to trust your body. Lean forward and allow gravity to carry you forward and down. Your job is to respond to the ground and to allow the force to travel from your foot to your head without any restrictions in your stride. Injuries occur when we resist the gravitational pull and brace against the forward momentum. I did notice towards the end of the race that my toes and my quads were quite sore as I wasn’t doing as good a job of this. My steps were getting shorter and the force was stopping in my legs, which I felt for several days post-race. Body scans, functional movement mediations, and obviously downhill running practice will all contribute to a more efficient descent.
3) ROUTE
Considering my challenge with following course markers, this may be a section you take with a grain of salt. However, I’m a firm believer that some of our best learning experiences sprout from our biggest mistakes. In the future I will be more careful in my planning (aka do some planning) and integrate the following points into my pre-race prep.
Study the Map
I ran by myself for more than 20km in the second half of this race. This is the first race I have ever ran where I haven’t had other runners in my sightline for the entire race. While it was really quite lovely to have the course to myself, I was running with a lump of uncertainty in my throat the whole time. I wasn’t ever sure I was on the right course. Don’t get me wrong, the course was well marked but it’s 50 kilometres! There are understandable gaps between the markers and with the race day rain the chalk on the ground had all washed away. In the future I will STUDY a map of the course, at least once a week for the last 4 weeks of training. I would suggest taking note of the aid stations, the steep climbs, the sharp descents, and any other features that will help your brain translate your location to your positioning on the course map.
Pay Attention
Let me remind you again that this is 50km we are talking about. I ran solo and barely spoke to another soul. My attention was shuttling between my mind, my body, the route, fueling, and being mindful of my surroundings. There were many times where I needed to narrow my attention to survive a rocky descent, or to muster the energy to pick up my pace on a rare flat section. At times I honestly just forgot to watch for markers. Don’t do this! Enjoy the run, listen to your body, and control your mind but also pay attention to the markers! The next race I ran was the Squamish50 and I basically recited this mantra the whole time “pink, pink, pink”…….as you can imagine, I didn’t have as much fun, but I didn’t get lost!
Not having fun in the cold @squamish50 (no offence to Squamish50, I just HATE being cold). Photo cred: Scott Robarts
Pre-run the course
When I ran cross country at University, we would always head to the course a day or two before the race. We would very slowly jog the course as a group and discuss the slight inclines, the steep muddy sections, or the tight corners. Now that I am a mom with three children and a slew of more important demands, pre-running a 50km race out of town wasn’t something I was able to prioritize. Do I regret it? Definitely! But sometimes pre-running a course isn’t a possibility, this is when studying the map is key. If you have a lot more liberties in your life that me, go run (or hike) the course at least a month prior to race day!
Listen to other runners
If reading maps isn’t a skill you have or want, and pre-running the course isn’t within your realm of possibility, at the very least call up some runner friends who have run the course and listen carefully to their race stories. If stories are your jam, there are others like myself who enjoy the tip tap of typing away and have shared their race experience online. For the Finlayson50 I found THESE race reports helpful to read. To give my husband credit, he did attempt to walk me through the map rambling on about “a steep up here, then down, then up again for a while, then down, then up…..” but it didn’t translate to much on race day.
4) FUELING
Before this race the longest trail race I had ever done was the Iron Knee in North Vancouver, nearly 10 years earlier! In that race I bonked 2km from the finish line. I remember crawling downhill and just barely crossing the finish line on two feet. I had trained hard (using the same training program!) I had a good mindset, I was injury-free, but I still hit a wall. I didn’t even know what bonking was until it happened. Obviously, I also didn’t know what fuelling was!
For the running rookies reading, fuelling is essentially eating or drinking calories to keep you going. Now I fuel religiously although not fanatically. I squish a yucky gel into my mouth ever 45 minutes max. I drink water throughout the race and I chew an electrolyte tab once or twice throughout a 50km. I also eat a granola bar whenever my tummy grumbles for real food and I basically have a jelly bean dissolving in my mouth the whole race. That’s it, nothing too fancy! I noticed the top runners in the Squamish100 had a detailed list of requests from their crew at aid stations that involved caffeine pills, cups of coca cola, and the usual gels. I also know runners who stop at the aid stations and chow down on baked potatoes, or pack subs on their back to get them through the halfway point. Personally, I prefer to save my savoury splurging for after the race when my tummy won’t be bouncing any more.
Noticing all the details, like these cozy lights strung across the aid station. Photo Cred: Matt Cecil @Finlayson50
Timing when to fuel is essential to keep your sugar levels from plummeting. I set a timer on my watch for every 45 minutes and abided by the beeps without hesitation. I also carried a lot more food than I ate and I recommend you do the same. You never know when you will get lost, injured, or come across a runner in need. When I DNF-ed at Squamish due to the cold, my heart was warmed by the amount of runners who offered me food and clothes as they trekked past. So even if you think you won’t need it, carry something for a friend in need.
5) SURROUNDINGS
Being mindful of my surroundings has to be my favourite thing about running, and I believe it is the most common area to be left out. Beyond the pink markers there is always a beautiful landscape to admire, but how many runners are so narrowly focused on their Garmin and their competitors to notice?
Bringing a bit of mindfulness into your race will do two things:
1) improve the quality of your experience
2) settle your nervous system
When you bring attention to your surroundings you are simultaneously telling your nervous system that you are okay. As the adrenaline pumps through your blood, your higher level brain must communicate with your ancient instinctual systems that want to send you into fight or flight mode. By noticing the scents and sights around you, you are communicating to your nervous system that you are not in danger and all panic can dissolve.
Don’t wait for the right time to become aware of your surroundings, instead make the time to be mindful. For the 50km I would suggest at least once every hour pause (mentally) and ask yourself, am I aware of my surroundings? Use all of your senses to connect with and absorb the earth around you. Here are some moments I remember from the Finlayson50;
As I climbed up another steep hill I touched the fluorescent green moss with my hands and felt how wet and cold it was.
When I came to the top of a climb I paused to take in the expansive view, the fog was floating through the tips of rocks and arbutus trees.
I looked at the same Arbutus trees and noticed thick layers of bark peeling away and exposing their smooth and naked underneath.
I noticed and even laughed out loud at the sight of a startled mouse scurrying across the trail in front of my feet and into the underbrush.
I inhaled deeply, smelling the salty sea breeze so strongly I could nearly taste it as I crossed the rocky beach.
I listened to the sound of my feet pitter pattering up the rocky stairs of the forest.
I savoured the sweet chemical taste of the red jelly bean melting on my tongue.
While I continued to move forward in a hurry I never rushed so quickly that I lost touch with my surroundings. You can only remember that which you pay attention to in the first place, so to truly get the most out of your race experience, open your eyes, smell with your nose, and touch with your hands. Take it all in because who knows how long it will be til you have the time, energy, and fitness to do it all again!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Haruki Marukami begins his book talking about how a gentleman never discusses his exercise regime. Published in 2007, 3 years before instagram became a thing, and well before daily workout photos were shamelessly plastered to the internet. It seems the era of social etiquette has shifted (for the worse). I relate wholeheartedly to his discomfort in writing about running (except um… well, the part about being a gentleman). So why am I bothering? Well, as most runners do, I enjoy focused work. Writing is equally focused work and I am setting out on a new venture (again) to write as consistently as I run. So with 4 months of focused running behind me, it seems a simple (albeit embarrassing) task to write about my own running. A topic I have lots to say about, but am less certain others care to read about! Sadly it’s that or laundry these days!
So now that I have not one, but two botched ultra races under my belt I can confidently say if you want to win a race you should probably steer far, far away from my advice. But as a mediocre runner, I feel proud that after 30 or so years of rolling along, I still look forward to lacing up my shoes and heading out for a run every three days! And I love racing more now than I did in my youth. So if your goal is to maintain a healthy and happy relationship with running and perhaps even pursue an ultra race, take these suggestions with you on your journey. And remember, it is not what you run that matters, but how you ran!
If you’ve made it this far and are ready to elevate your body awareness and upgrade your movement patterns, head on over to the movementRX ATHLETES program.
Or if you just finished a hard season of racing and are seeking restoration and rehabilitation, head straight to the RECOVERY program.
Not ready to commit? Fair enough, Try 2 Free sessions before you jump right in.
