Training for any long distance event, especially ultra’s is tough, and I have been running and training for them them for 4 years now. Without a break really. I am beginning to wonder if it is all catching up with me. My first ultra was in 2015 and was the 60km race in Carcoar called the Carcoar Cup. This really instilled in me my love for ultra running. Once I started trail running it all made sense that I would run ultras. I mean, where can you head out for a long time on the trails to see amazing things that couldn’t be seen otherwise? You would have to run ultra’s or a long way to see them. This is all part of the drawcard for me, however the training that goes with this is a hard slog sometimes. I am not super fast, and I don’t win podiums (although I have for carcoar been third twice now), but I do love it. It is my passion.
Yes, I could just be content with getting out and running and trudging on getting it done, but the competitive nature in me always wants to do one better, go harder, faster, longer. Hey, I wouldn’t sign up to UTA100 otherwise!
The thing that fascinates me about running 100km, and UTA1oo in particular is how I can push my body along that kind of terrain while enjoying the scenery and the atmosphere. There is something about the challenge that ignites something in me so great. I can’t explain how it makes me feel other than content and satisfied.
The issue of late has been that the load on my body during training this summer is starting to take it’s toll. It has been the hottest summer. Lately I have felt like every run, even the easy one’s are a real effort. My body is tired. This is concerning to me, as I don’t wan’t to feel tired. I want to feel like I can keep building in my training. I have done blood tests etc and have come to the conclusion that I need to pull back slightly and get more balance in my training by not pushing so hard on the easy running days, and also cut back on my time spent online and also highly strung. Running RMA is a full time job in itself and one that I do alone behind the scenes. I need to learn to prioritise my time better, eat better and get a full nights restful sleep to function as a human, let alone run 100kms through some of Australia’s toughest trails! Things are going to have to change, and I am also going to have to learn to say no to people. This goal means too much to me, and sometimes sacrifices just need to be made.
I have a sports dietitian going over my diet from the last week leading up to and after my epic failure training run at the Megalong Mega, and I know that she is going to say that there are big flaws in there. Namely I don’t think I eat enough to sustain the load I am taking on. I also notice that I am a HUGE sweater while running. I drip buckets of sweat off myself and this needs to be replaced. This is something she will work with me on. Even though I have consciously made an effort to run in the heat this summer to get my body adapted, it still doesn’t really like it or tolerate it very well. Lucky the UTA100 is in the middle of May, however that being said we could still have an unseasonably warm day, so I need to prepare my body.
I am working with my coach to balance out how I feel and what I need to do, and things are still rolling along.
Last weekend at the megalong mega I think it came down to a few things….HEAT and lack of strength and my body just having not enough in the tank perhaps. I literally felt like I had no energy to run a hill. And they are some mountains. It was a long day out because of this, even with all my training, and it was a real hard day for my mental state and my positivity moving forward. Now that I have had time to process this, I know that days like this (as much as they seem to be happening all the time lately) are what are going to make me more resilient on race day if I can push through and get them done, regardless of how hard or slow they are. Days like that are what makes you achieve your best. And your best is always good enough.
So when I am in the bottom of Kedumba Valley with 10kms to go to the finish of 100kms I am going to draw on all these hard days where I feel I can’t go on to get me out of the valley and to the finish line.
From here we knuckle down and just get it done. I have 6 foot track as a training run in around 4 weeks. From now until then I have a fair bit of hill work to do as I am so undertrained on hills at the moment. I also need to listen to my body and rest it when I feel like it is saying “no more”, because I don’t want to start hating my training.
All in all, keep believing you can do what you set your mind to, even when there are glimpses of doubt. Don’t let fear kill your dream.
N x
Hi Nicole. Have you read anything by Phil Maffetone? He’s a sport scientist who puts overall health first, encouraging people to fuel well, build their aerobic base & reduce stresses on the body. If you’re feeling burnt out & overtrained it might be worth your while looking at the MAF method.
Good luck!
Nicole- I needed to read this today. I keep wondering if it is the heat that is derailing me, or am I using it as an excuse? You reminded me that we are mums, doing full time jobs and adding on training that most people don’t dream of. It catches up, we need to remember to be kind to our bodies. All the best for your next big event -6 foot!
You are correct! Thank you!
I ran my first ultra and first trail event- UTA50 last year. Training went great and felt great and results were well above my expectations. I generally run a long weekly run of 20-22km (even when not training for a marathon) – and am pretty comfortable with the distance. I can honestly say I have not had a run that feels good since December – and believe it has to be this horrendous heat (I am Brisbane). Hottest ever and ongoing – no relief between hot spells. I did some research and found that this heat is producing a similar effect to training at altitude and is increasing our V02 Max. It is advised to lower expectations, adapt running time and speed – you are still training your heart at a high level and will reap the benefits when the weather cools. Fingers crossed the research is SPOT ON 🙂
On another note for UTA – I recommend some walking sessions – long steep hill hikes – maybe day after your long run or the afternoon of your long run. That climb back up to Katoomba is mostly un-runable.
Thanks Mel, I too have heard this about it being likened to Altitude. I also recommend doing power hiking sessions and do do this. I ran the 50k at UTA last year also so I know exactly what to expect on that half of the course which will be after I have already run 50K!
Nicole, you aren’t alone! Magalong Mega was huge! And I reckon sometimes doing less training means better results. Last year long work hours were really affecting my training for UTA100; my brilliant coach Kerry Suter – I am part of Squadrun – highlighted the most important workouts on my program and told me to just focus on those. Which resulted in two things – by adjusting my definition of what I was trying to get done each week, he made me feel like I was succeeding, instead of failing, and state of mind affects everything – relationships, work, sleep, training, how you feel at the start line; and I had an amazing race. Just beyond my wildest hopes. I think doing less was actually better for me. I guess what I’m trying to say to anyone else who’s feeling overtrained or just without enough hours in the day, doing less training isn’t always a matter of not doing what you should be doing. It’s not failing. It’s readjusting. We’re all different and sometimes we do better in our running and in life with less time spent working out, or lowering the intensity. I hope you start feeling back in the groove soon, it sounds like you’ve got a handle on what changes might help.
I am certainly not an experienced runner but I feel strongly about the role of proper rest days and the need for them for our bodies to recover adequately. Runners – particularly long distance, tend to forget this with our intense need to clock up km’s. Abe kind to yourself and don’t be afraid to prioritise and put yourself first! I’m doing the UTA50 this year. I am so excited and scared at the same time for this challenge!! Good luck with the UTA100 – it’s sure to be a fantastic experience!!
My first 100 was with breaks, my 2nd 100 I cant imagine being that ready ever again, my UTA50 last year I was happy until last 7kms, I have accepted I suit 4 only training sessions a week, hard to pull back to just 4 but over longevity there is plenty of rest days to add yoga and sustainability for 12 weeks of stairs n hills n then a distance run only once a week, arriving with legs as strong as a man, distances done and well rested is the advantage over someone who has done months of long distances and at the end of their sustainability, you’ve got the coach and foodi its just havin the faith to agree with them if it seems less training than you expected, I was shocked my training program had only 4 various runs, eery time I added pump classes I hit the wall. good luck massive handshake.