...and don't forget to add "What works for me...."

"No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong" Albert Einstein



(my teammate Annette and I...we are constantly sharing our ideas and learning from eachother!)


Through this ultra journey that I have been on, the part that I had no idea I would be focusing on is "What works for ME"

So many different ultra runners out there with different ways of fueling, training, etc., that you can get mind boggled. And the better a runner is, the more you want to know "What is it that makes them so good?" But remember, what works for them, may not work for you.


My suggestion is to use those training runs to find out what works. Experiment, journal, test the waters....and learn. Sometimes, we learn in our races - hopefully not too many! But sure enough, the more experienced you are the more you will find out what works for you. So.....here are just some suggestions I would recommend:

1. Your distance per week - at what point do you feel that you have over done it? Some runners can handle triple digit weeks and some are wasted. Some actually run better with less miles and more quality. That is where your journal plays in. Quality is more important than quantity.


2. Fueling - how much per hour can your body process while still maintaining a quality run? How about the salt tab intake (and that can vary on the temperature). How about dehydration issues? Tummy issues?


3. Shoes - are you wearing the proper shoes? My little add in for Montrail - I have yet to see one lady that I have recommended Montrail shoes to that doesn't like them...they are the true experts for trail running shoes! But see what shoes are the best fit for your feet.


4. Sleep - are you getting enough? Sleep is the best way to recover and rebuild so keep a close eye on that.


5. Injury - are you prone to certain injuries? Some of us are blessed with great bio mechanics that can just keep going and going injury free...while some have tendencies. DON'T IGNORE THEM. An injury not taken care of will haunt you and possibly permanently stop you. There are times when mind over matter can conquer, but not many. An injury that is not healed, from what I have seen, will never heal - and possibly travel to something else. Thankfully, I have a wonderful friend, chiropractor, active release, graston expert who is great for making sure all is still aligned and working well. Not a bad investment if you can have a tune up every-so-often.

Those are just some ideas...I try to make sure that when I am telling someone what I do that I say "This is what works for ME, but may not work for you".

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"The true method of knowledge is experiment" William Blake

We are an experiment of one....have fun discovering!