Urbyville Post Western States 100

2) What shoes and pack did you wear? Did you ever regret the choice or swap shoes?

Shoes: Hoka Challenger. Loved them. Except: the insoles crapped out on me. The insoles the shoes came with were small and flimsy. On the steep decent out of Last Chance and throughout the rest of the canyons to Michigan Bluff I was continuously battling with the insoles. They would crumple up in the front of the shoe and were giving me hot spots on the ball of my foot. Thankfully I had my old Rapa Nui’s as back up. I took the better insoles I had in those shoes and put them in the Challengers. Problem solved. With that fix, the shoes worked great and I wore them the remainder of the run. Best feeling trail shoe for 100 miles that I’ve tried yet.

I didn’t wear a pack or a belt; the freedom was fantastic. I also didn’t carry a handheld. I wore the North Face Long Haul shorts and used a 20 ounce Amphipod bottle. The tight liner of the shorts has pockets that had enough room for 12 gels. The liner was also tight enough that I could tuck the bottle into the back of the shorts. So I was not carrying a handheld or wearing a pack: best of both worlds. Added bonus: when I would refill the bottle with ice cold electrolyte drink, it would feel really good on my backside.

No regrets on any of my gear or shoe choices. Once the insole issue was solved, my kit worked better than it has for any race I’ve run.

3) Being a vegan, were you craving Mighty-O’s by Forest Hill? What were you dreaming of food-wise?

Strangely, I had no food cravings this time around. I was thirsty and hot, but not hungry. I survived on Power Gel (20-30 gels total) and sports drink (Tailwind when I had crew access and Clif sports drink at the aid stations) I ate a few handfuls of watermelon at aid stations while waiting for my bottle to be filled but otherwise, I didn’t eat anything else and wasn’t even thinking about it. I got tired of eating gels along the way and instead focused on getting more liquid calories. Both the aid station workers and my crew were very accommodating. They would put extra scoops of the drink mix into my bottle over the final 22 miles. No bonking, no stomach issues. Fortunate day.

4) You have a pretty rigid, methodical training plan–no winging it for you! During a race, what goes through your head when things start deviating from “the plan?”

This question puts a smile on my face. The athletes I coach have methodical training plans (though not rigid). I haven’t actually held myself to the same standard over the past couple years and have been primarily doing workouts and training runs with the athletes I coach. So given that I didn’t have a focused training plan, I am really happy with the outcome of the race. During my races, I tend to be in my own head throughout and constantly assessing the situation, thinking about how my body is dealing with everything, what I need, how I’m thinking. I generally don’t set time or placing goals. My plan was to be patient and to keep my legs for the final 30 miles. I never deviated from that plan. Around mile 20 I started getting some tightness in my chest which made full breaths painful. This stuck around until 62 – thankfully ibuprofen relaxed my chest and I could breathe better. While I was struggling for full breaths, I stuck with the plan to “keep my legs under me”, and I simply slowed down. It paid off well. As my breathing improved, I was able to pick up my pace and pick people off in the final 38 miles.

5) Up next for you is Run Rabit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, CO. Will you stay with the Challenger? Are there any lessons learned from Western that you can apply to RRR100?

Sticking with the Challenger unless you show me something better! So far it’s been my favorite long distance trail shoe that I’ve worn so I’m sticking with what works. Lessons learned – Having my legs at mile 90 is still very possible, and it’s much more enjoyable than the slogging, suffering experiences I’ve had in previous races. I like running uphill. I felt like even if it was slow (14 minute miles) I was still shuffling up the hills faster than most walkers, and it felt easier for me than walking.

I want to be able to run the final 30 miles of RRR. That section of the course is all runnable and last year I was suffering so much through that section that I couldn’t take advantage of it. Patience is a big lesson I’ve learned in 100’s. At the same time, I think I can push the first hour or two in the race to get in a position, then settle into my rhythm, and then think about racing once I get to 85 miles.

6) Your crew at Western did a great job with social media, spreading #team7hills and #7inSquaw around with zeal! (I especially loved the pre-race nipple taping pic!) Do you plan on putting your name in the hat to be a 7 in Squaw next year?