Hi. My name is Jacob and I have a nutrition problem.
Finally. I said it. I think that over my two years racing in the ultra/trail realm I have slowly and painfully come to the realization that I have a nutrition problem. I came from the triathlon world and excelled really well in that world... Then again the longest I ever raced there (other than the double Iron this March) was 11 hours and 6 minutes.
Did I have problems with nutrition then? Probably, but it was short enough a race that it wasn't an end all problem.
Now that I'm often trail racing for at least 10 hours some of those problems have grown and I've finally gotten to the point where I really can't ignore them.
I have now decided to completely re-vamp my nutrition strategy as I continue my build for the AT100. I am no longer able to just "wing" my nutrition. I've realized that to successfully finish a 100 I've GOTTA stick to a specific nutrition plan. When I came into the ultra running world it was such a nice change of pace from the triathlon world. All the ego's were put aside and everyone was welcoming and friendly. The more ultras I raced the more laid back I got not only in my racing but in my nutrition as well. I stopped calorie counting and I stopped eating like I used to during races.
That all finally came to a head last weekend at the Cap't Karls Lake 60K. Around hour three I just completely stopped eating solids and before that I was only taking in around 100-110 calories an hour through JUST gels! Simply put, this was not enough and was setting me up for disaster. All the mileage and training in the world cannot overcome this kind of deficit.
So, what is the new plan you ask?! Well let's start with what I was doing. When I was competitively racing Ironman distance triathlons I used two things. Gatorade Endurance Formula and Chocolate Accel Gels. (And of course water) I was great at sticking to my nutrition plan then of a gel every 45 minutes with Gatorade and water as needed. Then as always on the run, I'd end up skipping gels and normally fading pretty hard around mile 14-16 on the marathon, but I'd always finish "ok".
With my re-vamping I've decided to COMPLETELY drop both products. Not because I don't think they're great products, but because I think it's just time for something new.
So first off I had to decided how many calories I need to be taking. I've read and heard from most people that we need around 250 calories/hour. Before I was getting maybe 150 MAX an hour.
The first product I've picked up recently is the Honey Stinger Waffle. I've been playing with these for awhile and they're absolutely delicious not to mention around 160 calories. I may also play with the Shot Bloks since I can take those pretty easily without a lot of water at the same time. The Stinger Waffle can get pretty dry.
I'm still going to stick with a gel product and have decided to try the Powerbar Gel for awhile and see how that does. The Accel Gel I was using for awhile did have a milk product in it, plus some protein. I'm hoping that by dropping that gel in place of this one that I may get rid of some of the stomach issues I get when I take those gels in really how weather. The Powergel has 110-120 calories depending on the flavor.
So, with one waffle and one gel an hour I'm looking at around 270-280 calories an hour. Since that's a touch high of my goal I'll probably only eat 3/4 of the waffle.
Since I'm dropping the Gatorade I'm gonna have to find another way to supplement salt and electrolytes. Like I said before, I don't have anything against Gatorade, I just don't think it works as well in the ultra world. I would usually tend to drink too much of it early on (in the first few hours) and I wouldn't dilute it with enough water. I'd end up sick and craving nothing but straight water. After a few horrible sluggish miles of only drinking water I'd finally feel better and be running again.
So with that said I've also decided to pick up a product that was recommended by a fellow ultra runner called "S-CAPS". I'm going to be drinking only water and I think by doing this I'll really be able to stay on top of exactly how much salt I'm taking in and how many calories I'm taking in. I think that later on my training I may experiment with liquid calories like Ensure and Boost, but not until I get this basic nutrition plan dialed in.
As always, I am wide open to comments and feedback! Please let me know what has worked for you and what hasn't. As for you ultra vets let me know how this plan sounds. I've still got two more Cap't Karls 60Ks before my 100, so that's plenty of time to dial this thing in.
As for the "Part I", aspect of this post, I'm planning on writing later about how it's working and finally Part 3, how it worked in my 100. Who knows, I may end up on Part 7 before I finally get my nutrition down, but there's one thing I know for sure. I've got to start taking in more calories and staying on top of those calories instead of just going on how I feel.
As I've heard from numerous vets. "If you're hungry, you're already behind".
Last but not least, I have two quick questions for you 100 miler vets.
1) What happens when you take in more than 250 calories an hour? I mean is it possible to take too many calories?
2) What do you think of the water only thing as long as I'm getting my 250+ calories and taking the S-Caps? Being a tried and true Gatorade guy I'm afraid to drop it, but it obviously wasn't working all that well for me anymore.
And with that I leave you with "On Melancholy Hill" by the Gorillaz :)
Let me start this off by saying how good I am at convincing myself that everything is “A-OK”… I’m so good at convincing myself that I’m not really hungry… and I’m pretty good at convincing myself that I can get to that next aid station despite the color of my urine… But wait a minute… I’m getting way ahead of myself here. Let’s roll back a few hours to the night before the Cap’t Karls 60K at Inks Lake.
Pre-Race:
I’ve been wanting to do the 60K night series put on by Tejas Trails ever since I got in to ultra/trail running about two years ago. Finally, this year they all three fell on good dates so I committed and am in for all three. The first was July 16th, the second is August 6th, and the 3rd 60K is on August 27th. That’s 3 60K trail runs in 43 days. Talk about one happy trail runner.
So as usual for my Friday nights I worked from around 8:00pm – 6:00am. Courtney and I were staying with the in-laws since they live less than 30 mins from the race start. When I got off work I headed home to pick up Courtney and we made the 3-4 hour drive down to the Texas hill country.
As soon as we arrived I unpacked the car and was in bed ASAP. I’d say my head hit the pillow no later than 11-11:15am.
Around 5:00pm my alarm went off. I quickly loaded up the car with my backpack and ice chest and was on my way to Inks Lake. (of course after I swung by Sonic to get a small coffee)
Once I got to Inks Lake I checked and set up. I took two pairs of shoes because my MT100s are literally torn to shreds but I thought maybe they had one more good race in ‘em. Well, as soon as I put ‘em on I knew they were a no go. Not even one lap. I traded them out for my Newton road running shoes. These already had around 550 miles on ‘em so I’m not too worried about trashing them.
Around 7pm we were called to the start line and before we knew it Joe sent us off onto some good rocky technical Texas trails.
The Run:
This race consisted of 6 10K loops so that’s how I’ll break down the report.
Lap 1: (Mile 0-6.2)
I had made my mind up pre race that I wasn’t going to fall into my old pattern of going out too hard so I held off a bit at the start and entered the trail in probably around 12-15th place.
I quickly realized the trail was gonna be fairly rocky and technical. Once the sun went down things would definitely get interesting. I seemed to have placed myself perfectly in the field and soon was running with just one other person. We got to chatting and had a great time talking. He was doing his first 100 here in a few months too so we had plenty to chat about in regards to 100s. We passed through the halfway point/aid station without getting anything and headed on.
The trail continued with the rocky technical terrain and had a bit more climbing in the last 2 or so miles of the loop. There were really on 2 good climbs and just one that required walking. (later on in the night all fours)
We came in off the first loop anywhere between 57:00 to 59:00. The time looked fast, but I felt really good, so I decided I’m just maintain that as long as possible.
Lap 2: (Mile 6.2-12.4)
I pulled out of the aid station and didn’t see my friend I’d met on the last lap. He must have pulled out a bit quicker than I did and was already a bit ahead of me.
This lap also ticked by pretty quick. The sun was setting and I was waiting as long as possible before turning on my headlamp. It was on this lap that I aimed to walk the few descent climbs and run everything else. About 50 minutes in I finally had to turn my headlamp on and ended up finishing this lap in around 1:01:00 – 1:02:00. So it wasn’t too much slower than my first lap.
So far I was taking about one gel an hour and drinking one bottle of water and one bottle of Gatorade Endurance per lap. (Well, not the entire bottle)
Lap 3: (Mile 12.4-18.6)
I headed back out for lap 3 and was still feeling pretty good albeit slowing down a bit just cause it was dark. I knew that the darkness would slow be down a bit but wasn’t sure how much.
I was all alone the entire lap. It was just me and my little spot of light from my headlamp. The terrain was typical beautiful, yet sketchy as is typical with the hill country. Plenty of rocks, cactus, and dare I mention it rattle snakes. Lucky for me I only encountered the first two.
This lap I pulled into the only aid station out on the course (the halfway point) and refilled the bottles. I quickly headed back out and into the darkness. Again the few quick climbs on the back side really helped break things up and I was still running at a good clip when not hiking the climbs.
Before I knew it I was back at the start and finished off my third lap in around 1:08:00-1:10:00. Not too shabby considering it was now totally dark! I took another gel at the start/finish and headed back out after refilling the bottles.
Lap 4: (Mile 18.6-24.8)
Lap 4 is where it started getting a little uglier. The wheels hadn’t completely come off, but I did do a considerable more amount of walking this time around. I limited it to inclines and was still moving pretty well when running.
I started forcing myself to drink a bit more but in the end was probably drinking about the same amount. I was still running solo and just couldn’t find anyone that was moving at my pace. I was passing a lot of people in the 30K, but none of them moving with me.
Once I was past the aid station/half way I felt a little better and ran pretty much the whole way to the climbs. There I hiked up them and new I close to finishing another lap. I kept thinking if I can just make it to the next one I’ll be almost done.
Finally I rejoined the start trail and was quickly back at the start line. That lap took around 1:20:00. I was around 10 minutes slower than my last lap. 24.8 miles down, about 13 to go.
Lap 5: (Mile 24.8-31.0)
Well, you could say the wheels started falling off here, but looking at my time I did a 1:24:00 for this lap, only 4 minutes slower than my previous lap. I wasn’t feeling great, but I was still moving.
I’ll be brutally honest with the readers and myself here. After I finished my third lap I stopped taking gels. To be honest I can’t even tell you why. Probably because I made the mistake of not eating it at the aid station. I put it in my bottle strap and said I’d take it out on the trail. That gel sat in my bottle the rest of the night.
I have a bad habit of skipping nutrition sometimes and it has come back to bite me in the rear every. Single. Time. I know that in a 100 this error will be multiplied until I’m on the side of some single track somewhere dry heaving like I was in Jemez a year ago.
It’s just one more reminder that I’ve gotta stop treating nutrition while racing like it’s something I can catch up on later. Long story short I ran the rest of the race after the third lap on nothing more than Gatorade endurance/water/and 1 Redbull. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Around the halfway point of this lap I pulled off the trail to pee and as I always do I examined the color of my urine to see how clear it was. (This could be TMI for some of you non-runners/endurance athletes out there) I look down and I could have sworn it looked RED. Oh geez. All I could think now is that I’m peeing blood. Awesome. Just awesome. At first I don’t know if I should drop when I get back or just suck it up and hope it’s not serious or really blood.
I finished up the lap in around 1:24 and made the decision there that I’d head back out and if it persisted possibly drop at the half way point/aid station around mile 34.
Lap 6: (Mile 31.0-37.2)
I started the final lap and wasn’t feeling horrible, just a bit worried about the urine color. I drank quite a bit more at this point so that I’d need to go again and soon enough I did. Again I pulled off the trail and checked it. There wasn’t much, but what did come out looked red again.
Well, I didn’t have too much of an option at this point so I just kept trekking on. I was doing lots of walking in hopes of slowing my heart rate down and tried to drink.
At one point I decided I need to re-group and figure out what the game plan was, so I pulled off the trail, laid down on a huge boulder and turned the head lamp off. I stared up at the huge beautiful star filled Texas sky. It was amazing. Again, I just felt grateful and blessed that I had the chance to be out there.
After a few minutes I got up and pushed it to the halfway point/aid station. When I got there the generator was off/Out of gas and the crew was gone! No one was in sight! It was completely dark. Wow. Well, that answered my drop question. Not that I would have anyways J
I sat down when I got there and refilled my bottles while again enjoying the endless darkness of the Texas hill country around me. Finally I got up and headed back out. After a few hundred yards I needed to pee again and this time I really needed to know if it was blood or not.
The problem was I didn’t have anything to compare the color against other than dirt and that was impossible to tell. Finally I found something to void against and noticed again it looked red. (remember that my headlamp is an LED and by no means a pure white)
Again I had no other option than to continue on. I kept drinking as much as possible but fatigue was really setting in. I felt lethargic and sleepy. This was a bad sign, but I was almost there. I knew that if I could get to the last rocky little climb I’d almost be done.
It was at this point I noticed I hadn’t been passed by anyone and was actually curious as to what position I was in. (not that it really matters at this point!) As I crested the climb I tried to run as much as possible all the way to the finish.
Finally I finished that lap in 1:32. About 12 minutes slower than my last one. My total finish time for the entire 60K was 7:37:06. A total pace of around 12:10/mile. Blah. After seeing the results I found out I finished 7th overall. I’m happy with the placing, just not the way I got there.
Post-Race:
I got handed a finishers medal and made a beeline for my arm chair and another Redbull. Finally after 10-15 minutes of just sitting there I finally got up and grabbed a hamburger (just the meat and cheese) with a few pickles and sat back down. After another 10 minutes or so I was finally ready to go so I grabbed my stuff and headed back to the car.
I slowly started feeling a bit better on the 30 minute ride home. Once back to the in-laws I headed straight for the toilet so I once again could analyze my urine color and figure out if we needed to go to the ER or not.
Surely enough it wasn’t red, but dark, dark brown. Too dark for my comfort anyways. Before hopping in bed I downed at least 30oz of water.
Many lessons learned here. First off, a good friend brought it to my attention that I obviously didn’t hydrate enough leading up to the race. I worked the night before and maybe had a bottle of water. Then on the drive down the next morning all I had was a large coffee, then before the race I had maybe a cup or two of water with that small coffee. All HUGE mistakes.
Secondly the whole eating issue. I’ve gotta stay on top of my nutrition and stop thinking I can wing it through these longer races. (which I sadly did, but it was obviously pretty ugly) I’ve already spoken with my pacer for the AT100 and he’s aware of my ability to convince myself that I’m fine, when I’m not.
Finally, I can’t help but mention the one positive. I could really tell that some of the larger mileage I’ve been running has been paying off. The first three hours or so of the race I felt great! I was around 19 miles in and still feeling really good which is almost NEVER the case. I’m really interested to see how I feel when I stay on top of my nutrition.
Fortunately I have two more of the 60Ks to start dialing in the nutrition. Again, lesson learned, so now I’ve gotta apply it.
Maybe somewhat appropriate, plus I just like the song...
Well I've been getting in some great running and averaging right now around 55-60 miles a week or 230 ish miles a month. Nothing to crazy, but I'm slowly working my way toward my larger weeks as I build for the Arkansas Traveller 100.
I found the perfect race series down in the hill country of Texas called the Capt Karl's Endurance Series. Each race consists of a 60K run starting at 7pm. Not only is it going to be great training starting at 7pm but it should still be nice and hot which I am MORE than accustom to!
This was taken last week just before I headed out for a trail 10 miler. I have an atomic clock in my garage that reads inside and outside temperatures, so it's unbelievably nice knowing exactly how warm it is when I start my runs.
I'm taking it pretty easy this week with nothing longer than 15 miles and that was on Monday. I'm throwing in another 5.5 and 6 miler then the 60K on Saturday night. In terms of goals I'd LOVE to place top 5 overall if not top 3. I'm not going to throw out a time goal just cause I've never seen the terrain down there and have yet to find any kind of elevation chart :)
I ordered a new pair of MT101s that I thought would be in, just in time for the race but it looks like the only size that's back ordered right now is an 11.5! Figures. Looks like I'm gonna be running in my old MT100s that are literally torn to shreds Saturday. I'm also gonna take my road running Newtons just in case. I figure after the first lap (oh yea, the course is 6 10K loops) I'll switch to the Newtons if the terrain isn't too gnarly.
In other news I did a little revamping to the blog and switched out the title photo at the top (Photo credit to Larry & Olga!). My old one was of Alii drive in Kona, Hawaii from my 2008 race in the Ironman World Champs. Now that I'm so much more into ultra running (and the only tri I've done all year was a double iron) It's more appropriate to have a photo of something that involves what i do now. Plus it was taken on the Hardrock 100 course (obviously) which is my all time ultra running goal!
Something else I've been thinking about is trying some video reviews instead of written reviews! I figure that way I can actually show you guys stuff that I'm talking about instead of trying to describe it. I don't know, we'll see what the next thing I grab is and maybe I'll review it via video :)
Alrighty, I'm outta here. Next post will hopefully be The Lake 60K race report! HERE'S the race website in case you want to check it out! And now I leave you with a classic... of my generation at least.
Oh yea, I also forgot that I've been carbo-loading for the race as well! Haha
I have finally gotten to a place where I feel I can make a good honest review of the New Balance Trail Minimus running shoe. Right now I have just around 200 miles on them. Those 200 miles probably consist of around 15-20 road miles with the other 185-180 being all single track, grass, and dirt.
Before I continue with the review I want to post a quick disclaimer. These shoes are considered a bit more "minimal". So when I say that they're "comfortable", I don't mean that they're super cushioned or real plush! :) If you're considering getting into a more minimal shoe I think this is a great way to do that without going barefoot.
So with that said, here's my review.
Quality of Construction: 4/5
In regards to the quality of construction I'd say these are definitely well made shoes, but I do have one or two very minor complaints. I tend to be pretty dang hard on my shoes and these are no exception. I have noticed that on the toe box of the shoes there is a strap type design that goes over the top (I'm assuming to keep your toes from jamming forward) which has all the sudden developed a small little rip. Nothing horrible, but I do think it has potential to grow and will update after a few more hundred miles.
I have also noticed that the sole or under of the shoe is barely starting to peel off. It's very, very minor but again has potential to become a problem. For now I'm giving the shoes a 4 outta 5.
Fit: 5/5
This shoe literally fits like a glove! I read on their website that it's meant to be run sockless in and boy it feels great sockless. I've put so many miles on this shoes without socks that the one time I did wear socks it felt SO weird. The shoes felt a little odd the first time I put them on, but after about 20 miles on 'em they felt snug and comfortable. Zero complaints on the fit. I'd say that fit true to size if not a half size smaller.
Comfort: 5/5
Again, I think comfort goes along with fit. These shoes fit like a glove and are very comfortable for a minimalist shoe. Compared to my other trail running shoe (the MT100) it's a good step up on comfort. The shoe breathes REALLY well making it even more comfortable, especially in the hot Texas summers.
Please keep in mind that these shoes are not comfortable in the sense of having a lot of cushion. As I said earlier they are a minimal shoe with little to no cushion or support.
Durability: 4/5
Since I only have about 200 miles on these shoes it's really hard to say how durable they really are. Like I mentioned in my Quality of Construction section I've had a few very minor issues, that I'm afraid could become bigger issues later. The soles also seem to be wearing down pretty quick for only having 200 miles on them. We shall see!
Value: 2/5
This is the only place I have any beef! I seriously don't understand why a minimal shoe would cost $100! The MT100 and MT101 are around $65-$75! The Minimus has A LOT less structure/etc and is an extra $25-$35! I'd think that the more minimal shoes get the cheaper they would be, but I guess this just isn't the case. Maybe if NB keeps making the Minimus they'll drop when the novelty wears off.
Appearance: 5/5
This shoes look great! I work in a hospital and have worn them to work multiple times as well as traveled cross country in these shoes. They come in three different colors (maybe 4) and are a big jump from your typical neutral colored ugly trail shoes.
Performance: 5/5
At 7.1oz this shoe has performance. It's light, nimble, flexible and ready to run.
In case you're interested HERE is what New Balance has to say about that shoe. You can purchase them HERE if you like! I'm sure if you do some looking around you can find a better price. I ordered mine from Sun & Ski Sports in Frisco.
