Great conversations with runners and others who have an ultramarathon mindset.
Knowing why you run can help get your mojo back when you’re feeling blah about running.
If you’re like me, you don’t often stop to ask “Why do I run?” We just run because we’re runners.
But the times when we feel “unmotivated” and can’t seem to find the spark to get out the door, it’s good to take a look at our WHY for running.
Christian Kurty helps runners deal with injuries on the trail, but she also has great advice on how to avoid them in the first place.
If you ever drag yourself into an aid station beat up from the trail, Christina Kurty is the person you hope is there.
She’s both an ultramarathon runner and a medical volunteer. She knows how to give aid when runners get into trouble. But she also has sound advice to help us keep out of trouble in the first place.
Christina has worked with runners and athletes as a sports specialist, helping them heal from overuse injuries and to correct biomechanical issues.
In this episode we talk about running form, shoes, chafing, and blisters. Listen to this episode for ways to help you avoid some common problems we face as runners.
What do you do when you don’t feel like running?
What do you do when you don’t feel like running?
NOT because of an injury or recovery from hard run yesterday.
But when you’re feeling down . . . overwhelmed . . . depressed.
Motivation is gone and you just don’t care.
Your friends on Facebook and Strava are still running and posting their selfies and mileage stats.
And that makes it even worse . . . you feel like you SHOULD be running.
But you feel like you just can’t.
What do you do?
Here are three suggestions.
Couch to 5K is common. Lisa Beth Adams went from couch to 50K in nine months by drawing on her “never quit” mindset.
Most ultra runners will tell you that you need lots of time to get ready for a 50K run. “If you’re just starting out, nine months is not enough,” they will say.
But Lisa Beth Adams didn’t ask anyone whether she could go from the couch to 50K in nine months. She did it by setting her goal and then going after it with the mindset of never giving up. She set aside all her excuses and used past failures as lessons leading to her success.
Mindset Minute episodes are where I talk about what’s on my mind and how mindset affects all things about life and running.
This is the first of my Mindset Minute episodes. And, since this show is still just getting started, I think I should explain what I think an Ultramarathon Mindset is and how you can benefit from having one.
Five of the elements that make up an Ultramarathon Mindset
1. Kaizen
2. Relentless forward progress.
3. Risk / Challenge
4. ABC goals
5. Finishing is THE goal.
This is a rough framework of what an ultramarathon mindset is and how it helps in running and in life.
Check out future Mindset Minute episodes for more facets of the ultramrathon mindset.
The decision to pull the plug and take a DNF for a race is a hard one. But there are times it is the right one.
Part of the challenge of running a 100 mile race is that you can train and make a plan and still fail. So many things can go wrong and end your race even when you’ve done all the right things.
Steve and Amanda both went for the 100 mile distance and fell short because of injuries.
Every ultra runner has a strong motivation to finish what we start. And running 100 miles is a test of our will as we look for the satisfaction of finishing.
But it’s also important to keep the idea that running should be fun.
And finding the fun and holding on to it is a worthy goal for any runner.
Denny Krahe is a coach who tests out his methods on himself before he gives them to clients. He found that going slower in training will help you be faster on race day.
Denny Krahe is my guest this week. He is a podcaster, author, coach, and speaker. He’s also a runner.
He says he used to hate running. But he found himself in situations that led him to run a little bit then slowly increase his time running and eventually he became a “runner.”
His book, Be Ready on Race Day is designed to be a guide for runners to learn how to design a training plan that fits them as an individual rather than the “one-size” plans that are so common and so rigid.
He also believes in making sure the methods he uses work for himself before he recommends them to others. We dive deep into the work he’s doing with his diet and the heart rate training.
To connect wtih Denny, his website is– dizruns.com. Or on all of social media as — dizruns.
Abby took on the Outlaw 100, one of the toughest trail 100 mile courses in the Midwest, and finished. I was her pacer through the dark of night.
I had the honor to pace Abby (her trail name) in the Outlaw 100 this year.
The Outlaw is one of the toughest 100 mile courses in the Midwest. It’s a 20 mile loop, and runners have 48 hours to complete the 100 miles.
I met Abby through a running group on Facebook when she asked for pacers. Two of us from Kansas volunteered. She had never met either of us until the day we showed up to run with her.
Abby and I told trail running stories as we ran through the night. This conversation is both a recap and continuation of our trail talk.
Abby started running as conditioning for mountain climbing in the Himalayas and in South America. Trail running has been her focus for now, but the mountains may call her back before long.