In my one month update, I talked about misconceptions I had and the realities I faced: not everyone is an overnight success, it does not mean instant popularity across social media, the hustle is both real and necessary, and I am not instantly or fabulously wealthy. But after three months, I’m starting to see the intangible wins and working on setting my goals for 2021.
Race Report: BUTS Heavy Half
Here my the race report for the Birmingham Ultra and Trail Society (BUTS) Bearly Ultra, the 13.5 mile Heavy Half course.
Confession from the Trail: Taper Tantrums
My first taper week of the season starts today and like all taper weeks, I’m going to apologize to my spouse upfront. Because, dear friends, taper week is a bastard and I will be a right bastard too.
Taper week is well known to any endurance athlete. Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, triathlete, or crazy ultramarathoner, it’s wise to use the week before a race to let your body catch up, rest up, and fuel up so you’re at your peak strength and endurance on race day.
Confession from the Trail: ‘Race Day
Aside from the bizarrely different mental attitudes, there are a few other things that make an ultramarathon different from a typical road race.
Confession from the Trail: Ultra Lingo
Ultra has its own language. So, in a completely arbitrary order, the words you need to know about ultramarathon speak.
Confession from the Trail: ‘Tis the Season (For Illness)
Season’s greetings from my couch. Like many this time of year, I’m sick. Unfortunately for me, I’m also supposed to race in two weeks and seriously, body? THIS IS NOT THE TIME! But it was also somewhat inevitable… This post is all about getting sick during a training cycle. I’ll be giving you some insight into why it seems to happen so often so close to race day, help you decide if you should keep training or not, and help settle your fears (and mine) about whether you can race.