Lab Rat

I mentioned in my last post that training for the Leadville 100 Trail Run the past 8 months felt like a science project.

Although I have completed various ultras the past two years—including the Leadville Silver Rush 50 mile foot race— the Leadville 100 is a race and league of its own.

Despite having run a great FIFTY mile race at the Leadville 100, I feel like I learned a heckuva lot about training and diet.  Stuff that applies whether a guy plans to run 100 miles at 10,000 feet, or simply go to work each day to pay the mortgage with MAYBE a thought to crank out a 5k at the Turkey Trot Race on Thanksgiving Day.

Before I begin, however.......

A disclaimer......

Before you hit the “send” key on that profanity-laced email with the word “moron” in all caps in the subject line, please know that these are results and observations that worked for ME.

I am not a nutritionist, physiologist, PROCTOLOGIST or any other –gist…….

I’m just a guy who has made every diet and training mistake in the book and who decided to junk the magazine articles and follow the advice and habits of the REAL practitioners—the ultrarunners who are getting in the big miles at 10,000 feet and having a great time!

So here are the results:

Observations about Diet:

•     I lost approximately 15 pounds training for the LT-100.
•    Almost ALL of this weight loss occurred from May-July.
•   Weight loss occurred when I modified my DIET, not exercise.  
•    I was NOT able to exercise my way to thin.
•   Cutting any foods COMPLETELY never worked.
•   REPLACING instead of ELIMINATING foods absolutely worked. 
•  Except…..I abstained (almost completely) from alcohol and foods with a lot of sugar (candy,  soda pop).
•  I reduced and replaced dairy products MOST of the time. I replaced my morning snack of yogurt with a banana and replaced regular milk with almond milk.
• I still enjoyed some cheese on my salads.  I sucked down a cup of milk about every fifth day.
• I still believe dairy products are important, just not the quantity I was inhaling before.
• I replaced my nightly dessert with a cup of hot unsweetened almond milk.  Adding a dash of cinnamon or vanilla extract to hot almond milk will seriously fool the taste buds into thinking you are gorging on a decadent Starbucks vanilla latte! Little does your brain and taste buds know that you are sucking down less than 40 calories.
• I found the notion “a calorie is a calorie” to be untrue with me (or so it seemed).
• I found my weight dropped despite eating all the bacon, eggs, ham, turkey, fruit, salads, almonds, yams and almond butter I could shovel down.  I NEVER found this to be true gorging on foods like bread, pasta, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches and yogurt.   
• I found my performance soared gorging on the fruit and protein items mentioned above.
• I found my performance soared while reducing (not eliminating) the carbohydrate items mentioned above.
• I cycled carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, bread) approximately once per week—but seldom took second helpings.
• BUT……PBJs were an excellent fuel source training at altitude.  Carbohydrates became more important at higher elevations.  I learned this the hard way running up Pikes Peak with only a jar of peanut butter and bacon!

Observations about Sleep:

• I was RELIGIOUS about getting at least SEVEN hours of sleep per night
• I found sleep to be MORE important than DIET
• I abstained from TV or computer right before going to bed
• I would read at least 15 minutes before going to bed to facilitate falling asleep

Observations about Training:

•  Running FOUR (sometime FIVE) days per week worked well
•  Adding P90X for “cross training” was a disaster—it didn’t allow recovery time
•  Cross training 2-3 days per week on the spin bike followed by 20 minutes of light weight training felt great—it strengthened my core while allowing recovery time
• I did very little speed work—this was a BIG mistake and may have been a contributor in me not completing the Leadville 100.
• Running “14ers” (e.g. Pikes Peak) often was excellent training
• Running “14ers” at 2am was excellent training.......but I am glad to NOT be doing it now
• Hill work is excellent training and (in my opinion) like doing leg presses at the gym but the scenery is far, far better
• To run an ultra, it’s important to train doing EVERYTHING (speed, hills, stairs, altitude, long-distance).  As Chris McDougall commented about the Tarahumahara in his book "Born to Run," focus on becoming a great ATHLETE, not just a great runner.

 One last note…….

The diet, training and sleep items mentioned above are, in my experience,  more than TRAINING strategies. 

They’re LIFE strategies.

Strategies that will not only make you better on the road and on the trails.

But better at work and at home.

Because hey…… isn’t that reason we run in the first place? 

To FEEL better?

And to BE better?

I mean……if we can’t escape the “rat race…….”

Let’s at least make sure we have the tools to make it fun.

AMJ