Vermont 100 Fundraising for the Vermont Adaptive

In going for the Grand Slam, I wanted to also make an impact while making sure I could be on the starting line. When I found out that The Vermont 100 partnered with and raised funds for The Vermont Adaptive (Learn More HERE) I applied for a charity spot to help raise funds.

From The Vermont Adaptive website:

Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports is a nationally recognized organization that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming regardless of ability to pay. In addition to sports, year-round programming options integrate environmental, holistic wellness, and competitive training philosophies for people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical and emotional disabilities.

Some of you may remember my podcast episode with Kyle Robidoux (Listen Here), a visual impaired runner who does many other sports, some of which are enabled through The Vermont Adaptive. It's through this connection that I knew I had found a great cause to support!

While I have met my fundraising goal, The Vermont Adaptive can never receive enough financial support. Please consider donating through the link below.

Thank you!

-Me again

Coaching Services

I AM FULL AT THE MOMENT

IF YOU'D LIKE TO RESERVE A SPOT FOR LATE SUMMER/FALL, PLEASE REACH OUT

As a certified coach (USAT&F Level I, RRCA Level II, UESCA Running & Ultrarunning, McMillan Coaching, & Lydiard Foundation Level III) I want to make sure each athlete not only gets the training they need, but to maintain the joy and fun that running should be! I love running, and I want to make sure each runner finds and maintains their love for the sport as well!!!

My Philosophy:

I believe that running is a journey that should be shared and enjoyed along each step of the way. By coaching, I create a partnership with each individual athlete in which we get to know the individuals needs and ways in which we can find the most success in helping the athlete achieve his or her goal(s) through training. We cannot be successful without building trust in one another, and that begins with our daily honest communications as to how the athlete is performing in running and how daily life may be affecting their run for the day, week, or beyond. I believe in a comprehensive approach to training in which we have to consider the athlete’s history with training (successes & failures), strengths & weaknesses in training and how we can capitalize on the strengths and strengthen the weaknesses, and keeping a long term view for the athletes longevity and health in the sport. My goal for each athlete is to keep them healthy and enjoying the sport in route to helping them build stamina & endurance, while getting faster & stronger. 

I coach Adults interested in distances of 5k to Ultramarathon. 

For $125 a month, my coaching provides:

• Online Training Plan Using Training Peaks Premium Edition

• Daily Feedback & Weekly Email and Communications 

• Unlimited text, emails, & calls

• Flexible Schedule Changes

• Private Facebook & Strava Groups

• Weekly Topic covered in a Zoom Conference w/ Q &A Sessions

• Running Form Analysis

• Footwear and Gear Selection

If you're interested in having a conversation, please don't hesitate to reach out by clicking the button below. 

Reflections

SENDING THANKS TO RACE DIRECTORS, SPONSORS, & VOLUNTEERS

How often after a race do you send a quick message to a race director, race sponsor, or a volunteer that helped make your race a success?

Often after a race we're quick to post on Strava, Facebook, or Instagram this amazing thing we just did. What if we created the habit to also reach out to those that made our experience so great! I don't mean by adding a hash tag to your post. Just drop a line.

As a former RD, a simple message made a bright spot in my day and made the efforts so worth while.

After Hardrock, I sent a message to all the sponsor contact pages. I received a note back of how rare it was to hear from the participants. That made me realize, I need to do it more often, and suggest others do the same. Some races don't function without sponsors. The sponsors hearing from participants makes them know their company was seen and recognized for their contribution, and potentially that they should be a part of that same event in the future because of this.

When I ran Eastern States 100, I had a volunteer that was there for me in my darkest hour. When I made it through and decided to continue, I noted their name on my phone and reached out to the afterwards through social media and thanked them for being so caring and making such a difference in my race. Again, a simple message like this may make a volunteer feel valued and want to return to volunteer.

Point being, little simple messages can go a long way and have greater impacts than we could imagine. Please take a moment and after your next event, thank those involved!

Race Planning

Staying Present When You're In A Series of Races

I'll be honest, staying present when attempting something like the Grand Slam is difficult. Thankfully having completed the Beast Series in 2016 (along with a number of other races), I have a better perspective and strategies of how to not look past the present.

On a macro scale, I have Rim Runner 50-miler in April, Western States in June, Vermont 100 in July, Leadville in August, and Wasatch in Sept. That's pretty overwhelming! So instead I try to concentrate on somewhere between a mesocycle and microcycle.

What that looks like is at a mesocycle level, is concentrating on the race coming up first. In this case, that's Rim Runner. My thoughts and main preparations are taking the majority of my mental energy and focus. It's not to say I don't think of the others or do some planning, but if I focus too much on the others, I have a hard time staying in the moment and I start to worry about factors I cannot control at the moment. This is where the microcycle helps refocus my attention.

At a microcycle level, I have to concentrate on the present week. My mileage is slowly building along with long runs. My attention to my strength, core, and mobility remains a constant vigil as I want to stay healthy and keep injury at bay. Having a coach certainly helps with this as we discuss niggles that pop up or fatigue levels from the various workouts and runs. These conversations also are a reminder that the work I put in now will pay their dividends later on.

A series of races like the Beast Series or the Grand Slam or even your season of races can be overwhelming when we look at the macrocycle. If you find yourself looking ahead and worrying about the future too much, try to focus on what's directly in front of you. Be it that's week's training schedule or your next race. Know what you do that day is the most important piece of your training that is actually controllable. Stay present my friends and run on!

Balancing Road & Trail In Your Training

 I once had a coach that told me if I ran all my miles on the trails I would get slow. He was unfortunately right. It's obvious that we can't always run as fast on single track trails as we can on paved road (given the same grade on each surface).

If your goal is to improve your average pace, it's a good habit to mix a few days of road running in with your trail runs. I suggest 1-2 of your normal mileage run days be done on paved roads.

For other runs:

Recovery Runs - I personally like recovery days on flattish dirt roads.

Workouts - depending on the purpose of your workouts, the surface can vary. Know the intent of the workout. If you're trying to be consistent with pace/effort, road may be the better option.

(Medium) Long Runs - here I find it good to mix surfaces as well. Although I tend to find dirt roads that are very runnable to help my legs recover faster.

As always, the closer you get to your goal race, the more closely you should simulate the type of surface/terrain/elevation that you'll be racing on.

So go ahead and mix it up a bit more. Your training will benefit from it!

Inov8 TrailFly Ultra G 280

It's been awhile since I tried an Inov8 shoe! It use to be all I ran in. Truth be told, they were my favorite sponsor before I started ultra running in 2008 (note - I'm no longer sponsored by them).

So when I heard about the TrailFly Ultra G 280, I was intrigued. The "G" stands for Graphene. A new material that is super durable and was initially used in the outsole, but now blended into the midsole. Inov8 took this shoe a step further. They infused the midsole foam with nitrogen, thus making it lighter. That had my attention as I remember when New Balance did the same and the resulting lightweight shoes where pretty impressive (weight-wise).

On to the shoe itself. While I still prefer the roomier toe box of the Altra & Topo lines, the TrailFly isn't too tapered that I felt scrunched, but it doesn't quite have that rounded toe box I've come accustomed to in the other aforementioned brands.

The shoe feels good underfoot, and I loved it on my long runs. It is tooted as an ultra running shoe, so take what I am about to say with that in mind. When I tried to run at faster speeds, the shoe did not respond well. I felt I was fighting against the shoe to get my foot through it's gait cycle at a faster rate. So to summarize here, slower speeds = good, and faster speeds = not so much.

The upper is a very comfy knit. But it does have a high collar to the shoe and may bother some runners ankles. I noticed it rubber my ankle when I first tried it on. I did go up half a size from my regular shoe size.

The shoe has an 8mm drop (Heel: 22mm Forefoot: 14mm), but wasn't as noticeable as it is in some shoes. That's about as high a drop in a shoe that I feel comfortable in, and honestly, I would have thought it was 4mm or 6mm at most.

The lugs are 4mm and provide both great traction, as well as mud dispersal due to their pattern and separation. They were comfortable on both paved road and muddy trail.

Overall, if used for the intent of running long, I'd give this shoe an 8 out of 10 as I'd just like to see a slightly more rounded toe box if I am to use this for my longer miles and races.

MR Runningpains Podcast

There are so many great conversation I've had in this past month, but I am going to highlight my episode speaking with Celia Eicheldinger on her Fierce Dragon 215 mile experience.

From the show notes:

 Celia Eicheldinger had an amazing race at Fierce Dragon (215 miles). Cera Jones was a pacer and crew member. This is their story. 

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did having the conversation!

Podcast of the Month

Run Smarter Podcast

Finding your Ideal Cadence

To compliment the book of the month, I'd like to share this episode on how to find your own ideal cadence.

Have a listen & enjoy...