Did you follow a specific nutrition plan during training?
Not that specific. I do try to eat more paleo (eliminating sugar, bread etc..) but I'm a little all over the map. One thing I made sure of is that I ate a good breakfast everyday. For me that's a shake of kale, beets, coconut water and frozen berries. I usually made an egg as well. Morning breakfasts (usually after my morning workout) has proven to be critical fuel for my day.
More: Nutrition Plan for Long-Distance Training
What did you fuel on during the run?
On the run itself, I packed about 8,500 calories. Since the body can only absorb about 240 calories per hour (and maybe a bit less depending on intensity of the run), I estimated 240 x 24 hours = 5,800. I packed about 50 percent more than that to account for any unknowns.
My nutrition pack included:
- 20 Gu's
- 8 Shot Block packs
- 5 Power Bars
- 3 tortilla and peanut butter wraps
- 5 bags of almonds
- 3 honey stinger nutrition waffles
I needed a break from that sugar though. At the end, my stomach was a bit of a mess. More real food would have been better, just harder to digest. Lesson learned.
For hydration, we used a water-sterilizing tool, steripen, and drank from the glacial streams along the trail. I wore the Osprey Manta 20 that has a 100-ounce bladder.
How many pairs of shoes and socks did you use during your run?
I only used one pair of shoes and one pair of socks (the Injinji 5 finger trail sock). I had an extra pair of socks, which I probably should have changed into, but I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off for fear of what I would see. In the end, my feet were relatively unscathed. I probably should have changed my socks.
What kept you going?
Fear. I really couldn't bail out on this trail. It was self supported and remote so it was truly up to me to get out of there—and I didn't want to burden my friend to be responsible for me.
In all seriousness, I never imagined I wouldn't finish. I would do whatever it took to complete this journey. It might take me awhile but it just wasn't a question. At a particular point late in the run you start to feel the "pull" of finishing and that is both motivating and frustrating.
That pull, however, is what you need. I also told a lot of people I was going to do this (when you publicly announce a goal it increases the likelihood of success) so I wasn't going to let them or myself down.
More: What Happens to Your Body During an Ultramarathon
How long did it take you to complete this challenge?
It took 23 hours and 55 minutes to complete this 75-mile journey.
What was the first thing you did right after you finished?
I exited the trail and cried ... and kept crying. I had this massive flood of emotion that I couldn't control. I did it. I endured. I set a huge goal and hit it. I was proud, grateful, lucky and real. Those 4 a.m. training runs in the dark so I didn't impact my family too much, paid off!
I then went to the gas station and bought a big bottle of chocolate milk.
More: 10 Post-Run Recovery Drinks
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