Ultra Runners

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The best thing about long runs in winter... (Read 103 times)

BH Slogger


    is that I can bring along Snickers, Twix bars, chocolate chip cookies and reeses pieces for energy. The summer months bring a nauseating mix of energy gels and Powerbars. It took me this long to figure out that chocolate doesn't melt at 30 degrees, and I'm lovin' it!


    Uh oh... now what?

      Oh yeah... pulled into an aid station one January, temp about 26ºF, grabbed

      a drink and a few chips, yakked a few seconds, grabbed a few of the tiny

      Three Musketeer bars and put all but one of  them in my vest pocket.  Said

      thank you and bid adieu.

       

      A few minutes down the trail I peeled the mini-bar and popped candy in

      my mouth--and almost broke my teeth on the frozen, well, at least, very

      hard candy bar.  Sucked on the frozen bars for miles.

       

      Moral?  Candy bars are okay when kept in pockets so they don't transmogrify

      into rock candy, but not so good at aid stations where they sit out in the cool

      waiting for an unsuspecting runner.

       

      Fog and 32ºF but the sun is starting to shine through.  Only 46 days until spring.

      Shoes_N_Shorts


      Just here for the food

        Oh heck yes. I stopped in a coffee shop at mile 9 today for an espresso and chocolate chip cookies. At mile 20 I ran into a bakery (SERENDIPITY!) for a long john and some chocolate milk. I love winter.

        jjameson


          I like the cool temperature.  Today was 5 degrees and felt great.  Good traction on the paved bike trail with my screwshoes.

           

           

          AT-runner


          Tim

            I do candy corns on long runs in the summer, and I do love me some Snickers.

             

            Buddy the Elf: "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

            “Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway! 

              ...

              Moral?  Candy bars are okay when kept in pockets so they don't transmogrify

              into rock candy, but not so good at aid stations where they sit out in the cool

              waiting for an unsuspecting runner...

               

              The runners doing the long winter ultras up here keep the goodies, like gels, inside layers. Even in an outside pocket, they can freeze. Oh, wait, that happens on short runs if it's cold enough. That's why I use bite-sized things in winter - trail mix, m&m's, clif bars cut in sixths or eighths, shot bloks, etc - and plan on sucking them if necessary.

              "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


              Feeling the growl again

                In September I was in Vienna and had time to do a 30-miler but could find no energy bar-type food in the stores (apparently they eat healthier over there but smoke A LOT more).  So I ended up buying 2 very large, 500 calorie chocolate bars and carrying those by hand instead.

                 

                It was cool (mid-50s) and it worked well.  I lost my taste for chocolate for a few weeks though.

                "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                 

                I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                 

                  ... knowing the spring race you are training for is going to be warmer with less to no snow... and probably a lot easier than the training runs.

                  Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!


                  Trail Monster

                    ... knowing the spring race you are training for is going to be warmer with less to no snow... and probably a lot easier than the training runs.

                     

                    ^ This. My long run pace sucks right now. I'm either frozen or look like the Staypuff marshmallow man. All my goal races should be shorts and tank top weather.

                    2013 races:

                    3/17 Shamrock Marathon

                    4/20 North Coast 24 Hour

                    7/27 Burning RIver 100M

                    8/24 Baker 50M

                    10/5 Oil Creek (distance to be determined)

                     

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                    FitFluential

                    INKnBURN

                    Altra Zero Drop

                      Not overheating.  Running 30+ miles and only needing to drink 20 oz of fluid.

                        Oh heck yes. I stopped in a coffee shop at mile 9 today for an espresso and chocolate chip cookies. At mile 20 I ran into a bakery (SERENDIPITY!) for a long john and some chocolate milk. I love winter.

                         

                         

                        Um, I do this all year long. Smile


                        Uh oh... now what?

                          I think that in Olympia, Washington, Corvallis, Oregon, and, yup, even Fayetteville,

                          Arkansas we knew the location of every nonfranchise bakery that we could use as

                          a turnaround point, or...

                           

                          The note left on the kitchen counter as I quietly headed for the door a few

                          minutes before sunrise one Sunday morning.  Kathy is still asleep.  I am

                          guessing I'll get about a three hour start before she starts after me.  I'll

                          be about four hours in when she catches me, usually about a five-hour

                          run to the coast.

                           

                          I'll leave the house, refill in Philomath at the bakery, then

                          there's a water faucet at the fire station near Blodgett, then the

                          Burnt Woods store has fresh cinnamon rolls, then the long stretch to

                          Eddyville--need to beg from a house (use the CamelBak?), then the roadside park at

                          Chitwood (open this early?), then cut across to Elk City (if county park isn't open,

                          cafe opens really early), the follow river road to

                          Cannon Quarry County Park (water only--bakery in Toledo across the river),

                          stay left to Yaquina Bay Road,

                          You should catch me somewhere along the bay before I get to Newport,

                          or I'll be at an outside table at the Coffeehouse.

                          BenTN


                            ... knowing the spring race you are training for is going to be warmer with less to no snow... and probably a lot easier than the training runs.

                             

                            Our race season is Sept through March. There are some races in April and May but that's 5K season.

                               

                              Our race season is Sept through March. There are some races in April and May but that's 5K season.

                               

                              I totally get what you are saying. I lived in TN for 7 years before Ohio. I "ran" Bartlett Park years ago when they had it in August.  Ugh. I try to run races in the South in the winter and North in the summer.  This year I didn't do very well at that. 

                              Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

                                This is my first year running increasing mileage, even through the winter.

                                 

                                One thing I love about winter running:   Everyone else is talking about "just getting outside again to start warming up for the spring season", meanwhile I am in peak condition and getting faster all the time.

                                 

                                I am even beating all of my younger running friends right now because they were lazy all winter.  Approve

                                The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞

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