Javelina 100 Ultra Training: 100 Miles, One Goal

I am an endurance athlete that has raced Ironman distance triathlons and ultra trail marathons. There are plenty of finish lines but each training cycle is different. On January 1st, I began the training for the Javelina 100 ultra but it wasn’t without some reflection and a bit of hesitation.

I was laying on the side of the trail just after the 50k mark of the Canyons 100. The start of the race felt brutal and the weather didn’t help. Leaving the aid station, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get to the next stop and as I was climbing, the answer became evident. I found myself doubled over and throwing up. A few steps later, I was laying on the ground and understood that it was time to DNF.

This was how the last 100 mile race ended but it is not the vision for the finish at my next 100 mile attempt. 

Why Javelina 100?

Late last year, Lori, Aum and I decided that we wanted to race together and bring the Run Tri Bike community with us. Javelina 100 had just ended which may have given it recency bias, but that was the race we chose to register for. It would be an opportunity for us to race together while having support from the connections we have made over the past four plus years of being in business.

As New Year’s Day arrived we all pressed the registration button. The journey to the finish line of Javelina had begun. We are determined to not just finish our own races but to deepen the connections with our community. This means that in addition to sharing our stories with you over the course of this year, we want you to come and hang out with us. There will be a Run Tri Bike tent at the event and you are welcome to hang out, put your drop bags and gear there while cheering on each other.

Your Past Experiences with 100-mile Races

I have finished eight 100-mile races over the course of my journey in endurance sports. My first 100 mile race was at Lake Martin. The experience was a bit traumatizing. It rained for weeks prior to the event as well as during the event. There was mud and ankle deep water crossings in addition to bitter cold. I finished in just under 28 hours and passed out from dehydration and lack of calories a few hours after that finish.

To say it was a disaster would be an understatement but it did get me to press the registration button, over and over and over again. Each race has its own story which is going to be what Javelina brings to my resume.

For example, there was the time that I won the male 40-49 age group at Rocky Raccoon but didn’t believe it when the volunteer asked me if I realized I had won. I did not. I was a tad delirious at the time and couldn’t fathom that I had won an event that is known for fast finishes.

There was the time in 2016 when I registered for Coldwater Rumble then realized that it was not a Western States qualifier and registered for Rocky Raccoon just two weeks later. By the way, at that Coldwater Rumble event Peter Mortimer beat me by only 11 minutes. I could have said, I beat him when!

Each race is different and each will have its own chapter in my 100 mile racing book. The story at Javelina has just begun. I’m excited to write the chapters of ultra training as well as the Javelina 100 finish line.

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Personal Goals and Motivations

In 2014, I raced the Rocky Raccoon 50 and finished in just under 9 hours. The following year, my finish at the 100 mile distance was 19:22. There were 4 more finishes at that event and 2 of them were just over 19 hours. My goal was to break 19 hours but it didn’t happen.

The closest finish was 19 hours and 11 minutes. To this day, those 720 seconds stand out. What could have been done to be 721 seconds faster over the course of 100 miles. Spend less time at the aid station? Hike faster? Not go to the bathroom on the side of the trail?

Regardless of what could have been, that is wasting time when the focus is to be on the event in October. When I pressed the register button, the goal that jumped to mind was breaking 21 hours. Having nearly 10 months to train would give me time to go through multiple cycles of speed work as well as endurance work. This number feels doable.

Mindset and Mental Prep

Getting a finish time that starts with 20 is going to take more than talent. As we all know, talent will only take you so far. It is how you prepare that talent that is going to be the difference between hitting your goal and falling 720 seconds short.

Training will be purposely hard with hill repeats and speed intervals on back-to-back days before a rest day followed by long runs on the weekends. The mental skills needed to cover 100 miles will be developed in some cases while in others I will tap into my experience to help bring me to the start and finish lines.

Let’s Live In The Moment

I have goals. Big goals. There will be moments of euphoria and doubt along the way. I will shed tears as well as laugh loudly because training and racing is supposed to be fun.

There will be videos of me dancing after runs. I’m sure there will be pictures of me napping and eating along the way. After all, training for 100 miles is going to be a part of my life until race day.

With all of that, I will be taking the time to live in the moment. I cannot afford to lament what could have been at Canyon 100, 19:11 finishes or the skipped training because of a business meeting. Looking forward also doesn’t help me because that is just wishing away the moment I am in.

Being present on a daily basis and understanding what is helping me reach my goal versus hindering will be my secret weapon to breaking 21 hours. It will also be how I will enjoy the training versus wishing it were over.

Thank you for reading this first installment of Enjoying The Journey as I make my way to the start, and eventually the finish line of Javelina 100.

Have questions about ultra training in general or Javelina 100 specifically? DM me and I’ll be happy to answer them.

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