Three Trips, Half a Million Steps
Training for Javelina is not my first attempt at training for a 100 mile ultra. As a matter of fact, this is my 9th attempt at finishing this distance. With 8 successful finishes and 1 DNF I would say that I have experience at what it takes to complete the training and the race. This time around there would be an obstacle that I had not encountered previously. Travel would come into play during this ultrarunning training and that caused a mindset shift.
Welcome the the Enjoying The Journey series for Javelina Jundred in October.
When Plans Go Off-Road
Because your training calendar doesn’t care that life just sent you a curveball… and three plane tickets.
I knew July was going to be a “rough” month for running because of the travel. I had so many questions about whether the trips would throw my Javelina Jundred prep into chaos. Would I be where I needed to be in training? I tried convincing myself it would all work out, but honestly, that voice in my head sounded more like a sarcastic “Sure, Jan” than actual encouragement. Imposter syndrome was unpacking its bags before I’d even boarded the plane.
Pacing to the Rescue
Sometimes the best training miles come when you’re not even the star of the show.
When I built my training plan for Javelina, a trip across the country was not on the itinerary. But then a friend called and asked if I could pace her at Vermont 100. Not only was I in, I knew I’d log at least 20 hilly miles. Bonus: it was an easy “yes” that made me feel productive while technically helping someone else achieve their big goal.
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Conference Call: Chicago Edition
What do you do when your spouse’s doctorate leads you straight into a week of zero running? You find the deep-dish pizza-well not exactly!
Enter trip number three: Chicago. Lori was speaking at a conference on rebranding accounting. (Yes, that’s a thing. Yes, it’s her Doctorate.) This was a zero-percent-skippable trip. With the Vermont race in the middle of the month and Chicago at the end, we looked at that middle week and thought… why not go to New York City?
From FOMO to YOLO
Spoiler: stressing about lost training miles adds zero fitness.
With three weeks away from home on the calendar, I had questions. Big ones that were about how to get in training. But then something shifted. I stopped worrying and started living. My training would happen in some form or fashion, and it would be enough. I decided to count memories just as much as miles.
The Step-Counting Plot Twist
Half a million steps later, I maintained my fitness and am more familiar with every sidewalk in three states.
When July wrapped, I checked my numbers. In June, I ran 102.9 miles and walked 33.7 miles—136.6 miles total. Steps? 378,365.
July? Ran 99.9 miles, walked 82.5 miles—182.5 total. Steps? 510,060. Sure, it’s no Kwame Terra world record, but half a million steps is a solid way to maintain fitness while sightseeing.
The 21-Hour Math Problem
Who knew ultrarunning was actually just a sneaky SAT math question?
A week into August, Lori asked how I felt about Javelina and my 21-hour goal. I said I could finish 100 miles today, but the pace needed for 21 hours was harder to picture. Then I did the math: 50 miles at 10:00/mile and 50 miles at 15:00/mile = 20:50. Could I do that?
Making the Impossible Possible
Turns out, 100 miles feels less terrifying when you slice it into bite-sized pace goals.
Breaking it down further—15 miles at 9:00 pace, 15 at 10:00, and 20 at 11:00—puts you at 8:25 for the first 50 miles. Suddenly, this goal didn’t seem like a monster. More like a very large dog that just needed the right approach.
The Real Finish Line
Sometimes the biggest win isn’t the time on the clock. For me, it’s not seeing that second sunrise.
July wasn’t textbook training, but it gave me perspective. Goals that once felt out of reach now seemed possible. Training doesn’t have to go perfectly—in fact, if it does, you probably skipped a lot of life in the process.
If I don’t hit 21 hours but sneak in under 24, it’ll be my 7th 100-miler under that mark. It’s an arbitrary number, but it matters to me—because I know that second sunrise does mental damage. And if I can avoid it in Phoenix this October, I’ll be one very happy runner.
If you have to travel during your ultrarunning training, be sure to also have your mindset shift. Being flexible with your training and with your mind can help you achieve your goals while having fun versus being stressed.
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