1.  Donna 110-mi (Feb. 14-15):  16:54 (1st Overall and new course record)
2.  Everglades Ultras 50-mi (Feb. 21):  7:43 (6th or 7th overall . . . I don't remember which one)
3.  Daytona 100-mi (Feb. 28- Mar. 1):  21:25 (maiden "voyage" of course)
4.  Cross Florida Route 40 "Romp" 116-mi (Mar. 7-8):  22:56 (1st Overall and new course record)
5.  Palm 32k (Mar. 15):  2:43 (2nd OA)
6.  Badwater Cape Fear 51.4-mi (Mar. 21):  8:26 (14th OA)
7.  Ft. Clinch 50-mi (Mar. 28):  8:27

After running 7 races in 7 weekends, totaling 495 miles, I've repeatedly been asked two main questions:

(1)  "Seriously, dude, you need some help.  You know that, right?"
(2)  "All kidding aside, how did you recover in time to not just complete, but race week in and out for so long?"

Regarding the first question, I was only a psychology major for about my first two years in college before I made the (cough) incredibly-intelligent decision to be a political science major and go to law school.  (Actually, I loved law school, but that's a subject for another article).  My point here is that I am in no way qualified to diagnose myself.  My "overload" plan of 7 races in 7 weeks was deliberate and had a purpose, and I've written about that before (click here for that article).  

This article is about that second question:  my tips to help recover from ultras as quickly as possible, especially if you would like to run another one in short order.  So here we go...

An old adage for after running a marathon or an ultra is "put your feet up and take some time off, you've earned it."  I 90% agree with that statement.  I would modify it a bit to read:  "Once you go for your 2-3 mile shake-out 'run' the day after your race, put your feet up and take some time off, you've earned it."

I make all of my Team Zwitty runners get up and move a few miles the day after a race.  They all hate me for it before they do their "run"; they all thank me for it later.  I have been racing marathons and ultras for 15 years now.  Active recovery simply works better than passive recovery (i.e., sitting on the couch).  It doesn't matter how fast you move for those few miles the day after the race.  Walking is completely fine.  Just get up and move a little bit; it will kick-start the recovery process so your body can begin to heal the damaged muscles, flush out all the built-up lactic acid and fluid your body accumulated during the race, and get you on the path to feeling normal again.  

Ask any of our runners:  active recovery works.  

(Demonstrating the proper pace for a post-race shake-out "run" . . . hand weights optional) :)

Okay, so leading up to your ultra, you've kept your diet clean (mostly), you didn't stay out late on weekend nights, and you were generally committed to doing your best at your race.  Congrats!  That's the type of dedication needed to really do well at these things.  

Now that you're done, though, and even though you might have another race coming up, if you do not allow yourself to "cheat" a bit regarding your food/beverage choices for about 24-48 hours after your race, you never will.  It's okay to let go of the reins a little bit after the race.  Order that steak.  Have dessert.  Whatever it is you like.  You've earned it :)

          (First 24-48 hours, go for it...)                             (...then it's back to this!  You are an athlete, so eat like one!)

Yes, I love how it feels to soak in a hot tub.  We all do.  But besides being complete cesspools of germ-breeding utopia, spas do not -- in my experience -- promote recovery at all.  I have actually found the opposite to be true:  my legs feel more sore the day after sitting in a hot tub.  And that's in addition to the fact your immune system is at it's most susceptible when you are depleted right after a tough ultra.  It's hard enough to stay healthy during this period . . . don't roll out the welcome mat for germs/viruses.

On a related note, if you ever find yourself at one of the "party pools" in Vegas (or anywhere else) that seem to be all the rage these days, do yourself a favor and don't actually get in the pool.  There are hundreds of people standing in the pools and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, yet you never see any of them get up to go to the bathroom.   Hmmm.  So where do you think all that liquid is going . . . ?  

(Just say no...)

Most people that get involved with endurance sports -- especially ultrarunning -- tend to be type-A personalities.  Real go-getters.  More is better, etc...

Look, I get it.  I certainly fall into that category as well.  But if you want to be in this sport with any degree of longevity -- and if you don't want your significant other to kill you -- I highly suggest obtaining a degree of balance in your daily life.  When runners sign up with me, I tell all of them something along the lines of "I completely understand how you will have all sorts of questions and want to discuss all sorts of points, which is great.  We all think about this sport a lot, and given the amount of time it takes to train to do well, that is only natural."  

But while I encourage my runners to reach out to me as much as they possibly want, I think we all need to step away and think about/focus on other things in life.  With my last 7 weeks, that was pretty easy for me, as I have a soon-to-be 3-year-old (Zoey) and a 16 month-old (Witt) who could give a shit about running.  They just want to play with and be hugged by Mommy and Daddy.  (The extent of Zoey's interest in my running right now is saying "Daddy went running.  Daddy's sweaty.  Daddy needs to take a shower!")  :)

Personally, I am obviously very invested in the sport.  I think it's the greatest sport around, and most of my very best friends in the world are people I've met through ultrarunning.  But while ultrarunning is a big part of my life, it is just one aspect of what makes me "me."  

If you want to be able to be an endurance runner for the long-term, listen to Mr. Miyagi.  Balance is key :)  Even while I was racing every weekend, once the race was over, I spent virtually no time thinking about the next race until I was actually standing at the start line the next weekend with a bib number on my shirt...

One of the main questions I've gotten over the past few months is how many miles I ran during the weeks in-between each race.  Besides the "day-after" 2-3 mile shake-out "run" I mentioned above, the answer is "not very much .  . . for me."  During a usual training cycle, I run about 70 miles from Mon-Fri.  During the past 7 weeks, I was lucky if I hit 20.  

I have written about this potential pitfall of ultrarunning before, and I see it all the time in Zwitty runners.  We have to beware of what I call the "Weekly Mileage Monster."  People -- including me -- can get so wrapped up in the total weekly training mileage that we forget to listen to our bodies during our training, in lieu of racking up "junk miles" with little to no purpose behind them.  ("Junk miles" are miles that are too slow to help increase our fitness/aerobic capacity, yet too fast to allow us to recover properly for the next "hard" workout.  And this gray zone is where all too many ultrarunners run throughout their training.)

For the last 7 weeks, I ran when I felt like it, rested when I felt like it, and simply had the overriding goal to "feel as good as possible by race day."  It is well-accepted in the running science community that you do not see the fitness benefits of any particular workout until about two weeks after that workout.  In other words, there is about a two-week lag-time.  So if you have races a few weeks apart, you can only make yourself more tired/sore for the next race.  You will not increase your fitness level.  

With that in mind, recovery must be paramount, and the Weekly Mileage Monster must be kept at bay. 
 

Okay, that title is a bit intrinsically contradictory.  One of the main reasons I raced so much for two months was to raise my own personal "mental bar" as far as what my so-called "limits" were in my mind.  Our sport is one of pushing limits and seeing just how far we can go; just how much we can do.  So big goals and dreams should be lauded and encouraged, in my opinion.

At the same time, though, there are "big" goals that are possible (even if a bit far-fetched), and then there are "big" goals that are just pure fantasy.  I have been in the sport of distance running for a long time.  I have averaged over 80 miles a week of training consistently for about 15 years now.  So I like to believe that I know my body.  Yes, my 7-week schedule scared me, but I also thought I had a good chance of getting through it.  

My goal, however, was not, "I'm going to run 7 consecutive 100-milers in under 12 hours each."  No matter how much I could possibly "believe" in my ability, that shit just ain't happening. . . 

So I guess what I'm saying is to dream big, but keep in mind that you are still an inhabitant of planet Earth.

(The Pearl Jam song "Given To Fly," while great, is metaphorical.  You can run an ultra; yes, you are awesome and (almost) superhuman.  But you're not from Krypton.)

This is probably the most-important pointer of all.  If you are married or have a significant other, and he/she is not completely on-board with your goals and dreams in this sport, you will have a very tough road to hoe ahead of you.  Without Alex by my side and supporting me, nothing about my schedule would have been possible, and -- to be perfectly frank -- would not have been worthwhile anyway.  (This all ties in to the "balance" point above.)  

For Alex and I, running has always been a connector between us, and is actually how we met (at a marathon training group back in 2008).  I cannot see a way to have "running" and "family" separate in my life.  There is a reason I named my coaching program "Zwitty" (Zoey + Witt).  No matter what your situation, hopefully you have a support system like I do.  It really makes all the difference for me!!

Alex and I are so glad to have seen and hung out with so many friends -- old and new -- over the past two months!  We are looking forward to seeing so many of you at the Keys 100 next month -- is it really only a month away now?? -- in Key Largo!  

Speaking of the Keys, the first annual Team Zwitty "Keys Camp" will be held next weekend down in the Keys (April 10-12), and will feature two days (Sat and Sun) of on-course (and fully supported) training runs, along with a night of hanging out/fun in Key West with a great group of runners (some very experienced and some just starting out in the sport).  We have a few spots open to people who are not officially in the Zwitty Coaching Program, but only a few.  The price of the camp includes two nights of very nice accommodations down in the Keys.  (I'm not making any money off of anyone with this camp; I just want to open up my annual April on-course training weekend to Zwitty runners and friends).  For more info, please email me at dave@zwittyultra.com.  

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and see you "out there"!!

For four consecutive weekends over the last month -- starting with the DONNA 110 here in Jacksonville (Feb. 14-15) and ending with the 116-mile Cross Florida Route 40 Romp (Mar. 7-8), I ran . . . and raced . . . an ultra.  Here was my schedule and results:

• DONNA 110 (2/14-2/15):  110 miles in 16:54 (1st place, course record).  (The Donna 110 is a stage race, with 84 miles on Day 1 and then the 26.2 with DONNA marathon on Day 2; I ran 13:26 for the first 84, and then the next morning, ran a 3:28 marathon);

• EVERGLADES ULTRAS 50-mile (2/21):  7:43 (7th overall);

• DAYTONA 100 (2/28-2/29):  21:25 (while I wasn't "racing" anyone, I still wanted to post a semi-decent time on my own course...);

• CROSS FLORIDA ROUTE 40 "ROMP" (3/7-3/8):  116 miles in 22:56 (1st place, course record).

Over the course of those four weekends, a lot of people asked me why I ran -- and raced -- so hard for four consecutive races.  And a lot more people questioned my sanity.  Well, here's why I went through that schedule.  First, though, here is one factor that had nothing to do with my self-imposed suffer-fest:

-"To set some sort of record or impress anyone":  In the grand scheme of things, my four weeks just is not really that noteworthy.  My friends Liz Bauer (30) and Ed Ettinghausen (40) own the world records for most 100-milers in a calendar year.  So what I did over four weeks, they basically did over 52.  And even though I may have raced four consecutive ultras at a decent pace, I still cannot even belong in the same conversation as a guy like Mike Wardian, who raced something like 40 marathons/ultras in 2014, winning many if not most of them.  

My point is that I am not a professional runner, and I never will be.  Rather, I'm a 38-year-old former college baseball player who really likes to run.  I'm a solid ultrarunner, sure, but the North Face isn't knocking on my door anytime soon to give me the "Rob Krar package."  

So here is why I ran those races:

(1)  To become a stronger runner:  As a lifelong athlete and as a litigation attorney, I clearly have a competitive streak inside me.  With some big races on my schedule starting in a few months -- KEYS100, BADWATER 135, and SPARTATHLON -- I know I need to up my "game" if I want to challenge in those highly-competitive races.  So I set out to push beyond my comfort zone; to push beyond my perceived limits, both mental and physical.  (Note:  I am not going to say "don't try this at home," or something equally inane.  But I will point out that I raced over 30 marathons and even more ultras than that -- including 15 races of 100 miles or longer -- over the course of past 15 years before attempting this past month's schedule.  So take that for what it's worth to you.)  :)

(2)  To develop mental "arrows" in my "confidence quiver":  As any of my Team Zwitty runners will readily attest, one of my favorite workouts for them is a 10-mile "progressive tempo run" on a treadmill, where they start at a fast pace for the first mile, and incrementally increase the speed every mile thereafter.  When done at a full effort, it is a brutal workout.  (The current record on my team for that workout is 57:24, which is stupid-fast (somewhere around 5:40/mile for the 10 miles).  

I'm not a sadist, so why do I put people through that workout?  It's so that they can feel what it is like to truly suffer during a relatively short workout, experience pushing through pre-conceived "limitations," and feel that sense of elation/confidence when they finally nail the workout.  

For me, the last four weeks were my own "progressive tempo run"; each subsequent race was harder than the previous one due to the cumulative load from the previous weekend.  But after each successful run, my confidence grew proportionally.  Ultrarunning is a hard, hard sport.  We all have our own goals, desires, and dreams for ourselves in the sport.  But without rational confidence, we will not succeed.  And confidence cannot be faked; it has to be earned.  Each time you meet a new goal in training, you gain a new mental arrow that you can use when things go south -- which pretty-much will inevitably happen -- during your goal race.

                                                   (feeling it during the marathon portion of the DONNA 110)

(3)  I just really like being around the Florida ultrarunning community:  Alex and I have been part of the FUR family for four years now.  It is quite accurate to say that almost all of my best friends in this world are people in the Florida ultrarunning family.  Over the past 4 years, and especially over the past six months, I have had the pleasure of really getting to know a lot of you guys, and there is nowhere I'd rather be on any given weekend than running or helping out at a race.  (Note:  I use "guys" as a gender-inclusive term, as I don't live in the 1950's, which is about the last time anyone really used the female equivalent of "guy" ("gal"))!  

(4)  The four specific races I ran are special to me:  The whole reason I decided to attempt the four consecutive races in the first place was that I just love all of them:

The foundation raises money for (a) cutting-edge research at Mayo Clinic, and (b) to help women in the Jacksonville area deal with the financial burdens of living with breast cancer.  

I will run the DONNA 110 for as long as I am able, and I am also very honored to have the 26.2 with DONNA Foundation as the official charity of the DAYTONA 100, and to be able to raise funds for this terrific and vitally-important foundation.

Given the dates of the EVERGLADES ULTRAS and DONNA 110, and also given the fact I felt I needed to run the DAYTONA 100 course before opening up registration to the public, the only date that really worked for me was the weekend after EVERGLADES, February 27-28.  

I have been running road marathons and ultras for 15 years now.  I have run some of the biggest and most iconic races in the world, such as the Badwater 135, Bob's KEYS100, the 153-mile SPARTATHLON, and the incredible 175-mile ULTRA-MILANO SANREMO in Italy.  I've also run many of the biggest marathons like Boston and New York.  By now, I have a very clear view on what I think "works" at an ultra and what does not.  So when I designed the DAYTONA 100, I sought to incorporate the best aspects of all of my favorite races.  In a very real sense, I built my "dream" race:  flat, fast, scenic, and with mild temperatures.  (That being said, it still is 100 miles long, and I'm not planning on installing a 100-mile moving walkway on the course anytime soon, so the race must still be taken very seriously).  At any rate, I was not going to miss out on running my own race :)  

Finally, I was just too intrigued by the thought of running from the Gulf Coast to the Ocean in one day, so I could not pass up the Cross Florida Route 40 "Romp" this past weekend (from Yankeetown to Ormond Beach).  Directed by "George/Scott" Maxwell and my good friend Sue Anger, I was not going to pass up the opportunity to spend the weekend with some really great people.

(5)  Alex:  One of the best things about the past four weekends -- especially the last two (DAYTONA 100 and CROSS FLORIDA) -- Alex and I got to spend a lot of time where it was just the two of us.  Just she and I against two 100+ mile courses.  There is something very emotional, special, and connective about sharing an ultra with the person you love!  (And trust me, it is every bit as hard to crew a point-to-point ultra as it is to run it...).  

(1) We are ALL stronger than we think:   When I started this series of races, I had a feeling I could finish all of them.  What really surprised me, though, was that I was able to race all of them without too much drop-off from one week to the next.  I had a pre-conceived notion of my "limits," and that notion was shattered.  

Looking back, I guess I should not have been so surprised, because we all constantly undervalue what we are truly capable of doing.  I see it all the time in my runners; they are consistently breaking through pre-conceived "limits" to new levels.  As famed ultrarunner/expeditioner Ray Zahab always says, "limits are 90% mental, and the other 10% is in your head."  I cannot argue with that sentiment :)

(2)  The Florida ultrarunning community is a treasure to be cherished:  If you ever lose faith in humanity, show up at a Florida ultra one weekend.  You will invariably be surrounded by some of the most kind, giving, hard-working, and all-around good people that you will ever meet in your life.  It is my absolute honor to be a part of this group and call so many of you my really good friends.

(3)  We all run for our own reasons, and judgment about others is just plain dumb:  Over the course of the 386 miles that I raced over the past four weekends, I had a lot of time to think.  And one theme that kept popping up in my head is just how individual our sport is, and just how different our goals and motivations often are for any given race.  Personally, I run for all the reasons I mention above.  But that's just me.  

People that claim to know the "true nature" or "real meaning" of ultrarunning -- or look down on those who DNF races as somehow "inferior" -- are best given the Taylor Swift treatment (i.e., "Shake it Off") :)  Judgment is dumb.  There are so many reasons people like to run:  competition, for fun, for the social aspect, to push boundaries, to lose weight, to gain weight (seriously), boredom, to try something new, because they lost a bet, so they can drink more beer, so they can avoid drinking, because they are getting chased by a tiger, whatever.  

We are not professional athletes; none of us are getting paid to race.  Ultrarunning is a participation sport, not a spectator sport.  It is about me, and you, and us collectively.  Why on earth would we ever question someone else's motivation to run?  I thought about this frequently during those long hours over the past month.  We are all on our own journeys...

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences over the past month and what drives me.  As we really gear up into the main Florida ultrarunning season for the next few months, I am really looking forward to seeing you guys "out there" at all of the great local races we have down here!  And for those of you who will be at the Palm 100k/50k/32k this weekend, I will see you down there in Deerfield Beach!  (No, I am not running another ultra this weekend) :)

Best,
Dave

http://www.zwittyultra.com
http://www.daytona100ultra.com

One of my favorite aspects of running in general -- and of ultrarunning in particular -- is that we can constantly grow and evolve as runners.  With hard work (and a little luck), distances that at one time seemed unimaginable become manageable.  A goal pace that was once impossible becomes not only possible, but comfortable.  It is a constant evolution.

Over the past dozen years, I have been fortunate enough to run about 70 combined marathons and ultras, and each and every race has taught me something that I did not know before.  (Even if that "something" was simply "I should not have signed up for that one!").  And while I have run a lot more ultras than marathons in the last five years, I like to consider myself just a "runner" at heart.  Racing a marathon hard is, well, hard.  It hurts.  A hard-effort ultra hurts as well, but in a different way...

Looking back, I guess it's no surprise that I have been drawn to the Donna 110 the past two years.  It combines an ultra with a marathon.  It's in a great city.  It's a beautiful course.  And -- most importantly -- it's for a great and hugely-important cause (to eradicate breast cancer).  What's not to like about this race??  :)  
And although I ran the Donna110 last year, my experience this year was vastly different.  Last year, I ran the race for the experience.  I ran because the race is for a phenomenal cause and my family has a terrible history with breast cancer.   (There is a reason I chose the color pink for the "Zwitty" logo).

This year, however, was different.  Sure, I still ran because of the awesome experience of the race and what it stands for . . . I think I will always run the Donna 110 for as long as I am able.  But this year, I did not just want to run.  I wanted to race both days.  (The format is 84 miles on Saturday, and then the marathon on Sunday).  I wanted to push my pre-conceived "limits" and see if I could break through them...

Going into the weekend, I knew that the weather would be absolutely ideal for racing (sunny and a high of 60 on Saturday, sunny and mid-40s for the marathon on Sunday).  And I had put in a solid training cycle leading up to the race, so I had no excuses.  

One of the really cool things about the Donna weekend is that the race organizers treat the Donna 110 runners like celebrities.  They really roll out the red carpet for you the entire weekend (more on this later).  One of the many "perks" is the Friday morning "shake-out" run in Atlantic Beach.  It was just four miles, but wow, that was fun.  I ran a mile with Donna herself (Donna Deegan, a three-time breast cancer survivor who was a news anchor here in Jacksonville).  I ran with Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray for a while, and had a great conversation.  I discussed the "Galloway" racing method, and whether it applies to ultras, with Jeff Galloway himself.  And I met 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist Joannie Benoit Samuelson.  Wow.  Now that's a pretty cool way to kick off the weekend!

(Left:  with local running legend (and Donna board member) Chris Twiggs (who is going to run the Hardrock 100 for the eleventh consecutive time this summer), as well as fellow coach Dawn Lisenby; right:  with Boston Marathon RD Dave McGillivray).

For some reason unbeknownst to me -- but perhaps knownst to you -- only a handful of people have run the Donna 110 these past few years.  (I have a strong feeling that will change starting next year).  This year, the race roster included local ultra studettes Kellie Smirnoff and her two sisters, Heather Jones-Proctor and Carrie Neveldine.  The incomparable Tim Purol (known in Florida ultrarunning as "Salt Shack") was also toeing the line, as was Christian Lisowski, who was attempting his first ever 100+ mile race.  

(Not pictured:  Salt Shack . . . he showed up basically just as we were starting the race!)  

The first 10 miles of the Donna 110 mirror the Donna marathon course pretty much exactly:  you run from the intersection of A1A and ATP Tour Blvd. in Ponte Vedra, make your way toward the beach, and run up to Atlantic Beach:

As we started the race at 9:00 am sharp, I found myself running alone very quickly.  (The other five runners would wind up running much of the first 84 miles together, which was absolutely-awesome to see).  For me, one of my goals for the weekend was to have two hard days of running, to kick-start my training for the Badwater 135 this July in Death Valley.  

Besides the gorgeous views on this section of the course (such as the Jacksonville Beach pier, pictured below), this initial section went by pretty quickly for me, and I arrived at the "base camp" for the day -- the very-nice Adele Grage Community Center in Atlantic Beach -- in about 1:20 (so about 7:30/mile for the first stretch).  

Mentally, the most challenging part of the entire Donna 110 is the 6.95-mile loop in Atlantic Beach that hosts the majority of the race.  Since (a) I ran the race last year, and (b) live in Jacksonville and train in AB all the time, I'm very familiar with this loop, and knew what I was getting myself into:

The toughest part about the almost 7-mile loop is that you have to run it nine times.  Niiiiiiinnne times.  

("I don't remember Ferris having to run the Atlantic Beach nine times.")

Luckily for me, all the runners this year had some factors really working in their favor to combat the monotony.  First, the "Base Camp" aid station, manned by race director extraordinaire Caleb Wilson and Team Zwitty all-star Bambi Pennycuff, was indoors and perfectly-stocked with everything we would need.  Second, the weather was ideal for running (sunny, light wind, and about 60 degrees).  Finally, we all had plenty of company throughout the day.  For the other 5 runners, in addition to moving through Day 1 basically as one big pack, they had crew members with them throughout the day as well.  

For me, I ran the first three loops (up until the 50k point) alone, and tried to run them at a controlled, yet fast pace.  (I came through the marathon mark at about 3:14, and the 50k mark at about 3:54; by then, I was convinced I would have a pretty good day...)

(Somewhere around the 50k mark...)

 When I was finished with that third lap, I then I had someone pace me for each of the next five laps, which was absolutely invaluable.  I've run really long road races basically by myself (such as Spartathlon in Greece and UltraMilano-Sanremo in Italy), but those races were in places I've never been before on point-to-point courses (so something was always keeping my interest/attention).  On a loop I've run at least 100 times before, it's a whole different story.  

So by the end of Lap 3, I was very glad to have my buddy Stovepipe Fletcher pace me for Lap 4 (about miles 33-40).  "Stovepipe" is really Winston Fletcher, who has been slightly excited about the fact he will be going to Death Valley this summer to participate in this year's Badwater 135 as part of Oswaldo Lopez's crew team.  

For Lap 5, my friend -- and pro triathlete -- Jen Vogel paced me on her beach cruiser.  My buddy Chris "I can't run the Donna 110 because it's only 110 miles and doesn't involve climbing 80,000 feet in the Brazilian jungle" Roman also tagged along and chatted with us for a while.  (Seriously, Chris is the nicest guy around; he just also happens to be a complete bad-ass!)  

Then Alex hopped on the bike and kept me company for Lap 6.  (During this lap, I hit the 50-mile mark in 6:54, which was a 9-minute PR at that distance for me).  At that point, I really knew I was having a good day :)

The other runners were all looking really solid as well, and moving consistently throughout the entire day.  Whenever I saw any of them, they were all very positive, upbeat, and encouraging.  It was just turning out to be a great day...

(The three sisters, in good spirits throughout the race!)

My good friend Lane Vogel -- who ran the Badwater 135 in 2013 (when it was 125 degrees) with a 103-degree fever the whole time -- paced me for Lap 7, and then Lane and Jen together hung out with me on Lap 8.  (Yes, Lane seriously ran one of the hottest years at Badwater with a serious temperature.  And people think I'm crazy... :)

By the time the sun was setting and I was alone again, I only had one lap to go :)  I finished that last lap pretty quickly, and got back to the Base Camp, Mile 73, in 11:03.  Now all I had left was the 10.5 jaunt back to the start line area in Ponte Vedra...

The final 10.5 miles of Day 1 constitute an exercise of extremes.  The 3-4 mile run from Atlantic Beach to Jacksonville Beach is quiet and subdued.  Once you hit the main "drag" in Jax Beach, however, it turns into a huge fraternity/sorority party.  Being the guy who just ran 77 miles, I fit in perfectly with the circus that had just come to town!  I almost got trampled a few times by a few over-served groups of partiers, but I made sure to stop into Lynch's Irish Pub (probably Ground Zero for Jax Beach tomfoolery) for a quick photo op and a Coors Light.  

After the five ridiculous minutes at Lynch's, I was on my way back down to Ponte Vedra.  By now, it was about 9pm, and it was starting to get windy and cold.  It was during this next 4-5 mile stretch that I experienced my only real "low" point of the weekend.  Once you get out of Jax Beach, you go from being around a million people to being utterly alone.  Especially once you hit "uber-richville" on Ponte Vedra Blvd., there is just no activity around you.  

But with only a few miles to go, and the promise of a warm shower at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort (the finish line for Day 1, as well as where the ultra runners were being put up for the night by the race directors), I just put my head done and finished those last few miles.  I finished 84 miles in 13:26, and was extremely excited to see Alex along with Donna Board Member Chris Twiggs waiting for me at the hotel entrance!

As anyone who has run a long ultra can attest, one of the hardest things to do after the race is fall asleep.  Sure, I was completely exhausted, but my legs were absolutely throbbing (which tends to happen after running 80+ miles) :)

I was, however, lucky enough to have a solid 9 hours between the 84 miles of Saturday and the marathon on Sunday.  I had some great mahi tacos and a beer at the hotel bar/pub, and then settled into my bed at the hospitality suite.  While I got very little sleep, I was off my feet, and by about 3:00 am, my legs were finally calming down.  Right about that time, the other five runners finished, and joined me in the large suite (basically a few makeshift conference rooms put together).  

I was stoked to see that all of the other runners completed the 84 miles; last year, I was the only runner who got through the Donna 110.  (Well, Traci Phillips finished as well; she was pulled from the course at Mile 108 due to bad weather, but I think we can all agree that "counts")!!  This year, however, it was great to see everyone who started make it through that first day!  

In a few hours, however, it would be time to turn it on again... 

(At the hospitality suite with Alex, about an hour before the marathon start).

I probably sound like a broken record, but I really don't understand why more people don't have the Donna 110 high on their list of races to run.  Not only is it held in a great city, for a great cause, and on a great course, but the race organizers treat you like absolute royalty for the whole weekend.  In addition to staying at a resort just steps from the start line, as well as having access to the "elite" tent after the race is over, you have access to the elite charter bus for the start of the race, so you can wait until about 10 minutes before the gun goes off, hop in line, and start the race without freezing.  It was pretty cool being on a bus that seats about 100 people, with just 10 Kenyans, a few other international athletes, and myself!  
At any rate, at 7:30 am sharp, the gun went off, and we were on our way.  

By the time the race started, my legs felt amazingly-good.  I told myself overnight that I was just going to pretend that I did not run at all the day before, and try and run as fast as I could during the marathon.  Well, for the first 7 miles or so, I was holding about a 6:50/mile pace!  (I knew I would not be able to hold that for very long, but I also was having a good time and just "let it go" for a bit at the beginning.  By Mile 8, I had dialed it down to a much-more reasonable 8:00/mile.)

The only difference between the actual marathon in the first 10 miles and the Donna 110 first 10 miles is that in the marathon, you run Miles 6-9 on the beach itself.  It was really cool this year for two reasons.  First, Jen was out doing a morning tempo run, and ran a few miles with me, which was cool.  

(Starting to really "feel" those 6:50 miles!!)

Second, at about Mile 7, Joannie Samuelson (the 1984 Olympic Marathon champ) passed us.  We sped up so I could talk to her a bit.  ("Hi Joannie.  (gasp).  I'm -- gasp -- Dave.  We met at the "shake-out" run on Friday.  Double gasp.  Just wanted to say it was great to meet you.  Okay, I can't keep up this pace anymore.")  She would later cruise on to a top-10 finish in something like 3:10.  We are now 31 years after her Olympic win.  Unbelievable.  

After exiting the beach surface itself, we were in Atlantic Beach, and I was back visiting my old friend . . . that 6.95-mile loop, for the tenth time in the past day!  (At least I wouldn't be getting lost) :)  Actually, I felt pretty good on this "final" loop, and it brought back a lot of memories from the prior day.  I felt like I was running with some inside information or a secret that no one else around me really knew about!  

In the middle of the loop, I hit the half marathon point (13.1 miles) in about 1:42.  It was right then that I started thinking, "Hey, I think I might actually be able to break 3:30 for the marathon" (which is exactly 8:00/mi average).  

Even though I was feeling pretty good, though, my rational mind was really getting in the way.  As much as I wanted to trick my body into "forgetting" I ran 84 miles the day before, my legs were starting to bark at me by about Mile 15, and by Mile 20, the "3:30 pace group" had passed me and I was about 2-3 behind them.  That meant I had to make up a few minutes of time if I had any hope of finishing under 3:30.

I often tell the runners that I coach that running is a constant evolution, and as you get better and break through to higher and higher levels, you need to trust your training, and accept the new higher level as "the new normal."  That is sometimes easier said than done (like when you are on Mile 104 of a 110 race and you have to throw down a bunch of 7:30 (or faster) miles in a row...)  

I'm not quite sure what happened for that last 10k, but something came over me, and just absolutely refused to slow down.  Each mile actually became faster than the previous one.  I was finishing around the same time as the half-marathoners who were walking (often in large groups), and I must have scared more than a few of them, because I must have looked like I was absolutely possessed at that point!  I was gritting my teeth, snarling, and breathing really deliberately and with a deep gutteral sound.  

At Mile 25, when you crest the JTB bridge and have less than a mile to go (mostly-downhill), I looked at my watch and knew I was going to make it.  When I hit that final home stretch on San Pablo Rd. right in front of the Mayo Clinic, I started crying (for the first time at a race in a long time . . . I thought those days were long gone for me . . . these days, I'm much more likely to get all teary-eyed from my runners' performances, not my own).  Whatever it was, I just had a lot of emotions that were going to come out :)

I crossed the finish line in 3:28, sort of in a stated of shock, and my Donna 110 race was over...

The surreal feel to the day continued as soon as the race was over.  My finish line "drop bag" (with my change of clothes) was in the "elite/ultra" tent, and I was escorted to the tent alongside Joannie Samuelson!  (You don't get to spend a half-hour with an Olympic champion too often right at the end of your ultra!!)

After leaving the tent, Alex finished her marathon, in a PR time of 4:18!!  And we then hung out with Donna 110 race director Caleb Wilson, as well as Winston Fletcher and his wife, had a few beers, and I got my buckle at the awards ceremony.  All in all, it was an incredible weekend!!  

As far as the other 5 Donna 110 runners, 4 started the Donna marathon, and all finished.  (The only runner who didn't start had an acute ankle injury from the 84-mile first day, and obviously made a wise decision not to start the marathon portion of the race...)  

(Kellie Smirnoff, with her sisters Heather Jones-Proctor and Carrie Neveldine, showing off the beautiful custom-made Donna 110 belt buckle!)

Congrats to everyone who ran the Donna 110 or the 26.2 With Donna this past weekend!  This is a special race, and I highly-encourage anyone who wants to run a first-class ultra for a great cause to sign up for next year's race!!!  Amanda Napolitano, Chris Twiggs, and Caleb Wilson put on a fabulous event!

As the Florida ultrarunning season rolls right along, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of you down in the Everglades this weekend for Bob Becker's EVERGLADES ULTRAS races (50-mile, 50k, and 25k).  

Hope everyone has a great week!!

http://www.zwittyultra.com

Here in Florida and all across the country, many ultrarunners thumb their noses at the very thought of running a marathon, as if the 26.2-mile distance is somehow "beneath" them, now that they are "mighty" ultrarunners.  And the vitriol works the other way as well:  many who race marathons see ultras as a haven for those who simply cannot "cut it" and throw down a fast marathon time.

That debate -- as well as any debate regarding "distance superiority" -- is silly and a waste of time.  For you distance snobs, let's just agree that Usain Bolt and Joe Fejes (current top "6-day" runner in the world) are the two best runners in the world.  (Those "distance superiority" arguments, taken to their logical conclusions:  if you're in the "shorter is better" crowd, Bolt has to be your man; if the opposite, it's got to be Joe, right?)  

Personally, I just like being a "runner."  Specifically, I race more ultras and marathons than anything else. But running is running, and giving your best effort at any distance is really, really, really hard.  (For my money, I think racing a mile is just about the hardest and most painful thing you can do in the world of running...)

At any rate, for this article, I am assuming that most of you are ultrarunners who want to do as well as you can in your races.  If that is your goal, you should really consider racing a marathon (or two) as part of your build-up to your next ultra.  Here are 10 reasons why:

If you are planning a 50- or 100-mile race this spring, why not work in a good, hard 3-5 hour effort over 26.2 miles as one of your "hard" training runs?  If you can sustain a hard pace for 26 miles, my guess is that you will be better equipped to run 50 or 100 miles at 2-min/mile slower than your marathon pace, and do so better someone who just trains by doing all of his or her training runs at "ultra race pace" or slower.  For your ultra, you want your race pace to feel like you are walking (or at least putting forth minimal effort . . . if the first 25 miles don't feel super-easy you are going way too fast!)  What better way to ensure that goal is reached than to run races where you actually do run those first 25-26 miles at a much-faster pace? 

(Want to compete for the conch shell at the Keys?  Start running fast in training...)

Take the Keys 50 as an example.  One of my runners is making his ultra debut there this spring.  He's a 2:50 marathoner (about 6:30/mi).  The men's record for the race is 6:55, which is about 8:20/mile for the 50 miles.  Who would you place your money on to win this year's race?  A guy who does all of his training runs at 8-9 min/mile, or the guy that can run a marathon in 6:30/mile?  Assuming all other factors are relatively-equal (weekly mileage, experienced crews, solid race plan, etc), it really is not even a close call.  (And if you don't believe me, come to the Keys this May and find out...) :)

You do not have to be in contention to win the Keys 50 or 100 to really benefit from running a marathon or two before your big race.  Along the same lines as the last point, the more miles you can run (while training intelligently, of course) at faster than race pace during training, the more comfortable/sustainable that race pace will be during your ultra.

I know what some of you are thinking:  "Well, I'm running a 100-miler.  I just don't see how racing a marathon will help me; 100 miles is just too long of a distance for there to be any benefit to running a fast (for me) marathon."  

Well, Joe Fejes, who last year ran 580.3 miles in a nonstop 6-day race in Alaska (seriously, that's not a misprint), disagrees with you.  He firmly believes in the "train fast to run fast" philosophy . . . even for super-long races like a 6-day race, where he would never even approach his marathon pace.  

(If this guy believes in racing marathons, so should you...)

It's not just Joe:  all of the top super-long distance runners adhere to this philosophy.  Current World 24-hour champion Jon Olsen routinely races marathons leading up to his 24-hour races.  Current top-ranked 24-hour runner "American Harvey Lewis is a 2:46 marathoner.  Aly Venti, who last year ran the third-fastest 100-miler ever on American soil, is "sub-3" in the marathon.  They all recognize that a sustained hard effort for a few hours is excellent training for an ultra.  

Yes, I know:  your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/f*ck buddy/whatever is "super supportive" of your ultra running, and he or she just loves spending the entire weekend sitting at an ultra in the middle of nowhere filling up your bottles, hearing you whine incessantly, and staying overnight getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, just to hear nonstop "Gassy Bambi" fart jokes (inside joke for anyone unfortunate enough to be at Ancient Oaks last month between the hours of 1-5 am) :)

(Note:  Bambi may or not "really" have a gas issue.  She may have just been sitting on a squeaky chair that sounded a lot like farts every time she moved.  The jury is still out on the issue...)

Despite your significant others' undying love and enthusiasm for ultras, I'll let you in on a little secret:  while they love and support you, it gets really fricking boring to sit an ultra for 20-30 hours.  Do them a favor every once in a while:  mix it up and just take up a few hours on a Sunday morning and run a marathon instead of an ultra every other weekend.   Marathons are far more "democratic" when it comes to deciding how the weekend hours are spent :)

("Ultras are boring.  Besides that, they're fascist.  Run some more marathons.  They're more democratic.")

(That's Keith Straw, who, yes, has run multiple Badwater 135s in a pink tutu...)

Marathons are fun.  Really.

I completely understand that what draws a lot of us to ultras is the feeling of exploring vast and epic lands, pushing our mental and physical boundaries, being alone in the woods for hours on end, and not having to constantly look down at our watches to make sure our pace hasn't slipped a few seconds.  

All that being said, if you want to improve your finishing time at an ultra (or make it more likely that you will finish), putting in a hard 3-5 hour training run for an ultra will only help your goal.  And it's more fun to run fast when you're surrounded by thousands of people cheering you on.  Last weekend, I was down at the Miami marathon with a bunch of Zwitty runners, and we all had a blast.  At the end of the day, we are all runners who share a passion for running (and especially for ultras).  What better place to spread the word about ultras than at a marathon?  

One of the first times I met Dean K. was at the start line of a marathon about 10 years ago.  He stood out from the crowd, and not just because he is Dean Karnazes.  It was about 50 degrees outside, but the dude looked like he had already completed an ultra . . . he was drenched in sweat.  So when I asked him what was up with that, I shouldn't have been surprised when he said he had just run over 80 miles to get to the start line (which, I've since learned, is one of his trademark gimmicks).  

Yes, working a marathon into a long training run (such as doing the Boston Marathon "double"), running a bunch of miles before a marathon, etc., is definitely a tad "gimmicky," but it's also a great way to get in a super-long training run and have people cheer for you for your last 26 miles!  

(Ridiculously-accomplished Florida ultrarunner Chris Roman at the finish line, er, "start line" of his 2010 Boston Marathon "double" . . . he ran from Boston to Hopkinton, and then back during the official race!)

(Comparing the size of the Miami Marathon finisher's medal to that of the Spartathlon.  Miami must be harder, right?)  

I'll end by highlighting an official race that is similar in nature to a marathon "double" (or, more accurately, "quadruple"):  the Donna 110 in Jacksonville.  

Run in conjunction with the 26.2 With Donna, the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, Donna 110 participants run 83.8 miles on Saturday morning, and then run the official marathon the next day to complete the 110 miles.  And at only $110, it is one of the best deals in ultrarunning.  (Actually, you can save a few dollars if you enter the discount code "5OFF110" when you register).

Seriously, this race is one of the best-kept secrets in Florida ultrarunning.  The "Saturday course" mirrors the first half of the actual marathon, and it is gorgeous.  You start in Ponte Vedra, run up PV Beach, catch the sunrise through Jax Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach, which is about the first 10-11 miles.  

After arriving at Atlantic Beach, you run a 7-mile loop for the majority of your 83.8 miles, before returning back to Ponte Vedra to get some sleep (hopefully!) and prepare for the marathon on Sunday.  The "loop" course is run on Ocean Avenue, as well as through the very nice, upscale, and quiet Oceanwalk community.  With perfect cool weather (last year it was 55-60 degrees for both days), a flat and fast course, and a phenomenal cause to which your registration fee goes to help, I consider the Donna 110 one of the top 2 or 3 ultras in the state.  Seriously.

(Still smiling at last year's Donna 110, at about Mile 10 of the marathon (so about Mile 94 of the Donna 110).  

The Donna folks didn't pay me anything to plug their race.  I just think it's a phenomenal race that combines the intimate, low-pressure, tight-knit feel of an ultra with the excitement of a marathon . . . all into a great race that people should really check out.  Also, my close family members have been particularly hard-hit by breast cancer over the years, so I have a very soft spot in my heart for races like this one.  

At any rate, for more info and to register for the Donna 110, click here.  

For this weekend, good luck to all the runners who will be at FUR "GodFURther" Eric Friedman's "Skydive Ultra" in Clewiston, billed as having the "fastest first mile" of any ultramarathon in the world :)  (You tend to go pretty fast when you are free-falling from a plane...)!  

I hope everyone is having a great week, and I'm looking forward to seeing you guys "out there" at all the various races this spring! 


www.zwittyultra.com

Here in the Florida marathon and ultrarunning world, we are now officially "in-season"; you can find an in-state marathon or ultra pretty much every weekend from now until Florida's "Super Bowl of ultrarunning" in May (the KEYS100).  

With all these races coming up, what better to write about than some of the "wise" (and never contradictory) things that people he said about running in general and ultrarunning in particular.   (Fair disclosure:  As the members of Team Zwitty know, I have been on a bit of a "quote kick" lately; we have a QOTD ("Quote of the Day") competition every day, with past quotes ranging from Bill Bowerman and Pre, all the way to Taylor Swift (obviously), and everything in-between).

Anyway, here we go:

"Train, don't strain." ―Arthur Lydiard


"Thrust against pain.  Pain is the purifier.  Walk toward suffering.  Love suffering.  Embrace it."  ―Percy Cerutty

No matter what your running goals are for 2015, how you plan to go about reaching those goals, or even your reasons for running in general, two things are certain:  (1)  you will find quotes in support of and directly opposite to your views on how best to reach your goals, and (2) you will find people who both support you and those who think you are crazy.  We all run for our own reasons/goals, so whatever they are, good luck in all of your endeavors for 2015!  There are tons of upcoming races here in Florida, and I hope to see as many of you as possible "out there" in the next few months.  

For this weekend, a special "good luck" to everyone running the Miami Marathon, including Team Zwitty runners Lauren Hadley, Jodi Weiss, Sandy McCallum, Bonnie Collins, Melanie Papatestes, Mike Holt, and Nick Garcia!  

www.zwittyultra.com

Dave Krupski | Remember, You Paid To Be in This Race...

When noted poet laureate Carrie Underwood recently crooned about "something in the water," I'm not sure if she was talking about religion, self-discovery, or something else entirely.  Personally, I like to think she is referring to the insane performances some female ultrarunners out here have been throwing down in ultramarathons, particularly at 24-hour events.  In the past month alone, four East Coast-based women have run over 140 miles in 24-hour events, all but assuring that they will be the top-4 (out of 6) on the U.S.A. 24-hour team that is competing in Turin, Italy this coming April.  

So suck it, all you West Coasters, with your fancy "mountains" and "trails" and "altitude."  I know you like to think of Florida as the place where people go to retire and die, where we don't know how to count ballots, and where juries are retarded.  No one can drive, it's always disgustingly-hot, and our largest population center masquerades as a city but is actually a third-world country (Miami).

("Look, there it is.  Okay, this must be a legit ultrarunning article now.")

Seriously, though, those four ladies stand an excellent chance of sweeping the podium at the World Championships next month.  So let's learn a little about each one, in reverse order of their qualifying positions (And I know what you're thinking.  Really, though, it's true:  ultrarunning actually does occur east of Colorado).  

Aly will qualify for the team in the 4th position after running 140.88 miles at a race in South Florida in mid-November.   (Note:  the qualifying window for the US team has not yet closed, but with no major races between now and when the team is announced in a few weeks, it is an extremely safe bet that these four women who ran over 140 miles will be on  the team).  And even though Aly accrued the least amount of miles of the "140-plus" club, she is likely the favorite to take the gold medal in Italy.  

A 32-year-old marine biology Ph.D., Aly has entered six races of 100 miles or longer.  She won them all.   (Don't believe me?  Fine.  Click here.)  

Aly -- a two-time champion of the Keys 100 and this year's Badwater 135 champion -- specializes in long, hot road races.  At this year's Keys 100  (in a race where top 24-hr qualifier Katy Nagy and second-position qualifier Traci Falbo also ran), Aly demolished the field (and her own previous course record) with an unbelievable 14:42.  That ranks as the third-fastest 100 ever on American soil.  Only the immortal Ann Trason and Pam Smith (on a track) have run faster.

How do I properly articulate just how fast Aly is at ultras?  I suppose I have to turn to the most-recognized language in the world.  No, not English.  No, not Chinese.  That's right . . . the language of Starbucks.

Let's talk to my good friend and coaching partner, Michele Graglia, an Italian living in LA (and a world-class runner in his own right); he has some insight on the subject.  (See, West Coasters . . . I acknowledge YOU guys exist . . . :)  At any rate, we all know that "Venti" in Starbucks language means "large."  But to welcome Aly to Italy in a few months, Michele (pronounced Mee Kay Lah)  -- who is politically-connected in Italy -- has started a movement so that "Venti," in Italian, will now officially mean "Really F*@#ing Fast."

As an aside, Michele is a former international model who decided to trade in catwalks for trails.  And just so no one accuses me of being gender-biased when it comes to eye-candy, here's Michele in his former life:

("Prepare ship for Light Speed."  "No, no.  Light Speed is much too slow.  We're going to have to jump straight to . . . Venti Speed.")

So how is Aly so fast and so dominant in her races?  I'm no rocket surgeon, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that she runs more miles per week than literally any other human being on the planet.  And while I may dabble in hyperbole every once in a while (pretty much once per paragraph), I am being completely serious here:  the woman averages over 200 miles per week in training, and has for years.  Pro marathoners run about 120-140 a week.  All you West Coast peeps are too busy chasing Anton Krupicka up and down mountains to log 200 miles a week.  So of the 6 billion people on Earth, I think she may be #1 as far as weekly mileage.  Well, except for Kim Jong-un.  Obviously.  

Aly's national team qualifying time of 140.88 miles -- at the Icarus Ultrafest 24-hr race in Ft. Lauderdale --places her in the fourth position.  But she's already beaten the two women occupying spots #1 and 2 this year, and she ran her 141 miles on a humid, sunny, and unseasonably-warm day in South Florida).  So don't be surprised if Ms. Really F*@#ing Fast is your World Champion come April.  If anyone beats her, it will probably be one of these next three ladies…

Of the four "140-plus" women on the 24-hour team heading off to Italy, Maggie -- a Pennsylvania-based ultrarunner -- is the only one I don't know personally.  So I did the only thing any respected journalist would do . . . I stalked her on Ultrasignup (here is her page), as well as on Facebook.  

What I learned is that up until her breakthrough 24-hour performance at a race in New Jersey a month ago, Maggie was a solid ultrarunner but had not yet exhibited world-class potential.  (Her previous high for a 24-hr race was 110 miles, and her 100-mile PR was her 18:34 performance at the Viaduct Trail 100 (another New Jersey race).  Those are solid performances, but not exactly indicative of someone who has the potential to run 142 miles in 24 hours.  So being the intrepid investigator that I am, I asked her, "Yo, what's up with that?  How did you make 'the leap'"??

Maggie -- who is called "Maggietron" by her friends (which is fricking awesome nickname, by the way) -- attributes her breakthrough race to two factors:  (1) hiring a coach (Michele Yates), and (2) running consistent high mileage.   With that increased training base came increased confidence, and with all the hard work she put in before her 24-hour race, it led to her experiencing a "calmness [during the race] that remained the whole time."

While few know too much about Maggie yet on a national/international level, one thing is for certain:  the sky is the limit for this wild-card runner who is just starting to hit her stride...

("Dave, tell me now, tell me now, tell me now about Traci; now I know…")

If the International Olympic Committee approves "Putting Your Head On A Bat And Twirling Around It Like A Five-Year-Old And Then Trying To Run" as an official sport for Brazil 2016, Traci Falbo is the undisputed gold-medal front-runner.  This woman is the queen of running around in circles.  In June, this Indianan (that looks weird but Google tells me it's correct) traveled all the way to Anchorage, Alaska to run for 48 hours straight . . . in a dome.  That's right, she traveled almost 4,000 miles to experience all the beauty and majesty of Alaska's Great Indoors.  

Here's a typical picture that someone visiting Alaska in June might snap off:

Aaaannnd . . . here's what Traci's view was for 48 hours in Anchorage:

In all seriousness, the Alaska Dome is one of the only full-sized (quarter-mile) indoor tracks in the country, and the controlled environment/temperature makes it ideal for world and national record attempts for timed events like 24 and 48 hour races.  (And the marquee event going on during Traci's run was actually a six-day nonstop race; the official race name was "Six Days In The Dome.")    

Traci took full advantage of those perfect running conditions and set an American -- and World Indoor -- 48-hour record by amassing 242.35 miles total.  That's 969 -- Niiiiiine Hundred and Sixty Nine -- laps around that track.  

("Nine [hundred and sixty nine] times??  I don't remember Traci running around the track that many times.")

After presumably taking the following few months off due to dizziness, all Traci did in November as an encore was set the U.S. 100-mile trail record when she ran a 14:45 at the Tunnel Hill 100 in Indiana, which relegated famed ultrarunner Jenn "La Brujita" Shelton to the number two all-time slot for U.S. trail 100s.

And less than a month after that performance -- apparently because she can't get enough of running around in circles -- Traci was back at it for the 24-hour Desert Solstice Invitational at Central HS in Phoenix, which just finished this past weekend.  Her total:  147.64 miles, which would qualify her for the men's 24-hr team, and was less than 5 miles shy of the U.S. 24-hr record (152.03 miles).  

On any other day, Traci's effort would have been the news of the day.  But there was another East Coast woman at Desert Solstice as well…

(Katy on her way to a second-place finish at the world's premier 100+ mile road ultramarathon:  the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece).

To say Katy Nagy enjoyed an epic 2104 would be an "epic" understatement.  In addition to a 15:53 Keys 100, Katy -- a native Hungarian who is now an American citizen living in Sarasota, Florida -- decided to test her mettle against the very best long-distance road runners in the world at this year's Spartathlon, a 153-mile race in Greece that retraces the footsteps of legendary messenger Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta.  As usual, Katy passed with flying colors.

I was actually in the race with Katy, and, as usual, she passed me right at about the 50k mark.  And she kept going.  And going.  And going, until she crossed the finish line at the statute of Gerard Butler (er, King Leonidas) in under 29 hours, a truly-remarkable feat.  

(For my account of the 2014 Spartathlon, click here).

For her second act, Katy -- who does not like the spotlight at all -- toed the line at Desert Solstice this weekend, and threw down the gauntlet.  151.37 miles.  9:32 per mile average . . . for twenty-four freaking hours.  Less than a mile under the U.S. record.  Yeah, good luck staying away from the limelight now, Katy… :)

With the talent we are sending to Italy this year, the U.S. women are probably going to be the heavy favorites to win the team gold, and it's possible -- given the right conditions -- that all four women break the current U.S. record of 152.03 miles.   So good luck and kick ass!

PS:  Speaking of those conditions, ladies, if I can give you one piece of advice, it's to make sure you bring face masks with you if there are going to be a lot of Italians standing around on the course:

The news that “smoking is bad for you” apparently has not yet reached Italy.  Everyone, and I mean everyone smokes out there.  It’s unreal.  It’s like stepping back into the 80’s (which you would also say to yourself if you turned on an Italian radio station; when I was in Italy this past March for the incredible 175-mile UltraMilano-Sanremo, I heard more old-school Madonna, Whitney Houston, etc. than I have in a long time).  Back in 2007, I ran the NYC Marathon, and -- I swear I am not making this up -- at about Mile 12, I ran past two Italians — running in the race — who were smoking.  And we were running at a 3:00 marathon pace.  Unfortunately, the only person who can vouch for this story is the guy who was running with me at the time, Lance Armstrong.  We ran together for about 5 miles, and he and I shared a smile when we saw the Italian smokers.  (He would later go on to drop me and beat me by about 15 minutes (he finished in 2:46 that year)).  So there you go.  Italians smoke during marathons; just ask Lance Armstrong.

Dave Krupski is a writer, lawyer, runner, and coach (though not necessarily in that order).  He is the founder of the Zwitty Ultra Endurance Coaching Program, where he partners with Michele Graglia to help ultrarunners in any way they can.  Dave has run some of the world's iconic ultras, including Spartathlon, Badwater 135, Ultra-Milano Sanremo 175, and the Keys 100.  And "Zwitty" is just a mashup of Dave and his wife Alex's two kids' names:  Zoey and Witt (kind of like "Kimye," but hopefully in a much better way) :)