This is my second post on the whys of ultrarunning—you know, those whys everybody says are so important to have. This time, because of their unexpected gifts. And it’s also a story about that time I got to stand on the podium (a rare occurrence), and all I could think about was how my bedsheets smelled wrong.
Haha, thanks! It wasn’t a big-name race or anything like that, just a local one. I’d rather not share the details publicly (you know, the whole anonymity thing), I hope that’s okay. Thank you for reading!
I've yet to try the mid-race dirt nap, but I should probably add it to the toolkit (I have witnessed their magic, though, pacing a friend who makes them a regular part of his 100-mile plan). Thanks for the post (and congrats on the trophy).
Thank you, Jeff. Yes, dirt naps are a useful tool indeed. I don’t know whether you’ve deliberately chosen not to take one or simply haven’t had the opportunity or need yet. And from what I’ve read by you, you seem more disciplined than me. But still, if I may offer a lesson I learned some six months after that race: Once dirt naps are an option, they’re always an option. Sometimes, they’re a little too always-an-option. So, watch out for those cutoffs!
So far, I've always made it through the sleepy part of the cycle without giving in (hard to tell if that is good or bad from a performance standpoint). But this is one of the main thing that fascinates me about 200-milers and has me thinking about them — it would force me to figure out a real sleep strategy (because pushing through would just not be an option).
Which 100K was it? I love your “point to pointless” phrase!
Haha, thanks! It wasn’t a big-name race or anything like that, just a local one. I’d rather not share the details publicly (you know, the whole anonymity thing), I hope that’s okay. Thank you for reading!
I've yet to try the mid-race dirt nap, but I should probably add it to the toolkit (I have witnessed their magic, though, pacing a friend who makes them a regular part of his 100-mile plan). Thanks for the post (and congrats on the trophy).
Thank you, Jeff. Yes, dirt naps are a useful tool indeed. I don’t know whether you’ve deliberately chosen not to take one or simply haven’t had the opportunity or need yet. And from what I’ve read by you, you seem more disciplined than me. But still, if I may offer a lesson I learned some six months after that race: Once dirt naps are an option, they’re always an option. Sometimes, they’re a little too always-an-option. So, watch out for those cutoffs!
So far, I've always made it through the sleepy part of the cycle without giving in (hard to tell if that is good or bad from a performance standpoint). But this is one of the main thing that fascinates me about 200-milers and has me thinking about them — it would force me to figure out a real sleep strategy (because pushing through would just not be an option).
Thanks for the warning, too.