Ask Anna Q & A

I'm receiving lots of questions regarding nutrition, training and other aspects having to do with ultrarunning. Most of the time the answers all point in a similar direction.

Therefore I have selected the most frequently asked questions from readers and think that sharing the answers can help you moving forward in that particular area.

For easier navigation I have highlighted the main theme of the question.

Enjoy finding out what readers had to ask now.

A: Regarding your nutrition I recommend to start gently by integrating green smoothies into your diet and even replace breakfast or lunch with a big smoothie you can sip throughout a morning or afternoon. The liquidized fruits and greens help the body to absorb the nutrients fast and efficiently. In the beginning, green smoothies can cause gas or feeling bloated but that should get better. It's a normal effect of the cleansing process that takes place when consuming more raw fresh foods.

Even if you start with 3-4 smoothies per week, you'll reap benefits from it. Better recovery, more energy, great skin etc. For dinner, you can prepare raw soups (recipes on the website) and warm up your husbands portion and serve with a slice or two of bread. By eating more raw foods you'll naturally crave less cooked and processed foods, even meats. Nothing wrong, though, to eat meat occasionally. It's mostly habits that keep us away from trying something new. That's why it's important not to be too radical and change too much in one day but allowing yourself 4-6 weeks to see what happens when drinking smoothies and eating more salads, also with respects to your collitis. Q: I just started running about 3 years ago. I can do a half in about 10 minute/miles and a full in 11:30 min/miles. How fast should I expect to be going?

A: It's ideal that you combine hiking/running because in ultramarathons that have a hilly profile you benefit much if your muscles are trained to walk very fast. So on the uphills, you will probably be more efficient hiking up and actually save energy. Then, on the flat you can ease into running even if it's not too fast. It helps to build mental strength more than focusing too much on min/mile. If you have a strong will and determination you will succeed in your ultra races, irrespective of the time you finish the race in. Take a look at some of the tips on mental training on the website, too. So in reality, you can stick to your fast hiking/slow running method because it's all about consistency, too. And over time, you'll gain confidence and can increase your running.

Q: What food do you carry with you and do you ever eat the food that they provide at the aid stations? How much water do you drink?

A: Regarding race nutrition it's admittedly a very individual matter. It's always important to test everything in your training. The same goes for taping the feet. The earlier and more often you tape the parts of your feet that are most prone to blistering, the less you'll struggle during an ultra race where you're easily on your feet for 5,6,7, and more hours. Try coconut water as a great source for electrolytes and mix with water. Also try medjool dates combined with coconut oil.

You need a good source of fat during ultramarathons and pure coconut oil is best. I tend to avoid the aid stations and only choose water and bananas. Sometimes I take mixed nuts with me and home-made energy gels with chia seeds. There is lots more information on energy gels on the website for further reference. Basically, you should always eat during your training to find out whether your body best tolerates liquid energy or solid foods. Some runners rely on plain sandwiches,too. There is no secret to race nutrition as such - only time and experience will tell you what works best for you.

Q: Do you generally follow a marathon training schedule and then modify it? How fast do you run your training runs?

A: When I'm preparing for a race, I set up my own training plan and apply the principles that have proven to work for me. I don't put in ridiculous hours and mileage but focus a lot on mental training and core exercises. I tend to do interval and fast tempo runs at 4:00 min/km which is around 6:20 min/mi and faster. Longer runs I do at a slower pace. Again, build your running by walking for 5 minutes and then run for 5 minutes. Do this routine for an hour and gradually reduce the walking time and increase the running sections until you can easily run for 30-60 minutes without getting out of breath.

Q: I started running at about 50 and have done a few marathons I'm now training for a 50K but I don't really feel like I know what I'm doing. What is most different about an ultra>, compared to a marathon?

A: Regarding your questions on the 'right' or ideal training there is no real secret other than steadily building your mileage and integrating long runs into your training routine. Try and run 75-90 minutes one day and 45-60 the next day. These are called back-to-back runs and teach the body to deal with extra muscle fatigue. That's what happens during an ultra race. After a few hours of running, the mind and body fatigue and that's where your body can learn to deal with this by training back-to-back runs. Also try and find a slightly undulating course and avoid running on tarmac too much. Ultramarathons require you to have mental strength more so than in a classic marathon. With 3 months to go until your 50K race you might want to create a vision board where you manifest a goal. If you're convinced that you can finish the ultramarathon you will. The mind is stronger than the body. The longer the ultra distance the more mindpower is needed in order to get to the finish line. Gently build your long runs, integrate some strength exercises into your routine and work on mental training.

Q: I will be taking part in the Grand Canyon Ultra this September. What is the best and easiest foods to take as this will be a 24 hour race so all my foods and drinks need to be in my back pack.

A: Basically, it's important to test all the foods and drinks you plan on using in a race in your training. That's the only way to find out what your stomach tolerates. Especially during long runs, different foods and drinks should be tested over a number of months. Since your race is in September this leaves you plenty of time. Decide whether you can digest liquid calories better or whether you prefer solid foods. That's very individual. Medjool dates and a teaspoon of coconut oil helps to slowly release the sugar from the fruit and therefore prolongs your energy during a run. Try bananas and vegan sports bars, too. Consume between 200-250 calories per hour from electrolyte drinks and foods.

If you like liquid foods, mix energy gel into a bottle with water. Plan your race nutrition carefully and thoroughly. Even if you don't feel like eating straight away, the body will be depleted after 10 or 15 hours and not be able to absorb many nutrients. In order to avoid a decrease in your performance, start eating after 60(!) minutes and ingest small amounts of calories every 15 minutes instead of a meal every 2 hours. Dried fruits work really well in long ultra races, bananas, nuts, coconut water is a great source for electrolytes. Vegan sports bars and even bread rolls with peanut butter work for some ultrarunners.

You know best whether you like sweet or savoury foods better. Often, sweet foods work for a few hours and then become less palatable as the race goes on. That's when you might feel like switching to more sour energy gels or salty crackers. I would steer away from mars and snickers bars.

Q: I'm curious on the pain relief you are having with your orthotics. I have knee and back pain and been through every physical therapy program. I also had dynamic scans of my foot done and my back x-rayed. Would you say orthotics make a big difference?

A: I got my tailor-made orthotics after a thorough analysis of my running style, axis, legs, feet and overall body posture. I must say that now after I've worn them on every run since March without exception that they have somewhat helped the feet to not get worse. Initially, I felt great relief in my left heel where I've got the inflamed plantar but long-term they haven't lived up to my expectations to progress with the healing.

I'm currently trying to go back to the principle of barefoot running and have been wearing Inov-8 shoes for a while. They're designed to help the feet's natural movement instead of letting high-tech materials do the job. I'm therefore slowly adjusting to this principle by taking the orthotics out of my shoes once a week. The thing is that our feet get used to comfortable material all too quickly so that it becomes harder and harder to keep it simple.

All in all, orthotics are worth a try but I would steer away from getting too dependent on them. The same goes for compression socks, I guess, when athletes believe they can only run well with them.

Q: I just completed a 981 mile swim of the Ohio River. Nevertheless, running is what I enjoy. I have signed up for a 50K, Los Pinos and have less than four months to prepare. The problem is my legs are not so strong after the swim. In fact, swimming 10-12 hours a day has effected my body strangely. How can I best prepare for my upcoming ultramarathon?

A: I understand that you're feeling strange, especially if you've been swimming for 10 and more hours per day. Overall your body is depleted and needs - REST. Since you love running, enjoy some easy runs for now, say 3-4x a week just to develop a feeling for the running motions again.

Do strength training parallely to your running training and avoid weights for now, really just trying to get back into a rhythm again. You could also do longer hikes/walk and integrate some running. Say, head out for 2.5 hours and break the run up into sections of 20 mins. running, then 10 mins. fast walking as this will gently build your speed endurance. If you live an area with hilly terrain, even better. In that case, put more effort in on the uphills and go easier on top again. Eventually start running downhill much faster than you normally would. This will strengthen your thighs tremendously. Try and do one long run/walk per week and continously build up to two of those.

Four months until you race the 50K you've entered means to stay healthy and finding a balance during your runs again. Then, 10 weeks prior to the event, start focusing on intervals once per week, one tempo session and always 1-2 long runs. Do 3 weeks of building intensity and volume, i.e. mileage, then go easier in the 4th week. Make sure to never increase mileage/intensity by more than 10% from one week to another.

If you can, do 2-3 blocks of overload training in week 8, 7 and 5 prior to the race. Precisely, train on 3-4 consecutive days and include long sessions and even combine cycling and running. You want to simulate the tiredness during an ultramarathon and block training is ideal for that.

Q: I just wanted to know what brand of sunscreen you use? I find that on my long runs it starts to drip due to sweat and starts to sting my eyes.

A: Finding the right sunscreen is a tricky thing and I have tried many, cheap ones, more expensive ones and special sport sunscreen.

I have come across one really great brand called DAYLONG and they have a huge range of just normal sunscreen and waterproof ones. In the summer I use DAYLONG 50+. It sounds a little over the top but is long-lasting and doesn't sting in the eyes and no dripping either. Even after hours of running you won't need to put an extra layer on again. Once in the morning and that's it. DAYLONG is a Swiss brand (I live there)and only available in pharmacies. I don't know whether there are retailers in Canada or the U.S. You may need to check pharmacies.

The other sunscreen I use when I go cycling or running is called GARNIER AMBRE SOLAIRE UV sensitive 50+. There is a special suncsreen for the face available, too, which I use. It's a bit cheaper and ok, too.

For everyone living in the States and Canada, I recommend to try Paula's choice. There is huge range of products available and the sunscreen spray 30 is the best one out there. I've used SPF 55+ before but I think 30 is a good option, too. Only a tiny amount of the lotion needs to be applied before your run therefore the bottle lasts forever.



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