Ultra Running Insights BlogGet the latest information, recommendations and advice on Ultra Running Insights' Blog. Explore these interesting articles providing you with tips on how to opt your training, finding the right equipment, discovering time-saving and creative recipes and answering all your questions on race preparation, injury prevention as well as talking about how to sustain the important balance as an ultra runner. I will regularly keep you updated on what's going on in the fascinating world of ultrarunning. Subscribe now and be the first to find out. Mar 8, 2010, Training Review 30Improvisation sums up what my training is all about at the moment. I'm happy to go with the flow and take care of my foot. After the analysis on Saturday, I was given a specific program of strengthening exercises for the core, legs and feet as well as seven stretches. All in all, it takes me about 40 minutes to complete this routine and I think that after 1-2 weeks I should feel its beneficial effects. Since I am not a great proponent of static stretching, I'll have to be open for now and be disciplined in following the program. I am now awaiting new tailor-made orthotics and was advised to re-build my mileage by running 30 minutes or so at first and steadily increasing the duration. Here is last week's training in detail: Monday: Run 45 mins. flat and easy Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run/Walk 70 mins. with trekking poles, undulating Thursday: Bike 2 hours hilly Friday: CompuTrainer 40 mins. easy spinning Saturday & Sunday: full rest There will be some videos and pictures of the analysis available soon which might help you to identify similar problems such as misalignments. Mar 7, 2010, About me - Anna HughesFind out about me on Ultra Running Insights Permalink -- click for full blog post "About me - Anna Hughes" Mar 4, 2010, Ability vs. Attitude Part 2This incident was a huge wake-up call for me. I realised that nature is too unforgiving. It doesn't listen to big-headed attitudes and people that want to prove to everybody else how great they are. They act upon objectives and reality then teaches them better. I surrendered to the power of the desert and felt part of it without ever losing respect for the undertaking the Marathon des Sables was. What's the essence of these stories? What can they teach you? Think about your credo when you follow a training program. Do you have the ability of an amateur with the attitude of a professional or do you train like a professional and retain the attitude of an amateur? What's the difference? Ever since I chose ultrarunning as the sport I feel most passionate about I adapted the attitude of a professional that has the ability of an amateur. I'm not a big talent and have always been an average runner. It's only when I discovered how important the attitude is as to whether you'll succeed or not I have been able to tap my full potential in running. Whenever I sign up for an ultramarathon, I get into a zone of total dedication, focus, discipline, balance while following a training plan. I have the attitude of a professional for every minute that I'm training. I don't waste time on jogs around the block or clutter my schedule with aerobics classes, for example. Only in the final stages will I train up to 30 hours a week which includes mental training, too. Ultrarunning training is all about diversion and improvisation. Combining long bike rides followed by long fast walks or runs afterwards and putting in about 22 hours split over four straight days was one of the key training sessions I did last year. I did three long blocks like this three times in total leaving three weeks between each long block. There is really no need to run 200+ miles per week. When I finish a training session, I return back to my routine with the children within a split-second and appreciate their presence as they keep me grounded. Would I be in the position of a full-time professional athlete, the balance in my daily routine would backfire on me. Extra pressure creates additonal stress and I want to continuously steer away from that even though I take it as compliment that people assume I'm a professional ultrarunner! Remember that ultrarunning is a fun sport and an exciting, fun-filled journey. Keep smiling! Mar 4, 2010, Ability vs. Attitude Part 1Today I was reminiscing about my ultrarunning ambitions in 2008 and 2009. At this time last year, I was in full swing preparing for the Swiss Jura Marathon. By January 2009, I had finally cured a foot injury and had to overcome a mental blockage first meaning that I didn't feel confident to build up to long runs in my training. I knew, though, that the foundations had to be laid early in the year. I ran on a loop near the house just in case I felt a problem. As it was, the challenge really wasn't to focus on an irritable foot but to let go of the belief that I couldn't run further than 90 minutes. And it worked. By the time, I went on a holiday to the Canary Islands, I was running 70 miles without any issues. I met a few professional triathletes that happened to stay in the same hotel and occasionally watched them taking off on their bikes or going for runs. While the amateurs in the group looked somewhat intimitated, the professional athletes seemed to take themselves far too seriously. They wouldn't just stroll past but walk around with such an attitude that I thought myself lucky not to be in their position. The whole scenery just didn't look authentic! The point here is that the sport itself is possibly very rewarding to these athletes and that they have to work very hard to progress and improve. It's definitely a full-time job, but why look unhappy if they're really meant to be ambassadors in their sport? Similar attitudes show in amateur athletes. During the long bus journey into the Sahara Desert two years ago, I was sat next to a guy in his early 40's who kept asking me about my training, backpack, food and other equipment. In reality, I wasn't interested in going too deep into my training because what does it mean to him anyway, two days before the start of the race? He was merely interested in hearing his own voice that he'd been training with a 18kg backpack and thought of the route being easy when we were handed out the roadbook. What's to do for a woman next to someone who wants to exhibit his manhood in such a way? Run a mile in the other direction or keep staring out of the window impassively? I saw this guy after the second stage hobbling around the campsite and approached him. Before I could ask how he'd been doing so far, he said that he'd been suffering from fever and sickness and decided to drop out. I could barely hear his words as he was talking so quietly. Later that day, he escaped the site and flew off home. One day later, he sent an email to his tentmates he had let down in deep regret over his outcome. There is always a second chance in life but it's too short to waste on short-lived fame. Mar 1, 2010, Training Review 29Saturday was a perfect day to head out for the first bike ride of the year. Temperatures were around 13 C and it was a bit of a shock realising that I was last out on my road bike at the end of September! Yet, it felt like yesterday while I was cruising along pedaling easy up the hills and pushing hard on the flat. I felt so strong and for the same effort I put in months ago my breathing seemed easier. It goes to show that my training, even though not by any means scientific, does work and I am continuously noticing improvements in my (speed) endurance. While I am fully engaged in my daily life as a full-time mother and increasing responsibilities, I'm aiming to maintain my current routine. I feel very energetic at the moment and somehow have to store all that energy.
I'm positive that I can follow my passion for running soon again. I feel that I have a couple of good races in me this season and take the rocky start as a positive sign. Listening to the Perfect Health paraliminal is aiding the healing process on top of Arnica C200 2-3 times per day. I'm also impressed and happy with the results from doing the Egoscue stretches as these continue to re-align imbalances. This Saturday I'm going to seek professional help and get my running style thoroughly analysed. Based on the analysis I'm expecting a pair of tailor-made orthotics and will keep you updated on how that'll improve my running. Here is the week in detail: Monday & Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 60 mins. undulating Thursday: CompuTrainer 2x20 mins. + 2x10 mins.treadmill @9% grade Friday: Run 40 mins. on treadmill at easy pace Saturday: morning session: CompuTrainer 30 mins. 10x 30 secs.@200W + 10 mins. easy jog on treadmill; bouldering 20mins.; afternoon session: bike ride 1h 50 mins. hilly Sunday: Run 50 mins. easy and flat Feb 25, 2010, The Rice Treatment and How It Helps To Ease Your PainThe first step to react to an injury is to try and apply the rice treatment Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Rice Treatment and How It Helps To Ease Your Pain" Feb 25, 2010, The Egoscue MethodOne of the reasons why the Egoscue Method has a 95% success rate is that it addresses underlying musculoskeletal dysfunctions. You can easily avoid surgery that's not always the ideal solution. Permalink -- click for full blog post " The Egoscue Method " Feb 24, 2010, How to Prevent Running InjuriesHow to Prevent Running Injuries Permalink -- click for full blog post "How to Prevent Running Injuries" Feb 22, 2010, Training Review 28It's been a turbulent week for a change. Last Saturday, during a long run out in the snow I suddenly got a stabbing pain in my left heel. I immediately realised that the underlying problem was an overuse injury I developed during the Swiss Jura Marathon. Usually, I could run for hours and not feel anything but lately I felt that running on the treadmill somewhat aggravated the foot, precisely the heel. Maybe a heel spur? Or plantar fasciitis? In the 15 years I've been a runner I have never suffered any severe long-term injuries and feel blessed about that. Yet, I have to treat the heel problem in the right manner instead of resisting the pain. I saw my physio last week to get an idea of the bigger picture. The muscles in my legs are in a great state, not one single muscle is shortened, even though a shortage of muscle tissue is what a high percentage of distance runners suffer from. The physio put cross tape on the centre of inflammation after manipulating the area where I can feel pain. After a couple of days, the pain eased and additionally I'm taking a natural remedy called hekla lava. For years, I've been familiar with the Egoscue Method. It is a unique and very effective program designed to treat musculoskeletal pain without drugs, surgery, or manipulation. I keep listening to the 'Perfect Health' paraliminal and take my training light-heartedly. It's only February and I'm confident to step up my training again soon. For now, I will have to divert to aqua-jogging and make use of the CompuTrainer once more. Take a look at last week's training in detail: Monday: CompuTrainer 40 mins. followed by 10 mins. on the treadmill Tuesday & Wednesday: full rest Thursday: CompuTrainer 60 mins. morning session mini-intervals & 60 mins. afternoon session spinning up to 180W Friday: full rest Saturday: Run 60 mins. easy on flat terrain Sunday: Run 60 mins. easy & CompuTrainer 30 mins. spinning I'm aiming to do some cross training this week and keep a positive attitude! Feb 15, 2010, Training Review 27All in all, I enjoyed my training and had intended to do a back-to-back run at the weekend but had to cancel the second long run due to a cold I caught overnight. The resting pulse never lies and it was in the 60s which was a clear indicator that something wasn't right. I'm glad I took a rest day on Sunday and am feeling a lot better today. Here are the details of last week's training : Monday: Run 60 mins. on treadmill; 15' w-up then 2 x 14' @12.1 km/h 3-6% grade and 6'recovery @10.0 km/h Tuesday: Run 60 mins. undulating; fast downhill Wednesday & Thursday: full rest Friday: Run 45 mins. on treadmill; 15' w-up then 4 x 1km reps @13.3 km/h with 3% grade; 2' recovery @10.0 km/h after each rep Saturday: Run 90 mins. hilly Sunday: full rest I'm returning to my normal routine this week and intend to use the CompuTrainer in combination with the treadmill more regularly again. It's ideal to do some longer brick sessions while awaiting spring! Feb 8, 2010, Training Review 26I enjoyed last week's training having managed one long run and travelling to see my extended family with the kids. I was happy to run up to an hour from Thursday onwards to keep up the momentum. Here's the week in detail: Monday: Run 90 mins. flat and steady Tuesday & Wednesday: full rest Thursday: Run 60 mins. hilly, focus on high cadence in the uphill sections Friday: Run 55 mins. hilly Saturday: Run 60 mins. flat and fairly fast with negative split by 1 minute This week I go with the flow. The kids are on their holidays for another week which means dedicating more time to other activities. At one point during a run through the woods last week I thought that spring is in the air. I felt a warm breeze and instantly started visualising running on the beautiful trails around Grindelwald, Davos and Lucerne. Can't wait to hit those trails in April and May. Feb 1, 2010, Training Review 25Last week's weather conditions allowed for a couple of good runs in the snow. Now I don't fight the snow anymore and instead excel because I changed my attitude. I take a lot of mental strength out of every run out there on the trails and feel how I'm becoming stronger. My newly-found passion definitely is the key to my daily motivation and nutritionally, the chia seeds I consume before each long run help me to keep my energy levels up. What I also find important is to keep on doing back-to-back sessions. Each long run is followed by an easier shorter run the next day. If you can run twice a day, wait for a few hours and do your recovery run then. Just keep in mind to run at a pace that doesn't feel too slow. I always run by feeling and never track my heart rate in order to determine the pace I'm running at. That way, I've developed a great feeling for pace and listen to my body. And constant improvements in my (speed) endurance prove that this method works. So here is last week's training in detail:
Monday: Run 60 mins. on treadmill; w-up, 2x14'@11.6 km/h increasing grade by .5% every 2 minutes; recovery after each interval 5 mins. @10.0 km/h Tuesday: Full rest Wednesday: Run 2 hrs. hilly in the snow Thursday: Run 60 mins. slightly hilly Friday: full rest Saturday: Run 90 mins. on treadmill; 15 mins. w-up, 4x14' @11.5 km/h 3-6% grade with 4 mins. recovery @10.0 km/h Sunday: Run 60 mins. slightly hilly This week I'm focusing on two more long runs in the snow and purely enjoy my current fitness. Keep on running! Jan 30, 2010, The Ideal Ultra Marathon NutritionFinding the ideal ultra marathon nutrition that lets you thrive can be so simple.This easy-to-follow guide shows ultra runners how to nourish mind and body for best performance Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Ideal Ultra Marathon Nutrition" Jan 25, 2010, Training Review 24My training week was fairly un-eventful. I enjoyed five runs in total and two rest days. Once again, I was amazed at how efficient a short and sharp run on the treadmill can be. I'm sure you're all familiar with occasionally lacking motivation to go out running. That's one reason why I soemtimes choose to run on the treadmill. I know that I will never come up with the same session twice! On Tuesday, I had a tiring day and decided to turn it around for the better. After a 15-minute warm-up I switched from easy-jogging mode to a fairly fast cruise interval and it was so much fun. Here is the week in detail: Monday: full rest Tuesday: Run 40 mins. on the treadmill; cruise interval 3x7 mins. divided into 5 mins.@14.1km/h and 2 mins.@14.7km/h run without recovery in between Wednesday: Run 60 mins. hilly Thursday: Run 45 mins. easy Friday: full rest Saturday: Run 57 mins. flat and negative splitting by 3mins. after turnaround point at 30 minutes Sunday: Run 60 mins. flat and steady Jan 21, 2010, Why Chia Seeds Are Beneficial To UltrarunnersDiscover 9 Reasons Why Chia Seeds Boost Your Ultrarunning Performances Permalink -- click for full blog post "Why Chia Seeds Are Beneficial To Ultrarunners" Jan 21, 2010, How Energy Gel Influences Performance In Training and RacingIs your body sensitive to solid sports food?Using energy gel in training and races could prove to be the right choice. Jan 18, 2010, Training Review 23The weather was ideal for running despite the snow. The motto for my snow runs was "two steps forward and one step back". I took it as excellent resistance training and kept a good attitude. Any training run where you're required to watch your step and keeping focused makes you stronger, mentally and physically. I remember that I got very frustrated after months of really cold weather and a lot of snow last year. All I wanted was to run freely. The long runs became very draining on my mind. Yet, I persevered and persevered, eventually coming out of the winter training very strongly gaining fitness, confidence and reassurance. I was then able to take that strenth into my race last July. Now here is the detailed training: Monday: 40 mins. spinning on the CompuTrainer followed by 15 mins. on the treadmill; recovery session Tuesday & Wednesday: full rest days Thursday: Run 90 mins. on the treadmill; hill interval 3x16 mins. @11.7,11.9,11.9 with 2.5-6% grade and 4 mins.recovery @10.0 km/h 3 hours later: 2nd run 55 mins. flat and steady Friday: Run 60 mins. slightly hilly Saturday: Run 1 hr.35mins. hilly in the snow Sunday: Run 60 mins. undulating and effort down the hill As you can see, I doubled up on Thursday. Running twice a day with only a few hours of recovery in between teaches the body to deal with tiredness during an ultra race. I don't do these sessions weekly at the moment but intend to integrate them every other week or so. It's also a great way to find out which foods best speed your recovery. Try a smoothie or big fruit salad with 1-2 TBSP of chia seeds and notice the amazing effects ready to go for your second run of the day. Just make sure to do the harder session first and keep a good pace during the second run. Jan 11, 2010, Training Review 22It's been a great week as I finally felt that it was time to increase volume and intensity again. Except for one easier run I integrated high quality sessions to my routine and loved running on the treadmill.
What seems to help in preventing muscle soreness is to eat a few fresh dates, almonds and a teaspoon of coconut oil straight after the run. I've practised this in the last couple of months and really feel the difference. Here is the week in detail: Monday: Run 55 mins. hilly Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 90 mins. on treadmill: hill interval 3x 16 mins. from 1-5.5% grade every 2 mins. @11.5 km/h with recovery @10.0 km/h Thursday: Run 60 mins. flat and steady Friday: Run 45 mins. on treadmill; kilometre reps 4x4 mins. @14.7 km/h; recovery 120 seconds, 110, 100 Saturday: Run 60 mins. hilly and fairly fast Sunday: Run 2 hrs. hilly and steady I started the week with an easy spin on the Compu Trainer followed by a short run and will indulge in another long run outside this weekend. One tip for those who are still contemplating doing core exercises but can't motivate themselves: I know they can be tough to do as it takes a lot of discipline to do them regularly. Think of how strong you'll feel in your next ultra marathon. If you are already preparing for a race in March you can still reap the benefits. Start today and notice the effects within four weeks! Jan 4, 2010, Training Review 21It was great to take it easy again. I ran without the pressure of having to be fit for a race in March/April. My focus for 2010, precisely until the summer, is to keep on building this website, add new topics, even a forum for all fellow ultrarunners out there who want to share their experiences in the sport. I have a couple of other important projects I'm currently working on. My days are pretty much filled now with work that I enjoy a lot and feel passionate about, training and taking care of the kids. I'm also keen to keep on extending my social network and dedicate time to the people it concerns. Regarding my current fitness level I must admit that I feel very fit, fast and healthy at the moment. For the past two weeks I've had mainly short and sharp runs and also some easy recovery training. On Saturday I went out to do hill reps and then shifted into a cruise interval on the downhill.Yesterday I went up the hill at a moderate pace and really hammered down the other side of the hill. It felt as if I was flying along and I can feel my legs a little bit today! Here are the details: Monday: Run 55 mins. hilly and easy Tuesday: Run 45 mins. easy and flat Wednesday: Run 60 mins. on treadmill; one hill interval @12.5 km/h with an incline between 1-5.5% Thursday and Friday: full rest days Saturday: Run 55 mins. hilly and tempo Sunday: Run 50 mins. hilly, hard and free This week I intend on doing one or two longer runs again while hopefully the weather holds. It's been an unsual warm winter so far and maybe the weather holds for another week, i.e. no snow in sight but temperatures around -9 Celcius. Dec 28, 2009, Training Review 20Last week's training was fun and spontaneous. I focused on one key session, a hard and hilly tempo run. I'm still deciding when I will race in 2010. I probably intend to do shorter races in the first six months of the new year and focus on one major ultra marathon in August or September. My main goal for now is to stay healthy and injury-free and slowly keep on building mileage. Here are the details of my training: Monday: Bike 40 mins. on the CompuTrainer Tuesday: Run 60 mins. on the treadmill; hill interval 2x @11.8 and 12.0 km/h; incline 2.5%-5.5% Wednesday: Run 80 mins. easy and flat Thursday: Run 55 mins. hilly tempo run at fast pace Friday: Run 55 mins. slightly hilly and easy Saturday & Sunday: full rest day I'll take it easy this week and run entirely by feeling still enjoying the holidays. Dec 27, 2009, Marathon Races In a Nutshell - The Marathon des SablesAre you ready to race one of the hardest marathon races on the planet?These 9 Marathon Training Tips help you to understand what you need to do for a successful finish. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Marathon Races In a Nutshell - The Marathon des Sables" Dec 27, 2009, Myself and FacebookAfter thinking long and hard for quite some time whether I should sign up on facebook, I have decided to do so. My intention is to create an additional platform to spread the word about my website and connect with ultrarunners around the globe. Therefore I will only use facebook to publish some photo albums of races I've completed and places I've been to for training. As I keep on exploring different routes and areas in Switzerland, I'll continuously add new pictures to the photo section. I do not intend to use facebook as a means to publish details and photos about my personal life as I strictly maintain my privacy and won't necessarily invite old school friends or friends of other friends to my facebook profile. I look forward to get to know interesting stories about other fellow ultrarunners, connect and share stories. Therefore I've decided to keep my profile updated in English. This website is the basis of my work and will continue to be the main site to add new content to. In the meantime, enjoy some racing and training images on facebook! Dec 21, 2009, Training Review 19All in all, my training agenda was filled with five good quality runs. I've enjoyed running in the woods a lot and either choose a flat lap or a hilly route where I'll do hill reps. I always do at least 10 and vary the recovery time. There is another effective running session: instead of jogging easily in between reps, try and keep the pace fairly high during 1-3 minutes of recovery. The so-called cruise interval helps to build speed endurance. I tend do run 3-4 minutes at real effort and allow the same time for recovery. Usually, I run cruise intervals for at least 40 minutes and during high-intensity periods I'd stretch it out to 75-90 minutes. This type of workout can also be run on a flat course. I often choose a slightly undulating off-road course to train the stability muscles at the same time. If you've never run cruise intervals beware that you can start feeling tired after about 20 minutes. Don't run too fast and try to find a pace that you can maintain for a while. Here are the details of last week's training: Monday: Run 1hr 40mins. hilly and flat on mixed terrain; 11 hill reps and 4 intervals on the flat Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 70 mins. on the treadmill 3 sets of hill reps ranging from 2.5% - 6% incline Thursday: Run 80 minutes steady and flat Friday: full rest Saturday: Run 55 minutes undulating at good pace Sunday: Run 80 minutes flat and steady; recovery run This week is all about enjoying the festive season! I intend to run for the pure joy of it and look forward to indulging in some great food and a wonderful time with my family. Dec 17, 2009, Low Fat Diet RecipesAs a follow-up to Dr. Graham's low fat diet 80/10/10 a few selected recipes are introduced. Generally, salads are a daily staple. Use one or two varieties of lettuce such as Boston or Romaine except iceberg. Then choose two to three salad vegetables like celery, cucumber, sweet pepper, tender greens such as kale, dandelion and turnip. Broccoli and cauliflower are recommended but could cause indigestion. Also add some peas, green beans, zucchini and squash. Sweet potato and raw carrots may be used except with a protein meal. Try and use tomato with a protein meal including cheese and nuts rather than combining it with starches because tomatoes are considered acid fruits. There are recipes for all-raw-food dishes and ones that include some cooked food. Take your pick and enjoy experimenting with different food combinations. Keep in mind that the following recipes are guidelines rather than strict rules. Add more greens to your salads if you wish so or vary the fruit to your liking. It's all about enjoying your food and having a good time preparing a meal. Let's start with some ideas for lunch first:
And here a some recipes that include cooked foods:
Now try these dinner recipes and choose between all-raw or meals that include some cooked foods:
Check out these ideas if you prefer cooked food for dinner:
Dec 17, 2009, The Low Fat Diet or 80/10/10Ever heard of 80/10/10? This type of Low Fat Diet can enable you to find out how much fat you really need. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Low Fat Diet or 80/10/10" Dec 14, 2009, Training Review 18It feels great to be healthy again. I assumed that I'd be back into the swing of things fairly quickly. As it was, I ran five times focusing on quality and technique. Running comes very naturally to me at the moment. I tie my shoes and either head outside or step on the treadmill. I feel in a state of total flow usually within a matter of a few minutes. Thoughts and ideas come and go. At this time last year I had already signed up for the Swiss jura run and was following a structured training program. It was an interesting time to prepare for eight months and see all the efforts and commitments pay off in the race, the big final. The compromises I was making in my social life seemed worth it at the time. Very close friends understand and support such phases I go through in my life as an athlete. In the past two months I have sincerely enjoyed catching up with a lot of people and it's reassuring to find out how much there is to talk about outside sport. Running and training without a plan suits the current state of my mind. I basically make up sessions as I go. I listen to my body every time and have seen amazing results. Without even thinking about it, I was cruising along on my hilly lap this morning setting new personal bests along the way. Here is the week in detail: Monday: Run 60 mins. on the treadmill; hill interval Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 1hr. 30 mins. hilly Thursday: Run 70 mins. on the treadmillhill interval Friday: Run 55 mins. flat and steady Saturday: Run 50 mins. early morning run easy and flat Sunday: full rest As I have not decided for any major ultramarathon competitions in particular yet, I'm happy to maintain the current mileage and intensity. One or two key sessions per week are enough to keep and build (speed) endurance. Dec 7, 2009, Training Review 17Last week`s training wasn`t all too exciting. I caught a cold for a change and decided to fully rest for a few days. I see absolutely no point in even trying to train "lightly", as some runners may call it when they, irrespective of an imbalance in the body, decide to go for an easy jog or alternatively, hit the gym for some weights. It is never wise to unnecessarily stress the body for what the outcome would be: It is an illusion that light training can clear symptoms of a cold, for example. Training means putting the body under a certain amount of stress. While the immune system is trying hard to get to the cause of physical imbalances training will only prolong that process. You obviously decide for yourself here. The result of four full rest days for me was that I was able to get back into running on Saturday and as of today, I feel perfectly fine again. Monday - Thursday: full rest Friday: easy spinning on the CompuTrainer and 2 mile jog on the treadmill Saturday: Run 55 mins. steady Sunday: Run 55 mins. steady and flat I enjoyed a hill interval on the treadmill this morning and am planning on a long run by the end of this week. The next few weeks are also an ideal time to keep on doing core strength exercises. Nov 30, 2009, Discover the Best Shop for Running GearWhen it comes to choosing running equipment I'm quite picky and selective. Up until April this year I had never ordered running shoes, socks, tops and tights online. All I knew was that I needed a few specific items for my trail race, the Swiss Jura Marathon. A close friend of mine recommended to check out racelite. Excellent customer service could be expected as well as a wide selection of anything a trail runner needs. The website is indeed very user friendly and clearly structured. An easy navigation allows you to find even the most specific pieces of equipment. The owner of racelite, Robert Pollhammer is a passionate outdoor athlete himself, has organised the Yucon Arctic Race and successfully finished the jungle marathon in Brazil in 2003. He started his business in a tiny garage from where it has grown. He maintains that a good product doesn't always need to cost big bucks. It must be of excellent quality. When I first contacted Robert asking him what shoes and backpack he would recommend for the Swiss Jura mountain race, he replied within half an hour. I ordered straight away and had the parcel in my letter box the next day. He also got the sizing perfectly right so that I didn't need to take an extra trip to the post office. The running gear I can specifically recommend for trail races, whether that's multi-day events or 100 mile races, is the following:
So besides outstanding customer-orientated service all products are personally tested by Robert. Racelite is certainly is the most professional online shop for distance runners I've ever come across. Are you also regularly hiking or involved in triathlon? What about mountain biking or adventure racing? Enjoy browsing through racelite and take a look at what's in store for you! Nov 30, 2009, Training Review 16Last week's training was dedicated to nearly seven hours of running. I'm happy to keep this volume and intensity until the end of the year and slowly build up to ten hours of running. The credo at the moment is to enjoy every step and staying free from injury. The main sessions were one long run and one great hill interval on the treadmill. I could notice an improvement in my recovery compared to ten days ago when I did the same interval. This time, I shortened the recovery period between sets by one minute. Doesn't sound like a lot but I did feel that extra minute. The point here is to play with the speed and recovery time a little so I don't fall into a trap of doing the same run over and over again. You can follow the same principle when you run outside. You may want to run the same pace for each interval but shorten the time for recovery by 15 seconds. For example, if you do 6-8 mile reps, jog for four minutes after the first one, 3:45mins. after the second one, 3:30mins. after the third one and so forth. Or keep the recovery jog to four minutes but run each mile 10 seconds faster than the previous one. Here is the week in detail. I also focused on doing strength exercises and low-impact workouts running up 140 stairs five times taking two steps at a time. Monday: Run 55 mins. slightly hilly Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 2hrs. hilly on soft surface in the woods Thursday: Run 75 mins. flat followed by low-impact exercise Friday: full rest Saturday: Run 90 mins. on treadmill; hill interval 3x 18 mins. 1% -5.5% incline @11.5 km/h and recovery jog @9.5 km/h Sunday: Run 55 mins. easy and steady Nov 26, 2009, The 10 Best Ultra Marathon Training TipsExplore the Ten Best Ultra Marathon Training Tips Permalink -- click for full blog post "The 10 Best Ultra Marathon Training Tips" Nov 23, 2009, Training Review 15I'm back in full swing and the patience seems to have paid off. Mind and body feel rested and my calves are finally up to their job, too. Last week's training has been steady and fun. Mild temperatures allowed for a couple of steady runs outside. When it comes to doing meaningful and time-efficient sessions the treadmill certainly comes in useful. I stare against a grey wall during my runs. Talk of not getting distracted during a workout! It helps to focus on my running technique and mental strength. I'm currently working hard on planting my foot better to save more energy whilst pushing the hips forward. Consequently, I run faster while roughly keeping the same heart rate. As usual, I run to my perceived effort and save the heart rate monitor for slow recovery runs, if. Here's my training in detail: Monday: full rest Tuesday: Run 85 mins. on treadmill; main session 3x 18 mins. hill interval from 1-5% incline Wednesday: Bike CompuTrainer 40 mins. spinning including 3x 5 mins. @150W Thursday: Run 55 mins. steady Friday: Run 1 hr.45mins. hilly, then flat focusing on cadence (around 84) Saturday: Run 75 mins. flat Sunday: Run 60 mins. on treadmill; main set: hill interval from 1-4% incline Nov 21, 2009, 9 Superfoods for the UltrarunnerHave you already heard of superfoods?Find out in what ways some of these can really boost your system and make you feel stronger as an ultrarunner. Permalink -- click for full blog post "9 Superfoods for the Ultrarunner" Nov 21, 2009, Green Smoothies As Ultimate Health Boosters For AthletesSpending too much money on sports drinks and recovery shakes?Green smoothies are the healthy alternative boosting your performance and improving your health in no Permalink -- click for full blog post "Green Smoothies As Ultimate Health Boosters For Athletes" Nov 19, 2009, The Secrets of Vegan AthletesStuck in a rut? Explore the secrets of raw and Vegan Athletes and find out about the two most beneficial running workouts. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Secrets of Vegan Athletes" Nov 16, 2009, Training Review 14
It's been a fairly steady week slowly building up the hours again. At the moment, I'm quite focused on getting some power into my legs. The CompuTrainer is ideal for that type of training. It's really time-efficient and amazing as I can create many different workouts. I usually warm up for ten minutes and then do an interval. I only do about 15-25 minutes of hard work around and above the AT. It's about keeping interested in my training and stressing the body just a little bit out of the comfort zone. When you do similar workouts on the bike make sure to keep your cadence up similar to when you run. I've also enjoyed a couple of easy runs on the treadmill. I always set it to at least 1% incline. This offsets the fact that the band is driven and therefore makes it more comparable to running outdoors. Otherwise the calf muscles are being stressed unnecessarily. Monday: CompuTrainer 45 mins. Tuesday and Wednesday: full rest Thursday: CompuTrainer 45 mins. followed by 45 mins. on the treadmill Friday: Run 40 mins. on the treadmill Saturday: Run 55 mins. evening run outdoors Sunday: CompuTrainer 45 mins. followed by 20 mins. easy run on the treadmill As the days are getting shorter I had to pull out my Petzl headlamp for my run on Saturday. It was just amazing running off into the woods having to rely solely on my senses and concentrating on the moment. The simplicity and calmness of nature at night made this run even more special. Nov 13, 2009, Learn the Secrets of Raw and Vegan Athletes, Part 3Are you curious about the secrets of raw and vegan athletes? Would you like to learn more about the benefits so that you can become an even stronger ultrarunner? It only takes half an hour for you to become an expert yourself. Tim van Orden, a very successful distance runner gave Tera Warner surprising answers to her burning questions. She found out
Here are a few excerpts from the book: "I witnessed so many ridiculousphysical transformations...I gainedmuscle mass without doing any type ofexercise. I was bouncing off the wallswith all of this energy." "...the brain will start to poison your thoughts...it starts telling your muscles that they're tired." "When you take hot liquid or food and put it into your stomach... Now your body will have to produce extra enzymes, which will be killed off until the food cools down long before they actually are." Feel free to order your copy of this amazingly interesting ebook here and within two minutes you can sit back, relax and see the real secrets of real experts reveal in front of you. Nov 13, 2009, Learn the Secrets of Raw and Vegan Athletes, Part 2The same goes for processed starches in pastas, cookies, cakes and pizzas, to state the most popular foods here. Now, eating these foods occasionally is fine. Your decision, of course. It's the daily consumption of those dishes that'll leave you feeling bloated and heavy. And people still wonder why they don't shed any excess weight. My appetite is different every day and I mostly tend to go by what I think my body needs. It all comes naturally to me. I automatically turn to fresh foods whereas cantine food, soggy wheat bread rolls and the colour of a meat dish just doesn't bring on my appetite. I eat 60-80% raw and sometimes have a cooked vegan dish. I also love freshly baked wholegrain breadrolls and eat those when I feel like it. In the weeks after my last ultramarathon I loaded up on tons of fresh fruits and greens. And I've stayed perfectly healthy so far when usually after a hard race the risk increases to catch a cold or worse, the flu. So, during my intense research on other people's experiences I stumbled on the wonderful Raw Divas and discovered a whole new world of helpful tips and recommendations for anyone interested in transitioning to (raw) veganism. When I now reflect on the past eighteen months I can honestly say that my way of eating has contributed a great deal to my ultramarathon performances given that I've only started appropriate ultrarunning training 22 months ago. I've not suffered any long-term injuries and have reached a point now where I know what my body needs. The answer to the question really is: You could run and perform even better, faster and feel even more energetic than you do now if you add new raw and fresh foods to your diet. It doesn't need to be a radical change from one day to the next. You'll instantly notice how good you feel eating less processed food and animal protein. After about four weeks you likely won't want to return to your old habits. Your body will become leaner, you'll be bouncing off the walls and be able to step up your training to the next level. Nov 13, 2009, Learn the Secrets of Raw and Vegan Athletes, Part 1As you know, the type of foods you consume daily has either a positive or a negative influence on your performance and well-being as an athlete. You might not always feel all too conscious about the effects of the foods you're eating. The differences can be subtle or very noticeable. Nevertheless, you are what you eat. I've heard a few ultrarunners say, hey, I'm actually pretty successful at what I'm doing. Why should I go vegan or even raw? I'm not feeling too bad on my current diet. I was at that point, too. I remember sitting next to a Andreas, a two-time finisher of the Marathon des Sables, on the bus that was taking us back to the hotel after finishing. Holding on tightly to my medal and overcome with tiredness from the week's exertion, I nearly fell asleep when Andreas suddenly started talking about his diet. In particular how he turned vegan which has helped him to finish this race so much better than in 2006. What had been originally set up as a bet between a friend and him, turned into a completely new lifestyle for him. He felt amazing after only a couple of weeks and noticed a spike in his energy levels initially. Andreas used to live the SAD (StandardAmericanDiet) including fair amounts of meat and processed foods. What seemed even more interesting to me was the fact that his running had improved. Based in London with a family and full-time job he didn't change much about his training as such. What he found, though, was that he could recover faster and run back-to-back sessions on a regular basis without getting injured. Meanwhile, Andreas lives mainly raw during the week and incorporates cooked vegan meals on weekends to enjoy with his family. I felt thrilled to get all this interesting information. Back home, I decided to change my diet quite radically eliminating all dairy produce from one day to the next. Up to this day, I've not missed cheese, yogurt and cow's milk at all. These foods don't interest me anymore and therefore I don't feel restricted. Diet is referred to as how we eat. As soon as we feel limited and that we're not allowed to combine certain foods we drift into a vicious circle. Most diets fail in the long-term because people develop cravings for the 'forbidden' foods. The foods, that they'd rather not be eating. Self-discipline turns into frustration, emotional balancing and in worst cases into real eating disorders. There is one common denominator amongst all diets out there. They all have in common the exact same two foods that are eliminated to have long-term success, i.e. keeping excess weight off your body. Firstly, it's all refined sugars and secondly all processed starches. When you start eating more fresh fruits you'll get the sugars from the fruit but they aren't being stored as fat. Nov 12, 2009, Ultra Trail Running Races, the Swiss Jura Marathon, Day 1Pay Attention to this Ultra Trail Running Race: The Swiss Jura Marathon Permalink -- click for full blog post "Ultra Trail Running Races, the Swiss Jura Marathon, Day 1" Nov 9, 2009, Training Review 13It's been another easy week of recovery training and another record of three full rest days. I'm convinced now that this is the right time of the year to simply follow your nose and let your body tell you what type of training feels right. We're coming into winter very soon and for the first time ever I'm going to try cross-country skiing with the idea to integrate it into my routine as much as the weather will allow. From here, it's only a 30-minute drive up to the Black Forest with its well-prepared cross-country ski runs during the winter. This week's idea is to restore some more energy and plan the races for 2010. Here is last week`s training resume: Monday: CompuTrainer 30 mins. spinning & 10 mins. trot on the treeadmill Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 68 mins. mini-intervals on hilly terrain Thursday: Run 55 mins. gently uphill for 30 mins. and easy down the other side Friday: CompuTrainer; pyramid holding 20.5-21.5 mph ranging between 100 and 200 watts Saturday and Sunday: full rest Nov 7, 2009, Raw Vegan Food And SocietyWhy A Raw Vegan Food Diet Doesn't Need To Be Anti-Social and 6 Ways To Survive In A Non-Vegan Society Permalink -- click for full blog post "Raw Vegan Food And Society" Nov 4, 2009, The Mono DietWhat's your favorite piece of fruit?A mono diet is a great way for you to explore the simplicity of food Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Mono Diet" Nov 2, 2009, Training Review 12REST! That was my task for last week. Although I made an interesting discovery regarding complete rest vs.active recovery. Normally, I'd take full rest for two days after an ultramarathon and do light training. After the multi-stage race in July I added a couple of extra days of rest simply because I felt sleep-deprived from spending a week in a mass camp. So after the 50K race last Saturday I decided to try and rest for at least four straight days. All I did was move around the house, go for walks with the kids and get some quality sleep every night. By Thursday, I felt my body was getting stiffer than it was a day after the race. This is common as muscle soreness reaches its peak 48 hours after a race and should ease up on the third day. I grabbed my road bike and went for an easy ride in the beautiful autumn sun. By Friday, I was definitely ready to try and run again. On Saturday, my right calf felt as if someone had hit it with a hammer and yesterday's run wasn't more than just a jog to loosen up the tightness. The rest of my muscles felt smooth and strong, though. What's the lesson? I'm a person who recovers better doing active recovery training. Many say that you should take a few weeks off after the season is over or start doing more cross-training which makes sense also to give the mind some rest from concentrating and focusing hard for months. Initially, I'd thought about going for a swim and easy aqua jog on Monday but let my conscience get in the way. Next time, I'll follow my intuition straight away. The debate over full rest vs.active recovery is a never-ending one as it's a very individual matter. You know best what works for you. Monday to Wednesday: full rest Thursday: Bike 2 hrs. hilly using very small gears (my so-called girly gears!) Friday: Run 55 mins. flat Saturday: Run 70 mins. flat Sunday: Run 45 mins. easy In addition to a balanced nutrition, I had two massages and kinesio tape put around my knee which I left on for 48 hours. It stabilised a niggle which had bothered me for a while and worked wonders again. This week is geared to alternative training using the bike trainer (computrainer) at home. I'll start back with core and strengthening exercises in about two weeks as resistance training is the last type of training one should get back to after a long race. Oct 30, 2009, How Complex Carbohydrates Influence Your Running PerformanceDo you know the best sources for complex carbohydrates?Find out why they're so important in your ultramarathons and in training. Permalink -- click for full blog post "How Complex Carbohydrates Influence Your Running Performance" Oct 26, 2009, Training Review 11The last key race of the season was the 50K ultramarathon on Saturday aiming to peak once more and therefore making sure to taper properly. I reduced the e-cises to only twice that week and did one set of medicine ball e-cises on Thursday. The hilly bike ride I used to stimulate the bigger muscle groups in my legs. I used very small gears all the way pedaling at high cadence similar to the cadence when running (86-90 per minute). Monday: Run 60 minutes hilly and easy Tuesday and Wednesday: full rest days Thursday: Bike 1 hr.50 hilly and easy followed by a 35-minute run at steady pace Friday: Run 35 minutes easy and flat stretching out Saturday: 50K race 4:23.47 Sunday: full rest Not much on my training schedule this week. I'm enjoying a 3-day complete rest indulging in lots of fresh foods high in antioxidants while allowing the muscle tissue to repair. By mid-week I'll probably ease into some easy swims and short jogs while the weather still holds. It's been a beautiful Indian summer over here. Whenever the seasons change it is always a tricky time to catch a cold so taking adequate rest now and not stressing mind and body in any way will help recovery. This is also an ideal time to formulate some goals for 2010. I've already spotted a few interesting races but there is time yet. Oct 25, 2009, Successful Season Finale
It proved to be the right decision to take time for relaxing the mind and body as I felt ready to race for yesterday's 50 K competition in Southern Germany I felt I could peak again this year. The race set in the Swabian mountains is part of this year's European Cup of ultramarathons. So very stiff competition in the women's field could be expected. My goal was to get under 4:30. The course is very undulating for the first 22 miles, covers a total difference in altitude of 1025 Hm / 3363 ft. and includes three climbs.
I went out a little too fast and hit the 4km mark in 18 minutes and slowed down to 5 mins/km pace. During races and most of my training runs I run at perceived effort. It was in the last 4 miles that I had to dig very deeply. In fact, I started focusing on the next 100 yards ahead of me as opposed on the next mile or kilometre. I also felt very sick in my stomach and forced myself to go on auto-pilot and get to the finish line. When I saw the 48km mark things got worse as I felt dizzy and close to fainting.
Dealing with such moments is part of the journey. What was so special about this race? Why do I run this far? What does it teach me? It's in those un-planned moments, minutes and seconds of an ultra that a spirit evolves. It's in these zones where it's demanded to learn to be even stronger, to look for more powers inside myself. It's lessons for life I take home with me, there to be celebrated. My eldest daughter asked me whether the finisher's medal is made from real gold. Surely not, I replied, but you know, the real value is that it's a great reminder of a running race I enjoyed so much. Having seen you out on the course makes it even more special. That is what it's worth! She grabbed hold of the medal and wore it around her neck all day yesterday. Oct 23, 2009, How Acidic Food Influences Your PerformanceThe truth about acidic food and what is does to your health and performance. Permalink -- click for full blog post "How Acidic Food Influences Your Performance" Oct 21, 2009, The Best Trail Running Shoes for UltrarunnersGet more out of running off-road with these tried-and tested trail running shoes. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Best Trail Running Shoes for Ultrarunners" Oct 19, 2009, Training Review 10My power came back. I knew it was purely a little rest I needed and remained patient. I was doing some e-cises with the medicine ball on Wednesday afternoon when suddenly, I felt so powerful and energetic. Had the issue been overtraining, my resting pulse would have been up and I would have felt lethargic, tired and moody for days and weeks not being able to get out of a physical low. My normal training routine is always comprised of one longer run per week, one tempo run and intervals. The remaining runs are basically for recovery. The intervals can be hill intervals, cruise intervals or kilometre reps, even mile-reps at a pace that lifts me out of the comfort zone. You can only reach the next level by varying those runs and never getting stuck at running the same lap over and over again at the same pace day in, day out. And this is not a matter of being ambitious or not. Rather it's what you gain from it. Time is too precious to waste on junk miles. Ultrarunning is such a great source and opportunity to develop in. Getting to know how body and mind react to different training stimuli is interesting and then seeing results from months and years of consistent training. So I started the week with a longer hilly run on Monday. I focused on three uphill sections that varied between 12 and 22 minutes in duration to get up and put effort into my stride feeling light on my feet. I felt a little strange in my stomach until Wednesday, though. While the kids stayed healthy as usual (their immune systems really are robust) Rob got ill mid-week just when I started to feel normal again. The highlight was a speed session on the treadmill on Saturday. I hadn't run on it for a while and felt so energetic and in the right frame of mind to run fast. There is no escaping the tread. You simply have to go the speed you're setting it to. Initially I thought I may have aimed a little too high but pulled through. I love doing speedwork and hill reps on the treadmill. Here is last week's training in detail: Monday: Run 2hrs.05mins. hilly on tarmac and trails in the woods nearby Tuesday: full rest Wednesday: Run 45 mins. easy Thursday: Run 1hr.35mins. hill interval; warm-up and cool-down included; 21x 45 seconds at fast pace uphill; recovery was 12x 90 sec. and 9x 75 sec. Friday: Run 70 mins. steady and flat Saturday: Run 60 mins. on treadmill; warm-up then 6x 1000m at 1% incline and 3 mins. recovery jog at 10.5 km/h 1st: 4:05 min/km (14.6 km/h speed) 2nd: 4:00 min/km (15.0 km/h) 3rd: 3:55 min/km (15.3 km/h) 4th: 3:50 min/km (15.6 km/h) 5th: 3:45 min/km (15.9 km/h) 6th: 3:40 min/km (16.3 km/h) Sunday: Run 60 mins. steady and flat Providing I'll stay healthy this week I intend to run a 50K race this weekend!
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Last week, I committed to run the Transalpine Run - a multi-stage race - with 
Another highlight was an enjoyable long run in the snow yesterday. I felt so light on my feet and mentally free. Recovery appears to be speedy as I feel fresh in my legs today. 
I've also enjoyed seeing some friends I hadn't socialised with for a while.
The training had gone very well and by mid-week I started to intensify mental training by listening to various paraliminal sessions to get in that zone of full focus, concentration and pure joy to run my first 50 K ultramarathon!
On top of the second hill was the 25K mark which I passed after 2:11. Rob and the girls came to cheer me on at various points en route which was a real boost for my motivation. 
Only during the last half-mile of the race I looked at my watch again and couldn't believe it. Seconds later, I spotted Rob and the girls near the finish line which I crossed in 4:23.47 placing 4th female amongst 78 women and 2nd in my age-group.