Like a Fat Kid on a Teeter-Totter

While necessary for a healthy existence, balance is something that, at times can be difficult to find. We must devise ways to balance work and family, child one with children two, three, and four, our diets, our budgets, and any other number of things. Without balance we will eventually fail.

When I first started ultra training, I knew that my training time would increase, but I figured I could get my long runs in in the early morning before my family was awake, or late at night after they had all gone to sleep. To some degree, I have been able to do this, but with winter bringing temperatures below zero on what seems like a nightly basis, my initial plans to balance running and family have been a bit shaky at best. Couple frigid nighttime temperatures with increased familial obligations and I am left feeling like my ultra training has gotten a bit derailed.

My main concern is my fueling strategy, or rather, the lack-thereof. I am fairly well convinced I can push forward despite blisters or severe chaffing, but I am not so sure how I will do if my body runs out of fuel. I have been running with Honey Maxx, an all natural honey-based electrolyte drink and this works great, but in terms of real food, I have not a clue what to do.

After training for the last three or four months, it would seem that I have failed at the hardest part. Anyone can get out and train, run mile after mile, one foot in front of the other, but I managed to miss a key variable in the ultra-equation: food.

With the race a mere five weeks away, any testing, any real training is over. I have entered that “crash-training” window. Nothing I can do will readily improve my performance for April 6th. I have made my choices, balanced somethings more poorly than others, and there is nothing I can do. The only solace is that this will be the ultimate in learning, and I can hopefully glean something to help me through the VT100 in July.