The Scarecrow Runner

In this recording I share an update on my current status and where things have been for me all summer. I provide an update on my 24 hour race in The Sticks in June and then give an overview of what I have been doing this summer outside of running and where my mind currently is for training. Sometimes...actually we always should be transparent and share the good and the bad. It's not always pretty or fun but social media sure paints a different picture for so many.

In this week's episode I visit with Andrea Vilar from Florida. Andrea is brand new to the ultra-running scene. She has not always been a runner and has been through a lot of challenges in her life where running was associated to a lot of negative and toxic feelings. She started running again last year and pushed through in building her mileage up and decided it is time to start building new memories and embracing the new season of her running career.

She has allowed endurance running to help her through dealing with a lot of past traumatic experiences. She refuses to let people try and take the joy away from her and so on each run she is going out there and looking for things within each run that brings her joy. She has a great attitude about running now and cherishes the gift. She is of the mindset that we get to run. 

The desire to push herself and go further than she ever has is pushing her to overcome. She is making lemonade out of the lemons that life has handed her. Andrea is now embarking on uncharted territory for herself. She has decided to go after a 50K and prove that she can do anything she puts her mind to. 

I think you will enjoy listening to Andrea share her story and what has led her to chase after her first official ultra-marathon distance. It is refreshing to discuss something so close to my heart with someone who has decided to jump in feet first.

In this third installment of 'So you want to run an ultra?' the Scarecrow Runner throws down some deeper insight into ultra running and from his own experience. For those who are already training or putting the miles in, you need to prepare for the dark and unknown aspects of ultra-running; especially the longer distances beyond 50 miles.

Anthony shares some important mental aspects that are important to consider in your ultra journey. Pressing past the pain, pressing past the disappointment and pressing past the negative mindset.

 

These 3 areas are huge in ultra-running.

Pressing past the pain - everyone will experience pain in an ultra, but everyone is different and it will affect you at different times. You have to get past the pain. You will experience pain and discomfort running an ultra. The pain train or pain cave many runners call it will come calling at some point and you have to be ready to press past the pain or embrace the possibility of a DNF.

Pressing past the disappointment - with every training session or even with every ultra race there are traces of disappointment. It could be a lot of different things ranging from not training well, to training well and then everything goes wrong during your race. Regardless of the things leading up to the race, during the race or after the race there will be disappointments. You will face them in your ultra journey and you must learn to press past them.

Pressing past the negative mind set - this is one of the most important aspects of ultra-running. You have to get out of your own head and definitely stop listening to the negativity around you. During a race you will find yourself in some dark places and you will have to learn how to identify the negativity and get beyond it. Negative mind-set and negative thoughts will destroy you during an ultra and you need to be prepared to press past this roadblock and find a path around it or through it.

I hope this episode will shed some light on some of the heavier and deeper aspects of ultra-running and will assist you in pressing past and pressing forward.

Follow the Scarecrow Runner on Instagram at Scarecrow Runner

Just as her Instagram handle declares, Be Wild and Free, Jess McClellan takes that as her motto in life and in ultra running. Like so many of us runners she began with very little knowledge and just laced them up one day and went running to challenge herself. She didn't know much about the sport, but as she researched and became more aware of what running was about she became infected with the running bug. 

Her entire life has been filled with people saying she could never do things and made things very toxic. Jess has overcome so much adversity and uses that as motivation to accomplish great things. She has only been running since 2011 and has since completed a couple of 50 milers and is now training for her first 100 mile ultra.

In this episode, Jess takes us through the experiences of her first 50 mile ultra and what required her to dig deep in some very dark places and to overcome adverse conditions. If there is anything Jess would have to say for a beginner jumping into ultra running would be, "don't give up. Keep going and moving forward. Your only competition is within yourself and don't forget to have fun."

 

You can follow Jess on Instagram at Be Wild and Free

To follow along with the Scarecrow Runner check out my links here:

The Scarecrow Runner

The Scarecrow Runner YouTube channel

In this episode of "So you want to run an ultra?" I put on my best Gordon Ramsey impersonation and invite you into the running kitchen where we are going to make pizza. 

Eating some pizza right now definitely sounds like a great time for a group of ultra runners, but in all actuality, we are only going to be building a hypothetical pizza. This will be for an 80/20 pizza.

80/20 - some may recognize this and some may not. 80% easy and 20% hard. Keep your easy days easy and your hard days hard. This rule will greatly reduce the chance of injury and burn out. It will allow you to build on your base mileage and get your body ready for the longer miles needed for running an ultra. That is the dough prep. Kneading the dough and making sure the foundation of the pizza doesn't have any flaws. We don't want it too lumpy, too thin or too thick. It needs to be just right :) and these miles need to be slow.

The 20% are your hard workouts and the toppings that we place on top. Everyone who loves pizza is not just into it for the crust, but rather what's on top. This is where the sauce and the toppings tickle your tastebuds and where you get your speed and increased power. This is a very important aspect of your training, but you don't want to do too much of it or you will burn your pizza and even worse you will likely end up injured or burned out.

I hope you will enjoy this fun episode of cooking in the kitchen with me as we talk about building our mileage and the strategy behind it. 

 

Follow the Scarecrow Runner on Instagram at Scarecrow Runner

In this week's episode I had a great time visiting with Jacob and Melody Bateman from 'Trail to 100' podcast. I came across them when The Ultra Runner Guys were interviewed on their podcast and had posted about it.

I immediately knew I wanted to bring them on the podcast and talk ultra with them and allow them to share some knowledge with the listeners. This podcast went way different than most and we just had a lot of back and forth conversation about ultra running and our experiences and what has worked and what hasn't. There wasn't really a real agenda for me when talking to them. I should have used my own ultra running experiences to prepare for this one. Did I prep as well as I should have? no. Did I ask all the questions that I wanted to? no. Did I let them share and expand on things as much as I would have liked? no. But that is okay, we all learn as we go. 

In this episode we talk about a lot of different aspects of ultra running, from things that have worked to things that haven't worked: hydration, gear, race prep, nutrition. Jacob and Melody both share some aspects of their training they did together from the 50-mile variety all the way to the 40 hour - 100 mile grind they did self-supported on Pioneer Day in the July heat.  

Melody shares some of her struggles she has had with her initial quest to qualify for Boston and what has changed and there is a major twist with this one, so make sure to pay attention. Both Jacob and Melody share tidbits on how they stay motivated and inspired to continue doing these distances and what they plan on doing in the future.

 

You can follow their podcast on https://www.instagram.com/trailto100

or on Melody's page https://www.instagram.com/thepinetreerunner

I am starting something new this month and am going to be releasing a series of episodes for beginners who are wanting to run ultras and sharing important tidbits of information to take into consideration before taking on the big task of running the big distances.

In episode 1 of "So you want to run an ultra?" the Scarecrow Runner shares several tips and recommendations for someone wanting to run an ultra-marathon for the first time.

When you decide to run an ultra-marathon there are a lot of things to consider:

Overview of what distances are generally considered ultra-marathons

Where are you at currently in your base mileage and current load

What ultra distance are you wanting to run and review of basic training calendar expectations

Are you wanting to run road races or trail races?

Selecting the proper type of training plan and consideration of a running coach

Strength and mobility 

Finding the right race to run and what to consider

Follow the scarecrow runner:

on Instagram at Scarecrow Runner

For training plans and also to find some running coaches - Training Peaks

A great place to find ultra races - Ultra Signup

My running coach: Lauren Beihofer -Lauren_runswild

Her coaching and training business -  Misfit Mountain Athletics coaching

This week I sit down and visit with Justin Smith from central Oklahoma. Justin jumped into the ultra-running scene in 2019 after grappling in MMA for several years prior. He has run a slew of hundred milers with 11 finished races and 4 DNF's. Justin also has a passion to share his experiences in the races through his YouTube channel "Run Trails Eat Bacon". We have a fun conversation digging into what drives Justin to compete in hundred milers and why he decided to start running these long distances. Justin outlines his highs and lows and the things he has learned over the last 4 years running ultra-marathons.

I hope you will enjoy the conversation we have and will continue to follow along in the journey as I bring on different guests who have learned to overcome adversity.

 

----more----

 

“A free way to support the podcast is by leaving it a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’s a chance to tell us what you love about the show and it helps others discover it, too.” 

 

Check out the Scarecrow Runner in other locations

Instagram: scarecrowrunner

YouTube: @thescarecrowrunner

This is the 3-year celebration episode of the Scarecrow Runner podcast and where things have come since that week before the Pandemic changed our lives forever. I hope you will follow along with this journey as I venture through this ultra-marathon called life.

When Shannon Mick started running it was doing a bunch of 5Ks for several years. A few years later she graduated to the marathon distance where over-crowded corrals, pushy runners and the whole road aspect just left a sour taste in her mouth. In fact, she hated a lot about it and was left unsatisfied.

It wasn't until a rough day when she was home alone where she turned on the tv to decompress and her life was altered. Staring at the screen in front of her was a Badwater 135 documentary and it triggered something deep inside.Shannon was hooked immediately by the intense and grueling race that played out in front of her.

What happened next was simply unimaginable. Shannon literally did a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde transformation and threw road races to the curb and embraced nature and the trails. She soon became obsessed with the 50 mile distance and has not looked back. In fact, she has even dragged her husband along for the run to fuel the competitiveness between each other and spend more time together.

Through this episode with Shannon Mick, a national certified counselor and licensed professional counselor from Pennsylvania, I learn a lot about her passion of trail running and what fuels her to keep going when she faces adversity head on. We also dive into the basics of survival that an ultra- runner needs when running these long distances: training, hydration, mental toughness and desire to keep going.

I hope you will enjoy this episode as much as I did. I hope you will follow her on social media or YouTube if you have not already. @instagram -be.short.run.ultra - YouTube - @shannonbeshortrunultra 

See you down the trail,

The Scarecrow Runner