In this episode of Coaches Corner, Christie Brinker and I officially dive into our training and preparation for the No Business 100 and this isn't your typical training partnership.
We're both coaches. We're both currently self-coaching. And we're both approaching this race from our own perspectives, building our own training plans while constantly comparing notes, talking through what we're doing, and trying to figure out what will actually get us to the finish line.
We've also made the decision to run No Business together without pacers or a crew. But before race day, we had to have a very real conversation:
What happens if one of us can't keep up?
We agreed before ever stepping onto the course that if something happens to one of us, we won't hold the other person back. If one of us needs to stop, drop, change the plan, or is simply having a completely different race, the other person is free to continue.
Because 100 miles is a long way and we wanted all of those cards on the table before things get emotional, exhausting, and very uncomfortable at 3 a.m.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why we chose No Business 100
- How two coaches approach self-coaching their own 100-mile training
- The differences between our training philosophies and what we're each prioritizing
- How we're using treadmill training, vert, strength, stability, and recovery
- Christie's reset following Kettle Moraine 100
- Liz's ongoing comeback and rebuilding after injury
- Why we're choosing to race without pacers or a crew
- Our agreement about what happens if one of us struggles during the race
- The logistics of relying on drop bags instead of a crew
- Heat, hydration, sodium, and technical terrain
- The mental challenges of coaching yourself while also trying to be an athlete
This is going to be an ongoing series as we work our way toward No Business, so you're getting a behind-the-scenes look at two coaches actually applying what they teach. Including the adjustments, doubts, successes, mistakes, and everything we learn along the way.
We don't have all the answers. We're figuring it out just like everyone else. And we're bringing you along for the ride.