Back to the Basics

The basics, that's where I am at right now. In Ultra running, what are the Basics? The basics are any activity that will build a strong, rock solid foundation. In a short distance race, a runner can be forgiven for just about anything. Wrong shoes, bad form, dietary miscalculations can all be forgiven. Not in an Ultra. An Ultra is more than endurance and steely determination. Its about running efficiency, consistency the right form, a strong core and a nutrition plan.

Of course, I'm not even to the point where I have to worry about how many gels I have in my pack or my hydration. I am barely off the coach. At this stage, its about the right equipment, consistency and my form. These are the three biggest building blocks I have to work on at the beginning. Fortunately, starting over gives me an opportunity to fix all the problems with my form that I had the first time I was a runner. Bad running posture, crossing my arms and not breathing right? No problem. I can fix all that.

The equipment is also a cinch, I still have over fifteen pairs of running shoes hid out all over my bedroom, every racing shirt and pair of capris I ever owned. Something told me I would need them one day. I have all my equipment from rain jackets that no longer fit (thank you Nutella) to beanies and racing bras of every stripe. I am prepared.

That just leaves consistency. Oh boy, this is the hard one. After years spent injured and erratic in trying to make a running come back, this is my Achilles heel. How do I convince myself to run several times a week when I know its going to be hard? This is my current training plan, run three times a week, maybe add some walking. Run one long run on the weekend. I know, it doesn't look like much, but I have managed to keep this going for several weeks now, which is a big deal. Now to add some miles.

So that's it, I've gone back to the basics. At this stage, I may add some yoga as a cool down. For me this is the way to build a strong foundation. In the next few weeks I am also going to incorporate weight training and core exercises but first I have to get used to running three times a week.