Tag: Ultra Marathon

Ultra Marathon, Workout Routines

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): 3 Ways to Mountain-Proof Those Chicken Legs

Here are 3 ways I’ve been training for the mountains in my 60k: 1. Plant-based Nutrition I eat a strictly plant-based diet, because Herbivores don’t get as sore as Omnivores I went to this intense gym class in my twenties. The goal of the class was to torture its victims by taking individual exercises and doing them for entire songs at a time. So if … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): 3 Ways to Mountain-Proof Those Chicken Legs

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Ultra Marathon, Workout Routines

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): The Break-up (I’ll Run When I Want to!)

Dear Training Schedule, You suck. Sincerely, – Nate P.S. I hope you end up in a van down by the river. From now on, I’m going rouge. I’m play my own song, and I’m dance however I want to. That training plan, I burned it up in the garbage can. And yes, it was a plastic garbage bin. And no, it wasn’t a well thought out … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): The Break-up (I’ll Run When I Want to!)

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): I’m Too Afraid to Run With You

Your Strava statistics intimidate me. It took me 4 hours this morning to run 16 miles. According to your profile, you’d be waiting an hour-and-a-half at the finish for me to shuffle in. Are there Facebook groups for runners who take too long to run trails? Maybe a group for IT Band injured runners who hobble down mountains? Can you imagine 30-40 trail runners limping … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): I’m Too Afraid to Run With You

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Putting My Procrastination in a Choke-Hold

I conjure up the strength to take off towards the mountain. It’s been a month since I’ve climbed it; I’ve let procrastination hold me closer to sea level for too long. Every excuse passes before me: But, what about my endurance bag, it won’t be here till tomorrow! And the boys, they’re doing school right now,and they’ll be pissed if I go without them! And … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Putting My Procrastination in a Choke-Hold

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): It’s Hard Running With a Large Family

Having five kids is hard. There, I said it. Often, people are will say things like, “Oh, bless your heart for having all those kids,” and “You’re a better man than me”. Hogwash. Having children, adopted or birthed, doesn’t make anyone a better person or better parent than anybody else. For example, I hated coffee until I was 26-years-old. I tried my first cup o’ … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): It’s Hard Running With a Large Family

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Will They Cancel My Race?

An email from Jenny Baker sat in my inbox. Subject: “The Georgia Jewel”. Here it is. I thought. They’ve cancelled my race. This fear has been in the forefront of my fragile existence for months. My finger hovered over the email. You knew it was coming, right? Everyone else has had their race cancelled. Why wouldn’t yours be the same? I have been in a … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Will They Cancel My Race?

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Endurance Training = Life

Last week, my grandmother died from kidney failure. We were forced to bury her at a graveside only funeral with immediate family. Tonight, I sit in my dark house, typing on my phone with headlamp light for my bluetooth keyboard because the heavens brought their A-game and destroyed dozens of neighborhoods within two miles of our house.  Rewind to yesterday afternoon another blow hit me … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Endurance Training = Life

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Anticipate the Journey

26.2 miles. A full marathon. During my training, I’ve got to run a whole one. It’s a ridiculous distance for my relatively weak mind and legs. And the catch. This huge run is only during training. At the end of the journey, I won’t finish with cheers crossing a fancy finish line, it’ll just be me. Stopping my Garmin watch and limping back up our … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Anticipate the Journey

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Nate Ballew Show, Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Healing IT Band Syndrome

Spoiler Alert: Remember when Mr T. beat the snot out of Rocky, then Rocky trained during an entire song and was able to destroy the old Fool Pittyier? Yeah, it takes longer than one inspirational song to cure an IT Band Injury. I read through my running journals recently and discovered an interesting trend; when I hike a big hill or mountain and then transition … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Healing IT Band Syndrome

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Facing My Tormentor

The monster claws into the side of my right knee cap. Its ability to remain hidden for so many miles astounds me. I almost believed my dance with this devil had came to an end. It must patiently waited for my next journey to the clouds. My first skirmish with the demon took place just after a climb over Patterson hill during a 10 mile … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Facing My Tormentor

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): We Should Write the Book We Want to Read

I practically never buy eBooks for my Kindle e-reader because I’m so cheap. Six months ago, I broke down and purchased a regular priced book. I was using a couch to 5k program with my kids and wanted an inspirational book about running. After reading the description to dozens of books, I felt my fix for digital retail therapy slipping away. I trudged through many … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): We Should Write the Book We Want to Read

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Why I Don’t Eat Meat

“Any idiot can run a marathon, but it takes a special idiot to run an ultra-marathon” Dean Karnazes You should have seen the face on my waiter at the Mexican restaurant, “So, wait? You don’t want any meat?” He paused, bewildered. “That’s right.” I said. “No steak, Nate?” He burrowed harder into his investigation. “That’s right, the vegetarian plate.” He beamed, “So… no chicken?” He … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Why I Don’t Eat Meat

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Nate Ballew Show, Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Why?

A metal bin, fixed to a buried wooden 4×4, marked my first allowable outdoor distance. My grandmother could see the paved driveway from her kitchen as she made lunch for her daily wards (5-15 grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other neighborly passerby’s). “You can go outside, but not past Calvin’s mailbox.” I put in many an hour hovering around the perimeter of that mailbox’s force field. … Continue reading My First Ultra Marathon (Attempt): Why?

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