In September 2017, I stepped up to the starting line of the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, alongside my friend Jayson Sime. The race is a 102.9-mile ultramarathon with 20,000 feet of elevation gain, which is no small feat for a couple of guys who don’t know what they’re doing.
Jayson had talked me into it, and if I were to be completely honest, I’d say we were there to test out his life philosophy, which is basically that you can do anything you dream up, as long as you put in the work and refuse to quit. That ethic has worked for him in almost every other area of life, despite growing up in poverty, one of six children with no father, and dyslexia.
In the six months leading up to the race, we figured since we weren’t naturally talented runners, the best thing we could do was work hard. So we ran 50- to 70-mile weeks all summer, and went through a full range of feelings: fear, regret, sadness, FOMO, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, pain and joy. And gluttony, which is not a feeling, but what happens after you run 20 or more miles. The chart below is a representation of a training plan for a 100-mile race (but if you’re really looking to train for a 100-mile race, you should find a real training plan online or in a book).
How did the race go? You can watch our film, How to Run 100 Miles, to find out. No spoilers here.
Want to learn more about trail running? Check out our library of Expert Advice trail running articles and videos.
