Superior 50k and Ouray 100 Training
As I sat down to write this post a phrase came to me and I’ll share it with you here.
Do the thing that is right in front of you. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever in my 14 year ultra-marathon running career, have I been this disciplined in my training. If you're interested in hearing more about it, I'll tell my story here. It started late January with Jamie Blumentritt at Physical Therapy on the Run. Then, around the first of March I started working with Aaron Boike at Performance Running Gym and that's where I'm at now. I went to Jamie first because I had an injury on my right knee. I'm not exactly sure what it was but I finally figured it out after a week or so and had the chiropractor pop my dislocated knee back in place. Then, it took a day or two for the ligaments and tendons to settle down before I was able to get some trigger point work done and feel as good as new. Jamie is a Physical Therapist and she had me doing two workouts most days with Thursdays off. I did lots of band and core exercises, some of which I still use now. When I was working with Jamie I was doing a fair amount of climbing outside which I enjoyed. We had a pretty mild winter here in Minnesota and the weather was comfortable much of the time. The goal was to get back to running and establish a good foundation when I transitioned over to working with Aaron. Aaron Boike was on the podcast recently talking about his Ouray 100 finish back in 2021. He's the only guy I know that has both coached a runner to finish and finished the Ouray 100 himself. Check out the episode HERE.
Training has been going well. I need to do more strength training as I know it will be very beneficial for climbing at Superior and Ouray. Once I put those programs together I’ll share them here. If you want to become a run coaching client, we’ll put together programs that fit just right for your upcoming race.
​ Right now I’m spending between seven and eight hours per week on the run side of training. As I mentioned before, I haven’t been doing much strength training. That is about to change and will add an additional hour and twenty minutes or so per week focused on strength training. I’m not sure exactly where that will fit but I’ll create one workout and do it twice per week with progression.
I’ve been listening to lots of podcasts lately and The Huberman Lab has been a favorite of mine. The most recent episode I listened to is with Dr. Cal Newport about focus and productivity.
​I also just listened to a good one with Dr. Daniel Amen on Rich Roll’s podcast. ​ I love talking about this stuff so if you see me, let me know what you’re up to and how I can contribute to your growth.
If you’re interested in supporting my trip to Ouray financially, I'll be missing three weeks of work, buying gear, lodging, etc, please reach out to me. I’d love to have you come in alongside and help make this crazy adventure a reality!
​ Do the thing that is right in front of you. NewsletterSignup for news and special offers! Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
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An Athlete's Diary
In July, 2024 I will be attempting one of the most difficult 100 mile races on the planet, the Ouray 100 Mile Endurance Run. One of my favorite things about competing in ultramarathons is the process of sharing my journey with people. Hopefully it can inspire some and might just make for a good story. This one will last until probably August 2024 and will be shared HERE, at Coach Jon's personal brand page on Facebook. As a professional coach my mental toughness and ability to respond in real time comes from my experience on the trail. Here is my ultramarathon experience:
I've got two more scheduled for spring/summer 2024. They are my 10th Superior 50k and the Ouray 100. If you are interested in becoming a client, please email me at jon@relentlesscourage.co, Subject: RUN COACHING to set up an initial call. Follow along my journey HERE. Aaron Boike Ouray 100
In today's episode I had the pleasure of talking with Aaron Boike about his 2021 Ouray 100 Endurance Run finish.
We talk about many things including Aaron's key takeaways from his 2021 finish, details of the course, mindset, technique, foot care and a whole lot more. The Ouray 100 is a one hundred mile endurance run in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. With almost 84,000 feet of elevation change at an average elevation over 10,200 feet, it is regarded by many as the most difficult 100 miler in the world. Aaron is the only person I know that has both finished the Ouray 100 and coached someone to a finish. I look forward to Aaron helping get me to the start line prepared to be one of the few Minnesotans to finish the Ouray 100. ​ Aaron is the owner of Performance Running Gym in St. Louis Park. www.performancerungym.com/ The blog post Aaron wrote about his event is linked here: trainerontherun.blogspot.com/2021/08/ou…ience.html NewsletterSignup for news and special offers! Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Congratulations Megan! - A Running Review
Congratulations to my run coaching client Megan on finishing the Charlotte Marathon just five weeks after Twin Cities was cancelled. You were consistent in your training and battled hard all the way through. It was great working with you. You did it!
"I initially sought out Jon as a coach because I trusted his expertise and wanted to train for and complete a marathon without injuring myself. My experience with Coach Jon was beneficial for several additional reasons I had not anticipated. First, Jon provided accountability. Checking in weekly and knowing I would send him each of my training run results got me out the door on days when I might have given myself a pass to skip it. Second, you don't know what you don't know. A good coach shows you your blind spots and teaches you what you need to know. For example, Jon taught me how and when to foam roll and how to run downhill, which helped me to avoid injury; I never would have considered these skills on my own. Third, coaching gives you customization. An app can give you a plan but it can't tell you how to adjust your runs with that trip coming up or when you are not feeling well. An app definitely could not have recalibrated a training plan when the marathon was canceled and I signed up for another one 5 weeks later. Jon did that. Perhaps most importantly, Coach Jon kept the faith when my self-confidence waivered. I believed him when he believed in me, and you need that when running hundreds of miles over a few months. It is important to show up to the starting line with the confidence that you are properly trained for the event. The confidence and knowledge that Coach Jon provided helped get me to the finish line."
If you're looking to set some goals or have one you'd like help reaching, please reach out. Head over to the scheduling page and set up a "30 minute client check in". That way we can talk about what it is you're looking for and maybe get started with some coaching. Your first session is free. After that standard coaching rates apply.
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Whether you’re a company of one or a company of 1,000 it doesn’t really matter. I can help provide wellness solutions that bring about engagement and build culture. How do I know? Because I’ve done it before!
​ Some of you may know that I do have unique experience in corporate wellness as I helped build a program from 2013 to 2017 from scratch at one business in Edina, MN. We did all sorts of cool things including exercise classes, health coaching, different challenges, newsletters, a wellness committee and even a healthy snack program. I’m not suggesting that’s what would fit your business but maybe some of it would. My business is in a season of growth and I’d love for you to be a part of it. If you or someone you know is at all interested in implementing a corporate wellbeing program, let me know or connect them to me and we’ll get the conversation started. I hope y’all have a fantastic day and, until next time, live with relentless courage. Jon NewsletterSignup for news and special offers! Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. "It's not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy." ~ unknown Gratitude
Have you ever had something weigh on your mind and no matter what you do you can't seem to make it go away? Sometimes you wish it would turn out differently or you had more control of the situation. Maybe it seems like it's just not fair. So much so that you fail to see the blessings and the potential good in it all.
If not, great! If you have, then you know, it can be very frustrating. That's where gratitude can be helpful.
Gratitude can:
Simple ways to be grateful:
You know that situation we talked about at the beginning? What if, instead of getting caught up in all that you can't control, you were to look at the potential benefits and practice gratitude.
​Happy Thanksgiving! NewsletterSignup for news and special offers! Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Basketball Training and Eating Less Chocolate ChipsThere is a connection and it might help you in your life. We can create opportunities for ourselves if we're intentional about how we structure our environment. Let me explain. Micah Lancaster is an elite basketball skills trainer who has worked with some of the biggest names in basketball. This past summer my daughter had the chance to attend one if his two day camps, which was set up by Midwest Basketball Training. During the camp, one of the main things Micah talked about in his work with the best basketball players in the world, is to take small steps. He talked about taking small steps to provide the opportunity to change direction and adjust to the situation. It allows us to keep our feet under our center of mass. When athletes do that, they have more decisions to make because their feet touch the ground more frequently. It puts them in a position of power over what they'll do next. This idea transcends basketball into many sports but Micah said it most memorably for me. How does this relate to eating less chocolate chips? Let me explain. One of my favorite snacks is greek yogurt and chocolate chips. I like the crunch of the chocolate chips, the flavor of the chocolate and the yogurt provides some protein and probiotic. The amount of yogurt has stayed the same but the amount of chocolate chips has steadily grown over time. This is where it gets good and where it might help you in your life. I analyzed the environment and got clearer on my goal to reduce the amount of chocolate chips I was eating. Then, my attention was brought to the size of the serving scoop in the chocolate chip container. I realized it was much bigger than it needed to be. So, I grabbed a small tablespoon and put it in the container instead. Of course I needed to try out my new process with a bowl of yogurt and chocolate chips. And that is why I chose to share it with you today. It worked! My goal is to eat less chocolate chips with my yogurt. By simply making the size of the serving utensil itself smaller, I created more opportunity to change direction and adjust to the situation. I'm confident this small change will help me eat less chocolate chips with my yogurt. Coaching is what I do. This is a perfect example of the types of things clients realize when they work with me. If you've got a goal or need help coming up with one, there are a couple of coaching spots available on my calendar. Email me at jon@relentlesscourage.co with an idea of what you'd be looking for and we'll set up a time to chat and see if it's a good fit.
Superior Trail Races (fall) Week Recap"I've ridden in fear, although I was afraid, every single time." - Zack Bryan I heard a poem the other day while I was in the car with my daughter. Zach Bryan came out with a new album recently and there is a quote in his poem Fear and Fridays that resonated with me and I would imagine a lot of other people too. "I've ridden in fear, although I was afraid, every single time." - Zack Bryan I don't hear him talking about fear or being afraid so much as I hear what he's done and I believe plans to continue doing. "I've ridden in fear, although I was afraid, every single time." That's courage and every single time is relentless courage. FlooringI grew up watching my Dad work on the house. He still has about ten projects going at any one time. So, I enjoy putting things together. In a gap between jobs here I took on a job installing laminate flooring. It's one of the skills I do have having installed five floors in the last two houses we've lived in. Here are a few pictures. Superior Trail Races 2023 (fall)This year was different in the sense that I hadn't planned on running any Superior fall event for the first time since 2013. The last two years I was unable to run the marathon due to illness. (covid in 2021 and a bad head cold in 2022) This year it was all about volunteering and pouring into the race that has given me so much. I invited a friend of mine, Josh to join me and we had a great time running trails and giving back! We put in 11 miles on Thursday afternoon and were set to put in a little over seven when a mile in on Friday morning I got caught running a bit tall and "pop" went my right ankle. I ended up with a high ankle sprain and will take a short break from the trails, not too long though, even if it's just hiking. Thank you to Paul Broman at Broman Chiropractic in Maple Grove for keeping me on me feet and knowing just what my body needs to keep that healing process moving along. SKOLAfter heading back to Minneapolis on Saturday, Katie and I took in the Vikings home opener against the Bucs. Katie won tickets on Instagram through Scheels and invited me to go. Thanks Katie! The Vikes lost the game but it was a fun day. I rented one of those scooters you can get downtown now and it was a great way to stay off my ankle. Employee Wellness Management ServicesTuesday I started a new job with Trustmark/Healthfitness working corporate wellness at Boston Scientific in Minnetonka, MN. It's a perfect part time gig that fits right into my professional wheelhouse, employee wellness. I do have time to take on a client or two in addition to my hours at BSCI. If you are interested in a getting a proposal, let's set up some time to talk through what a program could look like at your business. Some of my work is done digital and some is done in person. Creativity is something I'm good at and I'm always concerned with how it contributes to helping my clients grow. Visit the "employee wellness" page and reach out. Wrap-upIt has been quite a couple of weeks around here. I'm just getting warmed up. We've all got things happening. Hopefully, if nothing else, my story can inspire you and encourage you to keep moving, keep growing. "I've ridden in fear although,I was afraid ,every single time." - Zack Bryan If you missed my last blog post with my Pikes Peak 50 Mile reels. Here is a link to that post. I tried to tell my Pikes story through short videos from the course.
Here are a few reels I put together from the Pikes Peak 50 Mile Endurance Run. Click the image to view the reel.
NewsletterSignup for news and special offers! Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Pikes Peak 50 Mile Endurance Run RecapOn Saturday July 29, I completed the Pikes Peak 50 Mile Endurance Run in fourteen hours, fifty minutes and fifty-four seconds. I was forced to solve problems I'd never encountered before in more than twenty-five previous ultra finishes. Here is the story as I remember it... Leading Up To The EventFirst we needed to get to Castle Rock, CO and we did it over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. Husker Inn is a cool spot in North Platte if you're ever out that way and need a place to stay. We got there Wednesday and stayed with an old friend and his family. If you knew me in college, Josh and I were pretty much always together so it was nice to catch up. It had been more than a decade since we'd seen each other. Thursday Caden and I rolled out of bed and headed for Colorado Springs to scope out the aid stations that Caden would be able to meet me at. He hadn't driven in the mountains so it was good to just get that out of the way before the day of the event. We were also able to hop in a mountain stream too which was refreshing. Friday was pretty chill. We went to the neighborhood pool for awhile, got everything prepped for Saturday and sat around and talked. It was the perfect day before an event day. Saturday morning we were up at 3:38am in order to get out the door by 4:00 for packet pickup at 5:00 and event start at 5:30. I didn't even have my hydration vest snapped up yet when the gun sounded and we were off. Bear Creek Regional Park to Lower Captain Jacks Aid Station (Mile 0-7.5)Having done the 30k event here in 2019 during a long family road trip I knew what the first couple of sections would be like. We cruised around through Bear Creek Regional Park for a few miles then headed up High Line Drive to Lower Captain Jacks. The road wasn't as steep as I remember and I was actually able to run a bit which I'm thankful for looking back on how things unfolded. Caden met me there and I handed him my sunglasses. I didn't know it at the time but this was the last time I would see him until almost 7:00pm. Lower Captain Jacks to Cheyenne Canyon Aid Station (Mile 7.5-11)This section isn't very memorable to me. I was still fresh, we weren't really in the clouds yet and things were rolling right along. Coming out of Cheyenne Canyon though it was a different story. Cheyenne Canyon to Pipeline Aid Station (Mile 11-16)I asked at Cheyenne Canyon if there was much climbing on the next section just to see what his response would be and he said, "just a little". I would soon find out just how much sarcasm was buried in those words. The next five miles were straight up the mountain. We gained about 2000' in just five miles and I made it to Pipeline at 10000' just four minutes before the aid station cutoff at 10:05 with a bloody nose feeling like my eyes were going to pop out of my head (maybe slightly dramatic). Pipeline to Deer Park Aid Station (Mile 16-23.4)Pipeline is at about 10000' and Deer Park sits at around 11200' but between the two we climbed to 11800'+ and it got a bit tricky. From this point on I'd be chasing cuts all day. It never got quite as close as four minutes but this one I showed up 15 minutes early and needed to address some GI issues that were with me all day above 10000'. Above 10000' feet is where we would spend the next approximately eight hours. Deer Park to Deer Park Aid Station (Mile 23.4-29.9)This little six and a half mile out and back was pretty brutal. I was fighting GI distress the whole time, it seemed to go on forever and there was a climb near the end that really forced me to dig in. Many times during that climb I stopped just to catch my breath. During one of those stops I said to myself, "C'mon, let's go, keep moving, let's go, let's do this." There were many times like this along the way but this was the first time I really needed to pick myself up. There was no cut back to Deer Park but I knew I needed to keep moving fairly quickly in order to make Pipeline again by 4:00. At Deer Park I was talking with the aid station folks and one other runner who was there waiting to move again. His name is Mike. He's 22 from Pennsylvania, just moved two months ago and was attempting his first ultra! Just before leaving I said, and this was as definitive as it could be coming out of my mouth at the time, "I didn't come all the way from Minnesota to stop." It was game on at that point. Deep ThoughtsIn my experience there are different levels of hard. These levels reveal themselves when needed, not before. It's interesting to me. I was talking with my friend on Friday as these moments approached and I kind of knew what I would come up against. What I didn't know is how I would respond. I liken it to coming to almost like mirror moments. We're unable to project anything during these times. They are just too tough and we're too broken down at least initially. What happens is we see ourselves for who we are in the moment. Our true attitude is revealed and there isn't much we can do about it. Once we see who we are, then if we have strategies in place, we can switch gears, if necessary, to become who we want to be. I've seen many of the places and handled them in many different ways. In this case I was thrilled to be in a determined, gritty, positive place that deep down wanted to find out more about what is on the other side of this hard. I was relieved in the moment to have that realization and moved all day with a positive sense of purpose that I would find a way to make it to the end in the allotted time. Deer Park to Pipeline Aid Station (Mile 29.9-34)We had done most of our climbing for the day and most of the time spend above 10000' was coming to an end too so I was optimistic I would be able to move more freely and the GI stuff I had been dealing with all afternoon might subside as we started descending. The cut at Pipeline on the way down was 4:00 and the sweep caught me at about 3:20 with just a half mile to go to the aid station. I got into Pipeline at 3:30 and it was off to Mt. Rosa. Pipeline to Mt. Rosa Aid Station (Mile 34-39)Mt. Rosa was said to the be the highest point on the course. I had been tracking elevation on my Apple Watch up until it died. The highest point I had recorded is 11800'+. They were telling me Mt. Rosa would be at 11500'. They also said the views were amazing and it would be a beautiful day on top of the mountain. The trail up Mt. Rosa is a lot like the Superior Hiking Trail. It's kind of like the south side of Carlton's Peak climb except two miles long from 10000' to 11500'. The up wasn't so bad actually. It usually isn't as long as I can go slow. The down is where the damage is done. The top was as spectacular as advertised. I spent about five minutes up there until I started seeing stars and needed to head back down. Mike was up there and a new friend joined us, Kylah. Kylah is from the Mad Moose Events family, is a decorated high school runner and she was sweeping the course so she followed us down the technical trail to the next aid station, Mt. Rosa. Mt. Rosa to Cheyenne Canyon Aid Station (Mile 39-44)We rolled into the Mt. Rosa aid station and it looked a bit ominous in the sky. I grabbed three oranges, filled my water bottles with Skratch and said, "I'm not going to get any closer to the finish standing here." As it began to rain I took off down the trail. That rain turned into pea size hail and the lightning was all around us. It's monsoon season after all and I had totally come to grips that getting struck by lightning was a very real possibility. I was up for anything at that point. Kylah was still sweeping and we spend a good 45 minutes suffering on down the trail together. At one point we needed to take some cover under one of the pines from the hail. I didn't have a heavy rain coat but I did have a Patagonia shell and I carried four buffs. I was drenched to the bone and it was starting to feel a bit cold so I slopped on the shell. At the same time my head was getting pelted with hail so I took two of my buffs and put them on under my hat and folded them over in there so they would provide some protection. It worked great. Once the rain stopped Kylah and I were moving pretty well and we came upon Mike. He was cruising right along and we rolled into Cheyenne Canyon with about ten minutes to spare. Cheyenne Canyon Aid Station to Finish (Mile 44-50)As we trotted down the road into Cheyenne Canyon a bright rainbow appeared over the mountain. It turned into a double and was quite the sight to see. Caden met me at Cheyenne Canyon and I grabbed my heavier rain coat and gloves. It had gotten cold after the rain and the wind was picking up so it felt really good to have some warmth. It's pretty much straight down High Line Drive after climbing for a mile coming out of the aid station. This is the kind of descent I prepared for doing hill loops at Hyland Hills so I was excited to roll down the trail a bit. We ran the same road on the way down to the finish as we did on the way up and the trail through Bear Creek Regional Park is the same too. The sun was setting and I was alone. Mike was behind me but I didn't know how far. I enjoyed being alone and having a few moments to myself. Deep ThoughtsOften times as events come to a close I find myself not really wanting them to end. It takes a lot to manufacture that amount of discomfort and pain. There is also a lot to learn in times like that. Many of us don't get to choose our hard. In all of us I would imagine there are times when we don't get to choose our hard. The more we experience though the more comfortable we get there and the better we can manage those hard situations in life. This wasn't actually that hard. I hope you enjoyed my recap of the Pikes Peak 50 Mile Ultra! If you've got an event coming up or would like to put one on the calendar, this is what I do and I'd be happy to help coach you to your next finish, no matter what the event! Take a look around the site here and reach out or sign up if you see something you want to pursue.
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