How I Trained for 30 Miles and Ran 100

I was trained for 30 miles. I ran 100.

In the three months leading up to Superior 100, I ran a small long run every Friday - 18-20 milers and a 25 miler or two - intending to build up in the last month.

But less than a month before the race, I got my first bout of COVID and took the week off.

In the two weekends left I put in a slow 30 miles and meant to do another 30, but didn’t.

That was it. Time to drive to the race.

I knew what lay ahead - a generous 38-hour cutoff, but on the most technical, difficult course I run.

Superior 100 is regularly underestimated and I wasn’t about to make that mistake. I’d use every tool at my disposal - everything I teach my clients.

If I had only 30% physical, but 100% strategy and 100% mindset, I could finish.

I might as well use this opportunity to test the process.

So I planned my race strategy the same way I teach it and created a do-able plan. It was reassuring to see I could pull it off.

When race day arrived, I felt confident about my strategy for the miles ahead.

We started and I immediately noticed running wasn’t comfortable. No surprise. There probably wouldn’t be any flow in this race but I could still finish and that’s what I wanted. I could endure discomfort for 38 hours, if needed.

I tuned out all but a few chosen distractions. I focused so thoroughly that when a friend asked if I thought she should pass, I couldn’t give a coherent answer (she passed).

By the mile 75 aid station and daylight, my breathing and heart rate had become problems. Thankfully, my friend Lynn was there to pace me.

She said I’d lost my cushion on cutoff and we needed to move. I was having trouble judging pace and asked her to do it. She led and I pushed hard to keep up but my heart rate zoomed and breathing bordered on hyperventilating.

I did my best and at my plea, Lynn graciously paced me one more section, getting me to the last aid station with four hard-earned minutes to spare.

Four minutes. It was frustrating to work that hard and gain nothing but I’d keep going.

We both knew I needed to do the last section on my own.

I had three hours to run 7+ miles. Easy on paper, but the two biggest climbs are in this section.

I ran out of the aid station…and the moment I was out of sight, it started raining and slicked up the course.

Using what I knew of the section, I planned my three hours like I planned the race. A half hour from the bottom of the ridge to the finish line, a half hour across the ridge. That left two hours to get through the climbs.

It was possible…but only if I dug deep.

I could hardly breathe and my heart could only handle so much, but I had plenty left in my legs.

I put all on the line.

It worked. I crossed the finish of my 22nd Superior 100 in 37:46:23 - with 14 minutes to spare.

You might start a race and feel you need every advantage possible to finish.

Not starting won’t work.

Running fast to grab more and more cushion is a great way to run yourself into the ground.

And spending the race stressing about DNFing makes it seem so inevitable, you give in.

What works is knowing how to plan the race you’re trained for.

Knowing how to focus so you get to the finish ahead of cutoff.

Not letting negative thinking talk you out of it.

Being willing to spend the race in your pain cave.

And knowing how to dig deep for what you want when you need to.

This process works.

I used it to finish Superior 100 and the 142 100-mile finishes before it.

It gives you confidence and all the tools - every advantage you need to finish.