You can’t run like you used to.

So you reluctantly seek out flatter races with generous cutoffs…and complain.

“Getting old sucks,” you tell people, and they agree right back because it’s the truth.

Race day is almost here and you’re on edge.

You’ve trained hard for this one and expect the finish you want.

But still, you have doubts.

How do you break a cycle of inconsistency?

Where you’re missing runs and it bothers you enough to finally get out there for a solid week or two of running but you lose focus, miss a day or two…and find yourself back missing runs.

Where you just can’t get out the door and the more runs you skip, the harder it is to get out there.

You’ve seen so many other runners talk about the amazing year they just had.

You want one too.

Not a big race in the ‘same old’ kind of year - a big year.

If an expert could give you a custom, personalized improvement plan built specifically for you that was 100% guaranteed to improve your ultrarunning, wouldn’t you want that?

Of course you would.

And you can absolutely get that - right now.

The race you want is such a crazy reach it’s going to take a miracle.

Maybe it’s a finish after a couple of DNFs.

A tough race you couldn’t train for.

You click the final button and sign up for an ultra, lean back, and imagine yourself running it the way you dream you can.

You feel every stride - strong over this rock and that, flying up every hill and gliding through every mile.

You want to accomplish something amazing you’re proud of.

“I never took miracles off the table.”

One of my fabulous clients recently said this in a session and it took my breath away.

Because it means miracles are always on the table, unless you take them off.

A last-minute race change can be the best thing that could have happened…no matter what it is.

The pandemic introduced epic race changes and cancellations to our sport, and while races have returned to normal, last-minute changes seem to be sticking around.

This year, three of my 100s made last-minute course changes…

Last weekend, I was running a 100-mile race and did something I’ve never done before - I dropped down to the 50-mile option.

It wasn’t what I showed up to do.

It got me wondering - what happens when you don’t feel good about your race?

Strategy makes getting to the finish line simple.

Even a little makes a difference.

In an ultra, your most basic goal is to get to the finish line…ahead of cutoff time.

Distance matters but time matters too. You don’t get an official finish if you get there after cutoff, so the faster you go, the better and the less stressful it is.

At 71 miles in the dark at Javelina 100, I came down the rocky hill into the Jackass Junction aid station feeling uncharacteristically a mess.

My body felt like lead all day and was grinding to a halt, and I was only 30 minutes ahead of cutoff.

I know what to do to reset and get back on course and decided to invest a moment in sitting down to stretch my back before moving on.

Imagine yourself at night in your first 100-mile race, standing in the 63-mile aid station.

You’ve dropped off your favorite pacer and your crew has helped you eat, drink, and fill your bottles.

You’re ready to head out on the next section and the clock is ticking.

Imagine you’re in race like Javelina 100 that’s five loops and you’re starting your fourth.

The most grueling loop.

The first two loops are easy. The third, halfway loop feels worth celebrating, and last loop is the icing on the cake you’ve been working for months to build.

For the past four years, I’ve run No Business 100 in mid-October and Javelina 100 at the end of the month.

So I didn’t think twice about registering for both.

Until the moment three short weeks before No Business I realized this year, they’re on back-to-back weekends.

Panic…

How do you survive the boredom of a multi-loop race?

You’ll be running around the the same circle over and over again for hours looking at the same things. It’s going to be hard and you’re going to feel like you aren’t getting anywhere.

And every lap, you’re near your car so it’s easy to drop.

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 your upcoming race, you’re determined to avoid mistakes that would jeopardize your finish, especially ‘stupid’ ones.

Going out too fast is at the top of that list.

It’s the most basic, common piece of ultra advice given. Everybody knows not to do it…and yet you do.

“I’m doing a 100 this weekend with no pacers and have been excited about the challenge but am now getting nervous, specifically about the nighttime hours when my mood will shift - any tips?”

Pacers do a lot, starting with the obvious - setting pace. They monitor your pace compared to your goal or cutoff and let you know if you need to speed up.

And if they’re magic, they keep you going…fast enough.