Charles Steele, a speaker on the panel, has completed 63 ultramarathons as well as a handful of triathlons.
Courtesy | Charles Steele
Aspiring ultramarathon runners and long-distance bikers should develop training routines and good nutrition habits to prepare their bodies for the extreme sports, according to panelists at a talk hosted by the Outdoor Adventures Club Nov. 13.
Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele, Chairwoman and Associate Professor of Chemistry Courtney Meyet, running coach Loretta Tobolske-Horn, and graduate student Turner Korotzer spoke on their experiences and gave advice for students interested in extreme sports.
According to Anna Coln, president of the Outdoor Adventures Club, the club’s goal is to show students the benefits of these activities.
“The Outdoor Adventure Club provides opportunities for students to explore and enjoy the outdoors while building community with other students and developing character through physical challenge,” Coln said. “This semester, our events focus on giving students opportunities to explore the outdoors in ways they have not previously experienced.”
Steele has completed 63 ultramarathons as well as a handful of triathlons. Any race longer than the traditional 26.2 miles qualifies as an ultramarathon.
He said he was first drawn to running in high school after reading a book on outdoor activities, which eventually led to him running an ultramarathon before ever running a marathon.
“I think that’s what got me through graduate school,” Steele said. “Because I learned that it doesn’t matter how tired you are — you just keep going.”
Meyet has completed numerous Ironman races, triathlons, and competed in the World Cycling Championship. After graduate school, Meyet said she was struggling with high cholesterol and blood pressure, so she began walking. Soon she began running, then cycling, and in October, she competed in the World Cycling Championship in Belgium.
“I couldn’t even run a lap around the track without having to walk,” Meyet said. “But you see somebody doing a longer distance and you think, ‘Oh I can try that,’ and you keep going longer and longer, and before you know it, you are one of those crazy people doing those ultra-distances.”
Tobolske-Horn coaches ultramarathon runners, and has competed in many 24-hour races and ultramarathons. Tobolske-Horn said she began running after reading a book on running, leading to her first marathon, and just like the other panelists, she never stopped.
“I ran my first marathon when my kids were in high school, and they supported me and watched me run, and as I crossed the finish line, I thought to myself, ‘Well, how much farther can I go?’”Tobolske-Horn said. “So from there, it just spiraled into ultras.”
In July, Korotzer ran his first ultramarathon — the Beaverhead Endurance run, a 55-kilometer race that traverses mountains in Idaho and Montana, according to the race’s website. Korotzer said he began running because of his love for the outdoors, his admiration for those who completed hard tasks, and his desire to join them.
“I just thought it would be one of those things that I should see if I could do it,” he said. “It was a big question if I could, but it turns out I can. So that’s why I did it.”
Steele told students to focus on balancing training intensity to complete ultramarathons, while emphasizing strength training, stretching, and recovery to maintain your body over long distances.
Meyet encouraged students to work with a coach to develop a structured training plan that balances speed work, endurance, and ample recovery, as overtraining can lead to serious setbacks.
Tobolske-Horn recommended incorporating specific strength and mobility training tailored to the demands of your target race, as well as listening closely to your body to adjust your training plan as needed.
Korotzer said to run ultramarathons, one must make sure to prioritize strengthening smaller stabilizer muscles through exercises like single-leg work, as neglecting this can lead to issues during the latter stages of a race.
Junior Nathaniel Osborne said he enjoyed the talk and said he learned a lot about training tips and methods from the panelists.
“I learned about the training — like other forms of running, the training becomes more race-oriented throughout the season, but in this case, that means increasing distance and decreasing the intensity of your workout as you get closer to race day, which really is the reverse of what you do in shorter events,” Osborne said.