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This Month's Magazine
Going the Distance
Written by: David Vranicar
Posted: Monday, 05 May 2008
Page 2 of 2
Talking to Endurance Athletes
Ryan Padilla is a native Coloradan who’s been getting into more endurance racing. At press time, he was headed to the Boston Marathon. He’s also done several 24-hour events.
Why He Races: “Above all it’s personal satisfaction: having that challenge, whether it’s competing for 24 hours or running a marathon, setting a goal and then accomplishing that.”
Training: “I would say what helps me prepare for those longer competitions is to try to stimulate your system going up to the race. Of course you want to do some longer runs or get out on the bike for an extended period, but also experiment with your nutrition. A lot of it is making sure you stay properly hydrated and consume enough calories.”
Nutrition: “I try to eat pretty healthy all the time, but particularly if I’m gearing up for a big competition, a couple weeks before the race I’ll pay careful attention to my eating habits making sure that I’m getting in a lots of carbohydrates and proteins. A lot of endurance athletes tend to have a sweet, which is fine, but I think leading up to a race it’s probably better to reach for a banana than that piece of chocolate.“
Jari Kirkland lives in Crested Butte and has competed in an array of endurance events including Primal Quest.
Why She Races: “I keep doing these long races because each one is an adventure and a challenge. It’s really satisfying to say, ‘I’m going to go do this, and I’m going to finish, and it’s going to be a different challenge than before.’”
Her First Race: “I didn’t have any idea how to take care of my feet, and my first adventure race was six days long. I had about 28 blisters—that was kind of painful. But you have to believe that you can do it. A lot of people get into a situation where they don’t know if they can, but if you really feel like you can do it and you can you finish, then you probably will.”
Nutrition: “You just have to carry enough water. Things happen where you might think you’re going to go out for 6-hour leg, so you take 6 hours worth of water and then it turns into an 8-hour hike. You really have to decide to take care of yourself and do what’s necessary. Spend an extra 10 minutes in transition if you have to.”
Several years ago, Jennifer Krebs was in a real endurance state of mind: she rode 23 centuries and double centuries in one summer. She’s also ridden the Race Across America solo. So what keeps this endurance athlete going?
Why She Races: “I honestly am not quite sure what makes some of us crazy enough to do this. I just don’t know. It makes no sense to most of the population. I’m not quite sure when I crossed over into this ultra-crazy land. I remember looking at those athletes and thinking, ‘Wow, you’re wack jobs.’”
Training: “The training for an endurance event is more time-based as opposed to interval training. To be successful in any race that you’re going to do, you have to go out and train for it the way that you’re going to race it. It’s a lot more steady, less accelerating, saying, ‘I can ride this pace for the next three days.’ It’s nothing you can cheat on. You just have to put in the time.
“I never thought I’d do this but now, I ride with mp3s or iPods. If I want to keep the same mindset, a good mindset, I will play the same song over and over again for hours. If I have my mp3 on really loud, then I can’t hear any of my own thoughts, I can’t hear myself saying, ‘This is really painful’ or ‘I am really hurting.’”
Nutrition: “A lot of people fall into the myth of calories out, calories in. But your body can assimilate so many calories. You probably should only be consuming no more than 200-300 calories an hour.”
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