Daily Routine
The daily routine isn't exactly your typical "routine". For starters, we wake up in a new location every morning (which is a fabulous way to ruin any hint of routine). With that said, the loss of consistency is in fact what our routine has become. I typically start to stir at about 6:30am and our first alarm is set for 7:30am, so I have some time to check the weather on our phone and mentally prepare myself for another thrashing. I am dressed and out of bed somewhere between 7:50am and 8:00 and the first thing on my mind is breakfast (please see "Daily Intake").
Next, I prepare my duffle bag for the day. This bag sits in the truck and acts as a hub for necessities throughout the day. I have access to the trailer for the majority of the day, so I don't need everything for the day ready in advance. My bag carries snacks and electrolyte beverages, a change of clothes (two pairs of socks), arm and leg warmers, my ultra kit (pictures coming soon) and some of our bracelets.
I normally start running somewhere around the 9:00am mark, but that can change due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. replacing a tire).
Lunch is normally just after the halfway mark, but can be later than that if location and timing butt heads. This time can vary considerably because it relies on so many variables.
After lunch a "five'er" (five'er: a lie down session usually between 5 minutes and 1 hour) often takes place. It gives the massive quantities of food from lunch a little time to digest before getting bounced around for another couple hours.
I finish the marathon after lunch and slam some kilocal's and protein immediately before the car ride to our sleeping point.
Next, I prepare my duffle bag for the day. This bag sits in the truck and acts as a hub for necessities throughout the day. I have access to the trailer for the majority of the day, so I don't need everything for the day ready in advance. My bag carries snacks and electrolyte beverages, a change of clothes (two pairs of socks), arm and leg warmers, my ultra kit (pictures coming soon) and some of our bracelets.
I normally start running somewhere around the 9:00am mark, but that can change due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. replacing a tire).
Lunch is normally just after the halfway mark, but can be later than that if location and timing butt heads. This time can vary considerably because it relies on so many variables.
After lunch a "five'er" (five'er: a lie down session usually between 5 minutes and 1 hour) often takes place. It gives the massive quantities of food from lunch a little time to digest before getting bounced around for another couple hours.
I finish the marathon after lunch and slam some kilocal's and protein immediately before the car ride to our sleeping point.
Daily Intake
Okay, so those of you who don't know me very well... I don't follow a damn diet. I am concerned only with getting what I need in and going with the flow. That means that I eat when I am hungry and drink when I am thirsty. I believe that the human body/brain is smarter than we give it credit for. Why on Earth would thirst exist if it wasn't there to get us drinking? Anyways, you can read all kinds of scientific based studies on eating and hunger, and drinking and thirst (blah, blah, blah... it's too late to properly hydrate if you are already thirsty...). But I feel like 60+ successful marathons (so far) gives my thought some credibility, doesn't it?
You folks who write down every minuscule of energy and nutrient intake will hate this! :)
I consume -I don't know how many- calories each day. Like I said, I eat when I'm hungry and I feel healthy... That is what matters to me. Since about Fredericton, NB, I have eaten meat twice. I was having some serious lethargic days and the only thing I could blame it on (other than running a marathon each day) was the high intake of processed meat that I was consuming (i.e. chicken burgers). So, I cut it all out completely and have felt great since. I get my proteins from mixed sources such as; quinoa (which has the full amino acid blend for human protein building), soy products (also has the full amino acid blend) including soy milk, tofu, and faux chicken nuggets for a treat, Builders Bar - by Clif, Larabars, hummus, and a combination of veggie sources.
Breakfast usually consists of cereal with soy milk (sometimes with berries), orange juice, one multivitamin/multimineral by Jamieson, and on special occasions (i.e. every other day, I eat PB and J to wash breakfast down).
Lunch often involves a large layout of hummus, pitas, flatbread, naan bread, lettuce, pickles, cucumber, cheese, broccoli, dip of some kind, carrots, iced tea (the ladies love it), and is washed down with some Pringles. My beverage choice is water or apple juice at this point in the day typically.
Dinner varies... a lot... We eat an assortment of things ranging from fajitas to pasta to quinoa with any combination of veggies and protein sources mixed in.
In terms of electrolyte replenishment and all that jazz... I prefer natural sources, but under these conditions I have been drinking about a litre of E-Load per marathon. Sometimes the Gatorade alternative for a change of taste. With that said, I drink about 4 litres of water on top of this over the course of the marathon (on these hot days) and about 2 litres on the not so hot days.
Snacks = Larabars and Fruit Source Bars!! Better than gels!!!
You folks who write down every minuscule of energy and nutrient intake will hate this! :)
I consume -I don't know how many- calories each day. Like I said, I eat when I'm hungry and I feel healthy... That is what matters to me. Since about Fredericton, NB, I have eaten meat twice. I was having some serious lethargic days and the only thing I could blame it on (other than running a marathon each day) was the high intake of processed meat that I was consuming (i.e. chicken burgers). So, I cut it all out completely and have felt great since. I get my proteins from mixed sources such as; quinoa (which has the full amino acid blend for human protein building), soy products (also has the full amino acid blend) including soy milk, tofu, and faux chicken nuggets for a treat, Builders Bar - by Clif, Larabars, hummus, and a combination of veggie sources.
Breakfast usually consists of cereal with soy milk (sometimes with berries), orange juice, one multivitamin/multimineral by Jamieson, and on special occasions (i.e. every other day, I eat PB and J to wash breakfast down).
Lunch often involves a large layout of hummus, pitas, flatbread, naan bread, lettuce, pickles, cucumber, cheese, broccoli, dip of some kind, carrots, iced tea (the ladies love it), and is washed down with some Pringles. My beverage choice is water or apple juice at this point in the day typically.
Dinner varies... a lot... We eat an assortment of things ranging from fajitas to pasta to quinoa with any combination of veggies and protein sources mixed in.
In terms of electrolyte replenishment and all that jazz... I prefer natural sources, but under these conditions I have been drinking about a litre of E-Load per marathon. Sometimes the Gatorade alternative for a change of taste. With that said, I drink about 4 litres of water on top of this over the course of the marathon (on these hot days) and about 2 litres on the not so hot days.
Snacks = Larabars and Fruit Source Bars!! Better than gels!!!
What I Run On
- Soft shoulders which are NOT soft!!
- Hard as sin, asphalt.
- Grass, when available.
- Sidewalks, when nothing else is available. Sidewalks = destruction of body
- Hard as sin, asphalt.
- Grass, when available.
- Sidewalks, when nothing else is available. Sidewalks = destruction of body
What I Run In
I run in the Lunar Glide+ 2 by Nike. Freakin' unbelievable shoe!! The 3rd generation of the Lunar Glide+ series was just released, so I will give those a go soon and maybe have to update this. I ran in the first generation and the transition to the second was seamless.
This fantastic piece of footwear uses a new method of medial support. Rather than your typical medial post consisting of a higher-density foam, the Lunar Glide+ 2 has a midsole that is home to a long wedge of Lunarlon foam that tapers off towards the lateral side of the shoe. This wedge is not a higher density, but is actually a softer and lighter foam that has an incredible rebound time. They also boast a seamless toebox and Flywire to maintain structural integrity for the full lifespan without adding weight. On the barefoot note... Now before you self-proclaimed shoe and foot experts jump down my throat for not hopping on the "barefoot" bandwagon, hear me out. From time to time I throw on the good ol' Nike Free's and do a few km's and they are my go-to shoes for errands and general walking around. Now, this is the way that I see it and you must accept it as my opinion and take it or leave it... In order to run barefoot (in my opinion), you must be barefoot. ---That my friends, is a difficult point to argue, because I have reality on my side.--- The close alternatives, these "barefoot shoes", do not allow the foot to move as naturally as some would like to think they do. Anything that wraps around the foot and stays on while running, will in some way, interrupt the natural movement. Further to this, you have to be mad to run barefoot through a concrete jungle such as the modern city. With that said, the barefoot concept is reasonable enough in some capacity, so I choose the Free's because they offer a very close representation (the closest that I have encountered) of natural movement with a fluid-like midsole, while providing cushioning so that if I happen to encounter concrete or asphalt while wearing them, I won't demo myself. No, I will not agree with the Vibram supporters because they "look" like your feet. They are actually more firm than the Free's, which in turn allows less natural movement!! If I wanted my shoes to look like my feet, I would develop some callouses and stop washing them. If you want to run barefoot, run in the woods... AWAY from unnatural surfaces. Run wild and don't look back. In closing this hot-topic, I believe in my natural pronation to do it's job, however, NOT on soft and hard shoulders for just under 9000km's in 8 months... OK? Talk to me after I reach Port Renfrew! |
Stretching... or not
I have never been much of a static stretcher... but I have often enough made use of my foam roller and or the vast array of dynamic stretches that exist.
With that said, I haven't stretched since Newfoundland. I feel better without stretching or anything like that (because I have tried them all out here). End of thread.
With that said, I haven't stretched since Newfoundland. I feel better without stretching or anything like that (because I have tried them all out here). End of thread.
Pacing (Speeding? Hardly.)
How do I pace for a marathon/per day? I don't! Are you seeing a trend yet? I just get out there and go with the flow. I don't use any electronic devices to tell me distance vs. time OR time vs. speed OR speed vs. distance OR elevation vs... you get the point. However, I am not opposed to them, if YOU use them, great. I rely on the odometer in the truck and GPS on the phone to give me accurate marathon distances.
Recently I have been running my pre-lunch half marathons between 2 and 2.5 hours and (the odd sluggish day gets me between 2.5 and 3 hours). My post-lunch half marathons have been running (pun intended) between 2.5 hours and 3 hours (again, sluggish days can result in more). And on the odd day I throw down a 4 hour and feel incredible... with immediate regret. Please consider that these times are estimates because I couldn't care less about time!
Recently I have been running my pre-lunch half marathons between 2 and 2.5 hours and (the odd sluggish day gets me between 2.5 and 3 hours). My post-lunch half marathons have been running (pun intended) between 2.5 hours and 3 hours (again, sluggish days can result in more). And on the odd day I throw down a 4 hour and feel incredible... with immediate regret. Please consider that these times are estimates because I couldn't care less about time!
Injuries
Hmmm...
Day 3 I think it was... I sprained a ligament in my right foot (lateral). Great, 3 marathons in with only 206 to go and I can hardly walk. Well, I hobbled the next couple days and made it to Clarenville, NL where I not-so-happily waited for 7+ hours in emergency to get it checked out. The doctor laughed at the fact that I had just started a cross Canada run and already had an injury. I did not share his humour, if you can imagine. This was the cause of my setback early on.
When I got the go ahead from a friend who is a physio, I gave running a try again and subconsciously modified my gait enough to completely demo my IT band on the same leg. I basically ran a full marathon normally on my left leg and on my met-heads of the right foot... not ok.
The IT band issues lasted a solid couple weeks after that! One day towards the end of Newfoundland, it stopped hurting. Without dwelling, I ALWAYS look back. It is much better to remember the discomfort and learn from your wrongdoings.
Knock on wood, I have not been battling overuse (or any other) injuries since the ITBS cleared up (which was faster than expected based on the circumstances).
Day 3 I think it was... I sprained a ligament in my right foot (lateral). Great, 3 marathons in with only 206 to go and I can hardly walk. Well, I hobbled the next couple days and made it to Clarenville, NL where I not-so-happily waited for 7+ hours in emergency to get it checked out. The doctor laughed at the fact that I had just started a cross Canada run and already had an injury. I did not share his humour, if you can imagine. This was the cause of my setback early on.
When I got the go ahead from a friend who is a physio, I gave running a try again and subconsciously modified my gait enough to completely demo my IT band on the same leg. I basically ran a full marathon normally on my left leg and on my met-heads of the right foot... not ok.
The IT band issues lasted a solid couple weeks after that! One day towards the end of Newfoundland, it stopped hurting. Without dwelling, I ALWAYS look back. It is much better to remember the discomfort and learn from your wrongdoings.
Knock on wood, I have not been battling overuse (or any other) injuries since the ITBS cleared up (which was faster than expected based on the circumstances).
Mind Games
It takes sheer determination to run this much. But there are tricks that keep me going on those rough days.
I ran with music for the first bit, but that started interfering with reality. People shouting questions to me that I couldn't hear, I would run too fast (always), bouncing headphone cords... the list goes on. So I reserve the music "treat" for the odd 4 or 5k segment.
I use the tried and true "pick a point and run to it" technique.
I also use other physical exercisers to psychologically benefit me; meaning that I look at an oncoming cyclist and think to myself, I'm sure they are feeling some stress, so I can definitely continue to feel some more knowing that they are as well... I know it seems like strange logic, but it works.
- On the note of others around me... I chase carrots and that breaks up the day. I have always (since track and XC days) enjoyed chasing people in front of me. When a bike goes by or a runner turns in front of me, etc... I chase them down until I catch them, or my lungs protest with full force, OR my legs realize what is going on and stop working... Here's a video of one such occasion CLICK HERE.
I ran with music for the first bit, but that started interfering with reality. People shouting questions to me that I couldn't hear, I would run too fast (always), bouncing headphone cords... the list goes on. So I reserve the music "treat" for the odd 4 or 5k segment.
I use the tried and true "pick a point and run to it" technique.
I also use other physical exercisers to psychologically benefit me; meaning that I look at an oncoming cyclist and think to myself, I'm sure they are feeling some stress, so I can definitely continue to feel some more knowing that they are as well... I know it seems like strange logic, but it works.
- On the note of others around me... I chase carrots and that breaks up the day. I have always (since track and XC days) enjoyed chasing people in front of me. When a bike goes by or a runner turns in front of me, etc... I chase them down until I catch them, or my lungs protest with full force, OR my legs realize what is going on and stop working... Here's a video of one such occasion CLICK HERE.
How does it feel to run a marathon everyday?
It feels like running a marathon everyday. Surprising eh? If you've ever run one, you will know exactly what I mean...
It hurts; my legs are in a constant state of "trying to heal" and therefore feel like partially butchered meat for the majority of my running time. They definitely loosen up at various times over the course of the day, but every time I stop to check the map or have a longer than 10 second water break, it takes time to loosen them up again.
I feel really tired in the; lower legs (mainly the gastrocnemius), the trapezius because I have and will always run with high arms like a true trail lover and the mind every single day. The less beat-up feeling muscles are the glutes, quads and hammies.
The whole idea behind running a marathon everyday to cross the country is to fight through what seems like an unfair fight everyday with no letting-up. It represents but a fraction of the emotional and physical stresses that cancer can bring upon an individual.
It is not supposed to be easy... so with that said, it is everything that it is supposed to be.
It hurts; my legs are in a constant state of "trying to heal" and therefore feel like partially butchered meat for the majority of my running time. They definitely loosen up at various times over the course of the day, but every time I stop to check the map or have a longer than 10 second water break, it takes time to loosen them up again.
I feel really tired in the; lower legs (mainly the gastrocnemius), the trapezius because I have and will always run with high arms like a true trail lover and the mind every single day. The less beat-up feeling muscles are the glutes, quads and hammies.
The whole idea behind running a marathon everyday to cross the country is to fight through what seems like an unfair fight everyday with no letting-up. It represents but a fraction of the emotional and physical stresses that cancer can bring upon an individual.
It is not supposed to be easy... so with that said, it is everything that it is supposed to be.