BUS 6 Hour Night Crawler - Recap

While this race may not have been my brightest idea, in terms of where I am at in my training; it was most definitely a fun one!

Every time I think of training and running a road 26.2 I reject it. But ask me to do an ultra and apparently I am on board. Even though I am not really trained for one. 

I have been half-assing long running lately. While I do have a few LONG runs in - a 22 and an 18 miler fairly recently - other than that my runs have not been longer than I think 12 miles. 

My goal going into this race was simple, do whatever my body permits. I genuinely have no desire to injure myself and was willing to pull the plug on running if something didn't feel right or I was just shot. Walk if and when necessary, and also chill for a minute or so at the aide station each loop. 

The course itself was about 1.45 miles (love a good loop on a timed ultra) which meant you hit the aide station pretty frequently.

I didn't taper or anything since like I said, no goals and really didn't prep. Taking this seriously folks!

I liked that it was a night race. It began at 4pm and ended at 10pm, so I got a fantastic night of sleep, 10 HOURS, and also could be lazy ahead of time. A nice change of pace.

I got there and was happy to see a lot of familiar faces. This was my 4th event with the Broadway Ultra Society, and you walk up, they know your name, they know your race history and it is just a chill vibe. I debated what to wear - decided on a long sleeve under my team singlet, shorts and calf compression sleeves, and just hydrated a bit more and waited to begin.

I think there were about 50-60 or so participants. It is all very official in the beginning. Richie who runs BUS goes over the rules and the loops, lead us to the official start line and basically said, go! Brings joy to my heart how chill these events are. 

The course was comprised of 2 loops - a lower and an upper. It had one killer incline, which I walked each time, which then was a killer decline on the way back, plus one other pretty good decline. Other than that mostly flat with little bits of elevation. The park itself was nice and only a few miles from home so I am going to plan some long runs around it this spring for sure!

My race strategy was to just go at "all day pace". For me that means maintaining conversational pace and low heart rate. For reference my average heart rate for this was 127 bpm. 

I started running and got in a zone. For me with these timed events I feel like the most mentally challenging part is getting past the first couple hours. When you know you have a timed end vs a distance end, it is ticking down the hours along with miles. 

I felt good. As the miles went on I will say I was waiting for my body to just say no. When I hit a half marathon I was surprised I didn't feel fatigued. But again I was running really slow. From there on out I took it loop by loop. At 16 I started thinking that a marathon was doable. By 20 I knew there was no stopping, that no matter what I would make it to 26.2 even if I walked. 

It had also rained a bit on and off and was starting to get colder and windier - they had soup at the aide station and that was basically my motivation the last 10K to keep moving. 

The scoring volunteers are also your biggest support. Each lap they are routing you on and as I got closer to the marathon they were counting down the laps for me (18 was a marathon).

The last loop I did start to feel some aches and was thankful that I was just about done. I was definitely thinking, is this normal marathon aches or is something hurt, trying to keep myself honest. 

And then, loop 18 was DONE and a marathon was in the bag! In a not too shabby time if I do say so myself. In general this isn't a worst marathon time for me when I have been TRAINED. And I walked. And stopped. And was genuinely running slow. ALMOST tempts me to train to PR a marathon (mine is 4:26) but pretty sure I won't lol. 

I then stopped an got my very looked forward to chicken noodle soup with LOTs of noodles. Oh the salty goodness. I sat and stretched for a little while and then decided I would just walk in the remainder to keep moving for the 6 hours. 

I wound up finishing with a couple more loops for about 29 or so miles. We then headed for a little pizza and awards party after, and were able to warm up a bit. 

I would like to say that there are some AMAZING runners you are in company of in these events. The top male ran 49.5 miles. Let that sink in. A 7:15 or so pace for almost 50 miles. 

The top female I believe had 43 or so miles. So while I totally impressed myself with what I was able to do, there are some very awesome ultra runners out there. 

Two of my new teammates did it as well, running about 38 and 32 miles respectively. 

The aftermath? A solid 8 hours of sleep later and I woke up not feeling too bad. I am going to definitely spend the day not too anything more than some walking since sitting too long will make me stiff but not worse for the wear going beyond what I have done lately. 

What works for me is clearly not any sort of suggestion for what works for others. I am not injury prone, I have maintained a base for years. I literally have not had to "restart" training in several years. I have a great cardio level of fitness - this is not to sound like bragging but the fact that I was able to run for several hours, all at low heart rate, speaks to my current level of fitness. 

I genuinely think that one day I may wind up fully immersed in the ultra world. I think that I am totally made for long and slow running and enjoy it as well as the camaraderie. But I'm not ready to give up on my speed yet, and if I have learned anything it is that for me, when I start to focus on long I sacrifice speed. 

This probably will not be the last time I jump into a distance race without focusing on training for it. 

Dumb Ass Trail Mix Up 30/50K

Well, I still haven't written up my last race, The Falling Leaves Half Marathon...but I am more motivated to write about today's race than reverse back to that at the moment so...it's to come (maybe!). 

This trail race was a combo 30K and 50K. Basically it didn't matter what you signed up for, everyone was to be scored for the 30K and if you went on to 50K well then, yay! 

Leading up to it, I planned on 30K as I haven't run more than 13 miles in a couple of months. 18ish miles was doable but probably challenging and 31 I couldn't imagine reaching where my training is at. I just planned to run and give it what I had. 

Weather was cool, and the ultra atmosphere at the start is very low key, an aspect of these races I really enjoy. There were just over a 100 people registered and I was happy that I knew quite a few people. The community of runners is very small!

The course itself was about 60% trail and 40% pavement. I have to say I actually was not enjoying the pavement portions. The trail was mostly very runnable, but did have a few climbs that would stop you. I was surprised to see my pace dip into the 8's quite a bit. The more loops I did the more confident I was in opening up my stride. Of course plenty of sections and rocks and roots to check you but it was nice to get that rush of speed. 

I felt a lot better than I thought I would. I finished the 30K not really tired nor worse for the wear, and a bit sad that it was over. My hip flexors and hamstrings were a little achy but at that point I was 19 miles in and that is kind of par for the course. 

So with some peer pressure I decided to just go for another lap (they were about 5K or so each, ultra world course measuring is very official, or not lol). 

I spent that lap knowing I was probably reaching mileage territory that I shouldn't. Even though my body was feeling about what it should for the race, I knew I wasn't trained for what I was doing and with some sadness decided I would check myself and not continue with the 3 more laps to the 50K. 

Years of running and racing have taught me well. Just because I CAN do something doesn't mean I should. And I am pretty convinced it is why I don't get injured. Minus Crohn's disease related set backs, I have not been injured. Could I have done 9 more miles? 100% not a doubt in my mind but end of the day best to walk off feeling good and happy with my performance and knowing I can go run some miles tomorrow. 

On another note, I threw in a rookie move that could have backfired and wore new shoes and was lucky that they were amazing! The Saucony Nomad TR. If anyone needs a trail shoe try them. Light weight, 4mm drop, and super comfy. PSA over but had to mention it. 

Overall, just a great day and 10/10 would do it again! 

And I can't wait to return to Alley Pond Park and hit the trails again soon. So happy it is only a couple miles from home. 

BUS Pajama Romp 6 Hour Race

Well a week later seems like a perfect time to do a recap! 

I haven't had a moment to read a blog in the past couple of weeks let alone right my own blog post. I finished my job at Al Jazeera America on 7/15 and then 7/18 headed off to the RNC (I was hired as a freelance production manager) then come home run the race then head off to DNC. So whirlwind is the only description I have for the past few weeks. 

I signed up for this race for more or less one reason: it was in my town. There is not much opportunity for me to have a race so convenient so before I could really think about it, I had registered. 

Then the reality sunk in. I just signed up for a 6 hour race at the end of July. I don't run well in the heat. 

The week before they started sending out the emails - due to it being the hottest predicted day of the year there would be no "place" finishes. They strongly discouraged anyone taking it seriously. They weren't going to call it a fun run but they threatened to strip people of bibs that didn't take the heat and humidity seriously. If you looked like you should be stopped and weren't they were taking away liability. So yay!

Add to this I was running around RNC all week prior and was lucky to have 5 hours of sleep a night - I was SO looking forward to it. 

And hot it was. I had an upset stomach all morning and was concerned for that but honestly I wasn't racing this. I planned to walk when needed and my goal was to finish 26.2. Considering I usually do that in under 4:30 I thought it was a safe bet. 

My sister came to run and we arrived at the race ready to go. One of us taking selfies the other listening for instructions ;) 

The whole race was very laid back. They literally gathered the group (I don't know how many people maybe 150?) gave some instructions then herded us towards the start line. 

My sister is a faster runner than myself but we ran the first few loops together. 

The course was a 1.3 mile loop that you ran until either you were finished running or 6 hours ended. My goal was to just move for 6 hours.

I know some people may find the concept batty but I love loops and especially in the weather was nice to have the aide station every 1.3 miles. No holding water bottles or fuel. I would grab a drink or slice of watermelon etc each lap. 

Eventually though I started to feel over fueled. I stopped sweating a lot and within 2 hours knew I had to slow down. 

The course was also extremely hilly. Up and down. There were barely any straights so lets just say it wasn't easy on the legs. The downfall of the loops was the unevenness which took a toll on the left side of my body. My hamstring and hip were cranky within 3 hours. 

But we got some lovely views (Throgs Neck)

I didn't listen to music once the entire 6 hours. I made friends and everyone just encouraged one another walked and ran laps with new people. 

By 4 hours in I felt really really crappy. There was a lot of walking. I stopped and sat in my chair for a while. Changed shoes and socks. Then my sister found me again and we continued on for a while together. 

The course got so dark. There wasn't much light and it was eerily quiet. Plus, there weren't many people - a lot had dropped off already so very much alone at some points.

Then my sister started to feel like crap. She thought she was going to be sick and I had to go run back to the start then run the loop around to bring here cooling towels and a bottle of water, so I had to hustle my butt off. (tmi coming) she threw up and then felt like a million bucks which was amusing. 

At this point we were at about the 5:30 mark and I looked at my mileage and was determined to at least finish 26.2. So we began running. I felt really good. And was really damn determined. We got to the start area and my team's coach was there (I joined a running team Quicksilver Striders!) and we now were down to 12 minutes until 6 hours - I knew I had to at least get another lap in so I took off. I don't know where it came from but I ran the fastest I had all day. 

See splits here: 10:01, 11:05, 12:36, 10:05, 12:09, 10:54, 12:17, 13:04, 10:29, 12:51, 12:30, 14:37, 10:44, 12:55, 15:06, 14:15, 12:17, 15:25, 18:45, 17:59, 21:03, 23:21, 12:03, 19:13, 11:03, 8:37, 8:47 (!!!) 

And then it was done. 

This may have been the slowest "marathon" I ran but holy hell. Hard. The course was hard, the conditions were awful and I am so happy I did it! 

We quickly forgot how hard and brutal it was and enjoyed a slice of pizza and a beer.

I definitely recommend looking into BUS (Broadway Ultra Society) events. The people were great and it was very well organized. Plus the "ultra" environment is so different than the typical race one. Overall I was happy to make it out in one piece!  

I then enjoyed the most glorious Sunday where I challenged my fitbit to have the least amount of steps that I ever have. 

Due to all the walking I did - recovery was definitely pretty easy but I didn't really run run until Friday. I did a lot of walking at DNC and Tuesday ran a couple miles but it wasn't until Friday that I ran 7 and felt pretty normal. 

Now I have a couple days before I head off to Europe for 3, yes 3 weeks!!!! I still have Philly Marathon which is the ultimate goal and will have to figure out running while away but honestly it is not going to be the focus. Exploring Croatia, Italy and Spain are and am sure I will find the opportunity to run...minus when I am sailing for a week ;) 

Let the Marathoning Begin!

This fall it will be 2 years since my last marathon and after thinking I really had no intention of returning to the distance this year, apparently I will be.. and sooner than later! 

I took the plunge and registered for the Philadelphia Marathon.  After tossing around between that, Indianapolis Monumental and Richmond; I decided that proximity and the late nature of the marathon (read: cold temps pretty much guaranteed) won me over. 

Yup, it is real! 

And because I am a sadistic idiot, I signed up for an ultra marathon in July. 

I am going to use the term ultra very loosely here. I have absolutely no goals. 

Okay, that is a lie. My goal will be to run at least a marathon over those 6 hours, anything over that will be a bonus. 

I couldn't help myself. The race is pretty cool. It is from 5pm - 11pm and over that 6 hours you run as many 1.3 mile loops as you can/want. Bonus it is about a mile from where I live so I felt obliged. I looked at past results and people do anything from 15 - 40+ (lol no just no). 

I have a very solid base already as I have kept up long runs even when not in training. I am ramping up for the race since it is in oh about 5 weeks. I did a very solid and awesome 15 miles this past weekend after 13.5 the one prior. Given it isn't like a true marathon - I assume plenty of stopping, walk etc. I think I will be fine. 

Philly training will continue on after that. I will most likely take a couple down weeks depending on how I feel and reduce the mileage before gearing back up. 

It is all a loose plan really at the moment - and quite frankly I am most likely going to continue this laid back training approach through this cycle. 

I have no lofty goals for the fall marathon. I have never run one being healthy before (read: always dealing with Crohn's even when I didn't know it). So I am hoping the health I have right now continues on to then. 

My PR is 4:26 and I think I am capable of much better, definitely in the low 4's. I have set a goal half marathon for about a month prior to that in a hopeful PR attempt as well. 

I know I have gotten faster and usually after a summer training season more speed develops so excited to see what happens! 

Now here is hoping that I continue to enjoy the long runs as much as I did my 15 miler this weekend (it was amazeballs). 

Have I mentioned just how enjoyable long runs are when you do not pay attention to pace? I embrace going slower than slow and goodness it is so much better. 

PSA: do not be afraid to go slow! I ran this at a 10:45 pace and the next day did a progression run where my last mile was 7:30. 

And that's all for now! 

I'm an ULTRA MARATHONER: Dirty German 50K

This monumental post of achievement is also my blogs 100th post awwww...only fitting.

But on to the real business, in case you missed it that is, it's official folks.

It (only?) took 6 hours and 50 minutes for me to become an "ultra" marathoner.

I cannot stop shouting it from the roof tops.

Sorry, I'm not sorry for blowing up your Facebook and Instagram feeds with this accomplishment. Everyone else was blowing up the feed with drinking all weekend at the beach...high five for that, but I ran 31.07 frickin miles of gloriousness. I win.

Can someone please transport me back to this most perfect and magical day?

Going in, I really had no idea what to expect.

I have run a crap load this season; and well never run trails. And here I was about to undertake 31.07 miles through the woods. Failing to taper (I took Saturday as a rest day finally) and as calm as I can ever remember. I kept waiting for the nerves to set in, but in typical Gianna fashion I was more concerned about if my outfit matched over the details of this race.

For the record it did thank you very much (and I got lots of looks like "is this girl for real?" at the start...hot pink FTW!)

So anyways. The weather was awful in Jersey leading up to the race...luckily Philly wasn't experiencing the same. And as we drove there Saturday night were greeted by beautiful sun and the promise of a great day.

The promise of sun

Always a good sign.

Hello Philadelphia.

In traditional Gianna and Tara fashion, we didn't arrive in Philly until late - 8? maybe and still needed dinner. By the time we stopped at a random restaurant (which I cannot remember the name of but was DELICIOUS) and checked in, it was now really LATE. Shocking.

We pulled together our drop bags, laid out our outfits, did a half ass foam roll (because if I foam roll my calves for a minute they will magically not be tight, right?) and then got in bed.

And still not nervous. Still no feeling of hmmm I am about to run 50K through the trails of Philadelphia setting in maybe I should be concerned?

Our alarms started going off sometime around 6am (8am race start and we were staying 3 miles away) and the two of us just kind of looked at each other like "are we really about to go do this?". Neither moving much.

Eventually though we did get our asses in gear realizing it was about 7:25 and we had to get going to pick up our bibs etc.

Insert...a very different race start. Folks we are not in road runner land anymore.

We basically got our bibs and used the bathroom and then waited for them to yell to begin.

It was that simple. And oh so foreign. And I think the casual atmosphere helped keep nerves at bay. The only time I started to get frazzled was on our way to the start when navigation to parking was giving us issues and it was now 7:40 or so. Other than than, cool as a cucumber.

And with little fanfare, just like that we were dashing across the field and into the woods. It was a surreal experience.

Our only plan of action was to take it slow. Tara needed to make sure she was staying hydrated and I am notorious for going out and bonking so it was pretty good to have her taking walking breaks out of necessity.

Immediately, I was in awe and in love with trail running. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the pure sense of joy and lack of monotony were amazing. Miles started flying off. The only bad thing in the beginning was we both needed a bathroom and had left the TP in our drop bags at the half way point (rookie mistake) so waiting to make it to the bathroom at the 7.5 mile marker was slight torture. BUT once we got to that marker (the course was 2 loops for the 50K) we were happy little runners.

Please be leading to the bathroom...

Oh hello there sugar rush.

We took our time fueled up, hit the bathroom and were HAPPILY off and running. Not even thinking about how far we had gone or how many miles were left to go. None of that was discussed. I can confidently say that the only time I thought about where I was or how many miles in was when I needed the bathroom. Other than that, I was just running happy.

We're running!!!

Ridiculously happy.

Yup. Good luck navigating. Where is the pink flag?!

We made ourselves some friends on the course (shout out to the group that guessed the two of us were under 25 years old. God bless your souls) we weren't paying too much attention to time, pace or anything.

My only issue was that the walking breaks were too frequent for my legs liking and I wanted to go go go and each time we stopped and started my hip would get achy. Other than that it was running perfection.

But before we knew it we were at the half way point! It felt insane how quickly it came (and quick is relative since it was around 3 1/2 hours later...). They jotted down your number and time and we hit up our drop bags for what we needed and the bathroom. I also ran into my friend Jessie's boyfriend (she was running) chatted with him and eventually took off running again.

Ultra Aid Station

Me 15.5 miles in. Feeling amazing. Hair looking sexy as hell.

The one thing to note is the VAST different in an ultra versus road marathon. You spend a few minutes at the aid station, they take your water bottles for you to refill, you snack a little, do a check to make sure you are all set to go before taking off again.

Now I am sure if you are running this competitively you are not taking this much time (as we saw plenty that were not being as leisurely) but in general its more social and EVERYONE is so friendly. I cannot stress that enough.

As we began the second loop it became evident that Tara was going to need to be walking more than myself so after a couple miles, double checked with her and she gave the blessing for me to just go on ahead. I am thankful for her as my running partner and we have this understanding that if you are having the day where you are being held back it is okay to just take off.

Insert a few pictures  not totally relevant at this point because I took so many and how can I not share.

"minor" obstacles

Why have I never run trails before?

My legs just wanted to run. At this point I was all of a sudden running 9 minute miles and we are talking 20 miles into the trails at this point. My legs felt amazingly refreshed.

The course had a lot more hills than I anticipated but that was great because it forced the walking breaks (no way in hell I was exerting myself to run up hills during this - it makes absolutely no sense to tire yourself out for about an extra 20 seconds).

The other great thing was that seeing that this was my first trail run, I was not used to it and was forced to concentrate on where I was going versus the roads where you can totally just zone out and find yourself miles away...I think this is part of why the miles just ticked off without me knowing. If you don't want to break an ankle or bust your ass you better be watching where you are navigating. I had a couple of close calls with almost falling but managed to hold it together.

I was pretty encouraged when I stopped at the aid stations and they kept telling me how great I was looking. And when I hit the one at the 25(?) or so mile marker and they tried to convince me that I looked fresh enough to loop again for 50 miles...I am not going to lie, I had fleeting thoughts of "I should go for it". Happy to report...I did not. But I swear if one more person told me this, I was ready to get out and continue.

When I reached the final aid station on the course, I was actually filled with sadness. That was at 27.5 miles and I knew the end was near. And I also knew that I had no desire to be done (I know, who the hell thinks that at this point). But other than my legs being a little sore from the up and down hills they were still running great.

And I should mention I didn't really fuel after the half way because my stomach was a disaster. (Note to self, you have a sensitive stomach asshole, m&m's and extra sugar are not going to bode well for you...nor eating frozen yogurt the night before when you are dairy free...). I was kind of waiting for the bottom to fall out on that one, and had to keep telling them at the aid stations that I was eating gu's since I wasn't eating there. But somehow I had plenty of energy in the tank and was running great. Guess that bread and pasta the night before worked out in my favor at least.

Before I knew it I was back at the familiar place winding up to the final mile.

A wave of pure joy and excitement washed over me as I came out of the trails to the clearing.

I was all smiles of triumph as I finished the race feeling great.

Disbelief...that...that was it, I had done it, I had completed my first ULTRA marathon.

And I finally negative split the crap out of a race thank you very much.

And couldn't be happier to have this rock star waiting for me to see me in that moment:

Jessie puts my running adventures to shame. One day I will be on her level.

I'm 95% sure I am not conveying my actual experience into words (kind of hard to put that amount of running time into words in general...).  But, I am on cloud 9. And think that I have fallen in love with trail running. 

It was the absolute perfect way to finish this eternal season of races. FUN. I know I should be saying it was hard, but I honestly never once had a mental breakdown of wanting it to be over or having to give myself a pep talk to keep going. I was expecting a wall at some point since well, it kind of happens when running distance but I think the newness of the experience derailed my mind from going to any dark places. Plus, I wasn't RACING persay. I was playing cautious in that first half with the walking breaks with Tara so I'm sure that contributed to ending the race strong with something in the tank.

And sure my legs got a little sore while running on unfamiliar ground but it wasn't worse than anything I've put them through before. (This course FYI is considered a good "beginner" course because you can run a lot of it and there are some paved portions). I ran a shake out Monday and was feeling good enough where I had to pay attention to keep it slow and stop myself from running too far.

Sadly no medal, but we got some swag!

My first Philly cheese steak experience. Sadly I was not a fan. Womp womp.

Now, I am looking forward to some time "off" I only have a couple of 10K's on tap officially so far this summer (and will try to take down my PR) but other than that am going to run whatever distances float my boat until marathon training kicks off again in earnest in the next few weeks.

And, holy shit, I AM AN ULTRA MARATHONER.

Cannot wipe the grin off my face. It's probably obnoxious.

When is the next?

Dirty German 50K: 3 Days out from my First ULTRA!

Officially 3 days away from ULTRA MARATHONER status.

This is getting real.

And in typical me fashion I keep calling it a baby Ultra since it is the minimum there is to dip into "ultra" status. But whatever. 50K. More than a marathon. This is the good stuff.

More importantly, I think this has FUN and no pressure written all over it.

I went into the marathons with secret and not so secret time and pacing goals. But folks, we aren't on the roads any more.

While yes, I do want to finish this in under 6:30 - in reality, I am really just looking forward to having FUN. And enjoying the experience.

I haven't been training in trails and I mean I have kind of had an epic season of racing that has been continuous since last September so what better way to finish it off than 31.068 (not precise or anything) sweaty miles through the woods?

I have also felt a bit off for a while now. I'm not quite "training" but more or less have been in taper mode since the weeks before the NJ Marathon. Then recovery. Then race. Then taper.

My legs have responded pretty well to all of this for the most part. But after this there will be lots of unstructured lets just run and do what we want time.

And some meetings with potential run coaches.

But that is for another day, another post.

And plenty of FUN. Summer is about to kick off and I am looking forward to lounge chairs, pools, beaches, bbq's and some adult beverages in my life. Not to mention a killer tan...and not one that involves horrendous tank top/short/sock tan lines!

So anyway. Back to this week.

Post half marathon life this week went a little something like this:

Sunday: 6.25 miles steady pace for 2.5 then 400's at 8:30 recover for 400 at 9:30
Monday: an hour on the elliptical and lift
Tuesday: an hour on the elliptical and lift
Wednesday: 45 mins elliptical and lift / 3 un garmin monitored miles
Thursday: 6 miles @ 9:39 - yeah I figured the treadmill would bore me by 3 not.so.much.

Apparently bore me on an elliptical a couple days in a row and I will even love the treadmill and not want to get off. Legs felt so refreshed though. Which was great since I had been having some soreness the beginning of the week (and scared me enough to not run Monday and Tuesday...I hear you running God's I know I know I need to learn to invest in rest days...).

Oops. My shoes made me do it.

Ideally:

Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 50K

But, I am sure that won't go as planned...since this morning was a total fail (3 planned). At least I did not push the pace at all! But lord I was ready to just run my heart out. Then when I hit 6 I remembered I need to do that times 5 on Sunday and that helped me slow my roll right on off and home.

So here we are just a few days out. And it is like waiting for Christmas to come. I am just as if not more excited than I was for Miami aka first marathon.

Potentially more so, because with Miami I was (perhaps not so) silently banking on pacing and time goals. I swear I really really am not with this one. Don't expect A/B/C goals from me!

I want do however want to PR in m&m and pb&j eating while running. I'm all for hitting those kinds of PR's.

Any ultra runners out there have any bits of advice for me? I'm ALL ears!