Final February, I had the chance to offer race help for 4 athletes I coach on the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile in Huntsville, Texas. Rocky Raccoon is an early season ultramarathon with a repute for being one of many “simpler” 100-mile races on the circuit. In consequence, many runners come to Huntsville every February looking for a sub-24-hour 100 miler, a Western States 100 qualifier, or a stable coaching race upfront of their main purpose later within the season. My 4 athletes traveled to this race for these causes, however Mom Nature intervened as she usually does.
The weekend earlier than the race, the Huntsville space was inundated with over 11 inches of rain, inflicting, amongst different issues, a tentative closure of the park the place the race is held. Fortuitously, dry circumstances allowed a lot of the path to dry out by the eve of the race till a torrential downpour the night earlier than the race added extra water and dirt to the proceedings. By the point runners toed the road for the race on Saturday morning, they knew they had been in for one thing a bit totally different.
Tatiana Rypinski, the 2025 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile ladies’s winner in a lot better circumstances than the 2024 version. Photograph: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Images
The race contains 5 20-mile loops, and I had the prospect to recon the course whereas my athletes had been racing. I shortly realized this 12 months could be removed from a typical 12 months at this occasion. After I returned from my preview run, I needed to shortly put collectively some messages my athletes would wish for achievement. Though I initially created the next steering for the 2024 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, you possibly can apply these concepts to any race the place the climate adjustments on you unexpectedly.
Modify Expectations
In a typical 12 months, the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile has one of many highest finisher charges in North American ultrarunning. After experiencing the course firsthand, I knew 2024 could be totally different. As every of my athletes accomplished their loops, I talked with them about adjusting their time targets and experiential targets as a result of the moist, muddy circumstances had been solely going to worsen. The extra shortly you settle for the fact of fixing and worsening circumstances, the higher you’ll have the ability to address the adversity. Grumbling concerning the mud or the chilly or evaluating present circumstances to what it could have been like within the sunshine is a fast technique to smash your day.
Make Deliberate Gear Choices
Whereas operating is an easy sport at its core, choices about gear and vitamin are essential in opposed circumstances. It’s not simply that you should address mud or being moist. You have to additionally notice that if the climate slows you down, you can be on the course for much longer than deliberate. From headlamp batteries to rain jackets, I requested every of my runners to suppose via the whole lot they could want on every lap. It was essential to strengthen this course of for every lap as a result of only one lap with out the best gear might have ended with a DNF.
To make deliberate gear choices, you should have already got the gear readily available. When the climate modified quickly, I noticed athletes at Rocky Raccoon and the 2024 Black Canyon 100k in Arizona scrambling for jackets, gloves, hats, socks, and extra. Do your self a favor and pack an “I’ll by no means want this” bag whenever you go to an ultramarathon. Pack it with chilly and moist climate gear even for those who’re racing within the desert or in the summertime. Ideally, you’ll by no means dip into that bag, however let me inform you, for those who want it simply when you’ll be completely happy you lugged it to races all these different instances.
Stay Mentally Engaged
All through the day and night time I repeatedly heard the identical chorus from runners who selected to not proceed: “I’m simply performed with this!” “I can’t return on the market.”and “This simply isn’t enjoyable.”
iRunFar’s Meghan Hicks in a fall storm in Utah. Unhealthy climate generally is a nice alternative to check your bodily capability and emotional resilience. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
As I encountered my athletes lap after lap, I attempted to steer them away from a hopeless mindset and as a substitute tried to maintain them mentally engaged. The best method was to assist them form their expertise in ways in which honored what they’d been via and celebrated how completely happy they’d be once they received to the end line.
Conclusion
When the mud stopped flying, three of my 4 athletes completed. The one athlete who didn’t end known as it a day after 60 miles as a result of the mud induced a resurgence of an outdated hip flexor damage. Though athletes don’t want anybody’s “permission” to cease, we mentioned the state of affairs and agreed that stopping at 60 miles was the wisest alternative. The three athletes who accomplished the race all completed with smiles on their faces and deep emotions of satisfaction realizing that they had persevered.
By adjusting expectations, taking note of the little issues, and preserving their heads within the recreation, my athletes not solely completed a tougher-than-normal Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, however the expertise ought to create confidence they’ll deal with adversity at future races. And that’s a part of the rationale I imagine athletes ought to resist the urge to give up races even when circumstances or circumstances put pre-determined targets like ending instances out of attain. Use the sloppy, chilly, muddy, and gnarly races as studying alternatives so you may have higher resilience within the face of future challenges.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas. Mama Luna Blonde Ale is a lusciously {smooth} blonde ale with a crispy mix of hoppiness and maltiness. Weighing in at 5% ABV, Mama Luna is a smooth-drinking ale appropriate for nearly any event.
Name for Feedback
What’s the most memorable run-in you’ve had with Mom Nature in your ultrarunning profession?
What suggestions do you may have for when that you must alter your expectations in tough circumstances?
Colin MacFarlane, the 2025 Rocky Raccoon 100 mile males’s winner. The 2025 circumstances had been nice, in distinction to 2024. Photograph: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Images
