Ultra Runner Profile -- Zac Marion

Zac is a 28 year old pre-med student who currently works as the customer service and events coordinator for Altra; he is an ultra runner. I interviewed Zac and learned a ton about ultra running, faith, spirit, zen running, nutrition, weight loss and dedication. I present the paraphrased interview below.

Zac in his Altra office for our interview

D: How did you get into ultra running?

Z: I played football in high school and got a scholarship to play for the University of Utah at defensive end. I was fast, but needed to put on weight to compete at the D1 level. The university put me on a weight training regimen that caused my muscle strength and size compared to my frame, especially my pelvis, to stress my back, and I herniated two discs. It was the best thing that could have happened because it was then that I decided to serve an LDS mission. 

D: And where did you serve?

Z: Guatemala City South. I loved it, and I could not trade that experience for anything. When I got home, I married almost right away. I was heavy and out of shape. I weighed 230 pounds. In 2009 I started running a mile long, out and back route in my neighborhood all the while believing that running was punishment. Football had conditioned me to go hard in everything physical, so I did. A friend told me that I should try a novice triathlon, so I signed up. I took second in my division and did well on the run. Before long I hit the magic four.

D: I'm not familiar with that.

Z: The Magic Four is when you can run four miles comfortably after about four to six months of training. Running became a ritual. I was running about six miles per day, five days per week. 

D: What was your next organized event?

Z: A friend invited me to do Ragnar. I loved it. Two weeks later, I did a half marathon. I ran it in 1:32 and took first in my division. My next event was the St. George Marathon in 2011 that I ran in 3:17. 

Zac running in Southern Utah

D: What was your body weight at the time? 

Z: I had lost 85 pounds in one year. I like my race weight to be about 145 and my training weight to be 155.

D: My own weight loss has caused some people to be concerned, especially family members. The word anorexia has even come up and I am at 220. I can't imagine what people were saying about you. 

Z: Yes. Some family members were worried and asked my wife if I was sick or something. 

D: When did you do your first ultra?

Z: My first ultra was in 2012 at a 50K in Southern Utah called Red Mountain. I was working at Salt Lake Running Company at the time and got invited down to run it. I took third overall. The course was part pavement and part trails. The trails were so fun, I forgot it was a race. It was almost a spiritual experience for me. I got hooked on trails. Altra Embassador, Craig Lloyd passed me up to take second. After the race, we became good friends. 

Zac with friend Craig Lloyd

D: Have you done any hundred milers?

Z: I did Leadville 100. During 100 mile races, every emotion you could ever feel is compressed into one race. You test yourself in ways that can't be duplicated in other races. You feel elation, despair, faith, hope, sorrow, everything in a 24 to 36 hour period. You want to quit. You want to take a short nap for a while. You want to sit by a campfire for a while. There is every temptation to stop and rest. If there were ever a parallel to 'endure the the end,' it is most adequately captured in a 100 mile race. You must have faith in your training and you have to keep pushing through. 

Zac at Leadville. He's not dead yet.

D: You seem to me to be a purist. Of all the guys working here, Brian, Golden, Seth and everyone else, who is most purist about running?

Z: I am. Running is very spiritual for me. When I run, the only electronic anything I take with me is an altimeter watch. There is no music playing or anything else. Prayer is a big part of it. I am constantly thanking God for his creations and allowing me to be a part of them. I express gratitude for my body that allows me to enjoy the surroundings as much as I do. When I run I go out for hours and not miles. 

D: How competitive are you compared to Seth, Brian and Golden?

Z: I am probably the least competitive of the four of us. If I have a goal of a sub three hour marathon, and I could easily come in at 2:45, if there is a person that I can help reach their goal of coming in under three hours and I can help them through it, I will slow down, help them, and maybe come in with them at 2:58 or 2:59. I get more satisfaction out of helping people than I do out of a PR.

D: Is anyone faster than Seth?

Z: No. No one is. He is competitive, but he is not elitist about it. If he gets beat at the line by someone to take second, he is the first to congratulate them, and it is sincere. 

D: So you work with some pretty great people.

Z: Yes. I can't imagine working with better people.

D: Tell me about your Altra connection.

Z: I left New Balance to be with Altra. 

D: Have you ever tried to go back to some other shoe, any shoe?

Z: I have tried and nothing compares. Altra has nailed it. I love the lone peaks. I like the Olympus' for recovery runs because they are softer, but they keep me from feeling the trail.

D: That's funny. I like my Olympus' precisely because my mind can be other places than to worry about every rock and root and how I am going to finesse each obstacle. It is pretty much grip and rip. 

Z: That's true. That is what they are built for.

D: Talk to me about nutrition.

Z: My pre-race is horrible. It may include a burger, fries and a shake. I love shakes and have one several times a week. If I do eat a burger and fries, I balance it out with a lot of healthy stuff. You have to figure out what works for you and go with it. During a run I will eat one gel every two hours and 10 ounces of water. During a race, I do a gel every half hour and something solid every 50 miles. V-Fuel really works for me. Pop Tarts do too, but I try to avoid them because of all the bad stuff in them. The other things that really works is Justin's chocolate hazelnut packets. They really sit well with me and they have some fat. During a race or in hot weather, I take a salt tablet every hour or so. Generally I eat leafy green stuff and stuff from the ground up. Appetite has a lot to do with the amount of nutrients you consume. If there is a nutrient deficiency, your body will go into hunger mode until it gets its nutrient requirements. What you ate last is also important. It is the first thing your body goes to when it gets hungry. 

Zac at Antelope Island

D: What are your top tips for people starting out?

Z: Be consistent in training. Even on a horrible day, go out and run one or two miles. Start slow. Have fun. Find your motivation and remind yourself of it. 

D: What is your gauge as to whether you decide to rest or run through an injury?

Z: If it is annoying pain that does not affect my gait, I run through it. If it does affect my gait, I get it fixed.

D: What is your favorite trail?

Z: BSTF to Black Mountain. I also love Hope Pass. 

Zac at Hope Pass

D: Could you summarize your running philosophy?

Z: Yes. Run Well - Do Glad. Make people happy.

Note: Zac exemplifies his motto. If you see him at an event or on the trail, make sure you say hello.

Making Friends -- The other Benefit of Running and Mountain Biking

When I lived in Camas, Washington I had a 16 mile commute to work which was usually done on a bike, even in the rain which was pretty much every day. Because Camas and Vancouver border Portland, the most bike friendly city in America, there were tons of cyclists commuting or just riding. My favorite commute home from work was to take the bike lane on the I-5 bridge from Vancouver to Portland, take the bike path along the Columbia River to the I-205 bridge, cross back over and head home.

The I-5 bridge bike path

The I-205 bridge bike path

I-205. The bike lane goes down the middle

It was hard to beat the views, especially in the fall, but the views were only one of the benefits of riding in the Northwest. Maybe the best part was the camaraderie among fellow cyclists. It seemed that when you rode by someone, you were instantly best friends for the sole reason that you were both on bikes and both had endorphins raging through your systems. I made several close friendships with people on my commute and during weekend rides. For example, because my place of employment was on the same road but farther than the hospital, I rode almost every day with a cardiologist. We got to know each other well through the spring and summer before his shifts changed. 

Road biking in Utah is a lot different. There is an elitist mentality that infects roadies here. It seems that you have to be wearing a full kit, carbon soled shoes with the proper logos, the right helmet and glasses, not to mention a bike that  must retail on or above $5000. When we moved from Washington and I took my first road bike ride in Provo Canyon then to the top of South Fork, then up to the Alpine loop, I waved at everyone and was full of cheery greetings. These were met with reluctant acknowledgement, mild annoyance, smirks and complete disregard. The only guy that returned a proper greeting was a shirtless guy on a Walmart bike smoking a cigarette. When I got home, I told my wife that I was going to be the happiest, most cheerful guy on any road bike in the state (not hard based on what I had seen) to see if I might rub off on people and show them a better way. So far I have been unsuccessful. 

Not so with runners and mountain bikers in Utah, unless the mountain bikers are actually roadies. At mile four this morning a fast runner passed me, waved and we chatted for a bit. His name is Seth Myer. 

Seth Myer -- A happy guy and a good runner

Seth is a fast runner and a great guy. I think he did about 14 this morning. I ended up at 11.1. He is the kind of runner that is consistently in good enough condition to run a marathon on any given weekend. I'm pretty sure we will end up at the same events more than once, and we will get to know each other better...or maybe given his clenched fist, he was getting ready to punch me. If you read this, Seth, please leave a comment. 

Near then end of my run, I saw my good friend and Cat 1 rider, Bryan Adams. 

Bryan Adams -- Pure animal and speed demon

Bryan is an animal on two wheels and in running shoes. He was on his way to the Altar, a ride I will cover in a later post. Earlier in the season, after a long day riding, he drove to the bottom of Bearclaw Poppy, turned on his Strava and let it rip. He ended up second overall out of about 1000 riders. I can only imagine what he could do on fresh legs. On that same trip, we converted him to slick rock riding. He wants to go again so bad he can hardly stand it. 

I suppose the message is to have fun and share good will. Unless you are a roadie, high endorphin levels have a way of bonding people together. Next time you are out, wave and say hi to everyone, especially roadies. They really need it. 

Today's Long Run Breakfast

I created a killer omelette this morning in prep for my long run this afternoon.

Start with Eggbeaters Southwest Style

Before pouring about 1/2 cup into an omelette pan, blend and heat the black bean mixture:

1 Can black beans
1/2 C plain greek yogurt
1/4 C pico de gallo
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp onion salt

Blend in a blender and heat in a microwave oven until warm.

Pour the eggbeaters into the omelette pan.

Flip the egg mixture over. I just throw it in the air over the sink and hope I don't miss.

Smear the top of the egg with the black bean blend.

Add a little shredded cheese.

Fold over and serve.

I added homemade wheat bread toast and homemade plum jam to the plate.

Endurance Limits -- Glycogen and Electrolytes

In 2005 I had just gotten into road biking. Two years later I would be doing several centuries and double centuries including the Deperado Dual and Lotoja, but in June 2005 I was a know-nothing newbie that was quickly increasing mileage from ride to ride but not wisdom. I was completely unprepared for what would happen one day in June as I attempted an 86 mile ride from Cedar City to St. George, Utah. I had really never experienced what it was like to run out of glycogen stores and to have a severe electrolyte imbalance.

Early that morning I skipped breakfast so that I could save time and arrive in sunny, St. George before the day got too hot. I packed two water bottles and planed on refilling them and buying a snack at a gas station that was about 30 miles away. I got to the gas station before it was open and had to settle for hose water from a nearby house. I hoped that the water coming out of the hose was potable. You never know in farming communities and rural areas. Sometimes the water comes from a ditch or worst, but I had no choice. I had worked up a good, hard sweat riding up, over a mountain pass with two more passes in front of me. It did not occur to me at the time that sweat is not just water, it is water, sodium, potassium and several other minerals that bodies need to function.

My friend Chad and I rode together to the beginning of the next hill. His stomach was upset due to his breakfast. For a while, I was glad I had not eaten. I was feeling good, so I took off, leaving Chad to work on the hill alone. By the time I got to the top I could not see Chad anywhere. I waited at the top for about five minutes then left to go down the steep road to the bottom of the last climb, Veyo Hill. By the time I got to the bottom of Veyo, I was feeling weak and light headed but didn't think much of it. At the top of Veyo, I hit a wall. I could not pedal even one more time. I pulled over to the side of the road, awkwardly fell off my bike onto the gravel and within minutes was seeing purple dragons coming out of the bushes toward me.

Veyo hill is a painful part of the St George Marathon. 

I was hallucinating, cold, disoriented and nauseous. When Chad came by ten minutes later, his gastric difficulty had passed and he was feeling great. I told him I would need a ride to even move in any direction. Since my wife was meeting me in St. George to drive us home, I had her drive to my location. I think Chad continued down the hill to finish the ride. It took ten minutes to stuff my bike into the back of my 4Runner, a task which should have taken two. I was light headed every time I stood up for the next 36 hours, and I wanted to quit riding forever.

Glycogen

Carbohydrates are converted to glycogen stores then to glucose before being used by the rest of the body. The two most common storage reservoirs are muscles for muscle use and the liver for use in the rest of the body. Complete glycogen depletion from extended endurance exercise is called "hitting the wall." There are four ways that hit can be forestalled.

1. An athlete can consume carbohydrate calories before the endurance event to "top off" glycogen stores and during the event to replenish the depleted stores. The latter is difficult because body processes are limited on how fast they can convert carbs to glycogen to glucose. 
2. An athlete can train her body to burn a higher ratio of fat to glycogen.
3. The body can be trained to increase intramuscular stores by going through processes of depleting and carb loading.
4. Heart, lungs and muscles can become more efficient through training thereby requiring less glycogen to cover the same distance.

In an effort to quicken the carb digestion process, some formula companies, like Twin Labs, have developed nutritional drink additives with multiple sugar sources that are supposed to allow the body to process a higher amount of total carbs and thus replenish glycogen reserves sooner. 

The hallucinations I experienced were due to complete glycogen depletion in my liver and muscles. My body was then looking to my brain for additional glycogen. It is a scary thing that I don't want to experience again.

Strategy

Glycogen strategy is essential to any endurance event. I calculated that the day I biked Lotoja, a 206 mile, single day event, I burned around 14,000 calories. Of the 14,000, I believe my glycogen stores were the equivalent of 4000 calories. This left a 10,000 calorie deficit to try to intake throughout the day. I knocked out 2500 calories the morning before I got on my bike. From then on it was a race to pound calories all day. 

Lighter people have a huge glycogen advantage in endurance racing. That is why the average tour rider is scalpel skinny. They don't even do pushups for fear of any gain in grams. If they have to push more weight up a hill, they will burn through glycogen faster.

Rasmussen was winning the tour before testing positive for drugs.

Frank Schlesk, useless in a street fight, but he sure can ride.

As part of the strategy for endurance events, it is wise to train your digestive tract to fully function during athletic exertion. It is easier to do during a bike event than a run event. When my marathon running wife went with me on her first 100 mile bike ride, she was shocked at how much I and everyone else ate at the lunch stop. I pounded a large hoagie sandwich, two bags of chips and two large cups of full sugar coke. The most she had ever consumed during a marathon was a few gels, an occasional orange slice and Gatorade. A long distance runner should never say, "hate to eat and run." The opposite is a matter of event survival. 

I make my own gel concoction to be consumed during events that last up to eight hours. It has the advantages knowing every ingredient and it is a lot cheaper than factory produced gel packs. If you know me at all, you know I dig the second part. Here is the recipe:

• 1/2 C Brown Rice Syrup
• 1/2 C Honey
• 1/2 Banana pureed
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1 TBS Molasses
• 1 TBS Hydrated Chia seeds
• 6 Dates pureed

Brown rice syrup contains both fast and slow burning carbs. Honey is about in the middle. The banana contains potassium and improves the flavor of about everything. Salt, sodium, the most important replenish requirement. Molasses contains glucose, fructose, raffinose and other polysaccharides. It also contains potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Pretty cool, right? The the hydrated chia seeds are fluid sponges that ease water absorption and the dates are yummy superfood. 

When I feel lazy and rich, I buy and consume factory-made gels. My favorites are anything by Hammer Nutrition and Chocolate Accel Gel. It tastes like chocolate ice cream, no kidding. It also contains a shot of caffeine which is the topic of another post. 

Electrolytes

Electrolye imbalances have several unpleasant results as indicated in the table below.

I like the article, Electrolytes: Understanding Replacement Options, by Shawn Dolan. The table above comes from his article.

Electrolyte replenishment for long endurance events is a serious matter. If you are the kind of person that leaves a salty residue on clothing after an hour of exertion, you need to be more serious. I am a sweater. I completely saturate baseball hats, shirts, and any hydration pack that I might be wearing when I go long. During super long events of more than 6 hours, once my sweat dries, my shirt can practically stand up by itself. My preferred replenishment method is spiked water and salt tables. There are many effervescent hydration tablets that do a great job. I like these as much as any others. You can find them cheap sometimes at Nashbar.com.

It will take time to learn how much electrolyte stuff to consume. I suppose there is some scientific way to figure it out, perhaps by taking blood and urine samples every few miles, but this is unrealistic for most of us. Go run or ride long, keep track of the temperature and what you are wearing and test. 

Please let me know how you beat heat, sweat and glycogen depletion by leaving a comment below.