Ultrarunner extraordinaire Courtney Dauwalter has picked up in 2024 proper the place she left off final yr. After famously successful three of ultrarunning’s most epic races through the span of about 9 weeks final summer time—Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and Extremely-Path du Mont-Blanc—the 39-year-old athlete from Leadville, Colorado, defended her Transgrancanaria 126K title in a decisive wire-to-wire win in late February and received the Mount Fuji 100-miler for the second time on April 27, putting third total. She’s now gearing as much as go for a 3rd straight win on the Hardrock 100 on July 12-13 in Silverton, Colorado. After Hardrock, she’ll be crewing and pacing her husband, Kevin Schmidt, on the Leadville 100 on August 17-18, after which tackling a yet-unannounced path operating undertaking in September.
We caught up with Dauwalter to speak about her fueling and coaching in a digital press convention, the place she introduced the Might 20 launch of her signature taste of Tailwind Vitamin Endurance Gas—Dauwaltermelon with Lime—as a everlasting a part of the model’s lineup. Since she’s emerged as one of many world’s high path ultrarunners, she’s been recognized for having a sound strategy to diet and fueling, by no means shying away from consuming no matter she desires, admitting her tender spot for sweet and pastries, or having a beer from time to time if she feels prefer it.
RUN: How did you develop such a smart strategy to diet and fueling, and what, if something, have you ever modified?
COURTNEY DAUWALTER: I’m nonetheless consuming all of my favourite issues each time they sound good in portions that sound good, and I’m not intending to vary that a part of my life, as a result of it simply provides me a number of pleasure to dwell that method. I assume it’s bought to be partly my upbringing, and likewise with Kevin and I, our thought of how we wish to dwell our lives is to take pleasure in it to its fullest whereas it’s right here. We simply wish to take pleasure in meals, take pleasure in meals out, benefit from the cravings that we’ve got, and never fear about it. However I’d say up to now couple of years I do extra persistently do a restoration drink after a long term or after placing in huge efforts, and that’s one thing that I used to be slightly extra lax with initially, so I really feel like that’s a step in the appropriate course.
What was your fueling technique while you first bought into ultrarunning in 2011?
Once I first bought into ultrarunning, I had no diet plan. I didn’t know what I used to be doing. My first race was a 50K, and I bear in mind not figuring out that these help stations could be buffets. My thoughts was blown after I bought to them—all of the choices have been overwhelming. I simply began filling my pockets with jelly beans. In these first years, I did a number of mimicking of what the folks round me have been doing. So if I got here to an help station and somebody was grabbing pickles and ingesting Mountain Dew, then that’s what I’d do. In the event that they have been grabbing pretzels and cheese cubes, that’s what I’d go for. It was simply form of roulette for me on what I’d find yourself consuming—if it could work, or if it wouldn’t work.
You have got instructed tales about just a few well-known bonks early in your profession. When did you begin to dial-in your fueling technique?
Initially, I by no means had a fueling plan in any respect. However then in 2017, I went to the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Tailwind was obtainable on target at all the help stations. I had a buddy who had began utilizing it that yr, and I bear in mind simply loving it and abruptly not having all of the abdomen points and vitality dips that I typically had. I used to be like, ‘Oh, perhaps that is what it’s wish to have one thing dependable.’
What’s your present strategy to race-day diet?
At this level we’ve gotten fairly dialed on the race diet plan for these 10-to 24-hour efforts or the occasions of 100 miles or beneath. I’m not an individual who has my watch beeping at me ever to remind me to eat. I don’t get these sorts of reminders, and I don’t wish to eat each quarter-hour or half-hour throughout a race. I’m going to simply gradual drip the energy I’ve as typically as attainable—mainly it’s an consuming contest on the transfer. Now I do know my physique features fairly nicely with about 200 energy per hour throughout these efforts. So, relying on the gap between help stations, I can rely solely on a bottle of Tailwind after which complement with some chews or waffles or gels, as a result of normally I get really hungry feeling and having one thing stable helps with that. However principally, I’m counting on Tailwind as my spine to the entire plan and customarily aiming for that 200-calorie-per-hour benchmark.
You needed to overcome some abdomen challenges in UTMB in 2022 after which finally yr’s UTMB you appeared as bodily challenged as you’ve gotten ever been. How have you ever adjusted your fueling in these conditions?
The previous couple years (working with a nutritionist pal), we’ve been higher at creating A, B, C and D plans—as a result of typically the proper diet plan that you’ve relied on isn’t going to work. Our strategy is that’s advantageous, and listed here are some issues you can begin subbing in throughout a race that may cowl your wants. I view race diet like a puzzle piece, and typically it suits into the puzzle proper the place we wish it to, and typically we’ve got to type shift issues round slightly bit. I feel one of many causes a number of us love ultrarunning is as a result of, when issues simply aren’t going to plan, we’ve got to problem-solve it.
You’ll be doing a number of your pre-Hardrock coaching in and round Leadville between 11,000 and 14,000 toes above sea degree as soon as the spring snow subsides. How can you gas at such excessive altitudes?
That’s one factor I’m hoping to deal with slightly bit extra on on this buildup and this prep for Hardrock, as a result of up to now couple occasions I’ve run it, I’ve struggled slightly bit with taking stuff in. I’d love to simply attempt to deliberately prepare my abdomen to be higher at taking in these energy whereas pushing onerous at 12,500 toes or 13,000 toes simply to see if we will make some strides ahead. So keep tuned on if that works or not.
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Do you’ve gotten any bucket listing occasions you wish to sort out within the coming years?
Not particular issues. I feel I wish to simply preserve discovering the challenges that intrigue me and fireplace me as much as preserve placing within the work, the coaching, the time, the hassle to go after them. And so no matter that’s, there’s not a listing of issues I wish to verify off essentially, however, I’m persevering with to pour myself into this sport and see what’s attainable whereas each considered one of my methods [muscular, digestive, endocrine, cognitive, emotional, etc.] is permitting that to occur. The Leadville 100 is on my quick listing of races I’d like to do as quickly as I can, however so far as a bucket listing normally or what intrigues me, I’m nonetheless very involved in exploring the longer stuff and the way our brains and our our bodies can work collectively to take us over 100 miles. What does that appear like to maneuver effectively for 200 miles or 500 miles? In order that’s the place I’m placing a number of my consideration into—simply discovering methods to check myself on stuff that’s actually lengthy.
You bought into ultrarunning by way of operating highway races. Would you ever run one other marathon?
I’m involved in attempting a highway marathon once more sooner or later as a result of that was what led me to ultrarunning.. I didn’t suppose I might make that distance, however I completed with out dying after which questioned, ‘What else is on the market that sounds too onerous that I might strive?’ After which I stumbled into the ultrarunning world. In these first marathons, I used to be an informal runner. I ran day-after-day earlier than work as a result of it made me really feel higher to start out the day, however I wasn’t doing big miles or operating shortly. So circling again to run a highway marathon could be form of enjoyable.
You’ve talked loads about your eagerness to enter the ache cave while you’re racing. How did that start?
I undoubtedly didn’t invent it, and I don’t know who did initially, however I do know that for me that phrase simply turned this imagery that I actually grabbed onto—versus the wrestle bus or the harm locker or the numerous different phrases. That one for me was visually one thing I might see, and it was one thing that I might work with to be productive. Again in highschool, I had a cross nation snowboarding coach who was huge on the psychological aspect of the game and would all the time remind us and imagine in our capability to push previous that second when it looks like you don’t have anything left. He was big on simply the concept that there’s all the time yet one more gear. So I simply crank the knob and imagine that it may be cranked slightly bit extra. Having somebody who believed in me so wholeheartedly that I might belief to maintain pushing was essential as a result of it’s onerous to do this while you’re any age, however for positive it’s onerous to do while you’re a young person. The concept that you are feeling such as you’re about to die and but you’re telling me there’s extra to push previous that? That’s onerous to study. So I really feel actually fortunate that I had that coach and to study that psychological aspect of sports activities and digging deeper than you suppose.
You ran the Javelina 100K in Arizona together with your mother final October. What was that like? And what has been the lasting impact?
That was so particular, a spotlight of my life for positive. We ran collectively by way of the desert in Arizona, aspect by aspect the entire time by way of all of the highs and lows, and made it to that end line. I’ll keep in mind that without end, and that reward that she gave me of doing this factor with me and the game I really like and spending a lot time getting ready for it. She was coaching onerous again residence in Minnesota, attempting to discover ways to run trails, attempting to energy hike hills, and studying use all the gear as a result of she had by no means actually run trails earlier than. I feel the domino impact is you can begin something at any age. She was 66 once we ran this race collectively and 64 when she began this journey into path operating. I had instructed her my dream was to run an extremely with my mother, and now that she has accomplished a 100K, she has discovered a number of pleasure within the trails. Though we don’t have a race on the calendar collectively but, she continues to be simply discovering that peace that the paths convey her, and it’s one thing she incorporates into her weekly life. I feel that’s actually cool, and it’s why I hope extra folks can discover out about path operating—not essentially even ultrarunning—however simply getting out on the paths and exploring slightly bit as a result of that feeling of shifting together with your toes surrounded by nature and feeling so small in a giant panorama is absolutely, actually cool.
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What do you hope runners of any degree take away out of your success?
My hope is that folks listening to in regards to the stuff that I’m doing or that the ultrarunning group is doing helps them imagine they may go after one thing that sounds too onerous or one thing that sounds loopy. Whether or not that’s operating 100 miles or 200 miles or not. We will all discover that factor in our lives that we will go after with slightly extra gusto and lift the bar for ourselves on what we’re really aiming for. I additionally hope I generally is a small instance you can work actually, actually, actually onerous at one thing and have a number of enjoyable doing it. These issues can occur on the similar time and there’s no cause to separate them. I by no means predicted this chapter in my life, however I really feel grateful day-after-day for it. I’m simply attempting to squeeze as a lot residing out of this era of life as I can.
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