“I was passionately addicted to drugs. I just needed to turn that passion towards something more healthy — so switching over to running and eventually ultra running was a way to heal my body and heal my mind… then it turned into so much more.” – Timothy Olson
Interesting personal experience for Timothy Olson, as ultra mountain running would no doubt kill me. To each their own, I suppose. Munchies writes: “Running continuously for over 100 miles in mountain terrain takes a different kind of athlete — and a different kind of diet. ” Different kind of athlete? Try different species of mammal.
Jokes aside, ultra running is serious stuff, and ultra mountain running is a whole other level.
But as much of the conversation our food-obsessed culture is having, the ability to run these unreal distances comes down to macro-nutrients, not only caloric intake but training one’s body to utilize different reserves on command. For Olson, it meant adapting his body to use fat as fuel. His mid-run snack consists of avocado and a bison bar. After is a green smoothie. The rest of time? A whole food type of diet, a primal, paleo-esque type of diet.
It always amazes me how scientific these athletes get about it all. Good for them, though. Keep on keepin’ on for sure.
Lastly, have you ever heard of a coconut pull? Apparently you swish it around your mouth like Listerine for 10 minutes and it kills all the bacteria. You really do learn something new every day.
