IT’S PARTY TIME! – Days Away From Starting Cocodona 250

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com The work is done. It’s time to play. All of the energy you’ve put into the past however many weeks of Cocodona 250 training now gets to be unleashed. Let it ROAR! It’s a powerful feeling. Yes, there are more unknowns than known at this point. Especially for me and others that are new to this distance. Get ready to dance with them. I know I am. I’m going to keep this blog short because the taper crazies are for real. It’s a week of trying to leave my work, my apartment, and my cat wrapped up with a shiny bow on top so …

Treading Lightly: Some Earth-Friendly Etiquette for Trail Runners

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Running Tips

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com The funniest question that I have been asked in regards to running Cocodona 250 came from one of my CrossFit coaches. He’s excited for me, but I saw his facial expressions turn from enthused to contemplative… “Where do you poo?” he asked with a smile and edge of concern. In honor of Earth Day this week, let’s talk about it! I think one of my biggest trail pet peeves is dog poop bags and humans leaving exposed piles of TP. I mean, do you really need toilet paper if you only did a number one?! It seems excessive… (ladies, lookin’ at you.) Going to …

What’s Your Why? – The Motivation Behind Running a 250-Mile Race

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com I remember my first run. Not the first time I ran, but the first time I ran after enjoying all of the french fries, ice cream, and Thirsty Thursdays in college. Discomfort in your own skin, amplified by every jarring jiggly step. For me it was the beginning of discovering self-discipline, the beginning of self-discovery, the beginning of falling in love with running. Ew. Typing that made me cringe. Is it “running” I love? Not in the isolated form of the word. It’s the ability to connect your mind and body in nature. It’s the power of being able to traverse a landscape by …

Training for Night Running

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com Up until age 19 I lived on a nameless dirt road in Stonington, Connecticut. There was one house just past ours, and then about a half a mile further, a seldomly visited gun club that reenacted Civil War stuff. Beyond that it was a power line trail that felt like it went forever (it probably was only four miles, but at the time “10K” wasn’t in my vocabulary, let alone “ultra”). The road was my escape. Get mad at my parents? Run away down the road. Need a place to smooch? The mountain laurel grove down the road. Anyone ever play manhunt …

Shelby Farrell training for Cocodona 250.

Training for the Cocodona 250-Mile Trail Race While Working Full Time

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com “Sooo…do you just run all day?” People look at you like you’re an alien when you tell them you’re training for a 250-mile race called Cocodona 250. Congrats! You’re now the “crazy” friend! Running the race is one thing. The real perplexity is around how to train for something of this physical magnitude, especially when working a full-time job. (And MASSIVE kudos to the ultra parents out there. Thankfully I don’t have to worry about leaving my cat when I go out for a six hour adventure…but I do miss him). A popular question is what my weekly mileage looks like, but …