My Nutrition Failure and Epic Resurrection at the 2013 Hardrock 100

Jamil CouryRace Report, Ultra Thoughts

Moving step by step along a dusty road winding several hundred feet above a roaring river over 10,000 feet above sea level, I was struggling to keep my pace at a something resembling “running”. I was still hiking strong on the ups, but when the road flattened, it took every ounce of my will to shuffle my feet into a run. I was queasy and not eating. Even water tasted bland and un-refreshing, not a good sign just 30 miles in to the 2013 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run. Three weeks prior I had bounded up this road fresh and fit on a 56 mile dress rehearsal training run. Soon the road gave way to …

avalanche chute

Kendall Mountain Avalanche Chute

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

Wednesday morning I climbed to the summit of Kendall Mountain, a peak that rises to 13,066 feet, towering directly over the small mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. When sitting in most homes and shops in town, this mountain fills most of the entire view looking out the window. When looking at Kendall you can’t help but notice the unique “Y” shaped avalanche chute on the face of the mountain facing town. Being a runner and someone who enjoys climbing mountains, when looking at Kendall, I can’t help but wonder how fast I can get up to the top and furthermore how fast someone has EVER gotten to the top. I’m not the only one to …

First Weekend in Silverton

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

My first weekend training in Silverton is now complete and I’ve got a full growler of beer from Avalanche Brewing ready to drink tonight to celebrate a solid 7 hours of running on the Hardrock course. I am constantly blown away by the beauty and ‘epic’ness of the San Juan Mountains. The vast mountains and valley’s make me feel quite insignificant in the larger sense. A lightning strike off in the distance while running along a ridge at 12,600 feet on my first training day sent a shot of adrenaline through my body. Running along a thin strip of “quarter” track trail above 11,000 feet on the Kamm Traverse with a ridiculous drop off to …

Run Steep, Get High

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

Ok, so I have a bit of an obsession with the San Juan mountains of Southwestern Colorado and The Hardrock 100. It all started innocent enough. I had run a couple of ultra marathon races in 2005 and I was excited to see how far I could run. Sometime in the summer of 2006 I stumbled across these photos taken by Klas Eklof of the 2006 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run. As soon as I got through the second or third page I knew that I HAD to run Hardrock. It was if it was calling my name. High altitude, steep & unrelenting climbs and descents, unpredictable weather, wildlife and amazing scenery staged through some …

Scorched Runner – Training In The Heat

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

Triple digit temperatures have settled in for us in the “Valley of the Sun” for the foreseeable future. It will hit 110 on Friday and the expected low during this weekend’s Adrenaline Night Runs will be in the 80’s. With recent news stories of heat related deaths in our local mountain ranges, it’s time to think a bit about heat acclimation and safety when going out for our training runs. Just because it is hot out doesn’t mean we as endurance athletes need to hide in the gym and run on a treadmill, but understanding the effects on the body and how to prepare are important. I actually find running in the heat to be …

Flagstaff Trail Running – A Guide To Sucking Wind

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

It is an annual summer pilgrimage for us “desert rat ultra runners” living in Phoenix. A chance to escape the sweltering heat and enjoy a sweet respite of cooler weather . Some locals may call us the weekend warriors of altitude, but nonetheless we are happy to migrate north for some of the best trail running our state has to offer in the summertime. No, Arizona is not just desert. I was first initiated into the beauty and benefits of a weekend away on the trails north of Flagstaff could be while training for my first 100 mile race, Angeles Crest back in 2007. The “old guard” of Arizona ultra runners had been using the …

Nutrition Experiments at 100 Mile Races

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

I’ve had my fair share of nutritional disasters during ultra marathons, especially during 100 mile races. The nature of a 100 miler magnifies all of the little factors that go into running or racing long distances. Sure you can miss a couple of gels or get behind on hydration in a 50K and still be able to push through to a reasonable finish, but in a 100 mile race, mistakes are sure to catch up with you at some point. While I would like to go into other keys to success in 100 mile races in future posts, today I will focus on nutrition. This will not be an scientific article or a dogmatic preach, …

Ultrarunning Style – The Board Short Dude

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

I got to thinking about ultrarunning style after reading a post from ultrarunner and race director Candice Burt about “The Style of the Elite Runner Girl”. She was contemplating how to differentiate herself as a female ultrarunner and create her own unique style. Her post explored her frustration in finding that for every good idea she came up with, that look was already taken by some other girl. I”m not someone that has consciously been concerned about my style (or lack thereof), but I am aware I have inadvertently created my own in the sport. My own “look” has evolved quite considerably over the past seven years as an ultra runner and I have come to …