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10 Things to Know About Your First Ultra-Marathon

I did my first ultra-marathon, (anything more than 26.2 miles) in 2016. Shortly before that I had laughed when someone had suggested a race longer than a marathon, but now it is my favorite distance. The ultra community is the most inclusive, helpful, and friendliest running community I know. I love ultras because you can ultra your way which means you choose which kind and what distance, and you choose how you are going to cover that distance.

Ultras have taught me a lot about running and about myself. I have made a ton of mistakes, but they have all taught me lessons. Recently, several people have asked me what to expect at your first ultra. I am giving advice for the average runner. I know at every race there are people who inspire us to do better, and never seem to stop. Here are 10 things that most of us need to know at our first ultra.

  • It’s not about speed. At least it’s not for 90% of the people in the race. There are always super fit people who can run fast for what feels like forever, but for most of us it is more about endurance and pacing.
  • Walking counts and is a great idea most of the time. An ultra is more about the distance covered than it is about how you got there. A mile is a mile, and you won’t receive judgment on how you choose to cover it.
  • Eat something every hour. I always eat half of a peanut butter sandwich before the race, and then I eat 200-300 calories every hour.
  • Take care of your feet and your stomach. I rub my feet with Vaseline before I put my socks on to avoid blisters, and I reapply it around the 50K (31 miles) mark. I had to stop several times because of nausea, and I learned the importance of regularly drinking electrolytes. I also have ginger chews, but I don’t normally need them.  
  • It’s okay to take a break. This is one of the mental hurdles you will face at your first ultra because a runner who does smaller distances doesn’t understand the concept of resting, but when you hit a wall, you can probably get a second wind after a few minutes.
  • Ask the veterans for advice. You will meet some of the coolest people at ultras, and they all have great advice and stories.
  • Be mentally tough. I had imposter syndrome at my first ultra. I didn’t think I belonged. I didn’t think I was good enough to be an ultra-runner. You are good enough, and if you believe you can run an ultra, you can.
  • Know what terrain you will be on. Ultras are run on all types of terrains, so that will determine training and what kind of shoes you wear.
  • Pickle juice is a game changer. Pickle juice is available in any sports store, and it is used to decrease muscle soreness.
  • Have a first aid kit. There are quite a few things that might happen which will require a basic first aid kit.
  • Run with someone. This makes the time go by faster, and it helps you develop your connections with the ultra-running community.

There are a few others I could add, but the most important is to have fun and learn from the experience. During my first race, I asked everyone for advice and I came away with some important tips.

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10 Shots of Inspiration

Do you ever have those days when the arrows or maybe daggers of the words people throw at you have pierced your mental armor? Do you wish your best friend was next to you to lift you up?

Here are 10 shots of inspiration you can use to heal mentally and rise back up to be the force you need to be.

  • Don’t allow others to limit or diminish you. When others start sentences with you should or shouldn’t and finish with how they think you should live your life, when they interrupt you mid-sentence as if what you say doesn’t matter, or they treat your dreams as foolish or insignificant, those are attempts to limit or diminish you. I say they are attempts because you do not have to accept that treatment. A friend recently put a quote on social media that resonated with me. It said, “Many people have benefited from you playing small most of your life. That chapter is done. Step into who you are. Take up space.”
  • Kindness and other positive energy will flow back to you. Everyone can use some kindness, and kindness has the power to make you happy. Whatever energy you send out will boomerang right back to you, so keep the positivity flowing.
  • You can always choose joy. No matter what your circumstances are, you have control about how you react to those circumstances. Sometimes, you have to dig deep to find the joy, but it’s always there.
  • Practice gratitude. God has a way of ending any pity party I was having by putting someone in front of me who is struggling with a challenge much greater than anything I could imagine. Make a list of everything you are grateful for. I hope it is a long list.
  • Stop relying on others for your happiness. If you are waiting for others to make you happy, you will eventually be disappointed because you are the only one who knows exactly what you need.
  • Reconnect with whatever fills you. It could be your faith, nature, community, or something else. I know prayer has energy that calms me, and nature has an energy that always fills me. When I’m upset, I go for a run and soak up the beauty around me. I also use gardening to reconnect. I sing and talk to the plants, and I swear it helps them grow better.
  • Close the door on negative thoughts. We can be so hard on ourselves, and it is easy to allow self-defeating thoughts to take over. Change them to positive ones.
  • Believe you are capable. Something is only impossible until you do it. Even if those close to you tell you your dream is out of reach, keep moving towards it. Success might be a second away.
  • Use music to heal. There is an episode of the cartoon Bluey where everyone is in a bad mood. The mom says, “Okay, we are all playing dancing characters.” It’s a cross between red light, green light and musical chairs. The person in charge plays the music, the others dance until the person in charge stops the music and everyone has to freeze. One by one everyone’s mood started to improve, so dance in the kitchen or sing at the top of your lungs or listen to your favorite music.
  • Have a time out. When everyone and everything starts to weigh you down, find a moment for yourself. Do whatever you love most or find a quiet spot. I need breaks from social media, so I’ll leave my phone inside and go out with a good book.
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Understanding Your Running Friends

When you are not a runner, it can be difficult to understand the people who are so passionate about it. Some of the things we do sound crazy even to us, but they always seem glorious, and they make amazing stories. Here are a few of the typical things that runners do that non-runners might not understand.

  • You think we are crazy to run five miles, but we run five miles to burn off the crazy.
  • We cannot throw away the 60 race T-shirts because each one is a memory.
  • We do care about winning a medal because it proves all the long hours of training are working.
  • We will probably never be able to plan anything with you on Saturday because that is race day.
  • We understand that you are shocked by how many running shoes we have, but a runner needs shoes, for trails, roads, marathons, waterproof ones if it rains, and we struggle with throwing them away because they also carry memories.
  • When you ask a runner, “What’s your goal for the race?”, and he answers that he only wants to finish, he is lying. He wants to crush the competition and win in his age group while earning a personal best.
  • Be cautious if you decide to try a race and the runners around you include you in their conversation. If you hear them all telling you that they expect to run an awful race, realize that this is more fabrication. They want you to think they are not competitive, so you will ignore them. They will then pass you.
  • We have been known to sign up for a race only because of the medal and the t-shirt.
  • Runners love to be challenged, so realize that a 5K is a gateway drug, and before you know it your running friends will be talking about a 200-mile race in the desert.

There are many more aspects of a runners psyche, and although you might not understand the way runners think, you will enjoy hearing about the adventures they have.

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Eliminating Hidden Calories

Are you frustrated because you feel as if you are eating healthier and exercising, but you aren’t losing weight? You might be doing everything right, but you are missing hidden calories that are sabotaging your weight loss. Let me give you a few examples.

I love drinking coffee and tea and although I don’t add sugar anymore, I do love milk or cream, and I use it a lot. I hadn’t thought about the cream as being anything that could tip the scales until I went on a trip where I didn’t have any coffee or tea for a week. The rest of my diet was the same, but when I returned home, I realized I lost five pounds. Since then, I use 1 % milk and I have cut back on how much I use.

Sugar is another calorie culprit. Ten years ago, I stopped taking it in my coffee and I was surprised to find that after a week I didn’t miss it at all. Sugar is sneaky because it is in so many of our foods and drinks. If you drink soda, you are consuming 150 empty calories with each can. Instead of drinking a massive, sweet tea, cut down the size and change to half and half, or unsweet tea with a splash of lemonade.

Check the portion sizes you are eating because even healthy food that is eaten in excess will pack on the pounds.

We all have foods that make us gain weight. I couldn’t eat cereal for years because if I ate it for two days or more, I would gain a few pounds. Find your triggers for weight gain and try to avoid them. I can avoid ice cream and pastries, but a bag of Doritos is a party for me!

Write down everything you eat or drink in a day including condiments and evaluate it honestly. What might be sabotaging your weight loss?

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How to Raise Your Bar

How to Raise Your Bar

The way you think has the power to change your life. Your perspective, attitude, energy, and belief system all contribute to your success. Do you think success is out of your reach? Do you see things as impossible or see the possibilities? Are your expectations for yourself low? Maybe it’s time to raise your bar. Let me show you how.

  • Change excuses to action statements. Excuses are roadblocks to success. You have the power to accomplish your dreams. Every time you hear yourself making an excuse change it to a statement about how you are going to make it work.
  • Believe you can do it. Sending out positive thoughts about our abilities will make a huge difference.
  • Change your impossibles to possible by doing them even if you have to step out of your comfort zone.
  • Ask for help. Find someone who is already good at what you want to do and ask for help.
  • Make an action plan. What do you need to do to improve and be the best version of you? Figure out how you can do it.
  • Don’t settle for good, figure out how to be great.
  • Practice positivity and that energy will come back to you.

Don’t be that person who talks about wanting to do something, but always thought it was out of reach. Go do it!

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What Does Healthy Eating Look like in Our Country?

My daughter and I recently took a group of eight women to Paris, and immediately they started to comment on how fresh and tasty the food was. I heard comments like, “Why doesn’t our food take like this? Why can’t we do this?” The best though was when we went to a brunch that included eggs, yogurt, avocado toast, and a burger. One lady said, “This is the best burger I have ever eaten! Why is it the best burger I have ever eaten?” Another lady answered by saying, “The meat is fresh.”  

The ladies also loved that there are fresh air markets everywhere with fresh produce, but that is something we can experience in the states as well.

When we returned, I bought some brie and goat cheese at our local Kroger because I missed my charcuterie boards, but after one might I realized I had been spoiled by what I had in France.

So in one of the greatest countries, why don’t we do a better job with our food, and how can we make sure to eat healthily?  This is from The Center for Nutrition.

“Roughly 60% of the American diet is made up of processed foods. This includes soda, fast food, packaged foods, frozen meals, sweets, cereals, and canned soup. These foods offer very little nutrition. But they’re also packed with sodium and added sugars, along with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.”

Here is a short list of food to avoid.

Packaged food

Fried food

Red meat

Processed meat (deli meat, cold cuts, bacon)

Sugary baked goods

Refined grains (white bread, white pasta, white rice)

Here is what you want to eat.

Fruits

Vegetables

Whole grains

Lean protein

Low fat dairy

Wild fish

Pasture raised eggs

I have been eating from my garden as often as possible, and when cold weather comes, I am going to continue growing food in a greenhouse. When I go to the grocery store, I buy fruits and vegetables that are not in plastic. We shop often at the local farmer’s market and avoid processed food.

Do some research and put some thought into what you are eating because it is your fuel and it will determine your health.

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How Kindness Ripples Back to You

Everyone has a few chinks in their armor. Some have tiny holes, and others have gaping tears, but we all carry burdens and do our best to resolve them. Kindness can make those burdens easier to carry, but did you know that being kind to someone has positive effects on you too?

The positive vibes that kindness creates can lower anxiety and blood pressure. Kind acts can also boost our immune system. It fosters a sense of social connection and that improves our mental health. It promotes happiness and can foster a sense of purpose.

The energy we send out comes back to us. If we show others kindness, positive energy will eventually come back to affect us positively as well.

Kindness is so powerful, but it is very easy to do. Here are some examples of kindness.

Be tolerant

Praise others

Give hope

Show love

Listen

Use names

Send a note

Smile

Help someone

No matter how you help someone with kindness you are creating a connection that will benefit you both.

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Patreon Rewards is a Symbiotic Relationship

Patreon is a creator site where lovers of the arts and supporters of creatives can subscribe and pay for a monthly reward from the creator. There are different tiers with different rewards and prices. It is a great chance to support creatives while the creatives can share something with their supporters.

I struggled for a long time about what I should offer as a reward. At first, I offered a free book, stickers, and advice on parenting, running, and writing, but since the subscriptions are monthly I didn’t think that was sustainable. I thought about when my husband asked me why I wrote, and I answered that I wanted to help people if I could whether it was through encouragement, kindness, or advice about something I had experienced. That’s when I decided to tie my awards to helping my readers.

My first tier costs $5 a month and it is called Positive Vibes. My family and friends have finally realized the power of positivity, and they know I am very adept at using it. Recently, we went to our favorite breakfast place on a Saturday, and it was packed. Everyone groaned, but I said, “No worries, we will get right in!” My husband dropped us off to park the car, I went up to the hostess stand, greeted her, told her we had four, and she said, “Oh, a table just opened up!” Now, that wouldn’t be strange except at least 10 people were in the waiting area. When my husband found us sitting at our table, he sighed and said, “Positivity wins again!”

Let me wield my magic for you by sending out positive vibes on your behalf.

The next tier is $10 and it is a chance for you to ask me questions about writing.

The next tier is $25 to do proofing and editing.

The next is life advice for $30.

Check out my site at https://patreon.com/jenniferbonn?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

And consider making one of your own.

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Take Back Your Power

Are you sometimes overwhelmed by strong personalities around you? Do you find yourself becoming passive, not feeling you have a voice, or feeling invisible? You are not alone, but there are ways to take back your power without causing excessive drama.

I have two family members who have bigger-than-life personalities. They are loud, confident, and controlling. They are also somewhat self-absorbed. I often think about the Toby Kieth song where he says he loves listening to his girlfriend, but sometimes it has to be about me. We all deserve equal time to have our voices heard. My family interrupts me and tries to finish my sentences, but they rarely finish them correctly, and that can be exhausting. I have the feeling that they don’t hear me, and they would prefer if they could move on to the next topic.

If you have someone like this in your life you can just be passive and let him steamroll you, or you can set some firm boundaries. I had been passive for most of my marriage when I decided I needed to take my power back. The first time I spoke up and set a boundary my husband looked at me with surprise and said, “Oh, okay.”

You have to believe you have value. Don’t listen to the voices that have told you otherwise. You might think you are different, and you don’t fit into what our society deems acceptable. So what?! All that means to me is you are probably more interesting. Stop worrying about whether someone likes you or not. Work on liking yourself. Let the toxic people leave your life. A burden will be lifted.

I had a friend who used to say that the person who cared the least was the one who won. At first, I thought he was wrong. I care too much about everything and everyone, but what he meant was don’t care about the stuff that doesn’t matter.

People with strong personalities often act before thinking. You have to claim your space, so call them on it when they step over your line. If they talk over you, or ignore you speak up.

The final way to take your power back is to evaluate the type of person who fills you, and the kind that depletes your energy. You may have to make some hard choices then.