Cheering from the Sidelines
Coaching at the HURT100
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to crew my girlfriend Candice at the legendary Hawaiian Ultra Running Team’s Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run, aka the HURT100. Check out my post from last week, Rumble in the Jungle, to read more about the experience.
HURT was special not only because I got to support Candice, but because I got to support an athlete I coach named Amanda. Amanda completed the notorious five 20-mile loops and became a 100-mile finisher—a feat impressive in any regard, never mind on that unforgiving course.
Amanda is 36, married with four kids, two dogs, and is a kindergarten teacher. Needless to say, she’s busy. She’s lived on Oahu for a few years and has gotten the opportunity to volunteer and pace at the HURT100 in the past, so this hometown race held a special place in her heart. As a long-time runner, she wanted to check HURT off her bucket list and remind herself that she can do hard things.
Before we started working together in mid-November, I was transparent about never having run an ultra myself, never mind a 100-miler; however, Amanda trusted me and trusted the process. I would have to trust her as well, and encouraged her to communicate, as she was recovering from a calf strain and other health issues before her final training block.
We steadily ramped her mileage and time on feet each week, incorporating some intensity, but not too much to aggravate her existing injury. She peaked at 80 miles and 18 hours the week of 12/23 before we started a gradual yet significant three week taper.
In addition to strength training, we incorporated cycling for cross-training as well. This was to give her some extra volume to train the legs and lungs, but without the excessive impact runners know far too well. Not only did it give her a mental break and an opportunity to switch things up, but it expedited her recovery by boosting blood flow and reducing muscle soreness—key for any athlete looking to reduce injury risk.
The week of HURT, she came down with a parasite infection and spent most of her time resting. Nothing like some race week scares, right? Despite that, she showed up and gave it everything she had.
While she had her own crew and pacers, and I didn’t want to create a too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen situation, I made sure to give her a fist bump, offer words of encouragement, and support any way I could when she came through aid stations. 45 minutes ahead of the 36-hour cutoff, she finished like a champion, surrounded by her lovely family.
I admire Amanda’s positive attitude. No matter how much pain she was in throughout the weekend, she always had a smile on her face and lifted others up. So it was only appropriate that she received an award for perseverance at the banquet. I’m proud to be in her corner.
While I’ve gained more exposure to the world of ultrarunning thanks to Candice and coaching, it’s still quite new to me as I’ve never run longer than a marathon myself. However, I’m looking forward to changing that in 2025. Exciting things ahead…
Way to go Amanda! You did the work and trusted Adam and were successful. That’s awesome!
Thanks for sharing! I started running after my daughter was born and needed open heart surgery. I was so scared for my first race, thinking I would be an outsider, but I discovered a beautiful, supportive community of amazing people from all walks of life, all at very various paces. Thank you for sharing this reminder of why I love the running community!