So, I‘ve realized that my Project 30 run blogs are pretty long. So, with that in mind I am going to try something new with this blog post - I will break down this post into more sections than I have before. I hope this will make the marathon of a read ahead of you a little bit more enjoyable.
PRE-RUN
I arrived in Lisbon on Monday afternoon, two days before I completed my run, and found traveling using the metro to be a breeze. Upon arriving at my metro stop, I was immediately struck by how petite the city felt. It’s adorable how tiny the buildings felt and how snug the mosaic sidewalks made of white limestone seemed.
On my second day in Lisbon, I decided to be a tourist and check out a few museums and places of interest but my main priority was to get a massage. I was feeling sore and I have learned that few things are better than a deep tissue massage to help me lose some tension and anxiety before an ultra run. Luckily, I found Myo Thai where the massage was superb.
As usual, I took the late afternoon and evening fairly easy. I drank a lot of water and made enough pasta to feed three people at the community kitchen inside of the hostel I stayed at. Seeing me eat like a pig made for an easy ice breaker for conversations and I had the chance to meet really great people during dinner.
Around 9 pm or so I decided to head to my room to stretch and begin to wind down so I could wake up as early and naturally as possible. I don’t use an alarm anymore; I just allow myself to wake up when my body naturally wakes up. It’s one of the perks of not currently being dependent on anyone else’s time.
THE RUN
The Route
I originally had a different route planned than the one I ultimately ended up taking but, for reasons I’ll explain later, I had to make a last-minute change. I ran on beautiful coastal route, a 12 mile unobstructed coastal pathway designed for both pedestrians and cyclists, that started in Lisbon and took me all the way to Cascais. It made for a wonderful and relatively flat path that included breathtaking cliffs and beachfront views.
One of the best parts of this initial route is that, for the most part, it is separate from the main roadway making running more enjoyable. Running can already be a pain in the lungs so being able to avoid the proximity of vehicle traffic with their horrible smelling smog and ear piercing noise is a welcomed treat anytime I happen to find myself running near a city.
The route was lined with small restaurants and cafes that commanded beautiful views of cliff sides, beachfronts and rocky shores. I found myself daydreaming of a summer day when I would be sitting at one of the cafes and just let my day melt away.
After about 15 miles I finally reached the western end of Cascais, a beautiful fishing town centered around a picturesque marina and an impressive fort. Once I made my way around the marina, I found a route that continued alongside the coast. For the next few miles, I needed to run up slightly ascending and descending hills.
Hills become an added challenge during long distance runs. While none of these hills were dramatic, even a slight incline or the need to climb up and down stairs can become increasingly difficult as the miles begin to stack up. The peak height that I climbed was only about 330 feet. So, while that doesn’t sound like much, after about mile 17 or so, every climb felt like I was trekking up my own personal Everest.
However, these hills quickly became worth it as I found myself overlooking miles of undisturbed coastline backdropped by a small mountain and cliffside town off into the distance. It’s astonishing views like this that make endurance runs worth it. The breathtaking beauty of waves swallowing up the beach and crashing up against cliffs forced a smile on my face and, for a moment, washed away the pain and weariness I was feeling from the elevation gain and mileage.
As I made my way around the coastline, I continued to follow a bike path that allowed me to perimeter the whole of Quinta da Marinha, a rural area known for its wild surfing beaches. By the time I completed the perimeter, there was an additional 7 miles needed to complete the run, making it necessary to partially repeat the coastal route I initially took. This provided me with an additional few miles of beautiful coastline views through a new perspective. As with the initial lap, I was blown away by the rugged beauty that the Portuguese coastline affords.
By the time I reached mile 25, I found myself in what I’ll call survival mode. I stopped by an ice cream vendor to grab a bottle of water and took a couple minutes to drain down the water and relax. I found myself straining more than I am accustomed to as I could no longer keep my heart rate down to my preferred 140-150 bpm range. I was struggling and feeling deflated. So, I took out my AirPods for the first time in 12 miles and threw on a high energy playlist to help me find the motivation to keep pushing.
Throughout these last 5 miles I celebrated every mile that I finished and told myself over and over that I only had 4 miles to go, then only 3 miles to go. “Come on, 3 miles is a cakewalk for you these days,” I consoled myself. I kept repeating that to myself for the last two miles. Then I found myself celebrating for every half mile I completed. I needed every bit of motivation I could give myself. Then, after what felt like an eternity, I was only a half mile away from completion!
I began to become mindful again, I dug through the hole I found myself in and my tunnel vision evaporated. I once again was able to see the beauty of the coastline and the route I was on. And then, all of the sudden, I finished my 30-mile ultra while staring out at the expansive magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean!
Run Videos
For this run I tried something new. I decided to take live videos of myself running periodically and posting them directly to Instagram/Facebook Stories. The feedback I got was overwhelmingly positive. A few people reached out to say that they enjoyed being able to track my run and to see my live thoughts as I ran. I have taken videos before during my runs as a form of running journal to record my thoughts in the moment, but uploading them right away made me feel more connected with people rather than doing so in a static way that I would then need to publish afterwards.
I thought at first that this would get in the way of my running groove but I actually found myself enjoying sharing my thoughts and taking the time to think out loud about my run and what I was seeing during the run. I intend on continuing to do this for as long as I enjoy doing so and I continue to get good feedback.
Pushing Further
When I woke up the morning of the run, I felt a bit unwell and had a distressing case of diarrhea (actually now that I think about it, is there such a thing as a comforting case of diarrhea?). Anyways, as I went to the bathroom, I realized that the initial route that I had planned would need to be changed. I didn’t want to take the chance to be out in the woods or open park space and not have access to extra water or a bathroom. So, I made a last-minute decision to take the coastal bike and pedestrian path that starts at the Algés train station in Lisbon and ends in Cascais.
From the onset of my run I knew that I would need to take a bathroom break at some point, as I was conscious of my gut and the sensation of needing to go. As I approached the 12-mile mark I needed to take a break and use the restroom. I mention this uncomfortable moment because I believe it’s important that I explain why I decided to run knowing that I was at a higher risk than usual of becoming dehydrated during this run.
Project 30 has become a journey of self discovery and pushing myself to my limit, and at times, running far past it. I spent all of 2021 training in order to be able to consistently run for 60 miles a week. During that time, my desire was focused solely on being able to get the miles in and I treated it as a second job. Although I was able to get the mileage in, it was rare for me to enjoy the act or even look forward to it.
That has changed. I am now captivated by my long runs. These runs have turned into something that I both nervously await, yet yearn to do. During my travels I get thrilled with the idea of knowing that I will soon be spending some 5 to 6 hours challenging my mind and body on an ultra run.
So, when I woke up the morning of the run feeling unwell, I knew I was at a fork in the road. I either would delay my run for another day, or push myself to complete it as planned. I had to choose the latter. The very idea of succumbing to this excuse scared me, and still scares me, far more than the consequence of potential dehydration.
Project 30 is about me pushing myself, especially when I don’t feel the overwhelming desire or motivation to do so. It’s exactly at the point when we don’t feel like we are at our 100% that true grit, determination and willpower need to be dug up and used. It’s alarmingly easy for us to burrow into the comfort of our excuses. It’s precisely at these forks in the road when we have the opportunity to sharpen and mold ourselves to become better, more resilient versions of ourselves.
Post Run
As soon as the run finished, I walked over to a local café to grab a juice and water. I downed the little 100ml juice immediately; I needed to replenish my sugars and I could feel an immediate sense of energy. From the café I walked towards the train station so that I could head back closer to the Lisbon city center where I was staying. I just missed the train, so I took the opportunity to wait for the next train as my time to stretch out. I have found that hydrating and stretching out immediately after running are the two most important things that I can do to help my recovery. I know that sounds obvious but you would be surprised how easy it is to neglect those two simple things.
On my way back to the hostel I came across a great Açaí place and so I grabbed myself a bowl filled with peanut butter, bananas, chia seeds, protein powder, and drizzled in honey. Once I got to my hostel my first priority was to make some pasta and eggs in order to begin replenishing my caloric loss. I tried to make sure to keep drinking as much water as I could but as I would learn the next day, I didn’t drink as much as I should have. The day prior to the run I had met a lot of great people at the hostel and I had decided it would be great to grab a drink with some of them after the run, but I was in no condition to be going out, let alone to drink alcohol after the run. This post run was a pretty tough one for me and I knew that the best thing I could do for myself was to relax, stretch out and go through my recovery regiment. So, in the end, I decided to ward off my FOMO and stay in.
In all honesty though, I ended up going to sleep a little later than I naturally should have. I found myself falling into the ever-enticing grasp of watching Netflix instead of just lying back and allowing myself to fall asleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I really started feeling the effect of yesterday’s run and my lack of proper rehydration. The feeling is eerily similar to a long night of drinking, debauchery and dancing. The combination of a slight head cold, creeping headache and sore legs made me feel like I had a hangover. A clear lesson for moving forward is that to commit to running when feeling subpar, a higher level of commitment to my hydration is a necessary consequence.
Thankfully though, I had the chance to spend the first half of the day relaxing, hydrating and writing.
Recovery
Stretching out and the use of my TheraGun, a massage percussion gun, are two top priorities that I have immediately after a run. Since I travel lightly ( I only have a backpack and a carry-on suitcase for everywhere that I travel), I have found the TheraGun to be a convenient, compact and portable alternative to a roller. The TheraGun is easily one of the most important things that I own because it saves me from truly hurting after these long runs. I have found that the percussive massage has been especially therapeutic and helpful for the bottom of my feet. Since using the TheraGun I have had very few times where my feet hurt or I feel the flare up of my plantar fasciitis.
For those of you who are fortunate not to have plantar fasciitis, first of all congratulations you lucky soul, I truly hope you never have to feel that pain! Second, plantar fasciitis is the intense, hell-raising pain that emanates mostly from your heel and is the result of inflammation in the ligament that connects your heel to your toes. So basically nothing fun.
Now, the TheraGun alone isn’t enough to recover from my runs so I take about 30-45 minutes to stretch out. I focus on my lower back and legs the most for obvious reasons. I have found that holding the stretching positions for 30 seconds at the time works best for me but I wouldn’t say I’ve experimented well with stretching so I am open to any suggestions from fellow runners here.
Hydration & Diet
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
If there is anything that I feel comfortable giving as advice it’s to hydrate. Seriously, I don’t care if you’re doing ultras or taking short walks around the block, stay hydrated. It’s the best way to being healthy, recovering, and preventing a lot of issues. I drink a gallon (3.8 liters for my non-US friends) or more of water a day depending on the level of exertion I have had during the day. Like I mentioned in the above section, I made the mistake of not listening to my own advice and paid for it the next day.
Diet
My diet is nothing special. Truly I don’t have some kind of hardcore regiment that I follow. I’ve never been one for doing a particular type of diet. For a long time now my response to anyone that asks me about dieting has been this,
“If it seems healthy it probably is, if it doesn’t seem healthy it probably isn’t. So, avoid the things that aren’t healthy as much as you can and eat the stuff that’s healthy.”
Yup, I know, not that groundbreaking or scientific. It’s a simple response because I try to keep things as simple as I can for myself. It’s worked out pretty well for me so far.
In practice, the major parts of my diet looks something like this.
Carbs: I eat a lot of carbs, like a lot of carbs, most of which are pasta.
Sugar Avoidance: I avoid sugar as much as I can, especially as the day comes to a close. I haven’t had a soda in so long that I couldn’t even describe the taste of a soda.
Greens: I take a greens powder to supplement my diet as I know I don’t get enough greens during my travels.
Eggs: I eat a lot of eggs for protein and because they are easy to make.
Outside of these things there isn’t anything really special about the way I eat. Seriously, just follow your intuition about something being healthy or not, it goes a long way.
Supplements
I do take a regimented set of supplements and here’s the list of what I take daily:
Fish Oil
BCAAs
Greens Powder
Daily Multivitamin
NAD+ (NR) pills
Probiotics
Turmeric pill
On Ultra Run Days:
I continue to take the above listed supplements but additionally add these items:
Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel
Hydration powder
Gratitude & Feedback
Thank you to all of you that have read this far. It truly means a lot to me that you are willing to follow along with me on this crazy journey. This sort of writing is still new to me and I am learning a lot about myself as I take the time to write each of these blogs.
And as with any learning journey I know that I’ll be making mistakes and making a lot of adjustments to my style and form. With that said, if you have any suggestions, comments or feedback please feel free to comment them here or reach out to me by email or social media. Any sort of feedback is appreciated because I truly see this year as a learning opportunity and it will help me further connect with all of you.
My hope with these blogs and social media content is to provide a window into my journey while also helping inspire you all to push yourself a bit further in any endeavor that you are currently doing or are planning on taking; whether that be a mental, physical or spiritual one.
Keep pushing and much love!