Verona's Dexter over halfway home in 200 mile run

This was a video from my local news channel updating viewers on the status of the McNaughton 200 Mile Trail Run Friday evening, May 7 - 100 miles down.

After Thoughts on Running 200 Miles

The McNaughton 200 Mile Trail Run epitomizes what the sport of Ultrarunning is to me. As long distance runners, we seek a challenge – how far can I go? As athletes, we seek competition – how well will I perform today? Fifteen runners toed the line on a Thursday evening in Pittsfield, Vermont ready to try and answer the questions.

Andy Weinberg (the Race Director) stated that this was a monumental day in Ultrarunning - the first 200 mile trail run in North America. It was humbling to be a part of something so big.

Over the course of a 200 mile run, you are destined to see a lot of weather changes even when you are just doing a 10-mile loop. Over the course of Thursday evening until Sunday, we got to experience bright sunny skies, thunderstorms with over 2 inches of rain, hail, high winds, more sun, more rain, a rainbow (see photo below), and even snow. With the heavy rain came extremely muddy trail conditions. I know many of the runners were ready mentally and physically to run 200 miles – the conditions just made the course unbearable at times.

With a looped course, there were 20 different opportunities to stop. I was fortunate enough to not only have my parents at the race but also a crew of 9 additional friends. I hit a point at mile 180 when everything in my body said stop – I just didn’t want it anymore. To have an experienced crew to help you with decisions in a race of this distance is priceless.

My hat goes off to Mike Siltman who went at this race solo – the mental toughness he showed through his perseverance was amazing!

It is my hope that this race will continue to grow in its new venue and ultrarunners asking the how far and how long questions will find their answers in Pittsfield, Vermont.

SportQuest Products: My Secret Weapon for Endurance

Many people have asked me how I could keep moving for 61+ hours and 200 trail miles at the McNaughton Park Trail Runs a few weeks ago in Vermont. Besides having an all-star crew, the number one thing that keep me going was the awesome products from Sports Quest. I didn't use every product - but the products above are what my crew gave me every hour on the hour throughout the event.

Carbo Pro is a tasteless powder that mixes easily with anything. I had a serving of this stuff mixed with water or sports drink every hour. One serving of Carbo Pro provides the same amount of Carbohydrates as a pound of potatoes. If you are planning on doing something long - seriously try this stuff. It will keep you going. The Carbo Pro 1200 is a concentrated drink that we mix with water to provide extra good calories. When I am running, I burn approximately 125 calories a mile. You have got to find good sources of energy to put back into your body. This stuff works for me.

Interphase provided me with the necessary protein. My Mom brought a blender from home and we mixed Interphase (along with Carbo Pro) with chocolate milk for a great tasting shake once every five hours.

I have got to be honest - I'm not sure what is in the Recovery Amino Power but it aids in my recovery and I learned from my friend David Goggins to take these pills during the events to keep providing nutrients to your muscles. These pills in combination with the VO2 Max Endurance kept my muscles feeling strong throughout the event.

I also take Recovery Amino Power religiously during training - 3 pills in the morning on an empty stomach - 3 pills immediately after a workout - and on hard training days another 3 pills right before going to bed. I know it sounds like a lot of pills - but trust me - it works.

Thermolyte MetaSalt is taken just like any salt pill - the hotter it is and the more you sweat - the more you would want to take. These are easy on the stomach and keeps the sodium in your body for the long haul.

We are all an experiment of one - you have got to see what works for you. But if you are like a lot of endurance athletes out there you are still looking for it. Sports Quest is a great company. The athletes that use these products use them because they work. You owe it to yourself to try - these products were essential for me to not only be able to finish but win the McNaughton Park 200 Mile Trail Run with over 48,000 ft. of elevation change in conditions (with over 2 inches of rain falling during the event) that many have called pure hell.

It's one thing to go out and run a race - its another to be able to day in and day out train for an event. I have run over 3,000 miles in each of the last few years because of the aid and recovery of these products. Check them out at: www.carbopro.com