Things people always ask :)

Many people ask me all the time about details so here you have those personal details you wanted to know!!!!

1- Do you stop to go to the bathroom?

I noticed that men stop more than women!! They need to go every five minutes!! No kidding!!! I don’t stop for this that much….just 1 time in the whole ultra!! I drank at least 10 liters of water but you also sweat a lot!! LOL

2- Do you ever stop? Or walk?

Yes, I do. Every person has a different strategy. Some walk every XX miles or minutes, others when they are tired, others on the hills. I walk on all the big hills and when I feel I am getting really tired I walk to recover but I don’t walk that much. I use it as a last resource for when I am dying, it is incredible what a 2 or 3 minutes’ walk can do for you! No, I don’t sit and in the aid stations I try to go in and out as soon as possible.

3- What do you eat?

Aid stations has a lot of different things you can eat and you also have the option to have a drop bag at one aid station in case you want to bring your own food. I don’t eat that much actually.

Here's what I ate before and during the race:

Pre-race:

• 2 bananas

• A coffee

• I had 2 bites from bagel with peanut butter but it was too early and I wasn’t hungry

Miles 1-15:

• Orange (only one slice)

• Gatorate or similar, not sure which brand they had

• 2/3 sips of coke at the aid station

Miles 15-35:

• Orange
• Banana, ¼

• Some chips

• 2/3 sips of coke at the aid station
• Gatorate or similar, not sure which brand they had
• Boiled potatoes with salt (less than one potato in total)

Miles 35-50:

• Orange
• Some chips

Also I had:

• 1 electrolyte pill per hour
• 1 power gel per hour
• A lot of water!!! There were 13 aid stations and I refilled my bottle in each one !!!

4 - Do you eat a lot afterwards? Do you recover soon?

Surprisingly, I felt  pretty well after finishing. I went back to the hotel and I took and ice bath!! I always take ice bath after my long runs!! They do help! I knew I had to eat something but I wasn’t hungry. My stomach was totally messed up for so many gels. I tried to eat some chicken but it made me feel worst. I had some dessert and that seemed to work better. A peanut butter bar with almonds and caramel!!! I think I needed some sugar!! After 5 hours I started to feel like I'd been hit by a car, and all I really wanted to do was lie down under blankets. I woke up at 2:30 AM and the only thing in my mind was FOOD!!! I knew this could happen and I planned ahead since I was in a hotel room. I needed something salty and also some protein!! Salt vinegar chips and chicken salad!! Yeah!! I was feeling like a person with eating disorders!!

On Sunday I felt surprisingly good. I was sore, but no more than after a long run. I woke up at 5 AM, drove to the airport and by noon I was already back in NYC. Two hours later I was walking to Central Park to meet some friends. I spent the afternoon with them and came back home in the evening…I was walking slow but I wasn’t dying. The next morning I was a little more sore, as you know it takes 48 hours to really feel the pain!! But still it wasn’t that bad. My hip pain was bothering me a little so I iced for 3 days and decided not to run even though my legs were feeling good and ready to run just 3 days after. I haven’t yet running but just because I want to take care of my hip and be sure there is no inflammation there.

I am planning on running tomorrow and start my Berlin training next week!