I'm sure you've heard of an Ironman, or at least you are aware there is an insanely long triathlon that takes most humans a full day to complete. And I'm sure you've also heard of Ultra Marathons - any running race that is longer than 26.2 miles. But have you ever heard of UltraMan? An UltraMan consists of roughly 320 miles: Day 1 is a 6.2 mile swim and a 93 mile bike ride, day 2 is a 171 mile bike ride and day 3 is a 52.4 mile run. There are only 3 of these events around (Canada, Florida, and Hawaii) and only 485 finishers in the history of the event.
Norwalk's very own Nick Logan will be competing in the Ultraman Florida race this February 21-23 and I had the changes to speak with him about his training as he prepares for this momentous feat!
How did you sign up for or qualify for Ultraman Florida?
It was kind of a random occurrence as I saw that they had one last open spot because someone had dropped out. Since I was already training for another Ironman distance race I emailed the race director and asked if she thought I was qualified enough to take the last spot. Typically you have to have done an iron distance race (2.4 mile swim/112 mile bike/ 26.2 mile run) within the last 18 months but my last Ironman hasn't been since 2008 in Lake Placid, NY so I didn't think I had a shot. After some back and forth on email about my current training load I was fortunate enough to grab the last spot among the 38 competing athletes. This was super exciting for me as I had applied for the Canada race a few times in the past, but I was never accepted as the years I applied seem to have been the most popular years.
What is the longest distance race you have participated in up to this date?
In total I have done about 177 endurance races since 2004 and of those races, the longest I have done in triathlons is up to the Iron distance, and my longest run has been a 50 mile trail run. While the combined distance is new for me I have been known to race on back to back days. I most recently completed the Rev3 Revolution last June in Middlebury, CT which was an Olympic distance race on Saturday followed up by a half iron distance on Sunday. I certainly learned a lot about multiple day nutrition from my experience at that race and I will be using that to my advantage next month.
What are you most excited for about Ultraman?
The thing I am most excited about is just being a part of the actual race. It's just such a unique event and the stories I have heard about the community have had me wanting to do this race for a very long time. With only 485 finishers in the history of the event, it is truly something special. That rarity combined with the extreme challenge makes it a must do event for me.
What are you most afraid of, if anything?
One of the reasons I am doing the race is the simple fact that it scares me period! However, the thing that probably scares me the most is being too conservative and not leaving it all out on the course. I've seen some of these races come down to seconds and since everyone has different strengths the athlete that crosses the finish line first on day 3, isn't necessarily the winner of the race. Since we all start at the same time on each day you really don't know where you stand until your competition finishes Racing the distance is new to me so I probably won't race as aggressive as I normally do and the last thing I want to find out is I lost a place in the standings because a few seconds here and there.
Do you have any special tricks to help you get through these long distance races? (i.e. mantras, nutrition, etc.)
Nutrition is certainly key, not only for the race itself but for the training. I have to make sure that I am fueling myself for the workouts of the day but I need to make sure I stay on top of my nutrition so I have enough energy for the following days sessions as well. This is especially true when I get into the longer sessions. As you can imagine riding a bike for 7 hours can leave you pretty drained, I have been fortunate enough to be able to work with some solid companies in Enduropacks and Forte Gelato that make products which allow me to recover enough to get out there and push myself on a daily basis. Nutrition will be crucial during the race especially as I will certainly pay for any mistakes that I might make early the longer the race goes on. Come race day I will have figured out exactly how many calories I need to be taking in for each leg of the race. Other than that it's just a matter of staying focused and staying in the right mind frame, not letting the negativity that eventually creeps into your mind get the best of you.
That's another unique thing about the race, there is really not a single way to train for it. I've reached out to a bunch of veterans and friends that have done the distance, and they all have their own tricks and tips, but they all have gotten to the finish line with their own unique training program. For me I am approaching it with more of a Ironman distance training schedule with some longer distance workouts sprinkled in. A major key to successful training is that I have an extremely supportive wife who deals with my crazy ideas and picks up the slack around the house when I have my longer sessions. Without her support preparing for the race properly would be a lot more difficult. In addition, training for the race through the winter has been quite a challenge lately with the weather we have been having. I have had to deal with all different kinds of weather systems on my long bike days which have included crazy winds, rain, sleet, ice and snow. At least I know come race day I will be prepared for anything!
Do you ever find it hard to stick with training and if so, how do you get yourself back in the right mind-set?
I think everyone has their low points when it comes to training no matter how experienced or inexperienced they are. Sometimes its hard to wrap my head around getting in the pool and having to swim 10,000 yards in a SINGLE workout when my average WEEKLY swim volume for last year was 6700 yards or heading out the door knowing that I am about to run a marathon completely by myself, and self supported. A lot of times it's just a matter of getting started and getting the body moving. I know I am completely capable of completing the workouts I have set on my schedule, but sometimes my mind gets the better of me before I get started. Occasionally I just need to remind myself, in the words of Lao-tzu, that even the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
And finally, what is your dream post-Ultraman Florida meal?
That's easy. One of my coworkers found something called the kitchen sink challenge at the hard rock Orlando before he went to Disney a few months ago. To complete the challenge, you must consume a Kitchen Burger (usually a 10 oz patty), a side of french fries, a fried pickle, and a slice of The Kitchen Sink Cake, all within a 30 minute time limit. The Kitchen Sink Cake is "a 3 pound slice of cake with seven layers including – brownies, peanut butter crunch, chocolate chunk cookies, cheesecake, pecan pie, devil's food cake, vanilla chiffon cake, all covered in chocolate butter cream frosting, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and heath bar crunch; served with vanilla bean ice cream." I will be calling ahead to see if they can make it gluten free and if so I certainly will be attacking that one post race!
Thanks so much Nick! We will certainly be circling back for a post-Ultraman race recap.