As many of you know, I’ve been coaching athletes for a few years now, and one thing that’s critical to coaching is one-on-one meetings. They’re always a chance to connect, see how training is going, and review plans for race week. I also usually do an exit interview to see how their event went. While out on a run, I thought to myself that some amazing stories come out of these meetings. Since I’m doing the calls anyway, I figured it would be a great chance to start a podcast built around them, and maybe cover some other topics as they come up. I quickly learned how to record, transcribe, and get episodes posted on all the major platforms. It’s so easy to launch a podcast that I can see why there are so many out there.
In this episode of the UltraRunCoach.com podcast, coach Patrick Durante sits down with athlete Chris Gerrard to break down his incredible journey from a 90-mile heartbreak at the C&O Canal 100 to placing 5th overall at the Pine Creek Challenge 100-Miler with a time of 21:11:02.Chris shares the mental and physical adjustments that made all the difference, including working with a physical therapist to correct low cadence and gait mechanics, overhauling his high-carb fueling strategy, and building mental resilience after a DNF.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction & Chris Gerrard’s Background00:58 – High School Running & Life After College03:15 – Cutting Alcohol & Running His First 50K (Naked Nick)05:30 – Shawnee Trail 50-Miler & Identifying Early Fueling Mistakes07:37 – Why the 100-Mile Distance?08:37 – Selecting CNO Canal 100 as a Western States Qualifier09:38 – Training Block Periodization: From Speedwork to Volume11:38 – Shamrock Shenanigans 10-Hour Race: Testing Pacing & Gear15:35 – Addressing Hip Pain, Low Cadence & Working with a Physical Therapist20:36 – CNO Canal 100 Race Day: What Went Wrong & Dropping at Mile 9028:13 – Overcoming the Mental Hurdle of a DNF30:07 – Ramping Up Training Volume & The Value of a Coach33:15 – Revolutionizing Fueling: 50g Carb Gels, Rice Krispies & Real Food37:21 – Pine Creek Challenge 100: Race Day Strategy & Execution41:30 – Navigating Stomach Issues & Torrential Rain in the Night45:31 – Crossing the Finish Line: 21:11:02 & 5th Place Overall47:30 – Post-Race Reflection & Moving to Colorado52:20 – Where to Follow Chris
While I don’t think I’ll be putting out a ton of episodes, I’ll try to connect with a few past athletes, and maybe some people in the ultra space who can offer insights on completing these events. Let me know in the comments about what topics you would like to hear…
Patrick is an ultrarunner and coach from Philadelphia who loves documenting his running career. His mission is to provide useful tips and tricks to assist others along their ultra journey.  You can find his coaching services at https://ultraruncoach.com.
It’s year 2 of the Breakneck Trail Marathon, and it was amazing. This was the exact feeling I had after I had completed my 2nd Broad Street I’m sure. For the 2nd year in a row I decided on Breakneck over Broad street. Broad street was a Philly race that is the fastest 10 miler in the nation run down the center of the city by some 40,000 people. Why would I head back to New York? I will answer that in this post.
Broad Street was a family tradition I enjoyed for several years, but the more I hit the trail, the more I enjoyed being out in nature, the more I developed a love for the sense of awe that comes from trail racing. Trail running strikes a nerve that road running never did. While if you told me my son or daughter wanted to go run Broad Street I would have to go, but these 2 races are worlds apart, just like I am not the same person that ran Broad Street 20 years ago. Change is law, and it came from this quote.:
“If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.” – Socrates
So yes, I could have kept doing exactly what I have done every year, and got exactly what I had always got. A fast run down a loaded road with thousands of people. I know exactly what that run tastes like. Breakneck is the new kid in town. Will I be saying the same thing after 20 years of Breakneck? Maybe, or maybe not? I don’t know, but what I do know is that my breathe is taken away at the top of some of those views. My limits are pushed on those descents, and as Bud Wilson will tell you, there’s no point in broad street where you feel like doing this:
If you ran Broad Street, congrats to you. One thing I also broke in my habits is caring about the clock. The goal of this race was DO NOT CRAMP, not PR, seriously, it was to not cramp from going out too hard on hills too steep. How awesome of a race goal is that? I took my time, I took it all in, I enjoyed every damn moment of that race again for a 2nd time. I even took a friend with me. I convinced Bud Wilson, and many others from my video last year that this race is a race that you need to experience. It was a blast seeing a person experience it for the first time, seeing the look in his eyes once he was finished, and also hearing how the race kicked the crap out of him.
Each year I plan my adventures in December for the following year, and I put this one again because its worth the trip and effort. I met so many awesome people in the race and so many of you thanked me for showing them the race through filming it. I was glad that it was inspiring, but thank the people who put this on, the race directors, the volunteer at the aid stations, and most of all the catering at the end. Good lord that BBQ at the finish was great and its almost worth the trip up there for that meal. I hope they keep putting on this event, because it was the highlight of my week, my month, and to many even their year.
For my race report, here are my what went right, what went wrong, and what I did differently this year. I used my own custom high carb gels, and forced myself with a zone 2-3 HR for the first 6 miles until I got to the rock scramble. Those are the 2 things that I did that lead to not over extending myself in the beginning that would have lead to an inability to run later in the race. Hyner 50K with its 6,800 ft of climbing taught me that if a race starts with a massive climb, it has the ability to wreck you, that you struggle to recover from the entire race. Run the first few miles as you would like to be running your last. Why do I still struggle to remember that?
Patrick is an ultrarunner and coach from Philadelphia who loves documenting his running career. His mission is to provide useful tips and tricks to assist others along their ultra journey.  You can find his coaching services at https://ultraruncoach.com.
