This is part of a series of posts regarding how the InaseRunning group prepares, plans, and trains to complete the 100 miles Ultramarathon Umstead 100: Journey to a 100. For all the ultrarunning series, here is Journey to 100 last week’s post , and for additional ideas, follow the link. Training for a 100.

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Alright, this week, we have Mister Jay Srinivasan, one of our voluntold pacer? LOL!!! It is great to have so many friends in the running community. I met Jay many years ago when we started running in the same running group on the weekends. Many hours of the long run were great conversations about running, work, and life. Learning tons about many topics, some great ones, some bordering on weird, from fuel and glycogen all the way to the microbiome and related processes. But to be honest, that is a story for another post. After doing fabulous this year in his event, Jay wants to help us with pacing as he has participated in the Umstead event in the past and knows many ultrarunners, being one himself.

From time to time, Jay likes to take the time to stop and stare at the maps of the trails, trying to find where in the world he is at. But more often than not, it does not really matters because I always pick an unknown trail actually to have the group lost, which happens often. I am very grateful for his friendship and company during the many hours of the long runs.

Also, as a side note, I know he enjoys getting his feet wet at the water crossings at the trails we have been able to visit. Well, not really; he has learned that it is great to take advantage of the water, especially in the hot, warm weather, for a run.

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Runner Profile:

I have been running since my middle school days. It was mostly up to 5K distances. I started long-distance running in 2010. I ran my first half marathon in 2010 and never stopped after that. Thanks to Carlos, starting in 2021, I have been running a half marathon almost every weekend. I have run a few full marathons. In early 2022, I ran my first 50-mile ultra-marathon and completed it in around 10 hours.

What got you into running long distances?

Running is like meditation for me. Once I start running, my mind clears out, and I feel happy and at peace. There are days when I have too much going on in my mind from the busy day. One long run clears it all.

What do you love about running?

It makes me happy. It could be talking with a friend (while running), listening to a book, or just listening to the sound of nature. Everything is relaxing.

What have you learned about yourself because of running?

I never thought I could run an ultra-marathon. I learned a lot during the many miles of training. I now try to compare my other challenges to this learning.

What is your favorite distance?

My favorite distance is 14 miles. Specifically, a 14 route we normally do on weekends, The Umstead loop.

What made you decide to tackle and be a pacer for Umstead 100?

I have planned to pace this year. It’s a great opportunity to see how the runners feel as they get closer to the 100-mile mark and also help me plan my future 100 mil event.

What are your goals for this event?

As a pacer, I want to make sure I support my runner to complete his challenge and also motivate and help other runners that are participating in the event.

What advice would you provide to a new runner?

Fuelling is very important (I learned it the hard way). Try everything during the practice training run and prepare well in advance before the actual run. Be ready for surprises on the day of the run. Try to improvise when there are challenges. When in doubt, talk to your pacers or friends around to make sure you are not missing something. 

Any other additional recommendations or ideas for runners out there?

If you can run 5K, running a half or full is not an issue. All you need to do is make a plan and be consistent with the plan. Learn the importance of fueling. And find a good supporting group. You are all set, even for an ultra.

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How is the plan going:

Summary: Solid week with a very long run followed by a shorter long run. Felt a little bit tired after the Friday visit to the gym, where I did a little bit of leg work. I need to be careful not to push those too much since the weekends from now on are going to be very tasking runs. Had to deal with a situation during the long run on Saturday, another great learning opportunity.

Monday: Gym was closed this morning, so some Yoga and Rolling instead.

Tuesday: Adjusting the plan for an additional rest day,

Wednesday: Headed out to the track to do 6x Yassos around 8:00 pace

Thursday: Easy eight miler

Friday: 1 mile at Gym, added some leg workout even though there was a very long run scheduled.

Saturday: The weather was fantastic in the morning; a very long 27-mile run. Shifted the long one from Sunday to Saturday. Had to adjust my running pants several times as I applied very litter anti-chafing gel this morning. It ended up with a very large area with a chafing burn, but this is part of the training process of learning more and trying to address issues as they come. It should still not be a problem with the Sunday schedule run.

A couple of our InsaneRunners (Kaleel and Venu) were tackling Frosty 50k, which they solidly completed. I can’t wait to hear about their adventure.

Sunday: Easy 15-mile short-long run. We were able to converse with Kaleel and Venu about their yesterday’s adventure at Frosty 50k. Also, great conversation with, yes you guessed it right, Mister Jay “The Pacer” Srinivasan. 🙂

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 14	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	4	3	6	Stretches & Rolling	15	26	54
Actual	Stretches & Rolling	Rest	9	8	1mile Gym	27	15	60

Next Week Plan:

Week 15	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	3	Rest	6	14	24	53