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 additional ideas; follow the link. Training for a 100.

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This week we feature another great accomplished runner, Jamie Thompson, who is part of our training group preparing for Umstead Ultra in April 2023.

I met Jamie a few years back via another mutual runner friend while training for other events at Umstead. We quickly figured out that we had many common running goals. I was also very fortunate to learn plenty of golden nuggets of information and troubleshoot a few of the challenges that I was facing back then. Although I do not know if I will 100% rely on his sense of providing direction to runners.

I was very lucky that Jamie volunteered?, well hold on… maybe not necessarily volunteered, as I needed help with training as well as really looking for a pacer for my 100-mile ultramarathon event earlier this year and kind of really asked Jamie to help me out with this huge task.

He was able to be a massive help to me and Jay, who was tackling his first 50-mile ultramarathon while I was tackling the 100. Similar to the other pacers with me this year, Jamie was key, helping to crew many times during the day at the base station at the start/finish area and also pacing me during loop five and helping me get out of a really low point in the event, and helping me getting back on track to be still in contention to finish under 24 hours.

Runner Profile:

Jamie is a globetrotting consultant who enjoys the many activities that the outdoors brings, especially when there are mountains involved. From trekking to snow skiing, cycling and tennis, Jamie looks for any excuse to be outdoors. Running came along later in life when the hectic travel demands of work turned into an opportunity to exercise in new places via running. In the past 12 years, Jamie has now completed 11 marathons, including 3 Majors (Chicago, NYC (2x), and Berlin)

What got you into running long distances?

Traveling the world, I realized that I needed to do something to get into shape and stay active.  Sitting on planes and in conference rooms, all the time was not the ideal way to stay fit.  A friend asked me to run the Walt Disney Marathon in 2010, which set me onto the long-distance running journey.  At that point, I had not run a marathon, not even a single half marathon.

With the advancements of the iPhone and GPS/Mapping capabilities, I set forth on a challenge to run and record at least 1 mile in every country I visited (at the time, leveraging the Nike+ running app).

Since then, I have run in over 30+ countries and probably over 200 cities. Somewhere along the journey, I caught the running bug, and it became now a part of my regular routine. Once I ran the first marathon and realized how I could have done so much better than I did, the challenge began.  I would have never guessed I would eventually run 10+ marathons, and now an attempt at my first ultra.

What do you love about running?

Running gives you a lot of time to think. I tend to get lost in thought while running, solving some of my toughest challenges while out on a long run. Running also has introduced me to new friends from a variety of backgrounds which genuinely makes the pains of running so much more enjoyable.

What have you learned about yourself because of running?

Probably the most significant thing is that you can really accomplish a lot if you put your mind to it and do the work. Running can be really challenging and takes a toll on your body and mind. But putting in the work and pushing yourself to new limits is quite a rewarding experience. You just don’t know what you are capable of until you push yourself farther than you ever expected

What is your favorite distance?

I probably like the 10k more than anything. The 5k is short and fast. The Half marathon distance is just long enough to really exhaust you. But a 10k is a distance that gives you a chance to lose yourself in a run and get the metabolism firing to help see the benefits of the run. For me, that fits into under an hour and doesn’t have to take up too much time in the day.

What made you decide to tackle Umstead 100?

I have always been intrigued with Ultra races but never really understood how they really worked.  I was excited to get out there and experience it from a pacer point of view without the same level of stress as the runners. The thought of helping someone achieve such an awesome goal sounded so amazing that I just had to get involved. Seeing the support ecosystem that surrounds an Ultra race is just so impressive and motivating.

What are your goals for this event?

This is my first Ultra, and my main goal is to complete the 50 miles so that I can have an official Ultra under my belt.  The next goal is to complete the 100 in under 24 hours….because everyone needs a challenging goal 🙂

What piece of advice would you provide to a new runner that is considering tackling the long distance?

My main advice would be to read/research the best ways to train for long-distance races.  You have to do your homework to make sure you actually can make it to race day.  So many runners get injured during their training, and you need to have a plan that will get you through to the end.  I did not do my homework in my first marathon, and I paid for it during the race.  While I didn’t get injured, I realized that I did so many things wrong before, during, and after.
There are so many good resources available, but you need to take some time to understand the complexities of the longer distances.

Any other additional recommendations or ideas for runners out there?

Don’t forget about fueling.  It is very easy to get out on a long run or a race and forget about having the energy sources needed for your body to perform at its best. Try a variety of energy sources to see what works for you, and don’t just wait until race day to use them. Train with what works for you and race with it as well.

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How is the plan going:

Summary: Very nice week. End-of-the-year work was busy, so there were a few adjustments here and there due to time availability: solid mileage and good effort on those runs.

Monday: 1 mile and Gym workout

Tuesday: Easy fun 6 miles

Wednesday: Morning 4 easy miles, followed by six easy miles with the InsaneRunning group

Thursday: I am not a fair weather runner, but I was a little bit tired this morning, it was raining solidly outside, and I was going to have a very busy workday. I decided to do some Yoga and Rolling instead of the run.

Friday: 1 mile and Gym workout

Saturday: 11 Umstead miles with InsaneRunning group, with the last three being pushed effort miles.

Sunday: This morning, I struggled with getting into my head that I had 24 miles run to complete. I met with the crew of InsaneRunning, and we headed out before the sun was out. Once we warmed up, we started to cruise the miles toward the first turnaround, 7 miles out. We added a little bit past the turnaround, as we want it to get to the overpass over 40. Uneventful 7 miles on the way back, I returned to the car to replenish the fluids and remove the jacket and neck cover.

We quickly headed out and ran past the next turnaround point to reach another key highway under tunnel. We returned, and after handling a possible low coming around mile 21 (Thank you, Jamie, for asking me how the sugars were doing and since I was able to notice the low trending icon in my CGMS), we added a little bit of distance at the end. We turned the original 24 miles in the plan into a solid Marathon distance. We could not let Venu and Kaleel have a marathon without us completing one in December 😛

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 11	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	3	3	4	Stretches & Rolling	10	24	44
Actual	1 Gym	6	10	Yoga	1 Gym	11	26	55

Next Week Plan: Christmas week, which means we will adjust for the upcoming Holidays.

Week 12	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	3	6	16	16	Rest	47