Anita Ortiz made her Western States debut a big one: she won the race by more than hour. Find out how the mother-of-four elementary school teacher balances work, family and 100-plus miles per week.
Here is the article....and below are the major bits of "wow" factor (aside from the fact she won by an hour):
How did you train for the 100-mile race?
There's a 30-mile run I did a lot here, where I run up from East Vail over Vail Pass (at 10,662 feet), to Copper Mountain and back. And, usually, I try to avoid downhills in my training, but I did a lot in preparation for the Western States course.
What about mileage?
I put in 100 and 110 weeks, but I didn't start doing that until after Miwok [theMiwok 100K in May, in which she was second]. I did one 150-mile week. But usually, when I'm just training for anything, I put in between 90 and 100-mile weeks.
With four kids, a husband and a job, when do you do your training?
I run at 3:30 a.m. every morning. I go out for between 11 and 20 miles on trails with a headlamp. That's when I do my bulk. I get home around 7 a.m. and to work by 7:30. The kids get themselves off to school.
If I have a long lunch, I crank out an hour at home on the stair machine. After work, I come home, take the kids to soccer, dance, cross-country, whatever. If they're all gone at the same time, I go out again. Or I get another run in when the kids are asleep in the evening.
I do double days—or three times a day—every day.
What do you not do? What do you sacrifice?
I don't clean my house. My kids pick up a ton of slack. They do their own laundry, make their own lunches. I don't have to supervise them anymore.
When they were younger, I used my treadmill a lot more.
We don't sacrifice time together. We're big on the family dinner. Often it's not until 7:30 or 8 p.m. And sometimes I'll run outside or on the treadmill after dinner.
There's a 30-mile run I did a lot here, where I run up from East Vail over Vail Pass (at 10,662 feet), to Copper Mountain and back. And, usually, I try to avoid downhills in my training, but I did a lot in preparation for the Western States course.
What about mileage?
I put in 100 and 110 weeks, but I didn't start doing that until after Miwok [theMiwok 100K in May, in which she was second]. I did one 150-mile week. But usually, when I'm just training for anything, I put in between 90 and 100-mile weeks.
With four kids, a husband and a job, when do you do your training?
I run at 3:30 a.m. every morning. I go out for between 11 and 20 miles on trails with a headlamp. That's when I do my bulk. I get home around 7 a.m. and to work by 7:30. The kids get themselves off to school.
If I have a long lunch, I crank out an hour at home on the stair machine. After work, I come home, take the kids to soccer, dance, cross-country, whatever. If they're all gone at the same time, I go out again. Or I get another run in when the kids are asleep in the evening.
I do double days—or three times a day—every day.
What do you not do? What do you sacrifice?
I don't clean my house. My kids pick up a ton of slack. They do their own laundry, make their own lunches. I don't have to supervise them anymore.
When they were younger, I used my treadmill a lot more.
We don't sacrifice time together. We're big on the family dinner. Often it's not until 7:30 or 8 p.m. And sometimes I'll run outside or on the treadmill after dinner.
1 comment:
That's what you call a heck of a lot of natural talent and running ability.
On a side note I grew up in a house like this only it was my father...there is family time sacrifice...you can't perform like that without long weekend training runs...I wouldn't even consider this lifestyle until my children are out of the house. God Bless her though.
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