Q/A: Chris Rubesch, Wild Duluth 100K Champ

Chris Rubesch, of the Superior Performance Elite team, won the men's title at the Wild Duluth 100K last Saturday in 11:25:02. DtB's Ultramarathon Contributor Alex Kurt asked him some questions this week.

Down the Backstretch: First off, what drew you to the Wild Duluth races? To the 100K in particular?

Chris Rubesch: I live here in Duluth near many of the trails the race runs on, so not only do I have the pleasure of running on them regularly, but I also know how challenging they can be. I think I was drawn to the race by both my love of these trails and the challenge. Of course I also know that [the race directors] are great.

DtB: How did the race unfold? In a race this long, you're bound to have low points and high points. Was this the case for you? What were those points in your race?

CR: I was with a lead pack until a few miles into the race, and then I moved into the lead. Apart for a few mile section in which another racer was just ahead I was in the lead for the whole race and continued to expand on that lead at the turn around. In ultras there are definite highs and lows, but I have also found that I have gained more ultra training and racing experience the lows have become shorter for me. It was hard going for me going over Ely's Peak the second time, but after that I got right back into a rhythm and felt strong until the end.

DtB: Ultrarunners are seen as sort of eccentric, even by regular marathoners. Why do you run races this long?

CR: I enjoy racing shorter distances, but with ultras each and every [race] is a unique challenge. You may have to change your race plan 2 or 3 times during a race, and finishing is never guaranteed. I like that challenge. I also love trails and the outdoors that many ultras run on.

DtB: Nutrition is also a factor in a race this long. What did you eat and drink during the race, and how frequently?

CR: When I started racing ultras I had a fairly closed nutrition plan for my races and I tried to follow that plan exactly. Now I eat and drink things during a race that I would never eat in my everyday life. The best example of that is Mountain Dew. I don't ever drink pop outside of an ultra, but in a race the caffeine and sugar of Mountain Dew works great for me. I try to drink about every 20 minutes and eat something every 40 minutes to an hour. I eat mostly gels and M&M's, but eat whatever looks in an aid station.

DtB: How did you get into ultras?

CR: I have been a runner for as long as I can remember - since middle school cross country. When I started I was not that good of a runner. But as I grew and trained more and the distances got longer I became more and more competitive. I think I first became interested in ultramarathons when I read an article about Scott Jurek winning his third Western States 100 and I thought that it would be such a challenge to run that distance. I told my parents that someday I was going to see what it was like run that far, and now here I am racing 4 to 6 ultras a year.

DtB: What was your training like for this race? What is your training, nutrition, etc. like for this and other ultras?

CR: I follow a training cycle throughout the year that is based on hours of training instead of miles, and uses my heart rate to determine my training zones. My volume goes between 12 hours a week to 25 or more hours a week depending on what time of the year it is. Two weeks before this race I had a 22 hour week and the week of the race my volume went down to about 12 hours.

DtB: What are your racing plans for the near future, and for next year and beyond? Do you have any specific running goals?

CR: The next thing on my schedule is a rest period starting in November during which I train about 14 hours a week and I get plan my own workouts. Then in late November I will start to ramp up my training for the snowshoe racing season. That will last until the end of February, and then I go into ultras. I am planning to go back to a few of my favorite races, like the Voyaguer, and also hope to do the FANS race (12 and 24 hour races around Lake Nokomis) again. I will also add a few new races to my schedule next year. In the next two years I would like to do some of the large races out west and also run in some USATF ultra national championships.