KyQuan Phong

Coincidentally, running an ultramarathon became a goal of mine on January 1, 2024, when my wife’s friend invited me to run one with her. I was hesitant at first since I didn’t know what an ultramarathon was, how far 100k was, and whether I was equipped mentally, psychologically, and physically to even complete one. The only organized races I’ve participated in were four 5k’s in the past three years, and the longest distance I’ve run was a personal 10k, which resulted in a shin injury that put me out for two and a half months. With those thoughts going through my mind, I said “YOLO,” and signed up that night.

My training started on January 2nd. The Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) 100K was on February 24th. That gave me fifty-three days to train to run a 100k. Considering all the training guidelines I found online said a novice runner like me would need six to twelve months of training to properly prepare for an ultramarathon, I knew my goal was aggressive and very daunting.

The LOViT 100K was a rugged out-and-back on trail/dirt/fire roads with substantial rocks, roots, ruts, and some but very little pavement. Total elevation gain/loss was 10,000 feet. Along the run, there were six/twelve aid stations fully staffed and fully stocked. Participants of this year’s 100k were blessed with low/not overflowing streams, good weather, clear day and night, full moon, and great temperatures; that was one way to trick a guy like me into running more ultramarathons.

My race started at 6AM on Saturday, February 24th, and I returned on Sunday the 25th at 1:24AM (nineteen hours, twenty-four minutes, and fifty-seven seconds later) to receive my LOViT 100K medal.

What an exhilarating, fun, painful experience. Within a week of completing the LOViT 100K, I signed up for another ultra in June 2024. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I’d like to share what I did on this run and how it may help those new folks like me. Let’s dive in…

1. I ran with a Solomon ADV Skin 12 running vest and sized up. You can always make a pack smaller, but it’s not possible the other way around. The vest comes with two half-litter flasks, so I filled each one with a different electrolyte flavor for variety. I highly recommend watching the Solomon vest promo video to take advantage of all the features of the pack.

2. My footwear of choice was the Hoka Speedgoat 5. I broke them in on my training runs, and blistering was never an issue for me during this run. I also did let my feet callus up for the fifty-three days for added protection. My backup shoes were these Arc’teryx trail running shoes that I’ve run in before as well, and these were left in a drop bag for use later if it became necessary.

3. Drop bags. I used two and they were stocked with extra Gu’s, my preferred electrolyte powders, my favorite savory and sweet snacks, extra socks in addition to what was already in my pack, extra batteries/headlamp in addition to what was in my pack, a phone charger, water bladder (in case I find myself needing more water in between aid stations), dry change of clothes (especially for the night run, leggings, and breathable long sleeve top), a dry headband to keep the sweat off my face, and moist towelettes to wipe away the salty sweat.

4. In my vest in the front left pocket were non-caffeine Gu’s, a baggie with salt pills by Salt Stick, ibuprofen, and my phone. In my right pocket, caffeinated Gu’s, and blister pads. In the back zipper compartment were socks, my spare headlamp and battery, gloves, cap, a Ziplock bag with toilet paper and wipes, and a small drybag for my phone and its battery pack in case it rained. In the top compartment that I could just reach overhead for was my light-running rain jacket. Stuffed on the front right compartment was my primary headlamp. The vest pack comes with a small trash compartment. So, I put a thin Ziplock bag in there to contain my trash.

5. I wore a Garmin Fenix 6X Pro on this run. I turned off the auto-lap which was defaulting for every one mile. I changed it to manual. I mapped out the course pretty well on my phone and knew how much distance there was between the aid stations. Every time I got to an aid station, I would push the lap button to keep track of how many miles until the next station. I essentially broke down the 100k into several 10k’s. Another thing I did on my watch was set timed alerts. Every thirty minutes [now adjusting this to every ten minutes], my watch would remind me to drink [now adjusted to sip]. Every forty-five minutes, eat or take in a Gu.

6. I made sure to eat, drink, and replenish at every aid station. You’ll be burning around nine thousand calories on a run like this, so you need to take in calories to make it to the end. Bananas, sandwiches, bacon, pizza, whatever they’re offering, I’m eating. Regardless of how much you drank on the trail, drink at the aid stations; your body needs it more than you know. And finally, replenish or top off so you’re fully stocked for the next leg of your journey. I always grabbed a handful of pretzels or snacks to eat and walked for five minutes before running again.

7. Know, internalize, and believe that: you will make it to the finish line, but not without great discomfort and varying levels of pain. Pain is the name of the game. And while you’re running around in nature, remember that nature is beautifully imperfect, and it’s not going to be what you expected or planned; the same applies to ultramarathons. Expect all types of surprises so you’re not thrown off by anything: blisters, a fall, splinter, upset stomach, vomiting, etc.

8. Finally, enjoy the journey. I’ve learned this sport is about breaking through barriers. Push through the fatigue, through the pain, and find that spark to keep going. Run it until you can’t run, walk it until you can’t walk.

I’m a novice and still have a lot to learn, but I am always open to talking more about my experience. 

If you feel so inclined, reach out to me on Instagram @KyQuan