In our third and final episode in our Western States local runner series we’re chatting with Donal Carroll! Donal was not an athlete in school but a friend convinced him to run a marathon and that race unlocked a desire to see what he was capable of. A desire that pushed him to run marathons for 20 years and now ultramarathons. We talk about overcoming challenges in training -- both mentally and physically. His motivation for pushing through the hardest parts of a race and the mystical status of Western States. We recorded this interview less than two weeks before Western States, and spoiler alert: he finished in 28:56:12!
Some highlights from our conversation:
🥵 His approach to heat and elevation training
👏 Pushing through a mentally difficult race at 2017 Tahoe Rim 100 miler
⛔️ DNFing Quicksilver 100k at 99k
💬 Learning that he got a lottery spot in Western States via a comment on Strava
🩹 Overcoming injury early in this training cycle
🌎 How running was a source of connection to the world during the pandemic
⏳ Feeling like ultras are life in a day (shout-out to Billy Yang)
😴 What he learned from taking an hour long nap at an aid station
You can follow Donal’s training on Stravaand follow him on Instagram @donalstar
You can find us on Instagram and Twitter @runnersofthebay
Check out our website www.runnersofthebay.com and send us an e-mail at runnersofthebay@gmail.com.
This week’s episode with Donal Carroll is brought to you by:
EverAthlete, the online strength and mobility training community for outdoor enthusiasts! Visitwww.everathlete.fit/ and use code ROTB50 to get 50% off your first month!
UCAN. Visit ucan.co/discount/rotb/ for 15% off!
Music is California by The Spectacular Fantastic.
Amazing photography by Ian Tuttle
Mixing and editing by Brian Walters at Singletrack Sound.
