Behind the scenes: Kristi Eramo O’Connell’s first ultramarathon

O’Connell says he’s strongly in favor of better running performance.

After seven years of competing in the CrossFit Games, Kristi Eramo O’Connell has shifted her focus to endurance sports. Her training regimen combines weightlifting with endurance exercises to prepare for marathon-level performance.

Recently, O’connell challenged himself first with her ultramarathon (50 kilometers). O’Connell competed in the Zion Ultra Marathon, traversing the breathtaking landscapes of southern Utah’s deserts in Zion National Park. Explore the scenic vistas and delve into her racing experience via the recap on her YouTube channel below:

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Preparation

O’Connell will be wearing shoes that haven’t been fully broken in, causing her some concern. She plans to bring a spare pair of shoes so they can change after 10 miles if necessary. Here are the extra supplies O’Connell prepared in her drop bag:

O’Connell will consume the same food she used during training and use Maurten Gel, known for its gentleness on the stomach, for extra energy.

24 hours before the race

Twenty-four hours before the race, O’Connell arrives at the starting point in her camper. While there, O’Connell performed stretching exercises. She then embarks on a five-kilometre walk, which she says is excellent for becoming flexible.

‘We shake our legs out…you don’t want to stay seated. We’re going to take a nice walk of about two miles to loosen everything up a bit before the big day tomorrow,” O’Connell said.

Zion Ultra Marathon

On the morning of the marathon, O’Connell discussed how her training conditions did not match the race location. She mentioned training at 800 to 800 feet, which is in stark contrast to the marathon’s altitude of about 1,500 feet. Therefore, this ultramarathon will offer her conditions that she has yet to experience.

Starting the race

O’Connell typically avoids running with food and water, but decided to take them with him for this particular race as a precaution. She starts the race together with hundreds of other participants, many of whom only arrived that morning. Meanwhile, athletes who started the 100 mile challenge the day before cross the finish line.

During the Marathon

Eighteen miles into the race, O’Connell admits that navigating the course is tricky but fun. Her bottle contains electrolytes and enough carbohydrates to fuel her journey. O’Connell is looking forward to the final 12 miles of the ultramarathon with great anticipation.

As she approaches the final mile and a half, O’Connell reveals that the previous five miles present significant challenges: mostly uphill and her legs feel exceptionally heavy. O’Connell has been on his feet for more than five hours.

Finish strong

O’Connell crossed the finish line despite the final eight miles proving to be more challenging than expected. After completing the race, O’Connell received a medal and said she never had to use her drop bags. During her journey, O’Connell supplied herself with electrolytes and water. She relied on energy gels when she noticed a lack of concentration or felt her energy waning.

O’Connell’s Race and preparation Reflections

O’Connell’s training included a max run of 26 miles before this event. “I only did a 26-mile training run, which is the longest I’ve done. At mile 26 I felt so good,” says O’Connell.

Looking back on the race, O’Connell avoided cramps, illness and blisters. She found distances 27 to 31 particularly challenging, surpassing the longest distance she had previously run. O’Connell credits her extensive strength training and cardio regimen for success in the race. O’Connell’s abdominal muscles ached, probably from the extra weight of the food carried in her vest.

Exhaustion struck O’Connell at mile 27, leading to “sticky ankles” and a fall. Despite the setback, she recovered and persevered to the finish. O’Connell credits overcoming these challenges to the calf, glute, hamstring and quad strength she developed during her preparation.

“That (strength) comes from lifting weights… being able to climb the hills, handle the descents with strong quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves (and) Achilles has really helped me on uneven surfaces… with a lot climbing, which we don’t have in Ohio.”

Featured image: @kristieramo on Instagram