Post-Race Questionnaire for Laurel Highlands Ultra (2025)

---

Event Name, date, location.

Laurel Highlands Ultra, 06/14, Ohiopyle, PA

---

Pre-event, what were your hopeful outcomes?

What were the actual outcomes?

My perfect race was going to look like running a sustainable, yet uncomfortable pace for the majority of the race. Including proper pacing during the first 11 miles which has 3 HUGE climbs and the usual rolling hills.

Not roll my ankle like I did in 2020.

When there is negative self-talk and comparison to the other women, balance it out with good stuff.

Proper hydration and nutrition. Not take the caffeine that gave me poop issues during my last ultra. Tie my shoes tighter to make up for mud and big climbs.

In and out from aid stations in less than 30 seconds as frequently as possible. Use my crew to hand me fresh bottles (trade out), a cup of food, and any gels or caps that I might need. I will eat and run, like I have been doing. Remember to hand them any trash from my vest.

Run strong for my pacer.

Have fun and enjoy the experience. This trail is gorgeous and challenging. It runs like a 100 miler. The elevation gain is over 11,200 ft.

To feel accomplished and proud of my efforts.

Goal A: Top 10 women

Goal B: Top 50% of finishers

Goal C: Finish

How it went

For the race effort, I did manage an uncomfortable pace.

According to COROS:

• Aerobic endurance = 35% of the race
• Aerobic power = 25%
• Threshold = 21%
• Anaerobic endurance = 7%
• Anaerobic power = 4%

Pacing

I believe that I paced the first 50k rather well, especially the three big climbs.

Rolling ankles and staying upright

There were one million opportunities to roll my ankles, and I didn’t. I tripped twice, but caught myself. Reminding myself to pick up my feet, to run quick, and like a pixie ninja were helpful with this goal.

I also felt like this technical run was the longest plyometrics workout of my life, so I told myself that this is just one huge plyo workout. Staying focused on the trail was really important.

Self-talk

There were no issues with negative self-talk up until around mile 60, when people were passing me because I was tired. They passed on the uphills, and that was my weakness. I was secretly angry and then turned to excuses and negative self-talk.

I continued to move as best as I could (it might have been survival mode) for that final section of the race. However, once I knew that finish line was about one mile away, I was able to regain my legs and make them run.

Fueling

For hydration and nutrition, it went well, but I ended up having the same poop problems as I did at Glacier Ridge Trail Ultra. At the previous ultra, I thought that it was the caffeine that I was taking causing the frequent poo issues. This might have been part of it for that race, but I didn’t have it at this one. The issue starts around 50k in.

Now, I’m thinking that I’m eating too much real food… or maybe too much fruit. Fruit is my favorite thing to eat at races. I took a break from eating for about an hour, hour and a half, and the issue went away until the final 13-ish miles, when I started nomming again to keep my body from crashing into a wall.

Shoes, etc…

As for the shoes and the mud, no issues. No blisters. My bad toenail got a little beat up, which was in addition to the last ultra. My feet were wet from puddles and a downpour, again, no issues.

The downpour did cause my clothes to chafe me in parts that I’ve never chafed and in parts that sometimes chafe. That was not fun.

Aid stations

Going in and out of aid stations can still get faster. I wasn’t in there long, even my husband, Stephen, said that he liked how I was in and out quickly, but it wasn’t under 30 seconds.

When I’d enter an aid station where Stephen was crewing from (he didn’t meet me at every one), he had a soft flask with Skratch in it ready to go. We also traded out reusable cups that I carried aid station food in. He’d give me a new cup with food or pop in it for me to take with me. Lastly, He’d take my trash and ask me if there was anything else I needed.

This system was different than the one I was considering, which was swapping out race vests. Swapping out vests seemed unnecessary.

Trekking poles

Stephen asked at every aid station if I wanted my trekking poles, which I declined every time because I didn’t feel like dealing with them, and I didn’t want them to deter me from eating. My ego also played a role because I knew that I could complete the race without poles, and I saw other runners slogging out the hills without poles, so I decided that I could be like them.

Not using poles bit me in the butt a little bit because by the end of the race, I was crawling up hills and people were passing. It was a bad decision, but on the bright side, I got to have my hands free and didn’t have to listen to poles clinking off of rocks, or getting stuck in mud.

Pacer, negative self-talk, and self-sabotage (?)

The next thing that I screwed up was a major issue, and I don’t think I could have predicted this.

I did not have a pacer lined up for this race because I couldn’t find one. At the start line, my friend (who is a local runner), Dean, decided that he wasn’t going to start the race, so he offered to help me out. I agreed that I’d reach out to him if I needed anything, and mentioned that I could pick him up as a pacer as soon as one was allowed. This was around mile 46, I think?

Typically, before a race, I meet with my crew and pacer to let them know my goals and expectations. This is the spot where it caused a major issue that was unpredictable, but my fault.

I was not clear at the start line when I wanted to pick him up as a pacer because when I got to mile marker 46, he wasn’t there. Stephen and I believed that he was waiting to here from Stephen about what I’d need. Stephen contacted him and asked if he could meet me at the next aid station.

For the next 11 miles, I buckled down and accepted that I’d be doing a long stretch alone. I’m familiar with this and kept myself plenty motivated (while dealing with stomach and poo issues). Every mile felt long, but I survived.

When I picked up Dean, I was quiet because I was focused, but also tired. This is how I am typically late in races. This is also something that I usually tell my pacers pre-race, so they know how I deal with stress. Again, something that I didn’t communicate.

I needed to tell him my goals, which I didn’t because I was tired. I royally screwed up.

Let’s make things more complicated, I don’t know if this is considered self-sabotage, but maybe. One of the first things Dean said to me was that I didn’t have to run fast because he was with me (Dean is a very fast, competitive dude). He said that this was my race.

I originally (pre-race) wanted to run strong for my pacer. At this point, I didn’t FEEL like I had it in me (I totally DID), and I didn’t FEEL like telling him my ambitious goals (if I would have stuck to my plan, then I would have communicated my goals).

This was totally screwed up.

The positives was that, I used Dean’s knowledge of the course and his company. He was a fantastic pacer. I would honestly consider re-doing this race or a future one with him as a pacer because I know that he could bring out that side of me (that ultrarunner strength) that I was unable to foster myself this day. I would love that experience. He’s a great pacer and friend.

Back to the self-sabotage. During the final 13 miles, I felt slow because I was. This mentally hurt. I was noticing how Dean was speed hiking at points while I was giving nearly my all to run. Because I am short, my steps are two to everyone else’s one step. This gets me at every ultramarathon. I tried to shove the thought aside.

F, it is hard being short sometimes.

There wasn’t a whole lot of negative self-talk, that area went well, but there was probably a tiny bit more than I can remember. I definitely didn’t know that I was performing better than I thought I was.

Since I did not lock in and run strong for my pacer, this was a fail, and I missed my goals, besides finishing.

Having fun

I can say that I had fun during the entire race, even during the lows and when I was tired. Being on the trail with everyone is fun. Being in a gorgeous area, like the Laurel Highlands, is fun. The Mountain-Laurels stole the show. I told myself before the race that I wasn’t going to take pictures of anything, unless I saw something awesome. The Laurels were awesome, so I took pictures.

During my training run on the course, I took pictures. On race day, I took mental pictures of the column rocks, waterfalls, streams, and vibrant green ferns. This is definitely a place that I need to go run at every year.

Accomplished and proud?

Yes, sure. There were bumps in the road, there always will be in ultrarunning. I know that I screwed up some things, and I learned. They will get addressed in training and at my next race.

I will try not to be hard on myself or allow these things to become a part of who I am. It happens. I’m constantly learning and will never arrive, as David Goggins says.

I do feel proud because I have been celebrating coming close to my goals and running a Western States 100 qualifying time, which is difficult to get (sub 20 hours).

– There is no desire to run Western States because I’d be trapped in the lottery process. If that entry process ever changes, then I’d be happy to try to qualify. Also, I could have been putting tickets in over the past few years, so it feels like I threw away that opportunity. I have sort of a “why start now?” attitude.

Yes, I do feel proud of myself because I accomplished a lot out there.

Goals

• Goal A: Top 10 women
  • I missed this by one person.
  • Honestly, missing this goal is what pi$$es me off the most. In the final stretch, I was passed by a woman who was running well. She didn’t say anything to us as she passed. I swore.
  • As I noticed how well she was moving, I thought to myself about how well I wasn’t moving. I then didn’t think I could catch and pass her. However, I know that if I used Dean, then I could pushed my perceived limits and done so. Lesson learned. I came in 11th for females.
  • I also know that moving quickly and strong past others will likely have a negative impact, even if it is subconscious, on their performance.

• Goal B: Top 50% of finishers
  • Technically, I accomplished this goal. I finished in the top half. I didn’t finish quite as far up as I thought, but there are so many talented and strong runners at Laurel Highlands Ultra, that this was a tough thing to do. It would be beneficial if I gave myself more credit for a great race. It really was a great day.
  • When I was coming up with goals A and B, I had my training race, Glacier Ridge Trail Ultra in mind. I did the math on my performance and then compared it to the women’s field performance for the 2024 Laurel Highlands Ultra. I did this so I could have an idea of what Laurel would look like if I could sustain that race effort for another 20 miles. However, I didn’t account for the elevation gain that Laurel has. Glacier had about 7,329 ft of gain. Laurel had about 11,200 ft.
  • My average pace at Glacier was 13:48/mi. Finish time was 11hrs14mins.
  • In 2024, 1st place woman at Laurel had an average pace of 13:06/mi. Finished in 15:21:42.
  • The 10th place woman had an average pace of 14:20/mi. Finished in 16:41:30.
  • For me, I felt like these were appropriate goals. The race would have needed to go incredibly well and I would have needed to push myself beyond my comfort zone.

• Goal C: Finish. Nailed it, ha!

---

What was the event like?

Hot, cold, wet, windy?

Crowded?

Poorly organized?

The race was very well organized and everyone was helpful and friendly. The aid stations had everything that I needed.

The weather was cool enough, 70 degrees F, and partly sunny. It drizzled in the morning and early afternoon on and off. During the afternoon, it reached the temperature high, so I slowed my pace a little.

Around mile 36, while I was crossing the bridge over the PA turnpike, it began to downpour. It rained over the next 30 minutes or so like that, causing the trail to become a stream, and the puddles and mud got deeper.

Confusing parts of the trail were flagged, but mostly we just followed the gold blazes of the trail.

---

How do you feel about the results?

This may include time, your placing, and how you performed regardless of those numerical results.

How do you FEEL about your performance?

I feel fine with it. The point of creating the goals that I did and going into the race with a competitive mindset and approach allowed me to grow and learn. I’m still learning these newer emotions and stressors. This makes me happy. It is such a challenge.

---

What area of the event could have been executed better?

Sleep, lodging, travel, intra-race nutrition, better course scouting, etc?

Please expand upon your answer.

I could have communicated better with my pacer and I could have used my trekking poles during the last 20-something miles. Oy, these were bigger mistakes than I thought they would be.

---

In your training, what do you think could have done better to improve performance on this day?

Power hiking, with my vest full of water could have helped. I struggle with uphills later in these ultras.

---

What part(s) of training do you think helped this event, the most?

Strength training (downhill running strength, weighted stairs and step-ups, HIP Phase 1, and ATG Zero), plyometrics, and long trail runs. Doing Glacier was very helpful and doing a long training run on the Laurel course. Mimicking the Laurel trail as much as possible.

---

What event or events are next?

Oil Creek 100. I have a decently good idea of what that training block can look like, but I’m open to suggestions. It’s going to be so hard.

---

Anything else you’d like to add?

No, I beat up my horse a little, but it has made a full recovery.

---

Working with me

Stuck? Not registered for any races?

You don’t need to have a race lined up to work with me. I talk with runners who are in all seasons of life.

• People who can’t run right now due to health issues or injury.
• People who need to focus on their family and self-care.
• Who want to build better habits that will support their running.
• People who want to learn ways to better manage worries and negative thoughts.
• Who want to learn how to make running and racing more enjoyable!
• Who are considering getting into trail and ultrarunning.

There are many types of goals to work on.

A common mistake that I see people making is that they say they aren’t ready to work together yet because they have to accomplish “X” first, or they have to register for an ultramarathon.

The issue is, that they have been stuck trying the same things over and over again. Even if these things have helped in the past, they may no longer work, or are less effective.

Bad habits also keep people stuck. Overtraining, low quality rest days, and improper fueling and hydration.

Let’s talk about what’s going on and see what possible solutions we can come up with to get things rolling again.

Once we get over the hump, then we can talk about future races.

If this is you, please reach out to me.

Races lined up?

Here are a few things that we may discuss.

• Physical racing strategies
• Mental racing strategies
• Moving from fixed mindset to growth
• Busting negative self-talk and beliefs
• Gratitude and happiness
• Mental toughness
• What’s going on in the pain cave?
• Trusting yourself and your body
• Mindfulness
• The mental health benefits of running and exercise
• Emotion regulation skills
• Distress tolerance skills
• Coping skills for day-to-day stress, worries, and feelings of dissatisfaction
• Several other topics. Go to the main page on my website to see a longer list.

---

More information and related articles

Ultrarunners, Let’s Continue to get Outside of Our Comfort Zones!

Pre-Race Questionnaire for Laurel Highlands Ultra

The Scarecrow Runner Podcast: Embracing the Pain of Ultramarathons

Sport Psychologist VS Licensed Professional Counselor

---

Subscribe for more sweet ultrarunning mindset and mental wellness content

• WordPress
• Facebook
• X
• TikTok
• Instagram
• YouTube

---

Will you support me in my mission to help others?

One of my many goals is to increase mental health awareness, the availability of free resources, and the access to services.

If you value my free mental health content, it would mean a lot to me if you would “like,” share, or Buy Me a Coffee.

This helps people find my free content and allows me to continue providing free content.

Thanks for being a part of my mission.

Happy running,

Shannon

---