How to Have a

Devon Day
A Runner’s Guide to a
Breakthrough Performance
By Devon Crosby-Helms
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
01 Introduction

02 My “Devon Day” Story

03 Formula for Success

04 Determine your goal

05 Determine your parameters

06 Right Training

07 Right Mentality

08 Right Conditions

09 When it all Comes Together

10 About the Author

11 Resources

Cover photo by Cameron Baird

Graphic Design and Layout by Rick Gaston

© 2011 Devon Crosby-Helms

introduction | 01
DEFINITION OF A DEVON DAY
01
I can’t claim credit for the term “Devon Day”. The author of
that term is Ellie Greenwood, a Canadian ultrarunner, who is one
of the most talented female ultrarunners currently on the scene.
She used the term in one of her race reports last November
saying:
Just before I headed off to Gibraltar for the
World 100km Championships I read Devon
Crosby-Helms blog about her course record
setting win at the USATF 50 mile champs at
Tussey Mountainback where she had a perfect
race; everything came together and she ran strong
and fast and felt great throughout the race. It
reads like a runners dream. It would be fair to say
that I didn’t have a ‘Devon-day’ at Gibraltar but
this was a race that I had logged several 140 mile
weeks for and many more 100 mile plus weeks,
it was my first time I was proudly wearing Team
GB kit and I wasn’t going to give up without
a fight. Ellie Greenwood
“Devon Day”- a perfect race, a runners dream where everything
comes together and you run fast and strong and feel great the
whole time. An all around breakthrough performance.
Ellie won that race, crowning her the 2010 World Champion in
the 100k road distance. Yet by her own definition, she did not
have a “Devon Day”. There is something more to a “Devon Day”
than just running fast or winning or setting a course record or
achieving a PR. It extends beyond a tangible result. On one of
those days, the mind, body and spirit are all working together in
conjunction to go beyond, to breakthrough.
INTRODUCTION
WHAT DOES A DEVON DAY LOOK LIKE?
I began running very casually in 2003 after retiring from a
competitive basketball career. In 2005, I ran my first marathon
and got hooked on long distance running. In 2006, I ran my first
ultra and discovered my passion for the trails and the extreme
long distances. Since that time I have raced in over 25 ultras
and 10 marathons and have consistently placed among the top
women, set numerous course records, competed in the World
Championships three times at the 100k distance for Team USA
and established myself as an elite distance runner.
In my relatively short competitive running career, I have had four
races in 2 years that by Ellie’s definition are “Devon Days”.
Devon Day #1: WC100k Night of Flanders
Devon Day #2: JFK 50 miler
Devon Day #3: Tussey Mountainback 50 miler
Devon Day #4: LA Marathon
In all of these four races, I ran fast, strong and felt incredible the
whole time, both physically and mentally. The races felt effortless
despite the fact that I was pushing my physical limits in all of
them. Everything came together, mind, body and spirit. Each one
was a breakthrough performance in which I met or exceeded
my ideal goals. In my first such race at Night of Flanders (June
2009), I helped lead Team USA to a gold medal. I placed 4th
in that race and set a PR. My final 20k were the fastest of the
entire distance and I felt great entire time. During that race, I was
present, happy and smiling the entire time.
At JFK 50 miler in November of 2009, I obliterated a very stout
course record in 6:29:21, was first woman and tenth overall. I ran
the final 10 miles faster than any other person in the race, except
for the 1st and 2nd male, averaging 6:30 pace. I felt blissfully
good the entire time, never had a lag in energy and clocked a
near perfectly consistent time on the entire section after the
Appalachian Trail.
Tussey Mountainback in September of 2010 was almost identical
to JFK 50 mile. I broke a stout course record, this time by 7
minutes (and by the same individual who had previously held the
JFK record) and set a PR in 6:28:41 on a hillier course.
introduction | 01
The most recent experience was the LA marathon in late
March of 2011. In ran Houston marathon in January 2011 in an
attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the marathon.
I had not run a road marathon in over two years and had
drastically changed my training in preparation for the race. I had
a disastrous race at Houston and while I ran my second fastest
marathon time ever, it was a poor performance because I was
miserable physically and mentally the whole time. I decided to
run LA marathon only 7 weeks after Houston because I felt that
my training had been good and that I would be ready to make
another attempt at running sub 2:46 which is the ‘B’ standard
for the Olympic trials. This goal also meant I would have to set
a PR by nearly 4 minutes. At LA, everything came together and
despite a bad day of weather, I ran a flawless race, negative
split the race, and ran well under the standard in 2:43:28.
This guide provides a framework for developing your plan to have
a breakthrough. This is not a “do as I do” guide. I do not provide
you with training plans or think that my training, mentality, and
nutrition plan are the universal answer. What works for me would
likely not work for you. You have to figure out what works for you
and apply it to the framework I lay out in this guide. Where I use
examples from my own training, it is only to illustrate how the
framework works for me. I believe that everyone from novice to
an elite can train with the same framework that I use. I may be
an elite runner but even a novice can achieve their breakthrough
using my formula for success.

My experience in LA is the catalyst for this text because it made

me realize that there had to be a through line, a formula that I
was following that was able to create these days and have them
occur at a high frequency in a short amount of time. Ultimately, I
have had four such “Devon Days” in less than 2 years and I set
out to discover just how this is happening. I analyzed my training
plans, my race reports and my training journals of not just these
races but all of my races of varying quality- “great”, “good”,
“average” and “poor”. Through this research I discovered my
formula for success and I believe that it is the key to creating
breakthrough performances

PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE

I have written this guide to share my formula with you for
success and the keys to creating a breakthrough performance.
I have established a consistent framework that can be used
by any runner to achieve their own “_______ day”, their own
breakthrough performance. A breakthrough performance
means different things for different people, it is not just about
breaking course records, qualifying for the Olympic Trials or
winning races. It is more universal than that and it is also much
more personal. A breakthrough performance can be achieving
a PR, running your first half marathon or simply running an
entire distance and feeling good. It can also mean winning an
international race or being the best in the world. The framework
is the same no matter how large or small your goal, no matter
the distance or time, no matter if you are elite or beginner.
Winning the JFK 50-Mile in 2010 - 6:29:21

“I have written this guide to share my formula with you for success...”

introduction | 01

MY “DEVON DAY” STORY
My “Devon” Day story
As I mentioned, this guide is a direct result of my most recent
“Devon Day” experience at the LA Marathon. This experience was
very profound for me because I was able to have a breakthrough
performance at a distance that is outside of my comfort zone, it
is not something I previous considered my speciality. However,
it prompted me to do some digging and uncover the framework
that I was using to produce breakout performances no matter
the distance. I recounted this experience on my blog but decided
to include it here to help illustrate exactly the experience we are
talking about before we delve into the details of how to do it.
LA MARATHON
When I woke up on Sunday (March 20th) morning at 3:05am, I
bounded out bed, flipped the switch for the coffee maker before it
could start on its own. I was up, I was awake, it was race morning
and I felt, calm, deadly calm. I know I can’t fake that feeling, I
knew it meant that I had genuinely conquered my expectations
and was ready to accept the day no matter what happened. I was
ready to just enjoy the race, be present for the race and smile
at the rain that I knew was coming. I decided to take the above
picture before I headed out. I wanted to be able to look back and
say, I went into the race smiling, did I finish that way?
I am happy to say, I achieved that goal.
Post-Houston/Pre-race
I have talked a lot about my feelings after having such a bad race
after Houston. It really messed with my confidence and my head,
but in the end, despite feeling like there was nothing redeeming
about the experience for a long time, I see now that the bad
experience itself was its redeeming factor. Because it taught me
a hell of a lot and it gave me experience going through all sorts of
things all at the same time (kind of like an ultra, just way faster).
Even though I was bummed after Houston, I got right back up and
back in the saddle. I considered my race schedule and decided
to do LA marathon. I was helped greatly by rockstar Creative
02
Director of the race Peter Abraham. I am so appreciative of Peter
from getting me into the race to allowing me to join him and
others in his hospitality suite before the race to introducing me
to other ladies going for the OT in the open field to braving the
crowds in the corrals to ensure we were up front and had room
to get out quick.
Once I had LA on the schedule, it was a matter of balancing
recovery from Houston and sharpening for LA. I think I walked a
very fine line and part of me was very afraid that I was doing too
much, that I had pushed myself over the edge, pushed too hard.
And I knew I wouldn’t know until things started to shake out on
race day.
I headed down to LA on Saturday morning where I was met by
Jonathan, one of my best friends and we headed over to the expo
to get a little excited by all the race energy. I didn’t need to go to
the expo for my number because Peter and friend/Coyote leader/
coach/ultrarunner/etc. Jimmy Dean had made sure I had all my
number, credentials, etc and was completely set. But going to a
race expo at a big race is run. LA marathon had 26,000 running!
You can’t but help getting excited around that kind of energy!
We then made a quick stop at Whole Foods to get all my
necessary dinner items and then headed over to my wonderful
and gracious host’s house. I was lucky enough to be hosted by
Kathy Eldon and Michael Bedner at their house on the beach in
Malibu. Jonathan works with Kathy at Creative Vision Foundation
and they were excited to help support my pursuit of getting my OT
any way they could. They were amazing hosts and I felt right at
home. Jonathan and I went for a good but short run and then we
made dinner early; nice rib-eye steaks Michael had gotten, roast
potatoes and salad. It was a delicious meal, but I ate pretty light
overall for the day and went to bed early (before 9) feeling good.
I slept really well despite being woken up about every 2 hours by
something. Just after 3am, I was up, eating a hearty bowl of oats
with banana and peanut butter and getting my racing kit on.
my “devon day” story | 02
Excited by the forecast for race day: Lots of rain, urban flooding and debris flow. Myself and Jonathan.

Race
It wasn’t raining, yet, when I got up but the forecast wasn’t that her but she managed to pull herself together and run a PR of
good. The night before it had looked hopeful that it might not 2:56. Not the day she wanted, but she overcame a lot and had a
rain between 7am-9am and that there would be a lot of rain great race.
before and after that but it didn’t really play out that way. But I
wasn’t particularly worried, I am a battle hardened veteran and I was off and running. Jimmy Dean had sent me some splits the
after Houston, I wasn’t surprised I was again pulling the crappy night before for a 2:45 pace adjusted specifically for the course. I
weather card. I think at this point I should just expect the storm didn’t memorize it but I noted the mile splits that I should expect to
of the century every time I line up. At least there was no talk of be higher than my needed 6:18/mile pace. All I did was remember
canceling the race like there was at Houston. that miles 4,5, 18,19, 21 and 22 would be slower or much slower
than my overall target pace. It provided me a guideline to work
Jonathan was wonderful and drove me to my shuttle bus at way with based on my plan to run by feel not by pace. I didn’t wear
the hell too early in the morning (arrived at 4:30am). I was able to a garmin, I wore a watch and hit lap every mile split (where
get on the Coyotes shuttle, again thanks to Jimmy Dean, so that I there was one, only about half of the miles were marked which
didn’t have to navigate the horrendous traffic at Dodger Stadium sucked). I would glance at the split and compare it to how I felt.
as 26,000 fought to find parking or be dropped off or shuttled Simply note it and leave the math for later in the race.
in. We were to the start and another OT qualifier hopeful, Emily
Mitchell, and I made our way from the shuttle up the stadium to
Peter’s hospitality suite. We met one other hopeful, Joanna Zeiger
(who is a badass 70.3 World Champion) and eventually made our
way to the start. And waited and waited and waited. Finally after
lots of waiting in the cold (thankfully still not raining), they sent the
elite women’s field off. Then we waited exactly 17:03 and we were
off. We were at the front of corral A but we were swimming in
a sea of pushy, scraping for the front folks whose bibs indicated
they should be way back in B or C. I had my apprehension as
we took our first steps and I was cautious. My intuition was right
as this dodgy guy next to me accidentally tripped Emily 3 steps
passed the start line. She slammed into the ground and I could
barely hurdle her and keep going to avoid being crushed by the
crowd. It was a bummer not to have the opportunity to run with
Course Map.

my “devon day” story | 02

We headed out of Dodger’s stadium and proceeded to follow
an amazing course to the sea. I really liked the course. It really
highlights all the various things you’d want to go visit in LA. It
was interesting and despite the rain that started in about 1/2 mile
into the race, there was a great deal of crowd support. I settled in
and felt really comfortable. My first mile was slower than my goal
pace, a 6:20 and I looked at my watch and smiled. Perfect. It was
perfect because I wanted to go out slow, I wanted to keep myself
comfortable for as long as possible. Especially since I knew,
despite some good rolling hills later in the race, that this was a
great course to negative split on.
It was raining quite hard by mile 4. We climbed this awesome,
pretty steep hill heading out of Chinatown but I actually found it
pretty easy to get up, being pulled upwards by the sound of 40
drummers beating in time at the top. Comfortable. I just felt like I
was cruising, taking it in, smiling, doing my best to interact with
the other runners and acknowledge the crowd. I got super excited
at around mile 6 when I saw my fellow ninja, Georgia, who was at
the race to help pace her sister to a BQ! She was screaming my
name and it gave me such a boost.
I was cruising with a pack of folks including a few women,
Joanna included. One of the guys told me he was shooting for
a 2:44 and I felt like I was in the right spot. There were about 8
Jonathan, jumping in at mile 16.
of us that were roughly together and we made it through 10k in
39:21. Not smoking but within striking distance. After the 10k split,
my mile times started getting faster. Partially it was the course,
partially I think my body was finally warmed up, partially I think I
knew that this was my day and that I should gas it a bit but not
get too crazy.
I stuck to my nutrition plan perfectly. I drank a sip of water at
every aid station (every mile) and I took my first gel at 45 minutes
into the race. I felt like a machine. The running felt easy. I wanted
to maintain that feeling for as long as possible. Sure I was aware
of my overall time, but not really aware of the math that it would
take to figure out if I was going to make it or not. I wouldn’t really
have a clue until the half way point of where I stood. I decided
until then just to keep a smile on my face and the killer instinct
in my heart. I was freaking so happy with every step. My body
and mind were in sync and I am sure I annoyed more than a few
fellow runners encouraging them and carrying on conversation.
The group broke apart a bit but Joanna and I stuck together. We
hit mile 13 (which had no marker) and then the half way point
was somewhere in there too (also not marked). I asked Joanna,
who was wearing a Garmin, what we had hit the half in and
she responded right around 1:22. Nice. Faster than Houston by
about 30 seconds but I felt 10 billion times better and comfortable
my “devon day” story | 02
at that pace than I did at Houston. At Houston when we were
passing the halfway mark, I felt like I was red lining, but now I
just felt like I was settled in at that “I could run this all day pace”.
It was raining a bunch, we’d turn corners and get slammed with
a headwind. There was even lightning. My hands were freezing
and I could barely get my gels out of my pocket. I took another
gel at 1:30 and accidentally dropped my Hyper-vespa which
momentarily freaked me out, but then I instantly pulled myself
back to the present and decided not to borrow trouble.
I was starting to get excited the closer I got to mile 16 for a few
reasons. First, I knew that if I hit mile 16 feeling good that I would
never falter. Why did I know this? I am not sure. Second, I knew
that Jonathan would be waiting for me to hop in and run me in.
Despite there being 26,000 in the race, there wasn’t much of a
crowd upfront and he was nice enough to be a volunteer pace
rabbit for anyone who wanted to get in under 2:46.
Joanna and I ran passed the Chateau Marmont and I turned to
her, as she had slipped behind me a few steps, and said, “just
stay on my shoulder, hold on. I have a friend coming who will
take us in under the standard”. But I was accelerating and feeling
strong and I was soon on my own.
I didn’t have to be on my own for long. Jonathan jumped in and
we were off to the races. In fact, looking back, my splits for the
mile leading up to him and mile after picking him up were an
average pace of 5:44. I was flying. And still smiling.
Jonathan cautiously checked in with me and all I could do was
beam. “I feel great!” I said. I knew I needed to stay smart through
the upcoming miles, especially since I didn’t exactly know what
the hills of 18,19, 21and 22 would entail. Thankfully, Jonathan had
run the final 10 miles on Friday with Jimmy Dean and so he was
able to talk me through each section and let me know what
to expect.
I was so happy to be sharing that run with Jonathan. It was a
beautiful thing to share. I simple was absorbed in the run, floating
along. I would just suddenly get the goofiest smile on my face or
say something out loud like “smile at the rain”. We made it easily
past the bumps of mile 18 and 19. I had to laugh because they
were so little (especially compared to that first giant hill) but my
pace was slightly slower as we rolled upwards. At 2:15, I tried to
get my last gel out of my pocket but my hands were frozen blocks
and I struggled for a good 30 seconds while trying to keep pace to
get it out. Thankfully, I managed. I took my last gel and a salt cap
and started to get serious.
I don’t mean serious in a bad way. I mean deadly ninja assassin
serious. Like I am about to do one of my patented Devon closes.
Like I am about to see how many guys I can chick in the final
miles. I stayed smart and cautious through mile 22, getting up
and over the final hump before a nice gradual downhill finish.
Just after the last climb, I encountered the most serious urban
flooding I’d seen all day (which is saying something since I went
through some major flows). I splashed through ankle deep water
that covered the road and then began the hammer drop. I was
still happy on the inside but I had donned my ninja mask and was
ready to fly. I was ready to put myself in the pain cave, I was
ready to run “eyeballs out” as my friend Hollis says. I had been
comfortable and cruising all day, now I needed to see what I
could squeeze out in the final 7k. At 35k, I was running 6:16 pace,
arriving there in 2:16:53. I finally took time to consider if I was
going to make the 2:46 standard or not. I was feeling really good,
but had I run smart enough and fast enough to make it? I couldn’t
do the math but I wasn’t sure. It felt like it was going to be close
so I put it on the line.
Something happened in that moment. I clicked over into the next
gear seamlessly and my body didn’t resist. My mind somehow
had been able to communicate to my muscles “it’s ok, we have
enough energy to do this”. It felt like no effort at all. And my mile
splits got faster and faster.
I would occasionally look over at Jonathan or grunt a small
command to him as I went for a water cup or to take the higher
more even ground. I knew Jonathan was running quite possibly
as hard as he could at that moment and I let that propel my
forward letting out even more than I thought I had. I still didn’t
hurt, so I gave more. Mile 22-6:16. Mile 23-6:14. Mile 24-6:04.
I was flying at this point, passing other racers like they were
standing still, offering them not even a chance to respond or hang
on. Mile 25-5:43. “Holy crap” I exclaimed. “We just ran a 5:43 mile
in my freaking 25th mile”. Jonathan beamed. I knew I was going
to do it. I knew I was going to realize my dream of making the
Olympic trials. I knew that I could push and push and enjoy every
last soggy, cold, windy step of this race.
Thanks @zkiraly for the screen shot!
my “devon day” story | 02
We made the turn onto Ocean avenue with just under a mile to
go. I just kept pressing, now against the most intense wind I had
felt all day. I could see the finish line. I knew the crowd would
have no idea how important this was to me as I soldiered into
the wind, all alone now (as Jonathan had to jump out of the final
section as to avoid the shoots). It was my moment, I was all by Distance Marathon
myself facing down the finish line. I was the first woman in the
Clock Time 02:43:32
open field and I would be the only woman from the open field to
Chip Time 02:43:28
make the Olympic Trials. I pushed back against the wind with a
final 1.2 miles in a blistering 5:42 pace. I crossed the finish line in Overall Place 44 / 19761
2:43:28. I thrust my hands in the air victorious. You might have Gender Place 10 / 7768
thought I’d just won the race I was so excited. But I won my race. Division Place 5 / 1205
Peter Abraham was there and raced over to me to congratulate Age Grade 82.8%
me and told the finish line emcee that I had just made the Olympic Pace 6:14.2
Trials and that I was the first woman from the open field (I think
10K 0:39:21
they thought I was just the last woman in the elite field). The
15K 0:58:41
emcee got back on the mic and excitedly told the crowd who I
was and what I had just accomplished. I was interviewed for the 20K 1:18:18
news and wrapped in a heat blanket. I finally realized how cold 25K 1:37:39
and wet I was. I was soaked. But I was riding high. I felt like I just 30K 1:57:19
wanted to keep on going forever I was having so much fun. 35K 2:16:53
40K 2:35:40
Wow. What an experience. It was a “Devon day”. It was my day.
And not just because I made my goal, but even more so because
I did it with the same smile on my face that I started the day with.
I ran happy, I ran without expectations. I simply ran the way I
love to run. After Houston, I left a little lost, felt a little void in my
running self, felt a little question mark hanging over me. I just felt
like I wanted it all (achieving my goal) to be over. After LA, I was
overwhelm with relief. It is exciting to achieve your goals, but it is
also a great relief when you have pursued it hard after a failure.
I feel invigorated, I feel excited, I feel absolutely renewed. I feel
totally in love with running again. I couldn’t have asked for a better
experience. I am beaming and for once, I am going to take the
time to bask in my accomplishment to let that feeling wash over
me. It is deep and satisfying to achieve a goal, no matter what that
goal is. It is a rare and genuine gift. I fully intend to take my time
savoring it.

Cool race info from Runpix.com. This is where I stood in the overall field,
excluding the women’s elite race. My favorite stat was that in the final 4.5 miles
I chicked 9 guys. I also like that it says “for the record, you were ahead of about
100% of the guys”.

my “devon day” story | 02

 03
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
Formula for success It was easy to be able to draw conclusions about JFK and Tussey
As you can see from my LA Marathon experience, having a
breakthrough performance is a complex thing, influenced by many
factors. I have had four dream- “Devon Day” races in less than 2
years. I have realized that it was more than just luck, there was
an underlying pattern in those race preparations that enabled me
to have the day that I did. After my experience at LA, I sat down
with my training plans, my race reports and my training journals
and started to examine them for similarities. I also compared
these breakthrough performances to other great, good, decent
or bad performances to rule out that they were just coincidences
or magical in any way. The formula I arrived at consists of three
parts: training, mentality and conditions.
Training
Tussey Mountainback 50 Miler: 6:28:42
JFK 50 Miler: 6:29:21
because they were the same distance and relative same elevation
gain and loss. What worked for JFK, clearly worked for Tussey
as well. My training for both had been similar in terms of mileage
load and specific workouts. After my race at Tussey, I concluded
that the 50 mile/100k road races were just my forte. In fact, I was
undefeated at the 50 mile distance and set course records in 4
out of 6 victories. My training for WC100k (Night of Flanders) was
also very similar. My training went well and had figured out the
right balance of endurance and speed to succeed. I had gained
enough experience at the 100k road distance to know how to
specifically race the distance. In all three races, I ran comfortably
at a fast pace for the first 90% and then I finished with a fiery
kick, dropping my pace into the low 6 minute/mile range. Those
two distances distance clearly suited me and my ability to run a
consistently paced race with a strong finish.
The LA marathon did not seemingly directly fit into the pattern,
except in the end result: I ran the entire distance feeling a
comfortable “I could run this pace all day” feeling and finished
with a fierce kick with my last 2.2 miles at a 5:43 minute/mile
pace. Compared to WC100k, JFK & Tussey, my training was
completely different. My training paces were considerably faster
and I focused on increasing my upper end speed instead of my
endurance. So what was the connection?
When I laid all of my training out side by side for various “A” races
(i.e. Races I specifically focused on and trained for), the answer
was clear. For each of these races my training had be incredibly
specific and uniquely tailored not only for the distance but the
race itself. My training for my four “Devon Day” races most closely
matched their respective races. The pattern held true as I looked
at my “great”, “good”, “average” and “poor” races, the degree
of specificity directly correlated to the race quality. The more
specific, the better the day. The less specific, the poorer of day.
formula for success | 03
A perfect example of this is Seafair Marathon in 2008. In June
of 2008, I was suppose to run Western States 100 miler as my
first 100 mile race. I was fit and ready to run the race when it
was cancelled due to fires on the course. I decided after the
cancellation of States to run Seafair Marathon instead using
the logic that if I was fit enough for a 100 mile race through the
mountains than I could easily run a marathon. I ran one of the
slowest marathon I had in a long time and suffered the entire
time. I had no speed and the pavement was cruel to my trail
accustomed body. I couldn’t have been more not race specifically
prepared.
Specific Training, or “Right Training” as I Will Call it, is the
First Key to Having a Breakthrough Performance.
Mentality
Specific training enabled me to line up at the start and be
physically prepared to have a breakthrough performance.
However, physical preparation doesn’t ensure such a
performance actually occurs because running is more than just
a physical act. The next component that had to be examined
was the mental component. This includes attitudes about the
race, commitment to the preparation, motivation, expectations,
pressure, perspective and race strategy. It is a very complicated
thing to sort out but for me is very clear when I go about it wrong.
Seven weeks before I raced LA marathon, I toed the line at the
Houston Marathon intent on getting my Olympic Qualifying ‘B’
Standard (sub 2:46). I was very specifically trained for Houston
but mentally I took for granted that I would make the standard.
I almost felt it was a foregone conclusion and I had to just go
through the motions. I reflected on my mentality after the race:
I built up this expectation that come race day things would click
and I would have a “Devon Day”. I think this expectation even a
more diluted simmering under the surface version of itself was
hugely detrimental. When the going got tough when I didn’t think
it should be, it mentally screwed me. I became hugely reactive in
that race. I recently read a great article called “Why You Should
Expect the Worst”, which basically summed up my experiences at
my best and worst races. At my best races, I came in genuinely
uncertain about what the day would hold for me. I usually had
diminished expectations for one reason or another. I always felt
a comfortable uncertainty, I relinquished my control over what
would happen and hoped for the best. I genuinely didn’t expect a
thing and was prepared for the possible outcomes. At Houston I
wasn’t. I wasn’t prepared to navigate a bad day, I was not okay
with any outcome other than meeting the standard. Ultimately,
I derived very little pleasure out of running my second fastest
marathon ever and my fastest in more than 2 years.
At Houston, I didn’t have the right mentality to my best. I run my
best when I am enjoying the journey, being present and running
happy. Because I didn’t have the right mentality, when things
went wrong or different than I thought they should be, I fell apart.
My physical ability was able to carry me to a 2:50 marathon but
that is drastically different than the 2:43:28 I was able to run 7
weeks later at LA Marathon. Though I had physical problems at
Houston (I was throwing up during the race), my mentality was
a much bigger contributing factor. At Houston, I had no joy and
resisted the things that came up. At LA, I was smiling and happy
and responded without resistance to the things that arose. In all of
my breakthrough and even great performances, I have a specific
positive mentality that is deeply connected to why I run, not just
race.
Specific Mentality, or “Right Mentality”, is the Second Key to
Having a Breakthrough Performance.
Conditions
Specific training and right mentality are the overwhelmingly
predominate factors in running a breakthrough performance.
They are also the two things that you most can control. The
final factor that emerges when I examine my race successes,
failures and in between is clearly the conditions. For me, my ideal
conditions would be mid-40s to low 50s, slightly overcast with
no wind. I have run well in cold, rain, wind, warm and sunny. I
have yet to thrive in extremely hot temperatures. At WC100k, JFK
and Tussey, the conditions were nearly perfect for me, especially
considering the conditions most closely match the conditions
I train in. All of them were cool but not cold, little or no wind,
and moderate cloud cover. LA marathon was less than ideal
conditions as it was pouring rain, very windy in sections and quite
cold, however, these conditions mirrored the conditions I had
done my specific training in, thus making them ideal in a way.
Specific Conditions, or “Right Conditions” is the Final Key to
Having a Breakthrough Performance.
Breakthrough Performance Formula for Success = Right
Training + Right Mentality + Right Conditions.
formula for success | 03
 DETERMINE YOUR GOAL
Before you can have a breakthrough performance or apply my
formula for success to your running, you have to figure out
what your ideal goal performance is. This could be
many things:
• Set a PR
• Run a specific time (like a Boston qualifying time)
• Feel good the entire race
• Win or place
• Run a specific distance
With any race, we should have three goals in mind: “good”
“great” and “ideal/breakthrough”.
For instance, when I was training and racing Houston and
then LA marathon my three goals were as follows:
• “Good”= Break my PR of 2:49:51.
• “Great”= Run under the Olympic Trial ‘B’ Standard of 2:46.
• “Ideal”= Run under a 2:44.
04
This ideal goal performance is the best possible scenario. I
believe a true breakthrough is something that we must push
our outer limits to achieve, it is closer to a “pie in the sky”
scenario than reasonably achievable on a good day. While
your “ideal goal” may be the best possible scenario, it is also
the goal towards which you train.
When I was training for my Olympic Trials qualifier, I trained
for a low 2:40 marathon, not just a 2:46. I felt I would be best
prepared to achieve my “ideal” goal if I was physical prepared
to do so. I used a pace chart for my workouts based on a 2:40
marathon (more on this later). This meant that during training
there were workouts when I was unable to achieve the paces
that were prescribed by that goal. I had workouts where I was
suppose to run 800 meter repeats at a 2:35 pace and I could
barely achieve a 2:40. The goal was at the outer limits of my
fitness so I had to push myself greatly to achieve some of the
training milestones.
Write down and clearly define your good, great and ideal
goal performance for your next race. Keep this with your
training plan and training journal. Consider these your guiding
philosophies as you pursue your training.
determine your goal | 04
05 DETERMINE YOUR PARAMETERS
After you have determined your ideal goal, you have to define
your parameters for reaching that goal. Parameters are the
general guiding principals of your training before you establish
your specific racing plan. This means defining your approach to
your training including how many days/times you are committed
to running, the types of supplementary training you will do for
your goal (including strength and stretching), where your goal fits
into the rest of your life (your priorities) and your nutrition. Make
sure you clearly define your parameters simultaneously when you
define your goal so that you set yourself up for success.
What this looks like. My Olympic Trials Qualifier parameters:
1. Run 6 days a week including double days at least
3 days a week
2. Once weekly strength training sessions and
biweekly core work.
3. Once weekly sports massage sessions.
4. Get 8 or more hours of sleep
5. Nutrition- no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy or wheat Breakthrough Performance Formula for Success = Right training
(foods I am intolerant to), no grains (except oats) or + right mentality + right conditions
beans. Modified paleo approach. Very structured diet
for the six weeks leading up to Houston, eating at 2-3 The remainder of this guide is a breakdown of the specific
hour intervals and carefully balancing my intake.
6. Stretching 3x per week.
“Your parameters are realistic commitments
to obtain your ideal goal.”
Your parameters are realistic commitments to obtain your ideal
goal. If you are not willing or able to run more than 3 days a week
or don’t have any desire to change your diet, do not make this
part of your parameters.
I knew that in order to achieve my ideal goal of running a sub
2:44 that I would need to have some very strict and specific
parameters. My goal was only feasible because of the parameters
I put in place. If I had said not been willing to make my training my
highest priority or did not do the additional supplementary work,
my goal would have not been realistically obtainable. Your goals
and parameters must be in sync.
Write down your parameters with your goals. Keep this with your
training plan and training journal. Consider these your building
blocks for reaching your goal.
Now that you have clearly defined goals and parameters. It is time
to start building and implementing the formula for your success.
Remember:
framework that you can implement in the pursuit of your goals.
Each area ( right training, right mentality and right conditions) is
individually addressed using clear steps, plans and illustrations to
help you map out the road to achieving your dream day.
determine your parameters | 05
 06
RIGHT TRAINING
The right training accounts for 65-75% of your ability to reach
your goals. Without proper training, it does not matter how
good your mentality is or how perfect race day is, you will not
be physically prepared to run your best.
There is much more to the right training than printing a
generic training plan off the internet. This chapter guides you
through the fundamental aspects of preparing yourself to toe
the line as physically prepared as you can be.
Step 1: Finding a Coach
For my first two years of running marathons and beyond, I
was self-coached. I did a great deal of researching training
methods and was able to drop my marathon PR from 3:38
in my first marathon in June 2005 to a 2:55 a year and a
half later. During this same time period I began ultrarunning
and having a great deal of success. However, I knew the
longer I ran the closer I would come to the limits of my own
knowledge and training. In 2008, I hired a coach, Howard
Nippert, who was one of my teammates on the US 100k team,
and began working with him closely.
Winning the Lake Sonoma 50-Mile in 2010
Working with Howard, I was able to break through my running
plateaus and hit another growth curve in my running that has
me consistently improving race after race. One of the best
benefits of having a coach I found was accountability. Even
though I often put speed work on my self-coached schedules,
I never set foot on the track until I was being coached and
my coach prescribed it in my training. I was just never a fan
of the track and so I would let myself off the hook or just all
together leave those aspects out of my training.
Now, even though Howard lives across the country and is
not present for my workouts, I feel more accountable. When
he asks how a workout went, I want to have done my best
to have run the workout as prescribed and at my goal paces
for that workout. I’ve found this accountability provides an
amazing sense of accomplishment in training. A professional
coach is trained not only in building you a specific plan but
also in analyzing and tracking your training to guide you
towards your goal. They will include workouts that, like them
or not, will develop your weaknesses into strengths and keep
you on track towards your goal.
right training | 06
Finding a coach is an easy process.
If you are just starting out many charity training programs and
running clubs include coaching with their programs (although
this is not individualized, it is better than beginning without
a coach). This is a good place for beginners to get coaching.
I have included a list of charity programs and running club
resources in the Resources section.
If you are ready to have a personal running coach there are
also many options available. Most running clubs have coaches
on staff or can recommend a local coach. Local running stores
can also make good recommendations. I have included a list of
national organizations that have coaching recommendations
in the Resources section. I have also included a list of popular
and respected online coaches. As I mentioned, Howard
and I live on opposite coasts but even through this virtual
relationship, he is able to be heavily involved in my training.
Step 2: Developing a Race Specific Training Plan
Once you have a coach, the next step is developing a training
plan. Your coach will prescribe this plan (or if you are self-
coached you will build one). A training plan should include
specific workouts, mileage and should be specifically tailored
to your target race. One size fits all training plans don’t
address your goals, parameters, race needs or the possible
race conditions.
In order to reach your goals your training plan needs to be
tailored to address all of those things and others including:
• Type of terrain, surface and elevation gain
• Type of weather or altitude
• Other race specific details (such as carrying mandatory training paces should be on the outer limit of your capabilities
gear or stage racing)
As an ultrarunner and marathon who races up to 10 times
per year (2-3 races each year are “A” races), my training is
2009 Transrockies Elevation Profile
incredibly diverse but I do not try to be trained for marathon
through 100 miles on every surface from road to high altitude
single track at one time. Instead, for each “A” race I have a
training plan that is dedicated to doing my best at that specific
race. Over the years, I have developed a baseline fitness that
allows me to cover a wide-range but it is counter productive
towards reaching your ideal race goal to try and be a jack
of all trades. As I illustrated earlier, just because I was in
shape to run 100 miles in the mountains doesn’t mean I was
in optimum shape to race a fast marathon. Focus on one goal,
train towards that goal and you will be rewarded.
Example of race specific training from my journals:
• TransRockies 2009- This is a 6 day stage race in
Colorado which covers upwards of 20 miles a day over
some big mountain passes.
In my training for this event, we focused my training efforts
on long runs on technical and non-technical trail with a lot of
elevation gain. I did a great deal of ascent and descent in my
training and would do back-to-back 20 mile runs or back-to-
back-to-back long run efforts. These two types of workouts
made me accustomed to the climbing I would encounter and
also develop the ability to run long day after day after day.
Step 3: Finding your paces
With your goal, parameters, coaching and training plan all
set, the next step is to determine your paces for each type
of workout. Your paces will be based on your ideal race goal
as well as a previous race result or indicator workout. You
likely used a previous race result or indicator workout in
establishing your ideal race goal. As with your goal, these
but physically possible within the timeframe. For instance,
if you recently ran a 3:30 marathon and your goal is to run
a 2:30 marathon in 3 months, it might not be beyond your
physical limits to run the paces necessary to achieve that goal
within that time frame.
right training | 06
Before starting your training, you should have a pace range able to run 2-3 repeats (400 or 800 meters in length) in or close
for each of the following type of run: to the range your goal pace ascribes. Not only will this “test run”
confirm that your goal is within the realm of your physical outer
• Recovery runs limits it will give you a baseline to gauge improvement off of.
• Long runs
• Easy runs For example, when I started training for my Olympic Trials
• Tempo runs qualifier in mid December of 2010, I was able to run between
• Speed Workouts 75-80 second 400 meter repeats, which is just within the range/
slightly slower than my ideal pace range (from the chart above).
Your coach may provide this for you and if so you can skip As my training progressed I was able to more easily make the
this step. lower end of the range. Two weeks before I qualified for the
Olympic Trials at the LA marathon, I ran a workout of 2:34-2:35
I find it helpful to keep a reference sheet with all of my paces paced 800 meter repeats which is within the range.
for each type of workout. There are several online resources
available to do this including: Step 4: Get Running and Training Details

McMillian Running (my favorite)
Runners World Training Calculator
Runworks
Once you have printed out and established your paces for your
ideal goal it is a good idea to go out for a “test run” of your
current fitness. With your baseline current fitness you should be
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Now that you have your coach, training plan and paces it is almost
time to lace up your running shoes and start building your fitness.
The first three steps are enough to help you reach your “good”
or even “great” goals. The difference between a “great” day and

From McMillian Running

right training | 06
a “Devon” day are in the details. The details contained in this step
include the supplemental work and refined focus of the first three
steps. In my five and a half years of racing, I have found that these
details are the most important element for being able to reach
your ideal goal. It is important to establish these details as a part
of your plan so that they are a priority.
Key Running Workouts:
Key Workouts are the most important part of your training. These
workouts include (but are not limited to): speed work, tempo
runs, hill work, and long runs. These are the workouts that are
hardest on the body but also provide the greatest adaptation.
These workouts will be dictated by your specific plan and race.
For example, leading up to LA marathon, I had 3 key workouts per
week: track, tempo and long run. I made sure that I was rested for
these days and did not skip them or alter them. Easy or recovery
runs are not key workouts.
Mileage:
Mileage alone will help you improve your time but is secondarily
important to key workouts. You should add mileage slowly to your
training plan: no more than 10% increase in mileage until you find
your sweet spot for mileage. Remember there is no universal
perfect range for mileage. Just because your friend can run
100 miles per week, doesn’t mean you should. Find the training
load that works well with your body, adding mileage only up to a
sustainable point. This sweet spot for mileage is a range you can
sustain for a few weeks (3-4) without having the quality of your
key workouts suffer or getting injured. My sweet spot for mileage
is:
• Road running (100-110 mpw)
• Trail running (120-140mpw)
All mileage outside of key workouts should be done at an easy
or recovery pace. This could be anywhere from 30 second to 2
minutes per mile slower than your goal pace. Also, for every 3-4
weeks of sustained mileage, plan for one easy cut back week.
Race Specificity:
In addition to having your training plan tailored toward your race,
you should also practice what you will do on race day. This
includes:
• Planning race kit and shoe choices based on what is best for
the potential conditions and terrain of the course.
• Wearing the clothes and shoes that you will race in.
• Trying the food and drinks you will take during your race.
• Runnning tune up races or workouts (at race pace).
• Practicing race situations
- Eating gels during hard efforts
- Grabbing water cups (for example, leading up to LA marathon
I practiced grabbing and drinking water during a hard track
workout. This enabled me to be comfortable not only drinking
water while running fast but successfully grabbing the water
without breaking stride).
Supplemental/Non-running:
Diet/Nutrition
Diet and nutrition play a huge role in supporting your training. You
need to fuel right to meet the demands of your training load. You
should eat the healthiest diet you can but one that also fits within
your pre-determined parameters. What that means is that you
should fuel your body like an athlete but also respect your preset
limits when it comes to diet modification.
right training | 06
There are many resources available for complete sports nutrition
advice (listed in the resource section) but there are a few key
concepts of fueling like an athlete that have helped optimize my
training and are a good foundation to start from:
1. Time your fueling. Fueling up before and refueling after
workouts is absolutely key. This allows you to have the best
possible workouts and recover for the next effort.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Plan your meals and prepare ahead of time. It is hard to
maintain an athletic diet if you don’t have your meals planned and
shopped for ahead of time. By planning what you will eat over
the course of the week, you will not fall into the trap of eating
whatever is in front of you or you are craving when you return
hungry after a workout. This is even more important when fitting
both training and a healthy athletic diet into a busy lifestyle.
4. Be prepared with healthy snacks. Training kicks up your
hunger big time, so make sure you keep healthy snacks on
hand to eat throughout the day. Eating small healthy snacks will
continue to help your recovery and keep you from overeating.
Part of fueling like an athlete is balancing your energy in and out,
ensuring you get enough but not too much.
5. Limit sugar, sweets, treats and alcohol. Eliminate food
allergens and processed foods. These items don’t provide any
benefit to an athletic diet.
6. Eat more vegetables. Balance protein, carbohydrates
and fat. A balance diet filled with a great deal of vegetables is the
cornerstone of an athletic diet. Again, you need to make sure that
you are meeting your needs to support your training. Not sure
what how much you should be eating? Check out this nutrition
calculator to determine what your nutritional breakdown should
look with your training plan.
7. Find other ways to reward yourself than food. After a long
hard workout it is easy to want to reward ourselves by eating
whatever we want. We feel we deserve it and in theory, we do.
However, this is a short sighted approach for several reasons.
First, eating whatever we want doesn’t necessarily provide our
body with the proper fueling we need to recover. Second, the
gratification of reaching your goal far outweighs the instant
gratification of a weekly post long run burger and fries or other
indulgence. The occasional treat during training is helpful for
maintaining motivation to stay on track (dietarily) but save the big
reward for after the race.
Diet modification during training should not be a stretch or a
restrictive exercise. When you established your parameters, you
determined what you would or would not when it comes to diet
and nutrition. Work within these parameters to optimize your
diet. This will not look the same for every race or every goal, like
training, diet and nutrition should have different periodization. For
example, before Houston/LA marathons, I maintained a very strict
healthy diet (which can be seen here). This diet was very healthy
but also very narrow. I had a “no exceptions” rule when it came
right training | 06
to sugar, sweets, treats, alcohol, food allergens (I am intolerant to
dairy and gluten) and processed foods. I eliminated those items
completely from my diet. It was not a diet that was intended to
be maintained consistently but one that coincided with my peak
training. After reaching my goal, I reverted back to my normal
healthy diet which is a whole food balanced diet but includes
sugar and alcohol in moderation (though not food allergens or
processed foods).
Race Weight
Weight loss should absolutely not be a part of your ideal goal. It
is a goal in itself and should be focused on by itself (if you have
weight to lose). Through the course of peaking training and
maintaining an athletic diet as described above, it is likely that you
will lose a few pounds of fat. Being lean and light is beneficial in
reaching your ideal goal, however, simply reaching an arbitrary
number on the scale, like running a certain weekly mileage, will
not inherently make you meet your goal. Your diet and training
should be geared towards optimizing performance not towards
race weight.
A must read on this topic is Race Weight by Matt Fitzgerald.
Stretching and Self Massage
Develop an at home stretching and self-massage/foam roller
routine. Aim to, at a minimum, maintain flexibility and help your
muscles recover and relax. (See resources for stretching and
foam roll guides)
Strength
While weight loss is not a part of this plan, building and
maintaining muscles helps a runner stay healthy and fatigue less
quickly. Have a training specific plan or work with a trainer who
understands how to help you reach your goals.
Bodywork
Training is incredibly taxing on the body and sports massage is an
essential part of recovery. Massage increases the overall health
of muscles and remove adhesions that have built up over time.
Regular bodywork helps to address issues as they arise before
they become injuries.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for training and adaptation. Just
like good nutrition, you should not cut corners on your sleep. Try
to get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.
Other
The last supplemental items that are worth noting are:
• Ice Baths. (taken the day before a hard workout to
increase muscle tension or the day after a hard workout
to aid in recovery)
• Daily life. Ideally when pursuing your ideal goal, your daily life
will be conducive to reaching that goal. That means that the
best time to pursue your goal is when the majority of your daily
life is stable. If you are moving, changing jobs, getting married,
having a baby or other major life changes, your goal should be
in sync with that.
Summary
The right training is comprised of:
1. Finding a coach.
2. Developing a race specific training plan.
3. Determining your training paces.
4. Implementing and mastering the training details.
Taken together these 4 steps provide the fundamental framework
for reaching your goal. These steps will ensure that you arrive at
the starting line physically ready to have your day.
right training | 06
 07 RIGHT MENTALITY
There is no universal, one size fits all right mentality. The right
mentality, however, accounts for 20-30% of your ability to have a
breakthrough performance. As much as sports psychology can
tout their “proven theories” or make sweeping generalizations,
each of us has a unique mentality and motivation. This chapter
guides you through defining your own “right mentality”,
developing a race plan and setting up strategies for training and
race day.
My “right mentality”
As I discussed in the overview of my formula for success my
“right mentality” is when I am enjoying the journey, being
present and running happy. Nothing else. I am not focusing
on splits, what other racers are doing, what I think I should be
feeling or anything else. In all of my breakthrough and even great
performances, I have a specific positive mentality that is deeply
connected to why I run, not just race.
Step One: Define your “right mentality”
In order to define your “right mentality” you must first answer the
fundamental question: why do I run? Finding the “why” drives
everything, as Simon Sinek says, “your driving motivation for
action” (http://www.startwithwhy.com/). Once you have your
“why”, the how and what follow easily and naturally. Your “right
mentality” has this “why” as its foundation. When you line up for
your breakthrough performance, this will be your fundamental
driving force, this defines your “right mentality”.
Step Two: Understand why you are racing or
pursuing a particular goal
After asking and answering “why do I run?”, you have to ask
yourself “why do I race?” and “why do I want to achieve this
breakthrough performance?”. These secondary questions are
important steps to being prepared to achieve your ideal goal.
The general “why do I run” should be a overall guiding force
and philosophy. The more specific “why do I race?” aligns your
mentality with your motivations for participation in specific event.
For instance, my “why” for pursuing the Olympic Trials standard
is because I wanted to challenge myself in an event that is not
my forte and has not been my focus. My bigger racing “why”
currently is attempting to compete for the United States in the
Olympic games. The first step to achieving that is making the
trials.
Step Three: Learn to value the process not just the result
I truly believe that the race itself, ideal day or not, is the reward
for the journey it takes to get there. Valuing the process that it
took to prepare physically and mentally is an incredible feat worth
celebrating. The race or goal ultimately is a very small portion of
the journey and should not be seen as a defining factor of all the
training and preparation that came before it.
If you consider my experience with racing Houston in January
2011 and then LA in March 2011, it is clear that I was able to value
my training highly, make adjustments and learn from the things
that went wrong at Houston and carry my training forward to
achieve my breakthrough performance. If I had not valued the
process it took me to get to Houston, I would not have been able
to carry that training forward and utilize it in my success at LA. I
didn’t go back to the drawing board, I valued my own hard work
and process, refined a few things and proceeded forward.
Step Four: Know thyself
There are many theories on sports psychology. Some people
respond to positive thought and visualization. Others must prepare
themselves for the worst or breakdown their expectations.
Knowing what works for you is key. Throughout your training, you
should try on various sports psychologies and see what motivates
you best.
right mentality | 07
At Houston, I built up this expectation that come race day things
would click and go perfectly. I think this expectation even more
diluted version was hugely detrimental. When the going got tough
when I didn’t think it should be, it mentally screwed me. I became
hugely reactive in that race. I started overconfident and fatalistic
about my goal. I did not realize it until afterwards but this is
precisely the mentality that does not work for me.
At LA, on the other hand, I was smiling and happy and
responded without resistance to the things that arose. In all of
my breakthrough and even great performances, I have a specific
positive mentality that is deeply connected to why I run, not
just race.
Step Five: Develop a race plan
Your mentality needs a framework to work with, a plan, a set
of strategies to guide it through your race. Having a time goal
and establishing a pace strategy that address your physical
capabilities. While this is a good thing to have, it is not the only
necessity. To make sure that you have established your “right
mentality” you must also establish non-time goals on which
to focus.
For example, at LA marathon, my goal was to stay comfortable
through the halfway point and to focus on how I was feeling. I
looked at my splits at mile markers but more to compare my time
with my feeling than to focus on my pace. The miles felt easy
and they also happened to be under my time goal pace. Before
the race, I determined that at mile 22, I would do the calculations
“ Your mentality needs a framework
to work with, a plan, a set of strategies to
guide it through your race.”
towards my time goal and establish where I was in relationship
to that. Until that moment, I focus on feeling comfortable while
pushing myself as hard as I could. After mile 22, I still felt
fantastic and determined that my goal was attainable. This was
the point where I had decided I would push my outer limits, stop
being comfortable and take risks to see what I could really do.
I entered the race with a mental plan: Stay comfortable until the
halfway mark. Don’t worry about overall pace until mile 22. Push
my outer limits from mile 22 to the finish. Take risks to see what I
could really do.
This plan didn’t change or alter when things came up or
challenges arose. It kept my mind sharp and focused on the
bigger picture.
Summary
The right mentality is comprised of:
1. Define your “right mentality”.
2. Understand why you are racing or pursuing a particular goal
3. Learn to value the process not just the result.
4. Know thyself.
5. Develop a race plan.
Taken together these 5 steps provide the fundamental framework
for reaching your goal. These steps will ensure that you arrive at
the starting line mentally ready to have your day.
right mentality | 07
 08 RIGHT CONDITIONS

“I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.”
Abraham Lincoln

You are physically prepared, you are mentally at your peak, you
are ready. This is exactly how you want to feel on the day you
pursue your ideal goal. There is one small detail left to complete
the puzzle and it has the power to make or break your day and it
is completely outside of your control: the conditions.

The “right conditions” are ultimately outside of your control.

As much as we wish would could will away a rain cloud or
push aside a freak thunderstorm, they are part of life. They
are however, the final piece of the framework for having a
breakthrough performance. On an ideal day, the weather will suit
you perfectly, the temperature will be just right, there will be no
headwind, it will be calm, cool and still. The conditions preferably
would be exactly what you thrive in and feel most comfortable.
The ideal conditions are ones you don’t even have to take note of
because they don’t inhibit you in any way.

While this element of the framework is outside of your control,

there are steps that you can take to set yourself up for success.
By being best prepared for the conditions you will or could
face, you can reduce the impact the conditions have on your
breakthrough performance.

Setting yourself up for success:

Step One: Pick a race that typically has optimal

race conditions
Part of selecting Houston as my goal race to achieve theOlympic
Trials standard was the weather: typically mild (January in Texas
is typically around 50 degrees on race day) and dry on a very
fast course. On race day, however it poured rain, threatened
thunderstorms and was quite windy.

right conditions | 08
Step Two: Check the weather report and pack your
race bag accordingly
Freak weather happens and can catch you unprepared. However,
you should minimize that by checking the weather report close
to and right before you leave for your race (the last possible
moment before you pack your race bag). Include items that you
may need like sleeves, hat, rain shell (or trash bag) and gloves for
cold or wet weather. Include hat, visor, sunglasses, sunscreen
and extra water bottles for hot weather. Plan your race kit for
the ideal conditions (I run in a singlet, spandex shorts, knee high
compression socks) and add to it according to conditions. You
should be able to accommodate weather reasonably on race
morning.
Step Three: Know what kind of conditions you run best in
and what adjustments you need to make in order to adjust to
sub-optimal or mixed conditions
I know I race best in cool weather with a light breeze. Not too
hot and not too cold in the upper 40’s or 50’s is perfect for
me. I am use to rain, so as long as it is not pouring it doesn’t
affect me. When I raced JFK 50 miler in November 2009, the
weather was perfectly suited to me. However, being late fall the
Appalachian trail section of the race was covered with leaves
and the already rocky terrain was slick and had tenuous footing.
So, although the conditions on the day were perfect, I ran very
conservatively through this section to account for how previous
weather had affected the course. I didn’t waste energy trying to
run hard across a slick surface. Similarly, in April of 2007, when
I ran Mad City 100k it was a very cold day (10 degrees) and there
was a strong breeze on one side of the looped course. Instead of
fighting with the wind, I worked with it: easing up with a headwind
and floating along with a tailwind. By adjusting to the conditions,
you can find ways to make it work for you and minimize its effect
on you.
Step Four: Attitude is everything
The “right mentality” you established in the previous section
should include contingencies and accommodations for the
conditions that arise. I believe in a “no resistance, no stress”
mentality. You cannot control the conditions, so you shouldn’t let
“ You cannot ultimately control the race
conditions but bad conditions don’t have
to mean the “wrong conditions”.
them negatively impact your race by stressing or worrying about
it. Accommodate the conditions as best you can and proceed
forward. Remember that everyone in the field is faced with the
same conditions. Being upset about it won’t help your race. Adjust
your goals accordingly. When I lined up for the LA marathon in
March 2011, the weather report was daunting; hard rain, urban
flooding, high winds. However, because I had the “right training”
and the “right mentality”, I didn’t let the weather report dampen
my spirits. I embraced the fact that it didn’t rain before the race
(meaning we could stay warm and dry before the start) and I
spun it positively once it did start pouring. I felt that rain at least
meant it was not too hot and not smoggy at all. Even though
there were sections where I was ankle deep in water or running
into a headwind so strong it felt like I would be knocked over
or my hands were so cold I couldn’t grab a gel, I did not let my
focus go to the things I could not control. I kept on my race plan
and kept my mentality on point and ultimately was able have a
breakthrough performance in spite of the conditions.
As Abraham Lincoln said, “I will study and get ready, and
perhaps my chance will come.” You cannot ultimately control
the race conditions but bad conditions don’t have to mean the
“wrong conditions”. You can control how prepared you are for
the conditions, how you deal and adjust to them and your attitude
about them. Through these steps you further prepare yourself to
reach your goals.
Summary
The right conditions are comprised of:
1. Pick a race that typically has optimal race conditions.
2. Check the weather report and pack your race bag accordingly.
3. Know what kind of conditions you run best in and what
adjustments you need to make in order to adjust to sub-optimal
or mixed conditions.
4. Attitude is everything.
Taken together these 4 steps provide the fundamental framework
for reaching your goal. These steps will ensure that you arrive at
the starting line ready to have your day.
right conditions | 08
 09
WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

Breakthrough Performance Formula for Success =

Right Training +Right Mentality + Right Conditions

This guide has provided a framework for developing your plan

to have a breakthrough. Using the formula for success and
implementing the framework in your training sets you on the right
path to achieving your “Devon” day. You are now prepared with
the tools to achieve your ideal goals. There is no greater feeling
in running than having the perfect day. The body, mind and day
all working perfectly in sync. The feeling of the wind at your back
and every step feeling effortless. It is a runner’s dream. Following
these steps helps make that dream a reality.

Figure out what works for you and the things that help you thrive.
Understand why you run and keep that central to your training.
Embrace the things that come your way. Dream big and attempt
the outrageous.

“ Figure out what works

for you and the things that
help you thrive.”

when it all comes together | 09


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Devon Crosby-Helms was born and raised in Seattle, WA.
She has been a lifelong athlete including a career as one of the
premier basketball players in the country coming out of high
school. After retiring from basketball, she took up running casually
while living abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. She was soon
hooked and ran her first marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland in June
of 2005 in a Boston Qualifying time of 3:38. Her love affair of the
long and ultra distance exploded from there and she took up the
sport with the same intensity she once practiced in basketball.
In 2007, she ran a 2:52 and won the Napa Valley Marathon. She
raced her first year of ultrarunning which included seven races
of 50k or further including her first of 3 trips to the 100k World
Cup as a member of Team USA. Since that time she has raced
in over 25 ultras and 10 marathons, with numerous wins and
course records. Notable race results include winning JFK50 miler
(the countries largest and oldest 50 mile race) in course record
10
time and winning the 2010 USATF 50 mile road championship
at Tussey Mountainback, also in course record time. In March of
2011, she “dropped down” in distance the marathon and qualified
for the 2012 Olympic Trials in a time of 2:43:28. Devon enjoys
running on both trail and roads, with smooth downhill single track
in the backcountry being her absolute favorite.
She attended University of Washington for her undergraduate
degree in English. She also obtained her masters degree in
Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh
in 2004. She earned her personal chef certification in 2007
from Bauman College in Berkeley California and currently works
as a personal chef, gluten free baker and writer. She maintains
a popular running and food blog http://devoncrosbyhelms.com.
She lives in San Francisco with her boyfriend Nathan and they
someday hope to own a farm, a sandwich shop and baby goats.
about the author | 10
11 RESOURCES

Coaching and Running Groups:

USATF
RRCA
Popular charity running

Coaching:
Howard Nippert Coaching
McMillian Running
Training Peaks

Nutrition Resources:

Race Weight by Matt Fitzgerald

(Velo Press; 1 edition (December 1, 2009)

Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Eberle

(Human Kinetics; 2 edition (February 19, 2007)

The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain

(Rodale Books; 1 edition (October 13, 2005))

Avery’s Sports Nutrition Almanac by Edmund R. Burke Ph.D.

and Daniel Gastelu, MS, MFS
(Avery Publishing Group)

Stretching Guide for runners:

Basic Stretches for Runners
Runner’s World Complete Guide to Stretching

Foam rolling/ Self Massage for runners:

How to Use a Foam Roller
Foam Rolling for Runners
Self-Massage Techniques for Runners

Self-Massage for Athletes by Rich Poley

(Two Hand Press, LLC; 1st edition (February 10, 2007))

resources | 11