The image of Rod Farvard collapsing over the line completely spent to claim 2nd at Western States 100 mile race was one of the story lines of the day. After multiple previous attempts it was a break out performance that firmly put Rod's name on the map as someone to watch on the ultra scene for years to come.

Matt Ison has been Rod's coach since they met at UCSB in 2016. After Rod's amazing effort at States, Matt hopped onto Reddit to do an Ask Me Anything and went into great detail answering a bunch of user questions on all things ultrarunning and preparation for Western States.

Matt is an ex pro triathlete and met Rod when he was coaching him on the UCSB trithalon team. It is abundantly clear following the thread that Matt and Rod have a fantastic relationship that is more friendship than athlete/coach. Rod is lucky to have someone like Matt is his corner and this was a fascinating read as to the progression of Rod's ultra career and Matt's approaches in coaching him.

Before I give my thoughts and hot takes from the thread I should preface by saying these are my own personal interpretations and takeaways from Matt's answers. For more details and context head to the thread found here or you can see more of Matt on instagram @coach_matt_triathlon_engineer

Takeways

1. "His number one physical gift is his durability"

   Whilst not rocket science it reaffirms the fact that there is no magic bullet to ultrarunning and nothing beats the compound effect of year on year of cumulative miles. Staying consistent and injury free for years on end is a key formula for success

2. "I wanted Rod to use his long runs as more intentional race prep the way cyclists and triathletes do"

   I think this is actually a really key point that is often overlooked by a lot of people. I know I for one am guilty of loading up my pack and hitting the trail for long run in my race prep with a focus on "time on feet". Usually this means I am carrying more food and water than I would normally in a race as I don't have aid stations to refuel. Matt makes the point of trying to simulate race conditions for Rod's long runs which often meant doing loops or out and backs for your long run. This meant Rod could have access to nutrition and water every hour and whilst it may not be as fun as a long day in the mountains it is much better for nailing your prep for race day.

3. "I had a thought that ultra running will eventually look almost identical to triathlon and cycling"

   This point probably strikes a nerve with a lot of ultrarunners (UTMB/Ironman anyone?!). I certainly hope Ultrarunning does not lose some of the things that make it so unique. However, I do agree with the point I think Matt is trying to make here that there is a lot to learn from other endurance sports particularly for the elites in ultrarunning. Matt and Rod took a lot from his triathlon experience (particularly around fueling and aid stations) and clearly implemented them to great effect.

4. "The research shows the best way to keep cool is keep a steady pace and these devices can at best be a placebo and at worst hinder performance"

   Once again Matt's experience racing Kona seems invaluable here and it was a good learning point for me. Essentially Matt made the point ice vests, bandanas etc are mostly just gimmicks and the key to racing in the heat is to moderate your effort so your core temperature doesn't skyrocket as it is very difficult to bring it back down once you lose it. He also makes the point to cool often when you can but that the water temp is actually warmer than you think as the vasoconstriction from freezing cold water can have a negative impact. I have had some issues racing in heat in the past and will definitely be taking this on board.

5. "let's use that big brain of his and make as many good decisions as possible before the race"

   I am a planner and my crew often give me grief for how much planning I do in the lead up to an ultra. I think this is a really good point though and reading all the planning that went in to making for a successful day was interesting. Ultrarunning does involve a lot of problem solving on the fly but the more of those problems you can predict and plan for prior to race day - the more you can focus on racing on the day.

6. "The primary physiological reason why I like split days is because even though each enzymatic activity period is shorter, you get it twice, and theoretically spend more time adapting to exercise."

   I am not going to butcher the science trying to explain this one. If you're interested in it its definitely worth going to the thread and reading Matt's longer answers around why they used a lot of split days to build Rod's endurance. I was convinced though and am experimenting with breaking up my endurance days into two efforts (say 2x 1 hour runs as opposed to a 1x 2 hour run)

If you have the time it is really worth reading through the thread. Matt by all accounts seems like an amazing coach and clearly has Rod's best interests in mind. They clearly have a really special thing going on and I am looking forward to following along more of their journey and hopefully more great insights from them both in years to come.

If you liked these takeaways or have any more to add drop us a comment or better yet - head to our online trail running forum and start a thread!

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