Nick Brindisi
NICK BRINDISI
Entrepreneur, running coach
What does your standard training week involve?
Depends on the week and at what stage of training I’m at. During the buildup for an ultra event such as a 50 mile or 100 mile trail race with significant ver;cal climb I will put in 150 km and 3,000 metres vertical. 3 consecutive long run days are often required with 35k, 35k, 25k on consecu;ve days. Long run of the week tops out at 55 km. Most training is technical single track trail.
Where is your favorite place to train?
I love running the trails in my home town of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. I love running in the Crowsnest Pass mountains of Alberta, Canada. My other favourite running venue is the mountains in south-‐eastern Bavaria and in Austria.
What is your favorite 2XU garment? When do you use it and why?
XTRM Shorts with compression are my favourite piece of clothing. The compression is amazing and it’s possible to run 100 miles with zero chafing, something I’ve never before found in a pair of shorts. There are also lots of fuel storage options with the pockets available. I can zip up my keys on a training run or stuff some gels or shot blocks into the other pockets.
What is your favourite training accessory?
Strava gives me the analysis of effort capabilities and psychological support too! There is nothing better to put your mind at ease before a race than seeing empirical evidence that you have put in the work.
What has been the toughest experience in your career and what did you learn from it?
Medical DNF in Sinister 7 -‐ 100 mile race in the Alberta rocky mountains due to heat stroke. Learned to regulate core temperature by laying down in rivers. Learned to fuel 250 calories per hour early on in the race. Learned more about sodium intake control. Tough lesson being forced to quit at 106 km and 14,000 feet climbed out of 160 km and 19,000 feet in the race.
What’s the most common training mistake you see on the circuit? Any sugges;ons on how to avoid it?
Not tapering enough. No sense pounding away on the week or weeks prior to the event. Better to feel energized and ready to go.
What motivates you to train and race harder?
I want to see what is possible to achieve in terms of human performance particularly formasters athletes. Really we are all only racing ourselves and our own ability to push beyondour limits and reach new uncharted waters.
Describe your diet/meal plan leading up to a big race:
I make sure to not change up anything drastically prior to the race. No sense upsetting what works. Any diet modification should be done early on in the training cycle so there is time to evaluate. I am a high carb, low fat vegetarian athlete who supplements protein. Real food is always the best option. I enjoy the starchy Kenyan dish called Ugali which is really corn flour boiled in water until it forms a cake. Enjoy this with vegetable stew for dipping!
How do you balance your training and racing life with life outside the sport?
This is difficult given the demands of time and effort required for ultra trail running. I find that it is my refuge from the stresses of my work. Running is a part of who I am, not just a sport. I can’t imagine not running so I make time for it. Some people watch a lot of TV, but if you make a conscious decision to get out the door and get it done instead, you have more energy, sleep better and you are prepared properly for races.
What type of nutritional supplement do you find most helpful (either for training or competition)?
Isagenix IsaPro protein supplement. These shakes prevent loss of lean muscle mass from the demands of ultra training.
Best and worst thing about being a professional athlete:
I find that the events I’m involved in tend to inspire many people. I constantly hear that sort of feedback about inspiring them to make a positive change in their lives, and that’s the best thing for me. There is a very big commitment to train and do well, but in the ultra trail business there are a hundred things that can go wrong in any event such as weather, trail conditions, bears, cougars, stomach upset, injury etc. You can never be certain of the outcome no matter how well prepared you are. That is what makes it so stimulating - facing fear of the unknown.
In five years time, I'll be:
Still competing in ultra trail racing. Continuing to coach and be a mentor to my Kenyan elite running athletes.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 1500 metres – 4:16
- 3000 metres – 9:40
- 10 KM – 41:30
- Half Marathon – 1:25
- Marathon – 3:15
- 50K with 10,000 feet ver;cal climb -‐ 5:03
- 75 KM hilly charity road run for hospital -8:16
- 80 km with 12,000 feet vertical climb- 11:07
- 100 KM hilly road charity run for hospital- 10:48
- 260 km run from Kingston Ontario to Ottawa (the nation's capital)- 42 hours