is a world-champion obstacle racer, an elite ultrarunner, and a full-time corporate lawyer. She has won over 30 races, including the three times, and has made more than 50 podium finishes. She is also a three-time finisher of the Death Race. The ultimate weekend warrior,聽Boone deftly juggles the demands of being an attorney and a sponsored athlete.
Not long after she became the breakout star of obstacle racing, she was a guest on the , where she聽spoke candidly about her training, nutrition, prerace routines, and recovery. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited by 国产吃瓜黑料.
Ferriss: What does your prerace routine look like?
Boone: So聽I always get up super early. I generally use the distraction technique and try not to think about the race, because I can sit there and make myself miserable over and over, picturing the race. I find it helpful to do a lot of my work; I鈥檒l catch up on e-mail, I鈥檒l do things from my attorney life.
In terms of body prep, I do a lot of foam rolling, mobility, things like that. The older I get, the more I realize that I can鈥檛 just jump out of bed in the morning and be spry as a chicken. I鈥檓 really focused on loosening up hips, loosening up hamstrings. I use different balls鈥攖he golf ball is for the foot, the lacrosse ball works well on the glutes, and the softball is great for the hamstrings. I have little physical-therapy routines that I always do, too, like activating my glutes with this fantastic exercise called the Jane Fonda鈥檚, and variations, like fire hydrants.
What food do you consume during a 24-hour race?
I try and fuel every 30 minutes to an hour, get something in, but in little bits. If I鈥檓 running, as I鈥檝e learned from dabbling in ultramarathons, my body isn鈥檛 gonna handle solid food as well. So聽there鈥檚 a lot of liquid. Tailwind is good and easy on your stomach. But I actually really love chewing on things, so I鈥檒l have some Clif Bloks, too, and I carry small mustard packets for cramps. But then, I鈥檓 telling you, I had a Krispy Kreme doughnut during the World鈥檚 Toughest Mudder, and it was the most phenomenal thing I鈥檇 ever had. 聽
What does your self-talk during training and races sound like?
So, especially with long races, you鈥檙e always going to hit a low part, and there鈥檚 always going to be a part where you want to quit. For me聽it generally comes early. It鈥檚 like four hours in, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥淕od, I got to do this for 20 more hours.鈥
But I think it鈥檚 hard, because people ask me about self-talk, and I generally just shut my brain off.聽I don鈥檛 really think about anything, but I do use different coping techniques鈥擨 sing to myself a lot when I鈥檓 out there.
What actions do you take in the hours following a race?
You have to stay moving. People wanna finish a race, and especially a long one, and just lay on a couch聽or go to sleep. That is the worst thing you can do, because you鈥檙e gonna wake up and not be able to move anything. So聽I generally try to stay walking, I try to stay active.
Are you a proponent of ice baths聽or anything like that?
So look, I鈥檓 not a scientist. All I know is what works for me. If I can get into an ice bath, I will, but it needs to be immediately after a race. There have been races where there鈥檚 been a lake right next to me, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥淚f it鈥檚 cold enough, then I鈥檒l just go jump in the lake.鈥 But聽if you鈥檙e waiting four or five hours, I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 gonna end up helping you in the end.
What supplements do you use on a daily basis?
I have really bought into the hype and the science behind beets. I remember the first time I ever had beet juice鈥攊t just tastes like death, like dirt. But聽you feel this weird head rush after drinking it, and it delivers the nitric oxide to help with breathing during training. So聽I think for endurance athletes,聽it helps with breathing and keeping the heart rate low.
I鈥檓 also a big believer in turmeric and anything to help with bones and joints, things like bone broth and gelatin. Bone broth is an expensive habit, though, until I bite the bullet and make my own. But then I have to handle chicken feet, and I鈥檓 not really into that.
What exercises do you do to prevent injuries?
Jane Fonda鈥檚 are the gold standard. It鈥檚 also a lot of stability and single-leg work. You see CrossFitters do pistols all the way, ass to the ground, but you don鈥檛 need to do that kind of stuff. You just do small聽little聽mini single-leg squats. Whenever I鈥檓 standing around, I also try to stand on one leg and balance.
I also do a lot of physio-band walks, like monster walks. And then聽a lot of work on the transverse abdominis,聽a lot of exercises that will engage that, like bird dogs. They鈥檙e not super fun, just little tiny movements, and I think most people would rather go squat 200 pounds.
Do you deliberately expose yourself to different types of pain or suffering as a practice? Or聽is it limited to your races?
I always try to train in less than ideal conditions if I can, because I think that adds a lot鈥攊t鈥檚 super easy to go out for a run when it鈥檚 70 degrees and sunny. But聽when I was living in Chicago, if there was a windstorm or a thunderstorm, I was like, 鈥淟et me out.鈥