Introduction:

Last April, Alyssa Clark toed the line at the Desert RATS 100K by UTMB, a demanding race through the rugged landscapes of Colorado. An elite athlete and ultra-trail enthusiast for over a decade, Alyssa forged her endurance on the technical trails of New England, where she learned to experience the world on her own two feet. What sets her apart? Remarkable resilience. Behind her performances lies a chronic illness, ulcerative colitis, and a major surgery she underwent as a teenager. 

In this first episode ofBehind the Fuel, a new series that shares the stories of athletes who push their limits through dedication to training and nutrition, Alyssa opens up about her journey, her evolving approach to sports nutrition, and how she manages to perform at the highest level despite the obstacles she faces. This inspiring story offers valuable insights for anyone striving for balance, strength, and peak performance.

1. A journey fueled by passion and resilience

How did you get into ultra-running? Can you tell us about your journey as an athlete?
I grew up in Vermont as a cross country skier, lacrosse player and all around outdoor enthusiast. Having spent years running and hiking on the gnarliest and most fun New England trails, I just fell in love with seeing the world on my own two feet. I ran my first ultra two months after graduating college and have been competing in ultras for the last ten years. As a military spouse, we have traveled all over the world and running has been the friend I have taken with me to all of our new homes. I was lucky enough to have the chance to go pro in 2022 and can’t wait for the journey to continue!

What health struggles do you face in regards to gastrointestinal health? How has that impacted your running?
I have Ulcerative Colitis and had a total colectomy when I was 14. This means I had all but a small part of my colon removed and now have a J Pouch made out of my small intestine that acts as a pseudo colon. It definitely has impacted my hydration because I don’t absorb as much as the usual person, and I also have to be conscientious of what I take in just to make sure I don’t upset my stomach. I do have flares of the Ulcerative Colitis at times, but luckily they are not nearly as bad and I just have to be kind and take care of myself during those times.

2. Finding the nutrition strategy that works for you

How has your approach to nutrition evolved throughout your ultra-running journey?
It has changed dramatically! I started competing in ultras in 2015 and we’ve just come so far with endurance nutrition since then. When I first started I relied much more heavily on whole foods and tried to force myself to eat even when I couldn’t. I also kept trying the same things over and over and expected different results. I now race almost exclusively off of gels and liquid nutrition and this works very well for me. I also am much more diligent about following my plan and taking in consistent calories.

Why do you think it’s so important for athletes to understand their individual needs and follow a personalized nutrition plan?
Nutrition is everything! If you don’t have your nutrition dialed to your needs, it's going to be very challenging to reach your own personal best. Everyone is so different in needs for sodium concentration, volume of fluids, carbohydrate per hour intake and all of these have to be based on what’s best for you, not for someone else. Getting these numbers dialed will change so much of your running.

What advice would you give a newer runner trying to dial in nutrition?
Practice, practice, practice! Long runs and efforts over an hour and a half are amazing opportunities to test out nutrition for race day. Test out different strategies and products so you know what works best for you. Also if you can figure out what the race will have at aid stations and you intend to rely on aid stations, incorporate those into your training as well.

How do you shift your nutrition based on factors like altitude, heat, or cold weather?
Nutrition is greatly impacted by those factors so it's always important to take the race day conditions into consideration. For heat, being aware of volume increase and also possibly relying on more liquid nutrition as it can be harder to get solid food or even gels down. For altitude, there is a higher caloric need, so our nutrition plans need to take that into account compared to if we were at sea level or lower elevation. Cold weather, having warm options and even some real or solid food to help with the satiation and giving the mind and body a boost!

3. Practice, adapt, repeat: the key to performance

“Training your gut” is something we hear more and more in endurance sports. What does that actually look like in your day-to-day training? Could you share your top 5 tips for effective gut training?
This looks like training with what I use in races! I used to wing it a lot more, but now everything I use in training, I use in racing. Top tips:

• Train with what you race with
  
  

• Complete a volume test for fluids
  
  

• Complete a sweat test or experiment with your training to determine sodium concentration
  
  

• Test out what the race will have at aid stations if you plan to use aid stations in your race fueling
  
  

• Try lots of variety to see what works and don’t be discouraged if it takes a bit of time
  
  

Do you have any pre-race routines you love?
I do all my sorting and prep for the race at least 2-3 days out so I have down time the day before the race to relax and set my mind at ease. I also wear a pair of cheetah print pants to race pick up as my lucky pants.

Do you have any pre-race fueling routines or rituals?
I try to make sure I balance water with electrolytes so I don’t flood my system. I also make sure at no point in the days leading up am I hungry or going more than a couple of hours without eating something. My go to before races have been veggie burgers and homemade baked french fries.

Conclusion :

Through her experience, Alyssa reminds us that nutrition is no guessing game: test, adjust, listen to your body… These are essential steps to succeed in long-distance running. To help you plan your race strategy like Alyssa, check out the Näak Nutrition Calculator. And if you want to know more about her Desert RATS race, watch our video now live on our Instagram account.