{"id":62648,"date":"2017-10-19T07:15:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T11:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=62648"},"modified":"2021-05-17T03:17:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T07:17:08","slug":"ultramarathoner-diane-van-deren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/ultramarathoner-diane-van-deren\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Lessons from Ultramarathoner Diane Van Deren How to Go the Distance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How
Photo: Courtesy of Diane Van Deren<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I first met ultramarathoner and North Face athlete, Diane Van Deren, at REI Outessa <\/a> in Waterville, New Hampshire, I was immediately magnetized by her positive vibes. She had been up since 4:30 in the morning running along the red- and orange-studded trails<\/a> at more than a thousand feet of elevation<\/a>. Yet, she was cheery, bursting with energy and enthusiastic as all hell. \u201cHow lucky am I to have this as my office?,\u201d Van Deren said staring back at the mountain ranges behind us. At 57 years old, Van Deren looks like the superwoman you\u2019d pictured her to be: sun-bronzed skin, short, dirty blonde hair and strong, sculpted arms and legs.<\/p>\n

Van Deren has been ultraracing for more than 16 years, treading around the globe 300 to 1,000 miles at a time. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for being able to do this sport for so long and at the level that I\u2019m able to,\u201d she says. On average, Van Deren clocks in 70 to 90 miles a week in Colorado, where she lives with her husband, Scott. But before she hit the peak of her ultrarunning career, Van Deren faced an uphill battle with her health.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Inside the Mind of an Ultrarunner: Meet Dylan Bowman<\/a><\/p>\n

Running Away from Epilepsy<\/h3>\n

Ultraracing was never in the cards for Van Deren, who was once a professional tennis player, but it was the draw that helped her get through the hand she was given. In fact, Van Deren didn\u2019t take up running until she received an epilepsy diagnosis at 28 years old. Whenever she experienced an aura \u2014 which is a feeling you get before a seizure \u2014 she would lace up her shoes and hit the trails. Running, she says, was the only way she could avoid a seizure.<\/p>\n

In 1997, at age 37, Van Deren underwent a lobectomy to remove a part of her brain that would eventually cure her of the disease. \u201c[The surgery] was the most painful experience I\u2019ve had in my life. I couldn\u2019t bend down to tie my shoes,\u201d Van Deren recounts. Today, Van Deren uses those tough periods in her life to help her get through races. \u201cI always think, \u2018If I got through that, then I can get through this,\u2019\u201d Van Deren says. \u201cPeople ask me, \u2018when are you going to stop doing this?\u2019 And I tell them, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m just getting started.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Why I Started Running \u2014 And Never Stopped<\/a><\/p>\n

\"How
Photo: Courtesy of Tiny Atlas Quarterly<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 Lessons from Ultramarathoner Diane Van Deren<\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re running your first trail race<\/a> or your fifth half-marathon<\/a>, here are a few tips from Van Deren to reach that finish line with ease.<\/p>\n

 1. Treat each race like it\u2019s your first.<\/h3>\n

You know that excitement you get when you sign up your first race<\/a>? Hold onto it. Van Deren says, \u201cI have no fears. I have excitement for the unknown and what lies ahead.\u201d Even after countless endurance events at a variety of distances, Van Deren treats every race like it\u2019s her first. \u201cOnce you become overconfident, the drive, will and excitement are diminished,\u201d she says. Van Deren, who never runs on a treadmill, says training outdoors is always best in order to truly assimilate to the conditions of a race.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s only when nature breaks you that you can truly grow as an athlete.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Use movement as your meditation.<\/h3>\n

The start of a race is just as important as the finish, and that\u2019s when Van Deren really focuses on being present. \u201cSmelling, listening and feeling are things I use to be present in a race. I love being entertained visually, and nature<\/a> is perfect for that,\u201d she says. Looking up at the trees and listening to the rustling of the leaves can help you feel calmer and more empowered. There\u2019s also something to be said about leaving your devices at home. \u201cPeople become so consumed with detail, structure and their gear that it becomes too much thinking,\u201d Van Deren says. \u201cBe prepared and do your training. But once you get to the starting line, you just go.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>6 Expert Running Tips for Your First Trail Race<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Listen to the rhythm of your feet.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While Van Deren doesn\u2019t listen to music while she runs, she pays special attention to the rhythm of her feet and her breathing. And that\u2019s especially when she\u2019s starting to get tired. \u201cWhen I\u2019m not running, I play the guitar and sing, but I always carry that four-beat sound on the trails. It allows me to focus on my breathing and pace myself<\/a> throughout a race,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

4. Embrace the unpredictable.<\/h3>\n

Van Deren has been on running expeditions<\/a>, where it can take as long as a month before she crosses the finish line (it\u2019s a 1,000 miles, after all), and the weather can vary drastically day-to-day. \u201cOne minute it can be a calm, sunny day and the next, it\u2019s 20 degrees, with 50 mph winds and sleeting,\u201d Van Deren says. \u201cThings are unpredictable on the course, and it\u2019s how you deal with it that really shows you what you\u2019re made of,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s only when nature breaks you that you can truly grow as an athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 15 Most Epic Trail Races Across the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I want to make a memory, and it’s that kind of hope that keeps me in it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5. Hit pause if you need to.<\/h3>\n

Whether you\u2019ve started cramping or are feeling especially exhausted on the course, don\u2019t give up and fixate on people running past you. Take a minute to pause and find a way to finish. \u201cI\u2019m not invincible, but I always have some kind of solution to get through,\u201d Van Deren says. Sit down, sip water<\/a> and snack on energy gels and chews for a quick boost. And when you\u2019re towing yourself to the finish line, remember that you don\u2019t need a PR<\/a> to show that you\u2019re giving it your best. Van Deren says, \u201cRecords are great, but they\u2019re short-term recognition. I want to make a memory, and it\u2019s that kind of hope or drive that keeps me in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>7 Expert Tips for Pacing Yourself on the Run<\/a>
\n50 Running Resources for Speed, Strength and Nutrition<\/a>
\n14 Trail Running Adventures to Try Before You Die<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Running can be a calculating sport, but ultramarathoner Diane Van Deren shows us how crossing the finish line takes guts \u2014 and letting go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":62653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[209,288,111,274,108,341,357],"class_list":["post-62648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-athlete","tag-cardio","tag-marathon","tag-nature","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}