Ultrarunning phenom Dakota Jones is only 21 years old, and yet he still has a handful of prestigious ultrarunning race wins under his belt.
With only 3 active years in the ultrarunning scene, it’s clear that this Durango, Colorado native has only just begun what is sure to be a talented and exciting running career.
Read on to find out how motor oil and burritos filled with Clif Bars keep this mountain-loving runner happy.
P.S. Check out Dakota’s blog (http://thatdakotajones.blogspot.com/) – it will make you laugh; it will make you cry; it will teach you a thing or two about ultrarunning.
Quick Stats
Name: Dakota Jones
Age: 21
Hometown & Current: From Durango, CO, living now in….a truck.
Professional & Educational background: Dropped out of college. Don’t have a job.
Sports participated in: Running and climbing.
Years in current sport: 3
Racing Team: Montrail
Sponsors/Affiliations: Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, Clif Bar, Drymax Socks.
The Long Run
What are some of the biggest highlights in your racing career?
The 2011 Hardrock Hundred. I discovered ultra running at the hardrock 100 in 2008 and my long-term focus for my first three years of ultras was Hardrock. I finally got to run the race and it remains the hardest thing I have ever done, but probably the accomplishment I am most proud of. The struggle was incredible, and all the more rewarding for having overcome it. Also, the North Face Endurance Challenge Championships in 2011, where I ran head to head with Mike Wolfe for nearly the entire race. I have never raced so hard and felt such a strong communion with a competitor. We pushed each other to our absolute limits and the experience was amazing.
What are your long-term goals? What do you want to achieve as an athlete?
I want to win some races and set some course records. But that is so superficial. I will always be a runner, but someday I’ll recognize that I have completed my interest in ultramarathons and stop competing. I want to climb really big, steep, technical mountains too. I guess my long term goals aren’t really tangible, even in my head.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is great. We have big mountains that offer everything from trail running to skiing to ice climbing. We have lots of little towns that all have a unique culture dominated by the landscape. We have a broad community of athletes and outdoors enthusiasts who are always excited to go do something fun. I can disappear into the wilderness alone or I can run with fifty of my closest friends on the local trails. Colorado has everything.
Middle Distance
Take us through a “day in the life,” what type of training regimen do you follow?
I typically will run about 100 miles per week while training hard. That includes two days of high intensity, shorter workouts combined with several long days. My longest runs are usually no more than thirty miles, except perhaps when training for a 100 mile race. Keep in mind that my training is constantly evolving based on how I feel and what I learn. Basically I’m always winging it with training, which has led me to consider hiring a coach. As yet, though, I have always found the most simplicity and enjoyment in running on my own schedule.
What are one or two things you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
Run and eat. I’ve noticed that if I don’t run I’m not in shape and if I don’t eat I can’t run. So that’s about it. I have good gear and plenty of water bottles and Clif Shots and whatnot, but basically I just run. I can’t tell you what the secret is because I don’t have one. Maybe it’s simplicity. Keep your training simple. Hard and difficult at times, but obvious and straightforward.
Do you follow any specific nutrition plans?
I try to eat well (duh), and that usually comes in the form of meat for protein, vegetables for….well, whatever vegetables are good for, and carbs like rice, beans and bread for energy. I also like fruit for sugar and junk food for the sheer pleasure of eating. I try to avoid dairy because it makes me hack up mucous while running, but I’m not against it. This is always such a loaded subject because everyone has their own opinion. I just want to eat what keeps me healthy and feeling good, but I certainly don’t have the answer as to what that may be for everyone.
Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)?
I look at a few blogs sometimes and irunfar.com, as well as the Montrail and Clif Bar websites, but that’s about all. When not training I tend to avoid the “scene” because I think detachment keeps the relationship healthy. If running was my entire life I might come to resent it, whereas by training hard several hours per day and only dealing briefly with the sport the rest of the time I feel refreshed each day.
What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Eating is probably my biggest challenge. Sometimes I’ll eat too much and feel bad, and other times I won’t eat enough and feel bad as well. I never know what to eat or in what quanitities. I deal with this by complaining loudly to anyone within earshot.
What are your favorite races in Colorado? Why?
The Hardrock 100 in Silverton, for the reasons described above, and the San Juan Solstice 50 mile. I had one of my best races ever at San Juan Solstice in 2010 and that kind of experience always elicits good memories. But the course, the people, the area, the management – basically everything about San Juan is wonderful. They put on a fantastic race in a matchless place. I like to go back even when not racing.
Where do you like to train in Colorado?
The San Juan mountains. Tall, steep and wild, they constitute everything I love about ultrarunning. Training there is rugged and dangerous, painful and exciting. You’ll hike more than you run and have wet feet the whole time, but you won’t believe the views.
Sprints
Favorite running shoe: Montrail Rogue Racer
Favorite post-run/race beverage: Clif Shots mixed with lemonade and motor oil
Favorite post-run/race meal: Burritos filled with Clif’s Builders Bars
Role models: My parents
Day job: Singer/songwriter
Solo runner, running partner or team/group? Solo 80%, partner 15%, group 5%
Podium
Have you experienced a breakthrough, and if so, what led to it?
No breakthroughs for me. Just steady, measureable improvement based on the lessons from my experiences. As a person and athlete, I grow slowly, patiently and intentionally.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
I’ll paraphrase Ben Woodbeck who told me, in the middle of great suffering at the 2011 Pocatello 50, “You can choose to suffer or you can get to the finish line. It’s all your own perspective.” I thought that was the dumbest thing he could have told me until about five minutes later, when I was about to break down in tears. I realized that he was right – this is my own experience and I can shape it how I want, if I’m brave enough. I’ll cry when I get to the finish line. And then I won.
Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? That you train by?
How about Alex Lowe: “The greatest mountaineer is the one who’s having the most fun.”
What keeps you motivated? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My greatest motivation comes from the places I run. The landscapes of Colorado, Utah, California and just about everywhere else I have run inspire me to challenge myself and explore their beauty intimately on foot. I feel excited to run because of where I run.
What else does Dakota want you to know? Everybody Wang Chung tonight.