On training

Rob: “I like to keep things loose. I’m motivated by the challenges of training and racing to my greatest potential.”

Rob describes himself as having a stubborn character. He says his wife, Christina, fully supports what he does. He says one important thing he learned after coming back in 2012 from injury is the importance of listening to his body. He likes to keep both his life and his training simple. He is not a numbers or gadgets guy. He likes to be “the smartest runner” he can be. Unlike many other ultrarunners who set goal mileage each week, Rob doesn’t approach his training like that but rather does a combination of workouts: fartleks, hill training, long runs, back-to-backs, and most important, rest days. He says he takes at least one rest day a week. When asked to identify a favorite workout, he says: 8 x 3-minute hill repeats with 90 seconds of rest in between.

Rob is a believer in cross-training and has adopted his own functional circuit program that has been dubbed “the equalizer.” The series takes 30 to 40 minutes and is composed of 10 to 15 exercises that incorporate the use of a kettle bell, medicine ball, resistance band, Indo Board, yoga mat, stability ball, and battle rope. When asked about his favorite piece of training gear, he replies, “I don’t really have a favorite piece of gear. But I do practice the Active Isolated Flexibility Technique by Phil Wharton. The strap and regular practice of these stretching techniques is pretty important to me.”

WESTERN STATES 100-MILE ne, ENDURANCE RUN i ’ SQUAW VALLEY TO AUBU

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A Rob Krar, the 2014 Western States 100 champion.

Ultimately, Rob emphasized the importance of listening to his own body and mind. He stressed the importance to “be in the moment.” He also said, “I don’t want this to be taken wrong, but I don’t seek the advice of others when it comes to race preparation because I don’t want others’ thoughts to influence my own.”

On fueling and diet

Rob: “In 2006 I stopped eating meat. I do eat fish and eggs. I am not against those who eat meat. But personally, I don’t do it for both moral and ethical reasons.”

Christina Bauer, Rob’s wife, has a passion for cooking. Her blog, feedingthefrenzyblog.com, Balancing Indulgence in Moderation One Run at a Time, features a wealth of healthy recipes, desserts, and simple meals with a highly vegetarian flare. Rob says, “Food is a huge part of our lives.” While he and Christina splurge from time to time on ice cream and other desserts, they maintain a food regimen that isn’t complicated but is fresh, nutritious, and simple. When I mention the debate over paleo versus vegan versus high-fat diets for athletes, Rob replies, “I encourage people to avoid extremes. Eating too little and worrying about weight just adds complications.”

A couple of Rob’s favorite Feeding the Frenzy recipes are Tofu Po’ Boys, Black Pepper Tofu, and Slow-Cooker Lasagna. (All can be found on Christina’s food blog.)