Edge Work with Phil Mintac
The Why
“It makes me feel alive. Put simply, I get to.”
The Pulag 100 is part of the King of the Mountain Trail Race series in the Cordillera Mountain Range of the Phillippines.
Runners experience a total elevation gain of 6,430m and a total elevation loss of 7,410m. The race showcases the beauty and vastness of the Phillippines. But it also carries real consequences.
There are seven aid stations along the route. But due to the remoteness of the course, certain parts are inaccessible. It’s expected that participants make the best decision for their own safety.
In other words, if you leave an aid station, you better be sure you got enough in the tank to make it to the next one.
One should be well-prepared and well-equipped. Still, even then, things can go wrong, as they did for Phil Mintac.
Internalizing what happened to Phil Mintac during the Pulag 100 requires two things. First, you need a basic understanding of how the human body processes energy. And second, you must know how Phil became an ultra runner.
In her novel, “Learning to Breathe Fire,” author J.C Herz opens by explaining how our bodies use and process energy. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the sole source of energy your body uses for muscle contraction. But how fast you receive that fuel depends on what you’re doing.
For activities requiring short bursts of power, the phosphagen system is best. This pathway doesn’t need oxygen, so you receive fuel much quicker. Powerlifters and 100m sprinters are great examples. These athletes need short, powerful bursts of energy immediately.
The body moves on to the glycolytic system for activities that last a bit longer. This pathway doesn’t need oxygen, either. But it does involve more chemical reactions, making it less explosive than the phosphagen system. Think 400m sprinters.
But what if you needed to generate energy over a long period? Well, then, you’d rely on the oxidative system. As the name suggests, it’s the only pathway that needs oxygen. And because it requires several chemical reactions to function, it’s the least explosive. But you don’t need short bursts of energy if you’re an ultrarunner.
By design, these pathways will deplete. This is why you have to stop and rest during a workout. But what if you didn’t stop? This is a foundational question for Herz.
Herz posits that we have a canister of strength buried deep within our minds. A last resort, sort of speak, that can take us beyond the edges of our capacity. And the only thing standing between us and that last little bit of oomph is a choice. Do you throttle back or go one step farther?
For Phil Mintac, that choice is simple. “You have to shut down the fear and the doubt. The mission isn’t over until you cross the finish line,” says Phil. He started developing this perspective towards fitness — and life — in the military. Phil joined the service in 2009 and immediately went into officer school after basic training.
When the lives of others are your charge, you develop leadership skills quickly. And with leadership comes the realization that you set the standard.
The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack, the saying goes. Thus, the expectation for an officer is that you are not only fit but you’re also leading the pack. “I wanted to be the best. I wanted to be fitter than anyone else in my brigade,” remembers Phil as he laughs to himself.
Phil’s smile is infectious. It covers his face, and one cannot help but smile in response. But his jovial demeanor starkly contrasts his brutal ritual of ultra running.
After he left the service, Phil kindled his love for competition and fitness with Spartan races. The short distances took little time to lose their luster, though. So, he decided to try his hand at Spartan’s 50k (31 miles) challenges.
“The pure endorphin rush after competing in that task was enough. After that, I’ve been scooping 50k ultra races ever since. I ended up doing five more races before 2020,” laughs Phil.
Phil spent the next four years competing (and winning) Spartan 50K races all over the country. He earned the hardware. He gained recognition. He even started developing a community. But deep down, Phil could feel something stirring. “Everything was going great up until 2023,” says Phil. “Why? Because the 50K races were becoming too easy.”
So, Phil set out to expand the edges of his capacity once again. His first foray into century racing was at The Forgotten Florida 100-mile trail race. Participants experience some of Florida’s most scenic and wild trails. And with a good mix of rugged single-track, it’s a great race for seasoned and newcomers alike.
Phil finished in 23 and half hours. Well below the required cut-off and 30 minutes faster than his goal. In March 2023 alone, Phil would finish in the top 10 in his age group in three more ultra races.
“This whole time, I’m pushing the envelope, wondering how my body will do. How’s it going to hold up? It was a test of my endurance, capabilities, and grit,” says Phil. “But then came the Pulag 100.”
Arriving two days before the race, Phil and his parents drove six hours to the starting line. At 3 am on Saturday morning, Phil began. But after 30 miles, something wasn’t right. “Everything went to shit,” remembers Phill. “The elevation got to me. I was close to blacking out, and nausea was setting in at this point. And I’m still climbing.”
When Phil arrived at the aid station, an unfamiliar thought took shape. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m not feeling good. Should I quit? The next aid station is nine miles away.’”
Choosing to continue on, Phil made it a mile before vomiting. By this point, he was too far out for help to arrive. He had no fuel. And the heat began to weigh on him like an X-ray apron. He couldn’t run. Or even move at a quick pace, for that matter. Any fast motion made his nausea worse. So, Phil decided to hike the remaining nine miles. And five hours later, he arrived at the aid station entirely spent.
“It’s helped me become a more appreciative person in everyday life.”
Phil is 40 miles in at this point. The once-fledging thought of quitting is now a wholly formed impulse to tap out. He still can’t keep anything down. But muscle memory and the hope that he can access that last bit of mental fortitude demand he continues.
He stayed at the aid station for an hour, tending to his knackered body as best as possible. But it began to rain somewhere between doses of knockoff Advil and layers of Icy Hot.
It was a welcome relief from the heat. And the medicine was starting to kick in, but the once melodic shower had evolved into a fierce downpour. Years of callusing the mind have led Phil Mintac to this choice — throttle back or go one step further.
Phil does the only thing he knows how and sets out once again into the night. He would continue racing, crossing the finish line at 9 am, 30 hours and 50 minutes later. What possesses a person to willingly endure a Herculean task?
“At first, it was cause I enjoyed it. Later on, I realized it was helping me in the real world. The more I raced over the weekend, the more energetic and motivated I was to tackle the week,” says Phil.
“Problems at work become obstacles that you gotta overcome. I don’t want my work or relationships to be the hardest things in my life. At the end of the day, everything else becomes minuscule compared to what I endured. It’s helped me become a more appreciative person in everyday life.”
The Community
Hours spent running alone can paint ultrarunning as a solitary venture. But consider this quote from the Roman poet Ovid, “A horse never runs so fast as when he has other horses to catch up and outpace.”
For Phil, his community is simultaneously his source of inspiration and competition. Phil maintains that his fellow ultra racers are the ones who push him to more extremes.
“I first found like-minded individuals during my travels around the country running Spartan Races,” says Phil. “Later on, that group expanded. I found even bigger and crazier beasts on social media. I began to follow them and gained inspiration for race venues, which led to more extreme races such as 100 milers.”
“The repetitive day-to-day motions get me the strength and endurance I need to last hours and sometimes days on end.”
The Training
There is no one way to approach training. You’ll find dozens of programs out there. So, experiment with several until you find one that works for you.
Phil’s approach to training centers on his races. Since he can crank out consecutive ultras, race days become training grounds. So, the days between events focus more on active recovery or strength training.
“People ask me how many miles I put in a week, and the number lately has been less than 10,” says Phil. “Everything else during the week is strength and HIIT (high-intensity interval training).”
Two things stand out for Phil that provide him a competitive advantage, though. First is the mindset with which he approaches training. For Phil, this means framing training sessions as “I get to do this vs. I have to do this.” The second is consistency. According to Phil, “The repetitive day-to-day motions get me the strength and endurance I need to last hours and sometimes days on end.”
The Food
Maintaining your caloric intake cannot be overstated if you’re considering an ultra. Putting your body through that kind of stress will suppress your appetite. But if you’re not fueling, your body will resort to eating itself, which can lead to severe consequences.
Phil recommends experimenting with different nutrition plans. He suggests finding things you don’t have to be hungry to eat. For instance, Phil will consume Spring Energy Gels while on the course. And his drop bag will always consist of a slice of pizza and an energy drink.
Well-coordinated races will have burgers or quesadillas between aid stations. Consuming big meals may seem daunting if you’re 60 miles deep, but eating even when you’re not hungry comes with training.
“I’ve had to train my body to want and hold down food after putting it through all that stress,” explains Phil.
The Gear
It can be easy to rationalize taking something with you on an ultra race. But humans have been running since the dawn of time with far less than what you can access now.
For Phil, his gear list is straightforward: a headlamp, water flasks, a running vest, and his gels. But there are a few insurance items Phil recommends. These include a rain jacket and an emergency blanket. You want to consider how portable everything is, though. Make sure your gear is lightweight and can fit in a running vest.
“Nice-to-have items that have a good bit of weight to them end up slowing you down and can cause running problems down the road,” says Phil.
The Advice
Phil has never used a coach and never will. According to Phil, he’s a stubborn runner and doesn’t take instructions well.
Hours spent in the wild have awarded Phil Mintac with heightened self-awareness. So, Phil prefers to listen to his body and will respond accordingly.
Phil maintains that “it’s all about listening to your body and knowing how it responds to the intensity you’re putting it through. Is your body more sore than usual, or are you stemming injuries while training? Dial it back while keeping consistency. Are your workouts easy, and you’re getting bored with it? Ramp up the intensity.”
