Aaron “Butch” Slabach’s win at last month’s Promise Land 50K builds on a series of impressive performances in the past 16 months.
His resume: First place, 2023 Mt. Mitchell Challenge. Third place, Umstead 100 miler. Second place, Jarman’s Invitational 30-miler. Eighth place, Grindstone 100K. Second place, Hellgate 100K. First place, 2024 Promise Land.
But none of those results are what Butch talks about when asked for his most satisfying running accomplishment. Instead, he focuses on an all-out, “race” effort where he was the only competitor — racing only against time with the help of his wife and friends.
“I was fortunate enough last summer to set the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Catawba Runaround/Virginia Triple Crown (5 hours, 32 minutes 31 seconds), a gnarly 34-mile trail loop taking you by three iconic vistas in Virginia: Dragon’s Tooth, Tinker Cliffs, and McAfee’s Knob,” he said. “I have shared countless miles on this route with so many different friends over the years, often taking our time to soak in the beauty. There was something very special and joyful about racing it all-out, with my wife, Emily, and friends selflessly giving up their time to help me fulfill a goal. I was paced by Noah Combs, Jordan Chang, and ‘The’ Danny Mathieson.This was by far the most fun I’ve ever had during a race effort. There hasn’t been a ton of FKT attempts on this route and I would love to see someone come and lower my time.”
Butch — a guy who loves spreadsheets and statistics — credits his strong race results to a more specific approach to planning workouts, specifically tailored to the distance and terrain of his next event, and his ability to embrace recovery runs several days each week.
Having the discipline to run easy is a lesson he recommends to all runners.
“Many runners, especially those new to the sport, pressure themselves to hit a certain pace with each run and thus are running too hard, too often. I was a victim of this when I first started. Not only is this not conducive for improving overall running performance, it also places one at a higher risk for injury,” he said.
“Slowing the pace down a couple days each week can help keep you running consistently and injury-free,” he said.
Name: Aaron “Butch” Slabach | Hometown: South Boston, Virginia
Employment: Physical Therapist with Carilion Clinic
Running background? When I was 12 or 13, one of my older brothers, who was trying to get into a regular exercise routine, convinced me to go on a few 1-2 mile runs with him. I got hooked quickly and ended up running a few local 5k’s and half marathons in the next year. Over the next few years, I gradually worked up in distance, running my first ultramarathon (a 50k race in West Virginia) the summer before my senior year of high school.
When I matriculated at Virginia Tech in 2014, I Iearned of a newly formed ultramarathon club, and joined my first semester. Through this, I was able to meet and become friends with so many cool people who are still some of my best friends today. We had the best times running and supporting each other in races throughout Virginia and the East Coast!
After graduating from Tech, I went to Old Dominion University for physical therapy school and took a three-year break from consistent running and training. My passion for running was reignited when my wife and I moved to Oregon in 2020. I’ve been working on gradually improving each year since then.
You have had great race results the past 16 months. Have you made changes to your training? About two years ago, I started to place more emphasis on specificity in my training. When in a training cycle, each week and especially on long runs/workouts, I aim to average the same vertical gain/mile as my race, and on the same surface. In addition, most of my workouts, 4-6 weeks out, are at the same intensity/effort I hope to run on race day. Given that I primarily run trail ultras with large amounts of climbing, I’m usually doing minimal to no track or flat road workouts in the weeks leading up to my races. I’ve also fully embraced having 2-3 “recovery runs” each week where my goal is to simply move my legs with no regard for pace. In years past, I think my “easy” runs weren’t easy enough and detracted from workouts. I also take one day off each weekend which I feel helps to reduce injury risk and allows me to recharge mentally for the upcoming week.
In peak training, I usually hit 12-15 hrs/week depending on the upcoming race distance. This usually comes out to around 80-100 miles per week with 10-15K feet elevation gain. I am self-coached, but my training is heavily influenced by several running coaches and other runners I know.
Advice for new runners? Studies show that up to 80% of runners develop a running-related injury every year. When discussing this with the runners I treat, I often quote Chris Johnson, a prominent running PT. He says, “80% of runners run at 80% intensity, 80% of the time. And that’s why 80% of runners get injured.”
Slowing the pace/effort down a couple days each week can help keep you running consistently and injury-free! Two practical things I think can help with keeping runs easy are hiding the pace feature on your watch and/or running on trails which naturally slow you down and makes pace less relevant.
What’s your proudest race moment? At the end of my freshman year of college, I completed my first 100-miler in the Florida Keys. I wasn’t convinced I would be able to cover the distance, but having almost all of my family (eight of them!) there supporting me throughout kept me going when I wanted to quit.
Who inspires and/or motivates you? My wife Emily regularly inspires me. She is the most caring and thoughtful person I know. Emily has a unique ability to not only connect with everyone she meets, making them feel seen and heard, but also bring people together from different walks of life. She lives out the example of Jesus and pushes me to do the same. A runner in her own right and a registered dietician, Emily continually motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle.
Favorite race? This is a toss-up, and my answer may in fact not be my “favorite” but I’m going with the Jarman’s Invitational Marathon, a race that I find the most amusing. It only costs $10 or 33 cents/mile. The race is the biggest joke. It’s kind of funny but kind of not. I’ve only run it once and puked my guts out. I suffered all day and watched every other runner do the same as we ran up and down this random road in Crozet, Virginia for hours on end in the August heat. Race start is noon. The race directors remind you how much their race sucks all day. For some reason I signed up for it again this year. I’ll spare some of the other details but if you want to find out more, Google it. In total seriousness, the two race directors are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, and it is a very fun race! Well, kind of.
Favorite loops/trails to run? The Catawba Runaround and Old Farm/Gateway trail.
Any running superstitions or rituals? None, but I always hope that my race bib has an even number. Better if it’s evenly divisible by 4. Even better if it also ends in 4. Best if it is 44. Four is the best number.
Suggestion for growing/improving our running community? I’m biased to trails, but I think having more short trail races in the area would be a cool way for people to explore our trail system. I’m stealing this format from Go Beyond racing in Portland, Oregon but I think a short, low-key running series with a few races on local trails (3-7 miles each) on weekday evenings could work great. The series could benefit Poverty Creek Trails Coalition who develop and maintain our trail system.
Fact most people don’t know about you? I’m the youngest of six children.
Running goals in the next few years? I plan to continue to check off classic Virginia and east coast ultramarathons that have storied histories. I love being able to run the same courses that legends ran 20+ years ago. This was my first year doing Promise Land 50k. I’ll be running Old Dominion 100 in a few weeks for the first time – a race that has been going on since 1979! I don’t know that I have a specific performance or race goal for the next few years, but I do want to continue to improve my race performances from year to year.
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