From Marathons to Ultras: How CBD Helped Leroy Calk Go the Distance

In our previous interview back in June, Texas-based athlete Leroy Calk was preparing for the Missoula Marathon. Since then, Leroy has turned his focus toward the uncharted territory of ultrarunning. In September, he became the Last Man Standing champion at the Great Springs Trail Race – Natural Bridge Caverns, completing 80 miles in 19 hours on a rugged 4.2-mile loop trail course. In this second interview, we talk with Leroy about what drove him to enter such a grueling event, how he trained, how he used CBD during the race, and what comes next in his running journey.

Tell us, how did you hear about the Last Man Standing competition, and what made you want to take part in it?

I first heard about this race through exploring the Tejas Trails race listings for 2025. When I saw they had a Last Man Standing race in September, I got pretty excited. This race format has become more and more popular recently, and it seemed like a good place to test the limits on how far I could run an ultramarathon. The format of a repeating 4.16-mile loop structures the race in a manner that you can dictate how far of an ultramarathon you want to run. Having never done an ultra before, this seemed like a great race to test what I was capable of. Funny enough, a few weeks after I signed up for this race, the Bear Performance Nutrition Last Man Standing race blew up on social media and featured a lot of athletes that I follow closely. Seeing them go out and put out some amazing performances in that event really inspired me. I began to become infatuated with the psychological aspects of this race and the mind-over-body resilience that this event highlighted. I began to question what could I be capable of if I dialed in the right mindset in preparation for this event.

How did you prepare for such a demanding trail race? What kind of training did you undergo?

After over two years of strictly marathon and road-race training, I felt pretty confident with my aerobic fitness levels, but my total body strength had taken a backseat during this time. I knew that to move from roads to trails would require more core and upper body strength than the road running that I had been doing, so I shifted my training plan for this race to include a more balanced running, and strength training combination. I was able to get significantly stronger with total body resistance training, and really felt great by the end of my strength program. It felt so good to have a more well-rounded level of fitness, top to bottom, and it turns out this was a great strategy, considering the course that I was set to face for this event.

How did the course compare to what you expected? Any surprises?

Honestly, this race course was much more difficult than I expected. We attempted to scope out the area of the event a few weeks out and it became apparent that there would be some significant elevation gains based on the topography around Natural Bridge Caverns where the race is hosted, but I was still surprised by a few of the hills that we faced in this race. By the end of my 19 laps, I had covered almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain, which was way more than I anticipated. Additionally, having not run a trail race before, I hadn’t realized just how technical some sections of this course would be. There were a few sections that featured large rocks protruding from the ground, spaced out just far enough to find room for your foot in between, but with one wrong step, or by catching your toe on a rock, it could have spelled disaster. Thankfully, I had no bad falls, but there were some sections where it was so tough finding stable footing on the rocks, that I quickly realized I just needed to walk these sections to avoid an injury. I’m very glad that I focused on cross training leading into this event, because relying solely on the muscles involved in road racing would not have prepared me for the beating that this very rocky trail had me zigzagging and suffering through.

You mentioned using topical CBD cream during the race. How did it help?

The CBD Performance Relief Cream came in clutch! About eight laps into this race, I really started to feel the toll on my body. Particularly the ankles, calves and knees began to progressively feel worse with each lap. We would ice down my ankles and legs for the few minutes after I made it back to camp, but that would only help until I got back on the course. Once I started to warm back up, the pain reignited. We shifted to using the CBD Performance Relief Cream during each lap, which provided a much longer-term solution to the pain. The first few minutes were typically the most painful as the body got back to moving and the ice numbness quickly wore off, but I found the relief cream masked the pain far into the lap and helped me start out feeling more comfortable. With significantly less pain to start the lap, my mind was able to stabilize in a positive place, which really helped set the foundation for the remainder of the course. When I would get back to camp, one of the first things I would request once we got shoes and socks off was to reapply another layer so I was able to continue going out feeling the best I could.

What was your recovery like after the race?

The first item in the recovery plan was definitely sleep. I wasn’t sure how long this race would go leading into it, but I was prepared to run over 24 hours, which would obviously have left me sleep deprived. As exhausted as I was by the time we got back home, I assumed sleeping wouldn’t be easy considering how inflamed and uncomfortable my body felt. I took a full dose of CBD Tincture which helped relax my mind and got me right to sleep. Aside from sleep, I planned to take some time off running. I personally think anyone who runs year-round should take 2 weeks off 1-2 times a year just to give the body some time for deep healing. I gave myself 10 days of no running before going for a recovery jog, and then took a few more days off. My body needed far more time to restore itself than I’ve ever needed from a marathon. Joints and deep tissues had aches well into 1 week post-race. During the race and the days following, I think I went through a bottle and a half of the CBD Performance Relief Cream. Knowing what I know now, I should have prioritized stretching sooner than I did. After waiting a couple days for soreness to dissipate, I tried to stretch out and the body was tighter than I’ve ever felt it. I’m still working on getting back to base level but I replaced my morning run routine with morning stretching. That has been showing improvement and it’s helping fill that movement space my mind needs to start the day off right.

Would you have done anything differently, looking back?

Honestly, I’m very happy with how the race unfolded. My biggest concern was nutrition after discovering some pitfalls during my high mileage days of training for this race. However, the fueling plan was executed flawlessly thanks to the phenomenal team crewing me. They made sure I didn’t miss the mark on calories and sodium intake and found ways to keep me feeling fresh throughout the event. I really felt I had more left in the tank even if the race had continued thanks to them. In fact, part of me almost kept going, but my regret was that I didn’t respect how difficult a trail course can be. My inexperienced footing gave me a few scares after the sun went down, which was a main reason I stopped when the final runner dropped out. The next trail race I sign up for, the training will definitely consist of more time traversing rocky paths and climbing non-paved hills.

What advice would you share with others chasing their own big goals?

Sign up and commit to the race or goal, even if you feel lightyears away from it. Give yourself some time to prepare for the challenge but commit to it and sign up first. Then, get to work knowing the day is coming. Every day until that day is an opportunity to take the steps to be ready. That’s the best advice that was given to me and it has completely transformed who I am. I don’t always hit the goal I aim to achieve but I put in the work every day leading up to it and, if I fall short, I sign up again and give it another go. The dreams only die the day you give up chasing them.

Pray tell, what is your next big challenge?

I haven’t put this out there yet so I’m excited to share this now. A few days after this 80 mile race I got hit with the news that the Boston Marathon had a very aggressive cut-off time to run in 2026. Although my time was a qualifier, too many other applicants also qualified with faster times than me. Due to the limited amount of runners allowed to participate, I did not meet the cut-off time. I was 1 minute 52 seconds away from making it in so, naturally, the next thing I did was line up my next marathon to make my shot at a 2027 Boston race bib. I’m thrilled to announce that I will be running the 2026 Houston Marathon and, for the first time, have partnered with a running coach who will also be racing in Houston that day. I have all the faith that we can execute on a solid training plan the next 12 weeks that prepares me to run an undeniable time in my 2nd Boston attempt. It’s going to be a lot of fun bringing in a 3rd party to analyze my workouts and to provide me some new stimulus in my programing. I’m confident this will unlock some incredible results and allow me to fully focus on enjoying the journey. The race for Boston continues!

Follow Leroy’s journey on Instagram: @leroycalk

Note: Leroy Calk was not paid for this interview or his product feedback. Hemp for Health provided complimentary products for him to try on his own terms. His experiences and opinions are his own.