The reason I am signed up for the 100 instead of the 50, when I DNFed the 100 last year, is that I know I can do 50 miles any day of the week. I have half the training but twice the experience as last year.
When I performed the 100 mile test week, it was two fold. First, I wanted to test myself. I know a single 100 mile week is nothing compared to the same distance is a single day, but it still puts distance in my legs over a prolonged period of time. The second goal of the week was to test gear. The main items I looked at were:
- SKORA shoes
- Which running shorts worked the best
- iPod Shuffle VS MP3 Player
- Pacing strategy
SKORA shoes
I first signed up for the SKORA news letter on Sept 15th of 2009, so they have been in the works for a while now. All the hard work from David and the rest of the team is coming to fruition in February of 2012 when the shoes hit the market. You can view photos of the shoes at www.SkoraRunning.com, and a few photos of myself in them in the below post.
For the first run in my shoes (the blue ones from the site) I wanted to try it sockless. David has informed me that due to factory error the outsole is a bit too hard and the fabric above the instep is a bit too tight. Both of these could have contributed to the blister I developed fairly quickly on my right little toe and the chaffing on my right arch. However I put socks on and the problems went away and 110 miles later there has been zero issues.
In the past year I have tried out 5 or 7 different shoes, hoping to find something that will be more appropriate for ultra long runs. There was something wrong with every pair I've tried. I was led to believe that I'm just not going to wear shoes for running again. I liked the Newton shoes the most, but they were a bit clunky. However I am not finding anything wrong with the SKORAS after 110 miles. I have pre-ordered a pair of Newton MV2 racing flats. They have no ramp angle and are much lighter then the other Newtons, so I'm hoping I like them. We will see, whichever I prefer I'll stick with. I do have concerns about the durability of the MV2.
I am bringing along a pair of VFF Bikila LS and my Brooks ST4 shoes with the cut down heel, in case I want to switch out at some point.
For socks, I wear Power Sox:
Running Shorts
When doing a 100 mile week you find out which shorts work the best and which do not. My plain 16 dollar cheap shorts from Dunhams have never caused me any chaffing, while the expensive Brooks can be a problem. However my pair from Asics are the coolest and hold the least moisture. I believe I am going to start with the Asic shorts and a use some Chamois Butt'r to prevent chaffing. As long as no chaffing starts, those will be the best over the long haul. Whenever I do a long run in the Brooks shorts, but lube up, there is never an issue. But I do know w/o vasaline, they cut me up pretty bad.
Nutrition
The human body can only comfortably take in 200 to 300 calories an hour. I'm planning to run with two Amphipod bottles. Each bottle will have a 25 calorie packet of Running Food chia seeds and half of a packet of Gatorade Performance, which accounts to 190 calories. Those, along with some random munching at every other aid station, or a Lara Bar or Clif Bar here and there, should be plenty of calories.
I first signed up for the SKORA news letter on Sept 15th of 2009, so they have been in the works for a while now. All the hard work from David and the rest of the team is coming to fruition in February of 2012 when the shoes hit the market. You can view photos of the shoes at www.SkoraRunning.com, and a few photos of myself in them in the below post.
For the first run in my shoes (the blue ones from the site) I wanted to try it sockless. David has informed me that due to factory error the outsole is a bit too hard and the fabric above the instep is a bit too tight. Both of these could have contributed to the blister I developed fairly quickly on my right little toe and the chaffing on my right arch. However I put socks on and the problems went away and 110 miles later there has been zero issues.
In the past year I have tried out 5 or 7 different shoes, hoping to find something that will be more appropriate for ultra long runs. There was something wrong with every pair I've tried. I was led to believe that I'm just not going to wear shoes for running again. I liked the Newton shoes the most, but they were a bit clunky. However I am not finding anything wrong with the SKORAS after 110 miles. I have pre-ordered a pair of Newton MV2 racing flats. They have no ramp angle and are much lighter then the other Newtons, so I'm hoping I like them. We will see, whichever I prefer I'll stick with. I do have concerns about the durability of the MV2.
I am bringing along a pair of VFF Bikila LS and my Brooks ST4 shoes with the cut down heel, in case I want to switch out at some point.
For socks, I wear Power Sox:
Running Shorts
When doing a 100 mile week you find out which shorts work the best and which do not. My plain 16 dollar cheap shorts from Dunhams have never caused me any chaffing, while the expensive Brooks can be a problem. However my pair from Asics are the coolest and hold the least moisture. I believe I am going to start with the Asic shorts and a use some Chamois Butt'r to prevent chaffing. As long as no chaffing starts, those will be the best over the long haul. Whenever I do a long run in the Brooks shorts, but lube up, there is never an issue. But I do know w/o vasaline, they cut me up pretty bad.
The human body can only comfortably take in 200 to 300 calories an hour. I'm planning to run with two Amphipod bottles. Each bottle will have a 25 calorie packet of Running Food chia seeds and half of a packet of Gatorade Performance, which accounts to 190 calories. Those, along with some random munching at every other aid station, or a Lara Bar or Clif Bar here and there, should be plenty of calories.
I am not a believer in taking in electrolytes. I've never really done it and never really had a problem. However at this point I like that the Gatorade has multiple flavors and comes in the very very easy to open pouches. I have also heard that aside from the cramping issues (that I do not buy into) the electrolytes may or may not help with the water absoption by my body. Plus, anyway, even the exercise scientists who disagree with the electrolyte depletion theory of muscle cramping often say there is little harm in taking in a small amount of electrolytes. And this Gatorade option works for me.
These little chia packets are fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone. They are easy to just cut the top off and pour into a bottle. These will make it easier for Desi when crewing me at the race.
Ipod Shuffle vs Sandisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player
I was a huge fan of the 2nd generation shuffle, but I accidentally washed it. I tried the 4th gen Shuffle and due to the new button locations, decided against it.
However, I did purchase a Sandisk Sansa Clip+ and it is fantastic! There is a small screen so you can actually see what is playing. You can much more easily find a specific song or artist, as well as podcasts and audio books. The little MP3 player also has a voice recorder (which works fairly well) and a radio. The best thing though, is the slot for expandable memory. I also picked up a 4gb micro SD card on Amazon to go with it. So for less then the price of a 2GB Shuffle, I got a 8GB Sansa Clip+.
Pacing
Now the issue with (most of) my races in the past has been a poor (or lack of one all together) pacing strategy. I believe the key to me successfully completing the 100 will be sticking with my pacing strategy. All I need to do is 14.59 minute miles to complete the 100 miles in under 24 hours. I figure I can walk half of it at a brisk pace and still finish in that time. The part most people do not think about or realize is you have to spend time at the aid stations getting fuel and dropping off waste, along with clothing issues, shoes, etc.
Last year at this event I made two mistakes. Ran too much in the beginning, and spent too much time at the aid stations. For this event we are looking to fix both of those. I have four bottles that I will carry with me. When I have two out on the course, Desi can refill the other two and have them ready for me when I come through. No stopping this time either!
RELENTLESS FORWARD MOTION
I have been doing all my recent runs like I'm going to run 100 miles. I practice meditative running. When a person sits and meditates they often focus on their breathing. Counting each one up to ten and back down. I count foot steps when running. I count each time my right foot strikes the ground, up to 100, 5 times. When I get to that fifth 100 I walk for 60 steps. You may think it's crazy, but I can do that for 20 miles and time flies by.
The walk breaks will be beneficial for a few reasons. First, you can walk for ever and really never fatigue. So the more I do the longer I can potentially run for. Second it uses muscles differently, giving my legs a break. Third, it's prime time to eat some solid food.
