Racing experience: 1, 2, 3.1, 6.2, 10, 13.1, 18.6, 26.2, 31.1, 50.

Guess what’s next.

In thirty days, I run my first 100 mile race. So how do I do it?

Answer: beats me.

There are two reasons I love running ultra marathons. The first is that I do not have to run a four minute mile to be competitive. I have run for almost thirty years. Though I am not old (unless you speak to my children), my legs have taken a lot of abuse. Not only from the estimates 600 pounds of force with each step during my 10,000 miles plus, but from the lack of care I treated my body (more on that in another post). But I do not need to be fast. I just need to get through it. And, I have found, that is good enough to be competitive.

The second, and most important, reason is that every race is a test. A test of mental toughness, emotional toughness and survival. The pain I went through my first ultra was the worst I ever experienced. I was dehydrated, cramping, delirious and tired. I wanted to quit about fifteen times in the last seven miles. But I pushed and pushed, knowing that failure to finish would haunt me. I could not quit.

I learned a lot from my first two 50K race. I applied them to my first 50 mile race. And things went really well. I knew I needed to care for my feet to avoid blisters. And I did. I knew I had to take in water even when I wasn’t thirsty to avoid dehydration. And I did. I knew I had to take in salt every fifteen miles to avoid cramping. And I did. What I didn’t know was the mental crash I would experience at the forty mile mark. Even if I did, I did not know if there was anything I could do about it but pull through it. But I did…barely.

But I was able to train for a fifty mile race. Heck, I ran forty miles three weeks before my first fifty mile race just to see what it feels like. It was a huge help. That is not quite the case with a 100 mile race. One does not go out and run one hundred miles to see if it is possible. I need a plan and I have one. Here it is.

I will do a few things before the race. First, take two weeks of easy running. I will not run over forty miles. Next, quit all types of drinks that have caffeine in them. Not because caffeine is bad for me but I will need the rush when I drink Coke during the race and my tolerance is too high right now. I will continue my core work since I need to keep that strong but I will not divert from what is normal. I don’t need to be sore or pull something before the race. Finally, I will not listen to any music while I run in the last two weeks. I can’t do it during the race, I shouldn’t do it while I am practicing. You may notice I did not mention anything about water. I drink five liters of water a day. That’s enough and there is no reason to stray from that. I will also tape the “hot spots” on my feet. This really worked for me.

I have a plan for the race, though I’ll bet my left hand it will change (that post will be after the race). I will break for seven to ten minutes after every ten miles. During those minutes, I can take an inventory on any problems I may be experiencing and deal with them. The time limit on breaks will also avoid wasting too much time on breaks (as I did when I ran my first fifty). As the milage builds, I will be open to taking longer breaks, even naps if needed.

The course is made up of a two mile loop. A slight uphill grade for the first and last quarter mile. I will walk those quarter miles to conserve energy, even in the beginning of the race. This should force me not to go out too fast as I have had a tendency to do. That means I will walk at least twenty-five miles. I will also be open to the need to walk more as I get deeper in the race. As I get deeper into the race and I begin to suffer, I will employ the 100/50 technique. This is to run (or shuffle) 100 paces and then walk 50 paces. I have found that this not only gives me a little break but the counting keeps my mind occupied and sharp. When feeling good but still tired, I will increase the 100 paces to 150 or even 200 paces. 

The plan is to drink thirty ounces of water an hour, take in food every ten miles and take in salt every fifteen miles (avoids cramping). It took me about six months to find the right salt amount and when to take it. I will try to avoid any caffeine (Coke or coffee) for as long as possible but suspect I will be guzzling Coke at about mile sixty. Since this will be the farthest I have ever gone, I am not sure how my stomach will react, so only one cup to start. I will carry Aleve with me though it did not help much during the fifty mile race so I don’t expect to use much.

I chaff in specific areas of my body and can feel it between miles thirty and forty. I will start applying body glide on those areas at about mile twenty. I also found that changing clothes (shirt, underwear and socks) every thirty miles makes me feel fresh.

 As far as pacing, I plan to run a 13 minute mile for the first fifty to sixty miles. I will keep track of this goal every lap. This will give me something to shoot for, again keeping my mind in touch with reality. That makes my total running time 21 hours 40 minutes adding ninety minutes for break brings my time to 23 hours 10 minutes. My goal (though not horribly important for my first race) is under 24 hours.

Seems like a good plan, don’t you think? Well, I am pretty sure it is going to fly out the windows after mile forty and, you know what, that’s OK. This is about survival, finishing, being able to wear that T-shirt. I will do what I need to get through this, even if it means changing my plans. But, if all works well and I keep the right mindset, I will have reached one of my life’s goals.