There are sixteen weeks until the 2012 Susitna 100. Among the things I plan to do to prepare are: get leaner (I have thankfully shed the 10 pounds I gained over the last year already), get stronger (I plan to hit the gym twice a week and do heavy squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings and shoulder presses for good measure), get faster (my endurance is fine but I could use some fast twitchers) and get used to walking in snow. We don’t have snow yet, so I should be doing ankle exercises or something. Of course, I’m not. Nor am I doing much that promotes getting leaner. I have been going to the gym at least and hit the track this morning, so 50% is a start.
Since my training isn’t yet in full swing I’m doing what I much prefer to do: think about gear. I still have Andrew’s sled and harness which he let me borrow last year, but I think I ought to get my own pulk system. He uses his with his kiddos and I feel bad for depriving him of it for most of last winter. The main thing I am contemplating is the waist belt system. I want a large pocket on the front in which I can keep many hours’ worth of Snickers, my light and anything else I will need between checkpoints so I don’t have to stop at all except when physically required. I am not sure what the best bet is. I clearly need to enlist Dave as my consultant, since he makes all manner of gear and is a genius when it comes to creating useful stuff.
It also is never too soon to consider what to bring. There is required gear, but beyond that I brought far too much stuff last year. It is required that one’s sled contain 15 pounds of stuff, including required gear. Mine was around 40 pounds. To some extent it helps to know more about the race-day conditions when planning, but assuming it will be cold as hedoublehockeysticks like it was last year, I plan to pack:
Required gear (sleeping bag, pad, food, bivy, water, lights)
Feathered Friends puffy coat (this would have saved me last year)
one extra pair of mitts or gloves (last year I brought a million which was unnecessary)
one extra hat (last year I brought a million which was unnecessary)
Balaclava (maybe two since they get gross)
Duct tape, foot kit, 5 pairs of extra socks (easy to grab from the sled to bring into the checkpoints with me)
iPods/camera (on my person probably to keep batteries warm)
copious amounts of handwarmers
snowshoes (depending on conditions)
lightweight rain pullover (or heavy one depending on conditions)
The key here is to have the FF puffy readily available the second I get into the sled. In other words, the first thing I do will be to put on my coat before doing anything else. This is key. Second, I will have my food divided into 6 baggies and have each on my person between checkpoints. I do not want to stop to get food. When I leave each checkpoint I want to be able to grab the baggie for that segment, put it in my geniusly constructed and engineered easily-accessible front pocket and go. My lights will be in the corresponding baggie so I don’t have to stop to get my light either. No stopping. Unless it’s really warm of course, all stopping should be only when it’s warm… this is all I have for now. All suggestions and comments are welcome. We do have, after all, 16 weeks to obsess.
17 comments:
Wow, only 16 weeks? I really should think about registering soon.
Since Geoff and Beat are both racing the ITI, I too have to make my own sled this year. The key points as you mentioned is to design it and your gear so you don't have to stop for long if at all. I nearly froze my fingers stopping on the Yentna to get my down coat out of my sled last year. Lesson learned.
I'm also only going to pack required gear, 2,500 extra calories, and clothing as the conditions call for. I'm not even going to bother with extra socks (well, maybe one pair.) But with the sled and -40 bag I'll be lucky if I can keep it under 25 pounds.
I'm planning to make my harness out of a cut-up Ridge Rest, webbing and duct tape, with outdoor research bottle holder as a feed bag. Sled poles out of something metal, and skis and a frame — basically copying Beat's sled set-up and Geoff's harness system. I really liked that harness.
As for the weather, I have this sinking suspicion that this is going to be a year for 35 degrees and rain. That's the way Su100 was in 2006, and it was the coldest, most miserable conditions for any winter race I've participated in so far. I'd take -30 any day, but I'm going to dig up my Juneau Super Suit fleece-and-neoprene system just in case.
Nooooo, Jill! Don't say rain! I want snow and snow and more snow. No rain.
It's funny, I'm actually more into the training aspect of this race, not the gear behind it. Maybe it's because I am not regularly exposed to snow anymore, so it feels like a treat. :)
I'm trying not to think of any of this until the marathon on the 6th so I'm mentally prepared to do well. Our only gear buying options are in the Bay Area, so we need to think about some of it before the marathon so we can pick stuff up while down there. But basically all we need is to make sure our sock setups will fit into our shoes. That and I need a blinky rear light. :)
Up for playing in Yosemite the first full week of Nov?
Sorry. I can only think of one thing right now when the words "sixteen weeks" are used. ;) Well, shoot. Your sixteen weeks sounds like a lot of fun. Gear. More Gear.
I'm looking forward to seeing how your training and preparation comes along for this.
I'm doing a similar race, the Arrowhead 135, and I've got less time than you!
Karen, I of course don't want to jinx it, and that's why I hope that by predicting gloom and doom, we'll have the most perfect conditions imaginable. Winter racing is a fun puzzle. If it actually does rain (and there's a decent chance of this kind of weather), the people who suffer the most are the plodders who are out for a long time, i.e. the "runners." I fared OK while walking my bike for ~30 miles in 2006. I was significantly overloaded in clothing and ended up needing all of it. There were at least three runners not far behind me who either dropped or took an eight-hour break at the mile 85 aid station with moderate to severe hypothermia. It was the "warmest" year yet, 37 degrees.
Just saying, it's good to be prepared for *anything.* Although I'm not sure why Danni is training her fast-twitch muscles in any capacity. Maybe she wants to rock the 50K trail race she's coming to California to do as a training run. ;-)
Shane that's AWESOME that you're doing Arrowhead. I think it will really play to your strengths since you are a tough dude.
Hmmmm on the rain. Well, I'll be prepared for whatever weather happens. Jill I like your harness idea a lot.
Karen I wish I could take more time off this year... the nice thing about the 50k is you don't have to bring so much crap. You could bring a sled though I reckon if you wanted to!
Yeah Cheryl I was trying to be funny :p
Jill,
So true. We're planning on flying up with a ton of gear and then picking and choosing based on the forecast. We live in Eureka, so we've got rain gear, BUT I'm hoping for some winter. :)
What trail 50K are you doing?
I think for this race you need to think gear and not the rest of the stuff. Well, may be heavy squats. Who needs to shed pounds when irunfar posted on female winning due to extra body fat? And who need fast-twitch at Sustina's days slogging through the snow? Endurance, taking care of yourself, calories, rid of boredom, warm and fuzzy clothes, and resolve. You got most that priceless, just get the other 50% that you can buy with money:)
Danni, Building a sled sounds like fun, I hope you write about the construction process! You should get some of that lubricant that Clark Griswold used on his sled in Christmas Vacation.
Maybe someday I'll be as awesome as you to run 100 milers, but how do you get over needing a solid sleep? Before cancer, I could go on 4-5 hrs okay, but since then, I've needed at least 7.
I'm planning on a backpack instead of sled. Hubby has offered to carry all our gear, so I might just go with a hydration pack (loaded with all our food) under my coat. But if Hubby offered to pull me in the sled, I might reconsider building one :)
If we can get enough training on snow, we might show up with skis and declare at the last minute.
Fully agree with olga.
Fast-twitch muscles may make you faster for the first hour, and then you're even more f*ed up for the next 39. Thanks but no thanks. I occasionally beat 3h marathon runners in hard 100milers (not newbies either), all without a single fast twitch muscle in my body (except the opinion muscle of course). Seriously, fast twitch? It has no use in an ultra. Even if you go "fast" you're not using those.
I am pondering what to do for ankle strength. The issue with any strength training imo is that it's highly unclear to me how applicable that would really be to the kinds of strain you encounter. Running on sand (and for you on snow) seems like the best thing. Maybe the best best - have shit with you you can use during the race - tape, bandage, heel lifts - to fix whatever comes up. That'll be my big problem for ITI.
Yeah I reckon you are all correct -- I am focusing on relatively irrelevant stuff given the nature of this race.
Karen I don't know what CA 50k I'm doing. We should ask Jill :-)
Olga I need to find that irunfar thing. I like hearing stuff like that!
http://www.irunfar.com/2011/10/2011-the-year-of-the-woman.html#comments
Danni,
I also strongly question your gear analysis. Especially mittens and hats weigh next to nothing. Only because you didn't need them last year by no means indicates you won't need them next year. Your risk benefit analysis is off here - not having enough dry gloves/hats can cost you the race, maybe even worse, having too many costs you a few ounces. Not seeing it. What WAS all that weight last year, did you actually measure? I also very very strongly recommend mitten shells - then you can layer on your hands, which is useful.
Handwarmers don't work well when used in wet environment - so I don't think that makes up for it.
Also last year was reportedly one of the coldest ever, atypical, so why plan for that exactly?
I found it easier to stay comfortable when it's solidly cold than when it gets close to freezing (and I don't even want to imagine above - that's gotta suck).
Danni,
I also strongly question your gear analysis. Especially mittens and hats weigh next to nothing. Only because you didn't need them last year by no means indicates you won't need them next year. Your risk benefit analysis is off here - not having enough dry gloves/hats can cost you the race, maybe even worse, having too many costs you a few ounces. Not seeing it. What WAS all that weight last year, did you actually measure? I also very very strongly recommend mitten shells - then you can layer on your hands, which is useful.
Handwarmers don't work well when used in wet environment - so I don't think that makes up for it.
Also last year was reportedly one of the coldest ever, atypical, so why plan for that exactly?
I found it easier to stay comfortable when it's solidly cold than when it gets close to freezing (and I don't even want to imagine above - that's gotta suck).
Re: Cali Trail Race. Of course it's up to you, but here are a few 50K's I'd love to do:
Muir Beach on Dec. 10, http://www.coastaltrailruns.com/cr_coyote_ridge.html
Rodeo Beach, Dec. 31
http://pctrailruns.com/event.aspx?dtid=9918 (New Years Party in San Fran, yeah!)
Crystal Springs on Jan. 7, really close to where I live, fun course.
http://www.coastaltrailruns.com/cs_wntr_crystal_springs.html
Pacifica, Jan. 18
http://pctrailruns.com/event.aspx?dtid=9925
These are the best options. Strangely, Muir Beach is the only one I haven't raced before. It would be my first choice but it may be too soon after Nepal; I'll have to check with Beat. Rodeo Beach would make for an awesome New Years opportunity. Beat has talked about this: http://www.coastaltrailruns.com/nyod_new_year_one_day.html
24-hour race on a one-mile lap. Sounds like a special form of torture to me, more monotonous that Susitna even, but um, yeah. It's an option.
I should disclose my ulterior motive for Muir Beach. It's part of the 2011 Coastal Trail Runs series. I'm currently leading the pack in their 50K women's Trail Blazers awards and if I can win one more race I'll have 100 points. Of course, I'd have to beat you first. Hmmm, on second thought ... (kidding, of course.)
Rodeo Beach is a PCTR event. I heard Sarah recently hired a second race director so hopefully everything will be back on track by December.
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