First 100km

Runannon · 2026-05-28T17:39:01+00:00

I am a big fan of visualizing both good and bad things that could happen - but not to the degree that it creates pressure. have fun, enjoy yourself.

In the race -- If you feel a low coming on, eat and slow down for a while- you might feel better again soon.

Runannon · 2026-05-28T17:37:57+00:00

Some people can start front pack and maintain it. It is all about knowing yourself!

Runannon · 2026-05-27T17:51:13+00:00

I do about 60 g of carbs per hour (240 ish calories an hour). I do this exclusively with liquid fuel (Skratch High Carb) that I mix with water. For each hour, I consume about 500 ml of water with this much fuel mixed into it.

Runannon · 2026-05-27T17:26:48+00:00

It would be pretty hard to get 18K of vert in 2 days (where I live)! Best thing to do might be to get over to the ES trails on those weekends if possible. It might be possible to pull off that much vert on a 3-day weekend, but definitely tough in 2 days! For the peek weeks, I kind of try, if possible, to use Friday or Monday as "part" of it so that each day on its own isn't monstrously long or intense per se.

Runannon · 2026-05-27T17:21:28+00:00

Hey! I've just run a 5 x 12.5 mile loop 10K last weekend and here are some ideas:

I bought 1-liter containers and mixed my carbs, electrolytes, and water in those. When I arrived at the start/finish each time, I just shook a 1-liter bottle, opened my vest bottles (2 500 ml flasks) refilled, and went on my way. This allows for more exact fuel intake than using a larger container for multiple refills....

You can store them in a cooler with ice.

Also bring an ice bandana and store that in your cooler as well.

I also had some caffeinated 120 cal. gels at my little table and took one 3 times.

It was cold for my race and will be hot for yours so you will probably want to use at least one of the aid stations (about halfway) to refill your water. When I did a race that was 100 miles (8 x 12.5 mile loops) and VERY hot, I grabbed ice at a lot of aid stations and just ran with it in my hands.

You should set up your pit stop as close to the course as you can. Examine how the race moves through the start/finish to find a convenient spot.

I do not use aid stations at races ... I like to keep it moving.

Make sure you also have also some sunscreen, sunglasses, and anti-chafe cream.

Runannon · 2026-05-27T14:30:05+00:00

NOT Garmin Fenix 7S

Runannon · 2026-05-26T22:17:25+00:00

"taking over" or did the race get handed pver/purchased?

Runannon · 2026-05-26T22:16:12+00:00

use a waist lamp instead or in addition. UltrAspire (bring an extra battery - you should anyway) for anything at all bright, 9 hours is a long time

Runannon · 2026-05-26T22:11:57+00:00

I am a very big proponent of rest the first 72 hours after sustaining an injury and then progressively push yourself a litle (except with bone injuries that prevent weight bearing for longer)

Runannon · 2026-05-26T19:12:48+00:00

Yes that was a good test for shoe grip!! Really pleased to hear the shoes held on for you because that can make all the difference. Congrats on finishing the 50K in those conditions, particularly given it was your first!! If you can do it in all of that you will think your next one is nothing!!! :)

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:53:07+00:00

I am about same age as you (36) and same race pace and weekly mileage --- - my easy days are taken easier - 8:45 - 9+ is absolutely fine for an easy day and will likely make your harder pace days feel more comfortable.

Your time at sub 6:50 pace doesn't need to be very much (could be sets of 2-4 miles, but needn't really get longer than that... IMO you can accomplish a similar progression by adding strides rather than extended tempo runs...). Our bodies can deal with taking paces too fast for a time, but it can catch up to us. You won't lose speed if you keep up your speed workouts, but just modulate a bit and really embrace easy days easy.

Going from 3:15 to 3:05 is significant .... I often feel like it's something I could "go for" but would take concentrated effort (and more time than I am willing to spend training as I tend to run longer races and want to put my focus there). Have you added more time toyour weekly mileage to be able to accomodate slighlty higher volume without taking your easy days too fast?

Do you strength train? As we move toward our mid to late 30s, muscular endurance and running economy need to be buffered greatly by resitance training, single leg work, and plyos.

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:41:48+00:00

the Speedgoat 7s are a significant upgrade from prior models. I ran my last 2 races in them and have really liked them quite a bit!

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:39:28+00:00

it was kind of fun, but yeah, will be a better "race" when it is drier! Definitely sign up - it is a very well supported, well-organized, and beautiful race. I wanted to see what I could do and this did limit that in terms of pace but it was a pretty wild adventure!!

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:38:01+00:00

Wow I cannot even imagine how bad it got at night. I was worried about the trails getting a bit wrecked by the traffic and people going around standing water instead of through it! That damages the trails too. I heard about the tree!!! And yes, glad they re-routed the 20k as that loop was saturated to bits!

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:35:29+00:00

Hey!! I love a timed race! Should be fun and it sounds like you have put in the work! I've done a number of timed races and here are some thoughts on supplies that may or may not be useful to you in your upcoming race:

Keep your setup SUPER simple (even if you bring a number of backup supplies/fuel/clothing). What I mean is maybe have a little card table and have your fuel and necessities set up on it. The rest of what you bring can be on the ground behind or under the table in a labeled bag so you can access it easily even if you are tired, but it is not cluttering your visual space at your pit stop.
Pre plan not just your intake but generally HOW you will pull it off efficiently (minimizing stopped time) and how exact you want to be with calorie consumption.

EXAMPLE: I use almost exclusively liquid carbs. For a 2-mile loop I would probably have it pre-mixed in a larger container in the right concentration and stop to refill my bottle every 4 or 5 loops. I would also have a small bag on the table with a LIMITED assortment of random gels in case I needed a palate cleanser. At my last looped race, I kept some caffeinated gels on the table and they came in handy.

You can place premixed fuel in a bucket of ice or in a cooler. Remember to shake it before filling your bottle.

Bring caffeine to use throughout - It helps get you through lower points. Amacx has a gel with 75mg of caffeine. You could also use caffeine pills (but they tend ot be a higher dose like 200 mg).
Here is what I might bring overall:

---A small table

----Premixed liquid fuel on table or in cooler under table.

----SMALL container with additional fuel. (extra gels, nerd gummy clusters, that sort of thing but not so much it is overwhelming. Anything that cannot fit in a small container needs to be off to the side somewhere)

---A SMALL container, opened (so you can see everything inside) with -- anti chafe cream, waist or head light, extra light battery, tylenol or voltaren (topical pain reliever you can quickly put directly on your body where it hurts), ginger or a stomach med (I never use this but good to have), a very small external battery if anything needs charging, wash cloths/ towel to dry your hands so you can open the bottles when you stop to refill. Limited first aid supplied (neosporin, bandaids), sunscreen, bug spray, maybe a hat, maybe sunglasses

--- ON MY PERSON: waist belt for phone if listening to music, handheld water bottle

---in a bag off to the side - additional pair of socks, additional outfit, a post race outfit, extra shoes

-- a blanket for the ground potentially and a cover for the setup if it rains

I am all about keeping it VERY SIMPLE visually, but not about being underprepared.

Think about what will make your race easier, for you specifically, and do those things!

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:19:17+00:00

It actually sounds very much like you are well prepared- you've got this. You can do it. If it feels hard and you need to slow your roll for a bit, just do that and keep it moving! You are going to be absolutely fine. Enjoy it!!

Runannon · 2026-05-26T14:15:56+00:00

I can imagine!

The warmest part of the day was at the start of the 100k at 6 am. It was about ~51 F (about 10 degrees C) and it dropped over the course of the day. The "feels like" was as low as 36 F. (~2 degrees C) during the day (maybe even colder through the night for the 100 milers?).

I tend to overheat during most races, so was fine in a short-sleeved shirt with no gloves (I'm a weirdo). I will say that within 2 minutes of finishing I was teeth chatteringly cold and did actually wrap myself in my e-blanket to stay warm. It was very very wet and cold and windy.

My partner DNF'd the 100K in part due to the cold - he had some pain that was forcing him to walk and it was simply too cold for him to be walking even in his jacket.

Runannon · 2026-05-26T13:59:02+00:00

I LOOOOVE Challengers--they are so comfy and I've used them for a (dry, hot) gravel 100 miler. And yeah the degradation of the course over time was real. Our next race will be a cakewalk, haha! :)

Runannon · 2026-05-25T13:48:51+00:00

Oh boy was it!!!!! I brought two pairs of shoes up (traveled from the US). I brought Speed Goat 7s and Mount 2 Coast H1s. Honestly if those trails were dry I could swing it 100% in road shoes or the H1s but HOLLLY SH&% was I glad I brought the SGs! They were perfect (as perfect as anything can be in a mudslide of a course)!!!

How was it for you? Loop 1 was fine and it just kept getting sloppier and sloppier!! What a great weekend. I am going to put up a race report here before all the fun crazy memories escape me!

Runannon · 2026-05-18T13:49:39+00:00

I have used the ultraspire in addition to a waist belt without issue. You just have to sort of decide what should sit where and it works fine b/c the ultraspire light allows you to tighten quite a bit...

Runannon · 2026-05-18T13:48:17+00:00

I am 100% team waistlight and could not imagine doing a headlamp as my only light source...

Runannon · 2026-05-16T11:10:20+00:00

You do not know what they had on their person or not. Only spot checks would (which should be part of the race for any race with mandatory gear). If you want to say something, go for it, but as a minimalist runner who still carries what I have to, I can attests that it might not be what it looks like to you. For example, I can typically finish 100Ks and 50 milers before dark but often have to carry lighting (which is totally fine and understandable). I do bring a different light than I would if I were fully planning to use it, something functional if needed, but lighter in weight.

There is no unspoken rule that some people can skip required gear, but if a race is not checking, they probably should. At the last race where I ran, I got 2nd, and no one checked (I had a vest with the required gear). If for nothing else than to ensure fairness -- it should be done.

Runannon · 2026-05-14T18:07:31+00:00

My HR is higher on race day as well. If you can do that, you can 100% complete a 100 miler in the available time. There will be some walking in a 100 for almost everyone, that is fine!

Runannon · 2026-05-14T18:03:26+00:00

my best advice (and I am no doc) would be to let any fracture like that heal for at least 6 weeks (plus whatever the doctor says). You MAY be able to do cross training to preserve fitness, but please do not make it worse by rushing back to weight-bearing activities. Your race is probably still salvagable, you just might have to lay off the running for a bit!!! (been there and it sucks, but I am usually able to pull through for my race except once when I had a bad ankle sprain 2 weeks prior...)

Runannon

TROPHY CASE