Training The
Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Race is one of the oldest races of it's kind in the
country. It sports about 300 runners, and in 2008 (30th Anniversary), it offered
runners a first time option to run a 50K/32M distance. With 75% of the course
on dirt and gravel jeep trails or roads, it's not considered a technical course.
Oh, yea... it's also a horse race. Having run the VT50M in October
of "07, and knowing the course covered sections of the VT100M course, I was
confident about how to train for the 100-miler. My biggest concern was the ability
to eat/drink substantially during the race, and to recover quickly after stopping
at aid stations. As all good 100M new-bees are advised, I planned to walk all
steep hills and run the rest at a slower then usual pace.
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| My
VT100M pre-race fact sheet: 1)
VT100M Training: I learned from ultra racing in 2007 that
I performed best with 2-1/2 to 3 months between ultras (especially 50-milers).
By mid winter of '08, I was averaging ~60 miles per week.
| 2)
Pre-VT100M longest runs: a) I had been running an average
of 60 miles per week
b) 3 months before race day: I ran my first 100K/62.2M
in 12:55 (Waramaug Ultra; CT)
c) 2 months before race day: 35M local
run
d) 6 weeks before race day: For 3-4 weeks I had been running ~70
miles a week (including some 2-a-day runs)
e) 3 weeks before race day:
My taper began
| 3) VT100M Nutrition: a)
I trained to run the VT100M with food/calories in my stomach to avoid nutrition
bonking.
b) 2 months before race day, I switched from using Cliff Blocks to
Hammer (bulk) gels for improved nutrition/calories
c) During the race, I planned
to eat 250-300 calories per hour in the form of Hammer gel and Gatorade
| 4)
VT100M Hydration/electrolytes: a) I routinely drink water,
and my goal for the VT100M was to drink between 15-20 oz. per hour
b) I would
supplement water with S-Caps for electrolytes: 2 per hour in hot temperatures
c)
I always drink 3+-oz of water after ingesting gels and/or electrolytes
| 5)
VT100M Running Pace: I planned to run the first 50 miles
at a 12 minute per mile (MPM) pace, miles 62-77 at 20 MPM, and the remaining distance
at 25 MPM giving me a finish time of 28 hours - 2 hours short of the 30 hour cutoff
time.
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