Prelude: Technical Stuff

Fast John and "g" had been scheming to run the Wakely since December '05. They talked gear and training options for months. They ran huge hills. They ran the Wakely course as a training run in April in 2-days with 16-lb. packs. They kept their mileage high (35-50 miles per week). They ran the Lake Placid Marathon as a training run. With one week to go... our favorite Runners with Sole were ready to become ultra-ized. They were ready to rock at the Wakely!

"g's" Version

The Plan:

With one week to go, I felt confident in my plan to run the Wakely in 7:30. I ran the Lake Placid Marathon 4 weeks earlier with an amazing 4:03 - 30 minutes off my PB! My 3-week taper included a necessary medical component because of mild tendinitis (Achilles tendons) in both ankles: I lowered my mileage, slowed my pace, took more rest days then usual, and took anti-inflammatories 3x a day.

Nutrition:

To complete my first ultra, I planned to keep my hydration high before, during and after the Wakely - about 22-oz. per hour. I planned to consume about 30-50 calories per mile - probably two, Power Bar carbohydrate gels (110 calories and 200 mg of salt per gel) per 40-60 minutes. With the expected average salt loss of about 1300 mg per hour of running in hot weather, I planned to consume 2 Succeed S Caps per hour (1 cap = salt - 341 mg; potassium - 21 mg) . At about mile-20, I'd have the option of beginning to eat one to four protein bars and/or a bagel with soy-nut butter.

Gear:

With plenty of lakes and ponds along the trail, the cornerstone of my gear revolved around the need for a quick, replenishable and light hydration method. I decided to pack my Katadyn Personal Water Purifying System (a plastic squeeze bottle that holds 32-oz. of un-purified water and provides immediate delivery of purified water upon squeezing/drinking demand). This would be a much lighter version of what other runners are likely to carry. Many will carry 3-4 quarts of water and a water filter. (Water weighs 2-lbs per quart; a filter weighs just under 1-lb.) With the Katadyn, one simply dunks the bottle in a lake or stream and is back on the trail.

It wasn't until 5 days before the Wakely I realized my water bottle was too wide to fit into my GoLite, Gazelle belly back. Back to the drawing board. I then decided to run the ultra with my 2-lb/7-oz Osprey Atmos 25 pack (2500 in3). This would prove to be a better decision because of the Atmos' hugging-to-the-back characteristics when running, and it's ability to carry my camera, 14 gels, 4 protein bars, a bagel with soy-nut butter, 7-oz Gore-Tex shell... and water bottle!

GPS: I have run with a Gramin Forerunner 201 GPS watch for about 1.5 years. I love it. Unfortunately, I had to send it back twice for a replacement because of water and water damage under it's lens. While waiting for the second replacement to arrive in June, during a weak moment at an EMS 20%-off sale... I purchased the new Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch. The 205 would be accompanying me on the Wakely.

Weather/Clothing:

The weather had been a muggy, 80-90 degrees. The day before the race it rained. The forecast for the Wakely called for a drop in temperature (70 degrees), 68% humidity, overcast and a 20% chance of rain - all day. Although I was expecting a wet trail with humidity... no sun would be a very good thing!

I planned to wear my lucky, Brooks running shorts, technical T, Adrenaline (brand) running socks, and Soloman trail shoes. With a stretch of duct tape on the back of each heal... plenty of chaffing lube in all the right places... ball cap... and map... I figured I'd be ready to jam at the Wakely.

Course Time:

Trail running is slower then road running. Given my experience running the Wakely course with John in April, I'm expecting plenty of blow-downs to navigate around and wet conditions due to a spring and an early summer filled to the brim with rain and flooding. My dream time for this course was: at mile-20 - 3:30; at mile-26 - 5:00; and at mile-32.6 - 7:30.