Two Fridays from today, this very moment, I’ll be out somewhere between Homewood and Sierra-at-Tahoe, probably behind schedule and lamenting that I have another 6-7 hours to go before the first 62 miles and Day 1 is behind me.
I’m feeling really good about how quickly everything is coming together. Much easier when there’s only one sport involved, along with no RVs or boats…
Here’s where my preparation stands as of this evening…
Race Logistics:
WHAT I NEED: Not much here. It’s all about done…
- HUGE support from my awesome in-laws to help with watching my son throughout the race.
- Nina & Paul are coming down from Boise, and Tanya is flying in from Portland for the weekend. Woohoo!
- Booked a house in South Lake Tahoe to be the team’s basecamp. Two blocks from the lake and a park. Perfect location. It’s about an hour from the race start/finish at Homewood, 9 miles from Sierra-at-Tahoe where I’ll make an extended stop after Day 1, and just down the road from Heavenly – my Day 2 stopping place.
Pacers & Crew:
WHAT I NEED: Pacers. Would love to have 2-3 more people on the docket to account for various shifts on Sunday and Monday. Interested in a 15-mile hike in Tahoe? C’mon out! I need low empathy people to keep me moving when I want to take a break or start complaining.
- Lena’s offered (okay… I asked…) to pace for a segment and a friend is in for a stretch on Saturday or Sunday. Got 1-2 more pacers in the “thinking about it” mode.
- I’ve been hitting up friends on Facebook and text. Seems that’s a big weekend for weddings. ????
- I’m sending out a few emails today. If you’re one of the lucky ones to receive said email, I’d LOVE some help with a stretch of the course on Sunday and Monday. Both look to be brutal.
Physical Race Plan:
WHAT I NEED: Review the race reports I’ve found and make notes on each section as they are mentioned in the posts so that I have as much knowledge about the course as possible. I’ve heard of these “Candance miles” – stated mileage is a bit short of actual. The more I know about these, the easier it will be to keep it together out there.
- I’ve got the course segmented by day, and segmented further within each day. The Tahoe 200 Runner’s Manual is superb as a resource.
- Been reading and watching race reports from previous years’ races:
- Kerry Ward:
- Running the Elephant
- Dream Big & Run Far
- What it’s like, runnin’ 200
- Lauren Cortjens’ Tahoe 200-mile Race Report
- Trout UltraRacing
- Michelle’s Tahoe 200 Race Report
- Not a Race Report: Kathy D’Onofrio
- Tahoe 200 Mile Race Report: Sometimes When You Shoot for the Stars… You End Up on the Couch (Crying Under a Blanket)
- 5 Reasons to Run the Tahoe 200 – Race Report Part 1
- 5 Reasons to Run the Tahoe 200 – Race Report Part 2
- Foot Care
- Got a good feel for my nutrition plan. 3Fuel is my go-to, especially in the mornings and first half of the day. Then I’ll transition to Tailwind and some solid food, which I tried out on the The Ridge 60k with good results.
Training:
WHAT I NEED: Take it easy on Sunday’s trail marathon. After Sunday, I’ll start dialing back mileage and effort, and focus on healing the few nicks I have in my legs – calves, hamstring, quads. I want to get to the starting line feels loose and limber. Keep with the mobility work and continue a steady dose of consistent training. No more gains to get – just stay sharp and don’t injure myself doing something stupid.
- Knocked of The Ridge 60k two weeks ago, and I’m registered for the Coastal Trail Run Diablo Marathon this weekend. It’s a big opportunity to run with all of my gear – backpack, trekking poles, nutrition. Excited for that.
- I’ve been diving heavy into Cross-Fit and weight-lifting to dial in strengthen and conditioning between logging running miles.
- A new workout I’m doing during the day is running from my office back home, lifting/Cross-Fitting, then running back to the office. Getting stronger with every lifting session – shoulder presses, deadlifts, thrusters, pull-ups, box jumps, kettle bell swings, etc. etc. et
- Feeling very good and strong. The engine is built, so now it’s just a matter of fine-tuning to keep the truck moving along the course day-by-day, hour-by-hour.
- Booked time with Michelle Chu for ART workon various muscle groups.
- Ice baths. Did a couple of these to help with overall soreness and swelling from the training. I like the baths – feels great on my legs. I don’t like that I’m shivering for the next hour in bed trying to get to sleep!
- My weight is super steady. I’m weighing in every morning at exactly 184.1 pounds all week. I was down to 182 a week ago. That feels light to me, and when I’m too light, I feel like I sacrifice a certain amount of power and stamina. This is also important because I’ll be carrying about 8-9 lbs of gear. 2 liters of water weights 4.4 lbs. Lightweight rain coat, pants, food, headlamp, batteries, hat, etc., etc. etc.
- Michael offered his cabin as a place to get in some training at altitude. Not sure if I can squeeze this in. Very happy to have this option available.
Mental Race Plan:
WHAT I NEED: Build my mental race plan. Sit down with Lena to build the plan and strategies so we’ve got that nailed down with both specific contingencies for positive or negative situations that occur, and a framework to make the best possible decision for unforeseen situations.
- I’m reading “The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion” by Lesley Paterson and Simon Marshall after listening to their recent podcast interview on TrailRunner Nation.
- I spoke to Simon this week on a one-hour phone consult. He gave me specifics on race planning, mental preparation and how to handle the inevitable mindset challenges I’ll face out there. 100% worth every penny and then some.
Equipment & Nutrition:
WHAT I NEED: Another trip to REI for an endurance race vest and few more items.
- Big trip to REI last weekend – rain gear, water purifiers, trekking sticks and a 2-liter water bladder.
- Looks like I need to head back again for a new backpack – one with broader shoulder straps and a carrier for a water bottle. My hands will be holding the trekking poles, so I need quick access to my drink nutrition and solid food.
- Got some odds and ends left to knock off: Making sure my gaiters are secure, buy Pedialyte and Ensure as part of my arsenal of nutrition and calorie intake.