UTMB TRAINING: THE GEAR

In this article (UTMB Training: The Gear) I want to explain and clarify the issues that relate to the gear needed or required for participating in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. First of all, for US-based ultra runners, this is subject to much torture because in the US I have yet to see an event that has a mandatory gear list! It stems probably from the fact that in the US no one cares if you die on the mountain in severe weather and also reflects cultural attitudes: in the US you’re on your own!

In contrast, the UTMB organizers provide a list of clothing and safety items that participants have to carry. The bags are checked when bibs are handed out (a couple of hours before the race) and random checks can occur on the course. It’s a lot of gear to carry for a ‘running race – this sounds more like a fast packing list. And it took quite some time and research to assemble most of the items. Finally, please note that the list doesn’t include a backpack! I’ve had a great experience with the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab 5 Set so I got a Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab 12 to fit all the gear that I need to take with me. On long runs carrying the UTMB gear the pack weights about 8 to 9 lbs.

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UTMB TRAINING: NUTRITION

Training for the UTMB isn’t just about physical and mental fitness. This post is about UTMB Training: Nutrition.

Over the years I have developed a nutrition strategy that supports the muscular and systemic training load. This can be broken down into three different components: routine nutrition, effort nutrition, and recovery nutrition. Routine nutrition is concerned with daily food intake (meals, snacks, hydration, supplements). Effort nutrition is implemented during long runs and races (fuel, supplements, and hydration). Recovery nutrition comes into play when effort has stopped and the body needs to repair and regenerate. One thing to remember is that there are no hard rules here. Nutrition needs to be tailored to genetic make-up, athletic level, and circumstances. In other words, my nutrition strategy is only specific to me but I do hope that the following points can help inspire many ultra athletes design their own strategy.

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UTMB TRAINING: VOLUME & INTENSITY

I’ve been signed up for the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) for a couple of months now and I realized I haven’t really shared any information about the training and preparation for the race. Here we go – UTMB Training: Volume and Intensity.

The event takes place this coming August 30th with a start in Chamonix, France. Organized by The North Face the UTMB is a 105 miles ultra marathon. 31,500 feet of elevation gain and a cut off time of 46 hours. For instance, this means that the elevation gain is more than climbing Mt Everest from sea level! Also, at 4,810 m (15,782 ft) the Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe. 2300 athletes will run around the mountain, going through France, Italy, and Switzerland. It’s the first ultra during which I will have to carry my passport!

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SANTA BARBARA TRAIL RUN…

I had just gotten off course twice in the last hour, it was noon, my heart was pounding, I was puking, it was hot, still a big climb away from the aid station. I was calculating: time to recover at aid station + who knows the conditions ahead + wanting to finish before 9 pm (we started at 7 am) = might as well stop now = where do I get a ride? One hour before I was chasing the guy in front of me and I was giddy at the thought of a sub-12 for a Santa Barbara Trail Run 100K!

I quit a race yesterday – after about 30 miles. It was the first time I quit a foot race. It’s not like I didn’t make a cut-off. I was plunging to exhaustion and was going to end up in a helicopter flying to the Santa Barbara ER (if only there would have been a spot for a helicopter to land in that dense brush and savannah of the Santa Ynez mountains). Quitting was right. I’m grateful I came back in one piece and I am satisfied with the way I handled every situation that arose. Although I can’t pinpoint what went wrong exactly I can definitely see the chain of events that led to quitting.

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Mini Miwok Maxi Fun

Since the first time I ran an ultra in the Marin Headlands the nature there became very special to me. Living in Los Angeles, which is a desert with a little water, the coast north of the Golden Gate in contrast is lush and moist, the vistas are terrific and the trails are well maintained.

I like to run two ultras there: the  North Face Endurance Challenge (NFEC) in December and Miwok 100k in May. Haven’t reported on the last NFEC last December – the weather was harsh (it rained so much – sometimes by the ocean it felt like receiving buckets of water in the face. I ran a sub 10 though and that’s a Western States 100 qualifier!). It was still a fun adventure.

Last year Miwok 100k was epic and a great experience. I was lucky to get through the lottery again this year. And it was equally epic although for different reasons. And also a rich experience.

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