Tim Cronk 2015 Old Pueblo 50mile Ultra Plan
I wasn't going to put out a plan for the race but to just include it with the RR... Obviously been thinking about this day for quite a while so I do have a plan... After discussion with Steve West and Watching SS just finish a bad a$$ 50k I decided it was the smart thing to do...Hold myself a accountable to pre-game thoughts if you will....
Here is a link to the training and 50k leading up to this point...
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17950/Default.aspx
Between the 50k on 2/14 and 50 miler on 3/7 --- I took 1 day off running after the race and then my recovery week mileage looked like 2, 4, 6, 9, off 20, 10 for a total of 52.....Next week was off, 12, 12, off, 11, off , 2 for a total of 37.... This taper week 10, off, 7, off, 3, RACE for a total of 20 and if all goes well ending the week with 70... I continued to swim/bike a couple times a week but nothing too difficult....
This is only my second Ultra , 1st 50 miler, and I fully expect it to be more difficult than an IM ,not having that break of changing sports intra-race but to keep moving on your feet.... I've done the work, the fitness is there... But we all know race day is not about fitness right? Its about managing your pacing, nutrition , making smart decisions all day , and keeping the mental game intact.
The course is 50 miles of trails and dirt forest roads , between 4000-6000 feet elevation , total gain/loss elevation around 7000'....Forecast is for starting temps in the 30's and high temps in the 60's with mostly sunny skies.... This is huge for me as I am a cold weather wimp , should keep the stream crossings dry enough and I can focus on the terrain and execution instead of just trying to survive the weather....
Goals- Finish the best I can with the fitness and execution skills that I have! Originally I thought this was a 10hr day or 12min mile pace.....I now believe this to be closer to 9hrs and 11min mile pace....Whats this based on? I did a 20 mile recon run on the course and averaged 10:30's....The Ultrasignup.com site has me the favorite to win the M50-59 division with a 9:18 or around 11:10 min pace and they are basing that off my recent Pemberton50k results.... On one hand I wish I didnt know that but on the otherhand it gives me a bit more confidence and really does fall into the reality window based on my training miles....
Pre-race- Just like an IM, taper , carbo load day...
RaceDay... Up at 3am... Out of the house by 3:30am for the 90 minute drive... On race site by 5am for the 6am start... Heather needs to be there by 5am to volunteer.... Race start is .25 miles from parking... Stay bundled up until right before the start, leaving clothes in a finishline drop bag....The aid stations will be at miles 3,7,13,19,25,29,33,40,46.... However drop bags will only be allowed at miles 7,25,29,33,40.....You must carry at least one bottle with you and I plan to wear a nathan belt with 2 x 10oz bottles , small pouch with vaseline, gels , blocks, TP , course map.... I will start with shorts on (mid to high 30's) , couple long sleeve layers, gloves , beanie type hat , headlamp, gaiters.... It gets light enough to see well at 6:30.... I will drop one layer longsleeve, hat , headlamp, and gloves at mile 7 aid station and pick up my headsweat hat with the veil on sides and back to cover my neck along with sunglasses should be in the 40's and after 7am... Will still be pretty cold for the next couple hours but I will have a 2oz windbreaker on my belt that I will carry all day as back up.... Run purely by RPE and walk the ups , drink a little every mile or to thirst , eat every half hour or to hunger and at aid stations.... Plan to live off the course food and drink with exception of starting 2 bottles perform , gel/block back ups.... No caffeine until mile 25 ... That is the halfway point and before a 9 mile climb (the biggest on the course)....I'll pick up my Toffee Peanut Buzz Cliff Bar and at mile 25 aid station , and will transition to blocks, gels from this point until the finish line...Its hard to plan pacing on a course like this. On the Recon the ups were pretty steep so it was easy to make myself walk them , the downs were steep and loose so I was going almost as slow down as I was up...Can't think about or worry about pace just the management of execution and let it happen... I will be talking to myself from mile 1 to mile 50 , using REN (read report above if you dont know REN) just RELAX, find your RYTHYM, focus on RPM turnover , feel EASY , be EFFICIENT, make the EFFORT , this is NOTHING, feel NO pain , NEVER stop moving forward... I have a bunch of music lyrics in my head to pump me up and keep me moving! Yes it will be hard and uncomfortable but just like an IM , I know that after its done I will look back and think it just wasn't that bad!
My biggest fears? 1. Freezing , but this looks like just a bit cold for a few hours and dry feet for the day.... 2. Getting lost- in the past they have had people get lost as some locals pulled down markers... they have said all turns will be marked with ribbons and major intersections/turns will have some white powder arrows, they are also going to set up the course later and patrol the areas of past mischief to hopefully prevent that....
Feeling good and ready! Questions , comments, last minute advice is all welcome!
Comments
Well, good luck... The only thing I notice is the distance between the last few aid stations: 7, then six miles. If you are carrying 2 x 10 oz bottles, and going about 6 miles an hour - that seems like an issue to be worked around somehow, but you probably already know about this and have a plan for it.
Don't hurt anything that won't repair within 2 weeks.
Have a great race and looking forward to hearing about the day afterwards.
Tim, that is really cool they predict you to win your AG. Best of luck to you. Enjoy the day and looking forward to hearing how it went.
Tim you are already a rock star! Best of luck to you, and I am sure that once you get going the cold won't be a factor. I can't even fathom doing an event like this, and I have no doubt you will kick butt! Improvise, adapt and overcome!
I really have no place in giving advice to the master. I learned/was reminded of something you do focus on in your below plan:
"Its about managing your pacing, nutrition , making smart decisions all day , and keeping the mental game intact." ....or as we say in the Haus.....keep your box as big as you can for as long as you can, especially on the first two thirds of this race. My box got small faster that I would have like it to and I had to deal with that a long time last weekend.
You also mention not focusing on pace but on rhythm, RPE, HR........ My experience is that this is right on and crucial to keeping your box a big as you can for as long as you can and securing that AG win to be determined during the last 10- 15 miles.
I found it hard to focus on nutrition the last 1 - 2 hours.
You have the right plan, fitness level and mental strength. Good to lay your fears out there but leave them there and don't go back to them from this point forward boss.
You WILL do very well. Looking forward to reading about this battle and learning from it. No matter what happens during this race, Always KMF!
Keep leading from the front!
SS
Solid training, the fitness is there, great plan, love the REN mantras too. Your focus on RPE is the only way to go.
Be cautious in the early miles, like up to the mile 7 wardrobe drop. Many will be going too hard (as they do in all races) but you are an EN execution ninja so I confident you will pace accordingly. Thru the middle miles should still be comfortable and fun.
Walk/run strategies work well but what I found in 2008 at the JFK50 was that by mile 38 my 'Go' button was broken. I was on a 8:1 walk:run and as the miles wore on, I found myself more eager for the 8 minutes to end so I could walk which I expected. But trying to 'Go' again was getting near impossible. I would lean so far forward as to begin stumbling before my legs would listen to my brain and go! You are supremely more disciplined than I ever was and so may not be an issue but I did want to give you a heads up.
As to results, well we all know they take care of themselves but I suspect you will be well under 10 hours unless you have some serious issues develop.
Run Strong Tim!
Good luck, have fun out there!
I have even less knowledge of and experience in the world of Ultras (pretty much none) than i do in triathlon, so to me it's fascinating to read your race plan. It seems like a fun challenge trying to put the puzzle pieces together in terms of what gear to place in which drop bags and just managing the logistics of such a long race. There's no question you have the physical and mental skills to be successful. I think it's just a question of sticking to your plan and let the day to come to you. Good skill and look forward to the race report!
1) Almost EVERYONE starts ultra's too fast. My friend tracked down and passed many people in the last 15 miles.
2) put some duct tape and extra socks in a couple of your bags. Great for blisters if something gets bad.
3) They will likely have boiled potatoes on the course. Dip them in salt and eat. Better than just gels and gus the last 20 miles.
4) Don't stop too long at the aid stations. No matter how tired/sore you are, better to keep moving forward. If you sit in a chair for just 5 mins, things will start to stiffen up. Many people get tired and think that sitting for 5-10 mins will fix it. Higher probability that just makes things worse. (but see #2 above, don't hesitate to sit to fix a blister issue).
5) When I paced him last yr he showed me how to tape my toes and the bottoms of my feet (then put injinji's over them). I know you won't want to do anything new for race day, but I went 38miles and he went 109 and neither of us had even a single blister.
6) If you get to a low spot later in the race, more often than not it's because of low blood sugar or nutrition issues. An emergency gu will help you not only run better, but more importantly "think" better.
7) Good Luck man!