La Chute du Diable - first 50 miles trail run race report
La chute du Diable – Race report
https://www.strava.com/activities/1812957059
I’ve been away from the forums for few months and now I am back. Last week end was my first 50 miles race – you can find my race place at the bottom of this post.
My preliminary goal was to have fun, enjoy and learn by observing the others around me. The 3 goals were achieved, time results is not awesome with a 13h50 – cut off was 14hrs, so I was close and I am not used to that.
It was for sure the hardest thing of my life I have ever done and I am so happy I could feel that hurt, thats what I wanted and I got well served!
We left MIL house around 3h30AM to arrive at race location to bib pickup etc, we arrived 45 minutes after we left which was on plan. My wife went back home to sleep and I was there alone with all unknown people.
Race director gave his instructions, he wait until it was officially 5AM and he told us to just go ! – we were about 50 racers for the 50 miles. We passed by other runners during that day which were doing 50k and 35k distances.
Up to the first AS which is about 12k after the start, we could drop our headlamp in our bags, eat, etc. The first 12k took 2 hours to clear, it was a climbing single track and we were a big group together. I felt good, told myself how fun it was etc.
Between km12 and 50, not much to say other than it’s a beautiful course and was having a blast ! was right on my nutrition, following my plan that I recorded in my watch.
We were a group of 4 runners that stick together until km50ish, at that point we all split, some had big targets, which they achieve - to win, the 2 other dude wanted top 10. At km50, considering their experience I just let them go, I knew the hard part was coming on our way back.
During my training I had some groin issues which I always had and is from my water polo days at high school, obviously, around KM60, it decided to come back
You can see by my data (the yellow line shows the drop) that pace also dropped at that moment, I had to side run in the downhill to avoid pain.
So my plan switched to walk the hills, side run the downhill if I can and run the flats… which they weren’t that much. Giving myself small goals, I didn’t see a lot of runners during 20KM other than squirrels.
We go through 10 AS, I took real food at every AS when available.
When I passed the last AS, they were a sign saying that the surprise was an additional KM, I was so mad, I had paced myself at the end to have enough time to finish before cutoffs and this additional KM was screwing everything that explains the acceleration at the end, I was a bit worry not to make it but told myself I could run at 8-9m for the last KM and I will be good.
Course was well marked at intersection, I didn’t get lost which is good news J
I crossed the finish and I was so happy!
You can see some pics of the terrain we ran on it:
I dont know how technical we can qualify that terrain but I know its not on that terrain I trained hah.. will need to adjust that next season when training for ultras
Takeaways:
- If I want to be better in trails I will need to go out of town, I found a nice place which is 30 minute drive that is hard as the course was.
- Need poles, I am sure I wasted too much energy to push when climbing.
- Nutrition, I believe was good but I found we need more energy in running 14hrs than racing for 11hrs.
- Try to stick with a group as long as possible, have I stayed with them I would have keep pushing.
- I want to do this race again to measure my progress next year, it will first depend if I am able to get a Leadville slot at Rattler next March.
- I have so much respect for people going on for 17hrs in an IM, the longer you the harder it is.
- it hurts a lot
Whats next ?
It was suppose to be IMAZ, but I entered the Barklay Fall Classic waitlist in order to have a spot for FY19.. and I get this email Tuesday morning :
Which of course I accept, I am leaving for TN in a week for 1 of my 4 bucket list races, I am so lucky to be able to do this one in my first ultra-running season and on the first attempt.
Thanks for reading and the support, I could definetly feel the mojo in the woods!
La chute du Diable – Race plan
Here is the course: 50M, 9200 feet elevation gain. It’s a 41k back & forth loop
This will be my first ultra and my first trail race. – I have no idea what I am doing, I am confident I can run the distance but have no expectations and no idea how I will get out of this.
I live downtown and I only have one small mountain close to my house which is about 250 meter total elevation gain.
Prior to race day:
- Did race LP and didn’t run as a training day at all, I did run the run in hard way. – week 0
- Rest the week after IMLP – week 1
- Did run the week after 120K including a long 50K in the mountain (about 10K was on road) – week 2
- During week 3, I ran 23K and the next day 55K, this was my peak week for me.
- Weeks 4 & 5 are rest week;
- I did build my own training plan based on what I’ve read and heard from other people, I maybe went a bit too far on my 2 big runs, but needed that for confidence.
Goals:
- Test my limits, get out of my comfort zone which for an unknown reason doesn’t satisfy in long course distance, maybe because out of the 3 sports run is my favorite and I enjoy it;
- Finish by taking what the day will give me and let the race come to me;
- Respect the distance and start my journey in the Ultra world.
Logistic:
- Travel will be easy, we leave Montreal on Friday night and we sleep at MIL’s home which is 30 minutes drive to the start
- We have to be at start line at 4HAM, will eat breakfast while we drive to the start line – my wife will be the designated Uber driver for the day – she will come back to the finish line later.
Equipment:
- Kalenji trail vest – I tested it twice and felt more comfortable than the orange mud, I didn’t test any of the vest on my 2 big runs as they were in the mail.
- Shoes : Arcterix Norvan LD –
- Mandatory equipment as required by the RD
- In the vest will have :
- socks, just in case I want but I never run with socks
- Food which is listed below
- Band aids
- Needle if blisters and they need to be empty
- My dignity
- Salt sticks
- Vaseline
Nutrition:
- Infinit nutrition hyper concentrated in my left hand side soft flask
- Water in the right hand side soft flask
- Blader 1L will have passion fruit – green tea scratch mix
- 8 maple syrup gels
- 2 blocks packages
- 2 clif bar (I don’t think I will use it, but just in case I feel the need)
- Will use what’s on the course which is tailwind mix, AS are well known to have a lot of food at this race
- 2 cold brew cans
- Real food will be taken at aid station
Race Strategy:
- Do not start fast and not try to stick with people at the start, I never did this, so have to pace myself accordingly. I will pace based on RPE only – I don’t use HRM anymore;
- Will split the course in small sections – the race has 10 AS, so basically every 10KM they will be an AS, have my mind in 10K run mode as long as I can and not thinking about 80K
- Power walk the hills as I did in training, do not wait to be at the top of the hill to drink;
- Will try to eat clif bars in the “flat section between KM 35 and KM 50;
- The course has a lot of roots and few rock climbing sections around KM 5 & 8, and 65 and 72, race reports I read mentioned we should be using the cables to help climbing, I should follow that advice to avoid falls or slips etc;
- It should be a warm day with temperature around 28C to a high of 41C this Saturday, so should use race saver bag and fill it with ice BEFORE we start feeling the heat, most of the course is in the woods, so we should well covered except the section where we follow which I heard is really warm on our way back.;
- I tried to find a purpose for drop bags and haven’t found any, so will not use, I will mostly have everything in my vest;
- The course is well marked, so I will not need to use any navigation tools etc.
Nutrition Strategy:
- My watch is setup to ring at every 6 minutes to remind me drinking and every 45 minutes for gels or 3 blocks.
- Take real food at aid stations where available, AS 3, 5 and 7 (km28m 41 and 56) are water only. AS 4 and 6 are KM 37 & 47 are full AS. When taking real food at AS, goal is to hit 200 calories
- Ensure I am fully stacked before leaving AS to be sure I don’t miss any hydration
Conclusion:
I am more nervous for that race than my first IM, based on comments received, it’s the same level of effort, and I know I can go hard on the run but I must refrain doing so until KM70. I am actually in a mindset where I truly believe this will be harder than an IM, probably because I didn’t train for 20 weeks for that race but used my IM fitness level, rest a week and did 2 peak weeks.
This ultra is my first and hopefully will be able to learn a lot from it and I can use that knowledge to share and use for the 2019 races which should be an interesting season.
Hopefully this jump in the unknown will be fun !
Comments
Awesome race @Francis Picard ! Can’t wait for the next one on the 15rh. Wow. What a year
Wow. Congratulations, @Francis Picard . I have no doubt that you will use the learnings and success on this race for your BFC.
total congrats! following your journey with envy!
Oh, man, 41 deg even in the shade is a massive challenge. I found that race saver bag helped most when I put it over the biggest flow arteries: around the neck, in the groin, but most of all, OVER THE HEART, where all your blood is going by all the time.
Staying in control for the first 50-67% of the distance will be a key, I think. Don't let your emotions get the best of you, hold back, hold back, hold back, asking, "Can I keep this up all the way until the end?" If in doubt, SLOW DOWN>
Thanks all!
my strategy for Barkley next week:
1) keep moving
2) eat and drink
3) keep moving
4) run the runnable sections of the course
Hard part will be to manage distance as we dont have GPS so you will not be able to tell where you are unless taking the time to pull out map and compass and do triangulation.
We need to take decision at mile 25 weither to go for a 10 minutes downhill - to end with a marathon - cut off is 9h30 or keep going for another 8 miles - which the cutoff is 3h30 for that 8 miles (basically going at 20-25 minutes per mile to make it)
dont know how things will go, but im totally getting a race where the risk of DNF is high as the finisher rate is between 25%-30%. I hope to be in that 30% finisher.
@Francis Picard, congrats! Barkley is no doubt epic, can't wait to hear all about it!
Congratulations...Outstanding accomplishment! 50M is no joke and you did it a few weeks after IMLP...very impressive!
I'm looking forward to hearing about Barkley!
@Francis Picard Congrats on the 50M race finish. Its different when you get close to that cut off and you are mentally doing the math prior. Nice job on not letting that extra KM throw you off.
Good luck at Barkley
@Francis Picard I've enjoyed following you in your jump into the ultra world! Going for super technical 50 miler for your first ultra is ballsy!
For Barkley Fall Classic, my understanding is that it's part adventure race, it it's like the full Barkley. I've followed runners who've done the Barkley and they spend a lot of time studying maps of the area, the fauna, etc so they can orienteer. Since you'll have limited time for that, maybe find a veteran who's done the course and latch on to them. Crush it!
@Francis Picard I think you gonna be pretty good at this Ultra game. Do you have a plan to prevent, protect, and prepare your groin for BFC and beyond? Huge congrats on that beast of a first 50, good skill at BFC!
Congratulations Francis! I have nothing profound to add as I can't even wrap my head around these kinds of distances but I will say I really appreciate your thought process and MOXIE! #GetYours!
@Francis Picard I just re-read this in preparation for my 100k on the 15th- thanks for taking the time to write this. There are a lot of gold nuggets in here.