10 Day Ultra-Marathon Countdown & Checklist

Article by Ken Bohn at UltraRunnerCoach.com

When you are only 10 days away from your ultra-marathon, you can feel good knowing that the vast majority of your hard work and training are behind you. It is now time to put yourself into a gradual and safe "landing pattern". And while you can't really do anything in these last 10 days that will help you to win the race, there are definitely some things that could easily derail your race. Here are a few things you should consider, as well as a checklist of potential things to take with you to the race.

Taper thoughtfully

- You should begin tapering in the 10 days prior to your race. I would recommend that your peak week should have been a minimum of 2 weeks (preferably 3 to 4 weeks) prior to the date of your actual race. However, for your last 10 days, a good conservative rule of thumb is to have your daily mileage equal the number of days before your race. Thus, 10 days out = 10 mile run, 9 days out = 9 mile run, etc. Even with this taper, I generally still recommend including one or two rest days leading up to race day, with no mileage run the day before your race (or just 1 mile at most, just to keep your legs loose).

Expect weird aches, pains and sicknesses during your taper week

- During the final 7 - 10 days before your race, you will undoubtedly start to feel weird aches and pains that you didn't feel during your training. You might also feel like you are starting to come down with a cold. This is to be expected. There are physiological and psychological reasons for this...but bottom line, expect it, but don't sweat it (unless you have a fever). Everything will be fine come race day.

Dial in your gear and bring back-ups of critical items (see the gear checklist below)

- Make sure you know everything that you will be wearing and using in the race and that you have tried all of that gear together during your training runs. For example, don't just know what shoes and what socks you will be wearing, but make sure you wore those same socks and shoes together during some long runs in the past. You will see my gear list below, but the point of this section is to know exactly what gear you will be using from start to finish, but only after it has been tried and tested in your training. Also, for any gear that would end the race for you if it got lost or failed, bring a back-up.

Don't try anything new or do anything different

- When you find yourself with extra time on your hands resulting from your decreased mileage, you might be inclined to experiment with new exercises, stretches, foods or hobbies. Don't do it. Doing one new stretch or exercise that you haven't already been doing in training could easily result in a last minute injury that you wouldn't have time to recover from. I would also advise against ordering food from a new or unfamiliar restaurant, or anything else that could throw you into a tailspin. The goal of these last 10 days is to just stick with what got you to that point, and don't risk anything. While this might be a bit conservative, the downside of doing otherwise can be just too big of a risk.

Take care of your mind and body (eat clean, drink water, sleep long & chill out)

- Be sure you are hydrating continuously in the days leading up to your race, as well as getting plenty of sleep and avoiding stressors. Also, try to eat as "cleanly" as possible so you don't handicap yourself before the starting gun even goes off. This might also save you extra time in the porta-potty the morning of the race.

Analyze and memorize the race course and race packet

- Read the race packet very closely, being sure to highlight and make notes on anything that is relevant to your race. It will be important to identify the spacing and locations of aid stations, drop bags, turns, trail intersections, creek crossings, elevations changes, etc. While some people try to memorize these significant points, you might even want to use a sharpie and write notes on your forearms to list any key points that could otherwise get you lost or derail your race. This has happened to a lot of racers, including some of the elites...so don't underestimate the importance of this tip!

Figure out your pacing strategy...and stick to it!

- While this could be an entire article by itself, there are a few critical things that you should be mindful of. First, be very thoughtful about what your average pace should be over the duration of your race to hit your target goals and make sure you first two miles are absolutely no faster than that pace. Most runners tend to go out way too fast and end up paying dearly for that later in the race. If you force yourself to stick to your target pace right from the start, the adrenaline of the race start will wear off by the time you get past your first two miles, and you can then ease into your longer race strategy. Again, do not go out too fast. Second, break your race up into a couple of sections to determine your target times for those sections. For example, you might want to break the race up into 25 mile segments, where you can strategically estimate your target times for the completion of those sections. Do the math in advance, as you will find your math skills will diminish as you get deeper into your race. Lastly, figure out the one critical spot that you need to make it to in your race where your mind and body are still relatively intact (where you know you can finish the race after that point). This might be at the 75, 80 or 85 mile mark in a 100 mile race, or right after a long climb late in the race. The point is to identify your "make or break point" and work hard to keep yourself as fresh as possible until you make it there.

Prepare your gear for the weather

- You can generally start monitoring the weather 10 days out, but that can be very unpredictable (and feel like a roller-coaster if the forecast looks bad). As you get closer to race day, you can more appropriately identify what gear you will need to match the weather (i.e. hot, cold, rainy), so be sure you either have the appropriate gear for any of those scenarios, or leave yourself enough time to buy any last minute gear that you may need. One other important note, don't just look at the high temperature, but also be sure to make note of the low temperature, especially if you will be running through the night and if it is going to be raining. Also, know the time of sunrise and sunset so that you can have a plan to get your headlamp.

Plan your race morning in reverse

- You want to make your race morning as relaxed, organized and stress-free as possible. Thus, my best advice for race morning is to create a schedule, working from the starting time of the race and going backwards (until the time you need to wake up that morning). For example: 8AM race start, 7:45 race announcements, 7:30 porta-potty, 7:15 dynamic stretches and gear check, 7:00 arrive at race, 6:45 drive to race, 6:30 pack car and double check for all gear, 6:00 lube, sun screen & get dressed, 5:30 eat breakfast, 5:15 wake up.

Pack and organize your gear

- Your gear selection can vary significantly depending on the distance/duration of the race, expected weather, availability of drop bags, access to crew or aid stations, etc. However, there are certain items that are often good to bring for most any race. The list below is not meant to be exhaustive, but it is relatively thorough so that you can use it as a checklist or a reminder of what to consider bringing. Helpful tip: Pack specific items into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag and label that with the mileage that you will need to pick those items up from your aid station, crew or drop bag. That allows you to think ahead of time what you will need at various points in the race and have them all grouped together. For example, you can have your headlamp and cold weather gear (along with your GU's) already packaged together in one Ziploc for just prior to sunset.

GEAR LIST:ž

Running shoes (1 - 2 pair)

ž Running socks (1 - 2 pair)

ž Running shorts (1 - 2 pair)

ž Running shirt (1 - 2 pair, long sleeve vs. short sleeve consideration)

ž Hydration pack, water bottles, bladder, etc. (and bring a spare)

ž Running jacket or rain jacket

ž Lube or body glide

ž Band-Aids or blister kit

ž Pepcid AC, Tums and/or Imodium AD

ž Sunscreen

ž Chap stick

ž Buff(s)

ž Shoe Gaiters

ž Gloves, arms sleeves, etc.

ž Hat/visor

ž Running watch

ž Cell phone

ž Charging cords

ž Portable charging cord

ž Pre-race breakfast food (i.e. oatmeal, coffee, etc.)

ž Hydration and nutrition items for the race (i.e. Tailwind, gels, shot blocks, S-Caps, etc.)

ž Wet wipes (2+) in a Ziploc sandwich bag

ž Handheld roller ball

ž Glasses or contacts (or sunglasses)

ž Duct tape

ž Scissors or knife

ž Toenail clippers

ž Super glue and/or Shoe GU

ž IPod/Music & Headphones

ž Race packet

ž Pacing chart & course map

ž Cooler with ice

ž Water

ž Headlamp (x 2 with spare batteries)

ž Towel(s)

ž Gallon-size freezer bags and trash bags (to put your items in if it rains)

ž Folding chair

ž Tarp

ž Flashlight

ž Glow sticks

ž Safety pins

ž Blanket/pillow

ž Eye mask and ear plugs (to help you sleep the night before)

ž Toiletries

ž Change of clothes & shoes for after the race

ž Post-race protein drink