2 minute read

Goals

  • Finish feeling OK
  • Practice eating at every AS
  • Keep up with hydration, calories, and salt

Race Plan

  • Start with power-hiking to warm up
  • Practice lots of run/walks
  • Keep HR in Z2, breathing easy
  • Push at the end, if you have it in you

Post-Race Plan

  • Nap?
  • Burger at Hardee’s in BV/Lexington
  • Home via 81
  • Nap at New Market Rest Area?
  • Pizza from Delmonicos in Luray?

Post-Mortem

Wow! Things went pretty well. The course range from runnable to very runnable pretty much to mile 22. Mile 22-26 are hell. Then it’s back to runnable. Plan accordingly for next time.

Pre-race went well. Pooped early. Coffee was good. Pre-race breakfast of grapenuts, peanut butter, raisins, some Juice, and milk worked like a charm! Several hundred calories, mostly easy, hit my stomach an hour before start time.

Started with a light jog and walk, giving body plenty of time to warm. Left ankle was stiff for the first 20 minutes. Fell in with a group of half-marathoners. With a little warmup, probably could’ve started faster.

Heart rate was consistently in what you think is your Zone 2, and from evidence, I think it’s good. Pausing at AS’s or slowing down, resulted in a quick recovery.

Fueling went well. Kept up with calories. Ate something at almost every aid station—though too many had nothing but sweets or over-processed carbs. Hash browns at Camping were easily the best. You fueled well enough to not be starving after the race. At no point on the drive home did you need to stop for any of the planned meals. Waking the next day, you’re sore and fatigued, but not broken.

The one time I went over a couple hours without eating, is when my stomach complained. You need to plan on eating solid food every 60-90 minutes. Maintaining the goal of snacking at every AS is the way to go. Especially aiming at more complex foods—sandwiches, maybe quesadillas.

Salt every 90 minutes worked fine. Kept your stomach from sloshing around.

You ran very conservatively, which was the goal.There were a few spots you could’ve pushed more, like on descents and easier climbs. Run-Walk from Hunting Creek to Camping Gap would’ve helped, but you enjoyed the time spent with Stuart.

What worked

  • Fueling every 30’sh minutes
  • Eating solid food at every AS.
  • Salt every 90
  • Fuel premixed with water made life easier.
  • Post-race recovery drink of 2xProtein shake.
  • Pre-hydrating.

Ways to improve

  • Warm up a little before the race, allows for a more efficient start.
  • Look for Juice containers that fit needs
  • Push a little more into Z3 on easy climbs
  • Carry less snacks
  • Tailor juice needs to what’s actually needed. You could’ve dropped one bag and one Cliff Bar