Virkelighed: Reality

Well I know I have already not been very attentive to this new experiment for me (aka my blog).  That is what I get for trying to start a blog right before the holidays and when I know I will be really busy at work.  Needless to say, the last 2 weeks have been filled with moderate running, poor cross training, and some really bad dietary habits.  As a result, I am going to pay for it real soon.  Tomorrow, Sarah and I head to Northern Wisconsin for the first race of my race calendar: the Tuscobia 75 miler. 

This will be my second attempt at the Tuscobia 75.  The Tuscobia 75 is a self-supported (ie, you carry your own food gear and water) for 75 miles in under 32 hours.  There are only 2 checkpoints along the way where you can fill your water, and get some hot sustenance.  Also, with the minimum gear requirements, you are looking to carry or pull on a sled about 30-35 lbs in gear/food/water. (here is the race webpage http://tuscobia.wordpress.com/)

3 years ago my friend The Angry Moose and I attempted this as our first ever ultra, and there were some pretty devastating consequences.  Our naivety on race training, nutrition and gear lead us to be way past time, over packed (although I somehow forgot my running shoes) and finally an emergency evac when the Moose turned blue and dropped to the snow at midnight.  Was not a good situation, and was incredibly scary. 

Here is a bit of information about where I am at and how I feel going into this race.  I am currently about 10 lbs above my ideal race weight of 165 lbs.  Luckily, I have stabilized my weight gain at 175, with only minor fluctuations above and below.  I know I have not trained adequately to pulling a sled over a long distance, and really haven’t done a run over 15 miles in the last couple of months.  Lately, my IT band and back issues have been resurfacing and have me really concerned about muscle tension.  Finally, this will be my first Ultra without the Moose.  He and I have been doing these together for the last 3 years, and we have always supported each other during the rough spots, so this adds a whole new emotional and mental aspect to the race.  Sarah is coming out to support me at the aid stations (all 2 of them) so that should really help.  But still, it is the long walk from 1am – 6am, in the dark at the coldest that really works on you.  In all, I think I have a 50/50 shot at this one.  Not as good as I hoped to be going into it.

So what is my plan?

1^st thing first, I am going to cut gear weight.  I normally carry with me some emergency heavy layers (aka the “awesome pants”) which I will leave behind.  I will rely on Sarah at the checkpoints for most of my extra clothes, so that should shed 5 lbs off my sled.

2^nd: Its all about the food.  Depending on the snow conditions, I will be burning anywhere from 500-1000 calories per hour.  It is not possible to fully replenish the calories, but you can slow the burn.  My diet of choice: summer sausage, cheddar cheese, nuts, and m&m’s.  I will also carry some Cliff gu packs for instant satisfaction (100 calories per pack) and a couple whole grain rice black bean burritos for complex carbs.  Sarah will meet me at the aid stations with instant mashed potatoes (lots of electrolytes in potassium and sodium and calories from the butter) and maybe some hot soup.  Finally, 1-2 electrolyte pills per hour. 

Finally, my headspace.  This will be the hardest part of the whole race and what I am most worried about.  Once you start thinking “I might not make it” it is really hard to get out of that mind set.  I will have an ipod to help, but really I just need to stay positive for the whole thing.

I will carry a GPS tracker.  You can watch my progress here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0pejOC4BNRKAFG832XX5XVXFke1TSNHnM

Looking forward to writing my race report afterward, learning some lessons on why I really need to stay in shape, and getting ready for the next race while feeling great while I do it.  I am also really excited to just get back on the horse and continue my journey.  More posts soon.

Nick