Training Log Archive: bartholemeu

Event: UTA Australia 2018
 

Uta100

Notes for next ultra
- try and pace first half averaging 150bpm rather than 155-160
- eat protein as well as carb
- water at 500ml per hour worked on a not-hot day
- train for the downhills
- high cadence on the uphills
- poles

UTA100
Wow such a long day. Travelled really well for the first 60, running with keelan around 100th until he pulled away on narrowneck. As we neared taros started reeling everyone back in feeling great through the singletrack, over ironpot and enjoying nellies. to around 50th at aquatic centee 15 mins ahead of schedule. Was feeling good here with only a hint of calf cramp just after nellies. Double leg cramps kicked in on the way to echo, both calfs both adductors, and the crawl to fairmont was brutal, running out of salt tablets and fluids. Decided id grab a withdrawl sheet, but give myself 10 mins with salt and gels... anne would be at qvh anyway, and wentworth falls is nice... fk it lets go.
Saltwater shots and gargles worked pretty well getting me to qvh in pain but mostly functional round schedule. I think what got me there was passing 8 consecutive people who were all in the same boat which was heartening. I stayed here for maybe 20mins with ezy, anne and oscar, deciding my future... the thought of descending kedumba ACTUALLY made me tear up. Fk it lets go. Stocked up on coke, salt and fizz tabs and did it. The last 20k was slow, feeling maybe 50 places pass me by but fk it i was finishing, cramp was less horrible on the firetrail anyway. The last 5 took forever but got up furber using a pull up technique that was exhausting but got me up quite quickly actually with only a couple spasms which is the best i could ask.
This race is actually really cool, i can see myself coming back again And again. It's everything 6foot is not! Haha

Fluid - im guessing 8L
Tailwind - 12 scoops
Maybe 1.5l coke all up
Maybe 10 gels, some watermelon, chips, banana, salt, salt tabs, a fair bit of electrolyte,
No bars, couldnt chew them

Learnings
Way too much caffiene. Prob wont sleep tonight.
Was fantastic to see familiar faces on course, dave ezy james anne and oscar.
For me cramp is best treated with really salty flavour. Electrolytes in drink does nothing
Spending that obscene time at the last two checkpoints was tge difference between finishing and not... so is a good thing to do if you really need it, otherwise Dont hang around
I.m gonna put cramp down to being very inactive in taper due to the back stuff, and maybe a bit on running stiff because of it, and a little bit on adjusting stride because of early hip pain... but mostly being inactive

All a bit stiff which is normal day after a massage. Big bruise on L lower hamstring from where the masseuse found a gristly bit... might have to work on that after the race (don't think it's related to this injury).The massage definately felt productive which i should keep in mind for future.
Optimistic that by Saturday i should be all clear, if not it's going to be a looong day.

Easy jog home via Brooners to get some dodgy baggies he'd stashed in a potplant out the front of his house :)
Was able to run pretty much pain free, but struggling to stretch out, and feel quite stiff. Would be great to have a couple more days to do some strides etc.

Massage
Guy reckons its from overuse on understrength in hips glutes, which makes sense

Another back test. Not great, but can't see myself pulling out at this point

Rolling and stretching

Back still pretty screwed. Lots of foam rolling glutes etc and voltaren gel, but still confident it'll come good.
Interesting that this has happened the last 3 years around the same time (May-June-July), surely it's a start of winter thing...