I wrote an article for Uphill Athlete linked below on how to fuel for success during UTMB based on my four finishes at the race. It is one of the hardest parts of UTMB and should be a key part of your planning and training.
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I learned so much at Tor des Geants last year. My previous longest race was 30 hours at my first UTMB. Training, sleeping, fueling, and planning gear for a 4+ day race were all new territory for me.
While I could go deep into these topics, here are a few nuggets of wisdom I have taken away with the benefit of 5 months after the race for the mind and body to heal.
Some are funny, some are serious, and hopefully all of them are helpful. I know that I’ll refer to these when I next line up for a 200+ mile adventure.
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Recently I had a lactate test done for the first time. Even after so long in this sport, the results were fascinating and surprising. This article shares what the test involved, my results, what I learned, and how I am going to change my training.
For those newer to this topic or interested in going deeper, I also recommend checking out Uphill Athlete’s website and articles on lactate and lactate threshold testing.
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At least once a month, athletes I coach ask me about fasted running or low-carb nutrition products. My advice is that carbs are your friend. I firmly believe that the ability to consume calories and carbs in a race is a superpower and one of the most important things you can do to improve performance.
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After 8 weeks of perfect training, I tested positive for Covid just under 3 weeks before Tor. This threw a wrench in training and the last few big workouts I had planned. I worried about losing fitness. But most of all, there is no margin for error at TDG, and I could not toe the start line unless I felt 100%. With a wide range in what Covid recovery looks like, I was worried about even getting to Courmayeur to start the race.
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I had three more big training weeks left before Tor. For the first week back, I planned to dial it back a bit to absorb the big three week block in the Alps and make sure I was recovered.
The following week revolved around a big route I had been dreaming up in the Shenandoahs, which would be a nice long day out and test of gear / nutrition before TdG.
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I was fortunate to have three weeks in Chamonix with my family. We had a wonderful time and a memorable family trip, and it also allowed for perfect TDG training right out the front door.
My primary goal for these weeks was to stack up loads of steep vertical. I also wanted to get to higher altitude and more remote, rugged trails that would be closer to the terrain at Tor des Geants vs. lower altitude and less technical UTMB trails. Finally, I wanted to prioritize nutrition and recovery to not come out of the other side feeling overtrained.
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I had a great recovery after the Bighorn 100, driven in part by good fitness and in part by consistent strength work, which I believe has had a major impact on recovery.
For most of the year, I take a balanced approach to training. I keep the volume and vert at a level that is sustainable for me, helping me avoid injury and stay healthy. I mix in plenty of intensity to keep developing Vo2 Max, lactate threshold, and running economy.
However, now it was time for the race specific training. With 210 miles and 85,000 feet looming on the horizon, it was time to turn it up to 11! For 10 weeks, the sole focus would be on vertical and strength. All mountain legs all the time.
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Tor des Geants began in 2010 as a first-of-its-kind race. It was the first 200+ mile continuous race (vs. multi-day stage races). It circumnavigated one giant loop, touching the four 4,000 meter massifs (giants / geants) in Italy’s Aosta Valley - Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, and the Matterhorn. With around 85,000 feet of vertical, it was an unknown and scary beast.
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One of the most common questions I’m asked is how to improve uphill running. Often this comes with athletes wanting to incorporate lots of big vert to make them an uphill speed demon.
Now take a seat and brace yourself for the big reveal: lots of slow uphill running does not make you fast at running uphill. Does it make you stronger? Most likely. Does it build your endurance for races with lots of big climbs? Sure. But does it make you faster? I (and lots of scientific research) would argue it does not.
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I’ve been thinking about UTMB with the lottery draw fast approaching. I decided not to put my name in this year despite a guaranteed spot from my Val d’Aran finish, but hopefully I can help others finish the magical loop!
To that end, here is my nutrition breakdown from the 2021 UTMB.
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Planning is always a critical part of success in ultras, especially when it comes to nutrition. For more years than I care to admit, I didn’t have a nutrition plan for races or long training runs. Sure, I brought food and fluids with me, but I didn’t have a plan. Predictably, the results were not great. I got lucky a few times, but nutrition was my limiting factor, leading to gut problems and too many DNFs.
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So much attention gets paid to the physical training for an ultramarathon, but the mental game is equally, if not more, important.
DNF rates are typically 20-50% in challenging races. Western States and UTMB have both become difficult to get into, especially States, so the motivation to get to the finish is if anything higher than usual. Yet in 2021, DNF rates were 34% for Western States and 40% for UTMB.
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Trail shoes have gotten SO much better over the years. We are spoiled for choice with dozens of brands and hundreds of shoes. 10-15 years ago, trail shoes were heavy as bricks and better suited to hiking with a pack than running down a trail. Now we have space age foam, lugs that rip through mud, quicklace systems, thin and breathable uppers, and sometimes even carbon plates. It’s a good time to be a trail runner!
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And here is the last instalment of UTMB Training Tips. The first 6 are good for year-round training and a wide range of races. Most of your training should be sustainable - mere mortals shouldn't be out there running 100-mile weeks with 20K of vert for most of the year.
But UTMB is a monster. If you want to finish and especially if you want to race it well and not just survive, you have to go big. From ~10 weeks before the race until you taper, it’s time to turn things up to 11!
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Here is the next set of Training Tips. Like tips #1-3, these are also generally helpful to incorporate for any trail / ultra race.
Remember that there is no silver bullet or magic workout. Anyone who tells you so sits on a throne of lies. It’s all about consistency and mixing in the different ingredients. But over time you’ll be amazed by how much you can improve!
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UTMB is notorious for chewing up and spitting out runners, especially those of us who aren’t mountain goats that grew up in the Alps. The course is littered with DNFs. While finishing is unquestionably a great accomplishment, many runners end up 5-10 hours slower than their goal time and true potential. In 2011, Hal Koerner went for a podium spot and ended up on a 38 hour vision quest. There are endless armchair theories about why American men have struggled in recent years.
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Here’s my last post about UTMB training and build up, this time including a few non running-specific components like physical therapy, diet, alcohol, and gear.
I’ve got two weeks of tapering until the big day, and I’m honestly enjoying a bit of a break after all the hard training. At the same time, I can’t wait for race and to get back to the excitement of UTMB week in Chamonix!
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This was my third time running the OSS CIA 50 miler, a nighttime race in my backyard. 2 years ago it was a great tune up for UTMB, which was the plan again this year.
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Phew, training for UTMB and big mountain races is tough!
Big mileage and vertical is a staple for any training program. For my UTMB buildup, I’ve been averaging 75+ miles with 12K+ feet of vertical per week.
But based building only gets you so far. , I’ve focused on several specific tactics to build mountain running fitness and prepare my body for the huge task of UTMB.
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