Lessons Learned for 200+ Mile Races

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.

BRING AN EXTRA PAIR OF POLES

Halfway up the first climb, the tip of my pole broke off.  Then the pole strap broke.  I had 215 miles and 83,000 feet of climbing to go and only one functional pole. 

Poles are essential for any 200+ mile race in the mountains.  And things can happen, so do yourself a favor and have an extra pair.

BRING AN EXTRA PAIR OF EVERYTHING

On that note, bring an extra pair of everything!  So much can happen when you are out in the mountains for days and days.  The clasp on my hydration bladder broke.  My primary pair of shorts ripped.  I was surprised how many clothes I went through over the course of the race.

It may feel silly and seem like you are bringing everything you own, but you can’t overprepare for a race this long or have too much gear.

SLEEP WHEN YOU CAN

It is good to have a sleep plan going into the race, but any plan is going to change when you are out there for multiple days. 

On the second and third night, I ended up sleeping earlier than I planned.  While I expected to sleep closer to 3am both nights, I adjusted on the fly, sleeping at 10pm on night two and 5:30pm on night three.  The logistics worked out well to sleep then, and I felt tired.

These were certainly good calls.  To succeed in a 200, you need to avoid sleep walking on the trail, going 1mph and giving up huge chunks of time.  Pulling sleep earlier when the conditions allow will more than pay off down the line.

SLEEP LONG ENOUGH

Trail naps are ok if you are struggling and need to trick your body or get to the next aid station.  But if you are taking the time to stop and sleep in a bed or cot, make it at least 45 minutes. 

Anything shorter after the first night isn’t worth the stop and will likely result in still needing sleep, requiring multiple naps and giving up time. 

On night three I stopped at a refugio and had a quiet room all to myself.  I was deeply sleep deprived but inexplicably decided to only sleep for 10 minutes.  It wasn’t enough, and the next section was slow going and featured multiple unsuccessful trail naps.  I would have ultimately saved time and felt better if I just slept for 45+ minutes when I could.

PEE BEFORE YOU SLEEP

If you remember only one thing from this post, pee before you sleep!  I settled in to sleep going into night three at 5:30pm and then again at 6am as day four was breaking.  Both times I was crushingly exhausted and needed sleep, setting my alarm for around 1.5 hours.

Both times I had to get up to pee way before the alarm went off.  By the time I got all the way to the bathroom, I was wide awake and sadly trudged back to the course.

Avoid my mistakes and stop by the bathroom before going to sleep.

VARIETY OF FOOD IS YOUR FRIEND

The caloric demands of a race this long are wild.  I estimate I took in at least 30,000 calories over the course of Tor.

I knew that aid stations had similar food throughout, much of which I couldn’t eat or didn’t want to eat.  I planned ahead with my crew and supplemented with pizza, focaccia, avocados, and protein shakes. 

This was enormously helpful, but there were still times I didn’t find the available food appealing and didn’t eat enough.  The morning of day two in Cogne was one instance, and it set me up for a big bonk and rough day two.

It was also amazing what tasted good to me.  A spicy ginger beer was like the nectar of the gods, I think largely because it was just different from what I had been having.

It takes serious planning, but I would recommend dialing up the variety of real, hot food available.

HAVE A COMMS PLAN

I got lonely out on the trail.  I was on my own for long stretches, and when I was around other runners, they often didn’t speak English.

Some of my best memories from the race were talking to my family in the middle of the night when it was evening for them back in the US.

I would have loved more contact from friends and family, but I later found out they were afraid of bothering me.  Let people know what kind of communication would be helpful.  What times of day work best?  What do you want to hear from them?  For the most part I wanted people just to talk about everyday things and distract me. 

BRING THE RIGHT CREW

I rarely use crew in 100 milers.  Great volunteers and a few drop bags are more than I need.

200 miles is a different beast, and crew can make the difference between a great finish and a DNF.  You can check out my Tor race report for everything Christophe did for me throughout the race.  I simply would not have finished without him.

It is also important to find the right person.  Experience with very long distance races is a huge plus.  Make sure they can handle the complicated logistics.  Best of all, see if you can find someone with experience at the specific race you are doing. 

They are also going to see some deep low moments.  Make sure they are prepared for that and can calmly help you get to the other side.

TRUST YOUR CREW

After multiple days of near constant movement and minimal sleep, you will not make good decisions.  You have to trust your crew and let them make decisions for you

When I strained my calf, I did not think I could continue.  My crew did.  I found myself starting to get angry with them – they didn’t know the pain I was going through!  Then I let it go.  They were here to help me, and if they thought I could continue, I had to at least try.

At the last life base, Christophe said I needed more real food.  He procured some roasted potatoes from a back room, and boy were they amazing.

If your crew tells you to sleep, sleep.  If they tell you to eat, eat. If they say you don’t look warm enough, throw on some clothes.  Put your full trust in your crew.

RELAX

200 miles is very long way to run.  For many people, their first 200 will be 2x the distance they have gone before and 2-3x the duration.

It is easy to let fear and stress dominate your experience.  While there were many great and memorable moments, I ran with a lot of fear and worry in the second half of Tor.  I remember being around 48 hours into the race and looking at my watch.  It showed something like 120 miles and 50,000 feet of vertical covered.  I simply couldn’t imagine another 100 miles and carried a state of panic with me for much of the next 2+ days.

While it is easier said than done, try to find a meditative state and live in the moment.  Let go of the metrics and embrace the absurdity of it.

In short, try to just relax and enjoy the experience.  I hope that when I return to Tor I can relax and find more joy and less fear.