I’ve been using my data from last year’s SD100 as the guide for my Vermont 100 training and so far I’m hitting similar distances at a quicker pace. This is a good sign that I’m on the right track, but I’m getting into the heavy build phase now so its time to study the race logistics and get seriously dialed!
My ultra running buddy Eric Lee, who I paced at the end of the 2008 Angeles Crest 100, recently connected me with his friend Pete, who ran the 2008 Vermont 100. Pete and I exchanged a couple emails and his advice was beyond helpful so I asked his permission to re-post his advice here in my blog to share with you all. Thanks Pete!
{quote}Hi Toby,
The map won't help you much. Once you get going you won't have any
idea where you are and there are so many small hills you won't know up
from down.
The best race info I found is from this report and GPS:
http://www.noones-saloone.com/RaceReports/Vermont-2007.html
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3436845
The route is extremely well marked and easy to follow and the event is
big enough that you'll see plenty of people and horses along the way.
The horses add plenty of bonus trail markers for you too - just watch
your step:-)
Aid station support is excellent. After the first 15 miles that have
a couple un-manned water drops, they have full aid stations almost
every 3 miles.
The 4am start is brutal. I barely slept at all the night before.
Unless you camp out right at the start, you probably will need to get
up and drive at least 20 minutes to the start. There really aren't
any hotels right in the vicinity.
The humidity was the biggest challenge. 10 min before our start, we
had a thunderstorm so we headed out into dripping thick fog. I almost
threw up 30 minutes in. Early morning and at night, prepare to be wet
and it can be pretty cool. Make sure you have waterproof drop bags if
you have clothes or shoes stashed along the way. Even without rain,
the humidity generates heavy dew and will soak everything you have.
One thing that really helped me was keeping my water bottle mixed with
ice and really keeping up with hydration. I also carried a cloth to
wrap up a bundle of ice which I either tied around my neck or just
held and mopped my head, ears, and back of my neck as I went along.
I changed from a regular t-shirt to a tank top at about mile 20. I
was a lot more comfortable with less fabric. Other than 2 sock
changes, I didn't change any other clothing but probably would have
enjoyed fresh shorts and shirts along the way. The one thing I wish I
had prepared for was more body glide at each stop. With the humidity
combined with melting ice on my head, I was pretty drenched all day.
Wet shorts rubbing on your legs is pretty uncomfortable and there were
a few miles I really wish I had a solid coat of body glide to help
prevent chafing. But I managed to finish with all my skin intact.
One thing that I did right that really helped was having multiple fuel
options ready to pick up at each drop bag. It's hard to get down
calories in the humidity and more than a few times I got sick of what
I was using. Fortunately I had backup plans and just switched to
something else that worked and kept going. With aid stations so close
together, it was easy to dump a drink mix and start with something
else or fresh water without going too long without something.
The last couple miles of the course are pretty cruel. They wind you
around in the woods near the finish and you'll think you're there
about 4 times before you eventually just pop out of the woods into the
field under the finish banner.
And I'm not sure what kind of hills you train on but Vermont is a lot
different than Colorado. Here we have big climbs and its easy to plan
your pace and you know when you are the top. In Vermont, most hills
are only a few hundred feet and there are a lot of them. My quads were
completely trashed by mile 70. So for training, I'd recommend a lot
of hill repeats and probably some strength work. You'll need to be
careful to pace yourself on the VT course since it's easy to run a lot
of hills that you should walk.{quote}
This advice is priceless and has already helped me visualize what I need to really focus on in training to be ready for on race day. It sounds like the VT100 is a tricky course and might actually be more difficult than the SD100. The description says 18,000 feet of total gain and 18,000 feet of loss where as SD100 had 12,300 of gain. I’ll also be running in humidity for the first time, so simulating race conditions in training with more hills and heat training is crucial. Check out the VT100 elevation profile compared to the SD100:
!VT100_Elevation_Profile.JPG!
!2008SD100.jpg!
I increased my mileage by 60% last week by re-introducing two days of run-commuting per week into my training schedule. This is the perfect way for me to get those extra “hilly” miles in during this build phase before peak training in mid-June.
Here are some photos from a hot, hilly training session last weekend at Daley Ranch in Escondido. 
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
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