Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run

Getting ready for the Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run this weekend. My training has been just ok. I have been running lots of fast short runs (My average has probably been 10 miles at 6:55 pace), a few long runs of 20 miles, the Chicago Marathon (26 mi in 3:27) and one long run of 31 miles as a pacer on the Kettle Moraine course for the North Face 50 miler. This race will be interesting for me. I have not been able to stick to a strict training regimen as I have in the past for my 100 milers. Things like keeping the kids in line, building a hair salon in our basement for my wife (Only one item on a long list of To Do’s at our new house), working etc…have all come before my training. And rightly so… running isn’t everything. Especially when you have a wife and three kids.

As such, I am just setting a goal of finishing this race. I just want to be realistic and enjoy the race. If I’m not enjoying it and continually pushing trying to meet a certain time goal, it can become counter-productive and make for a long day. Plus, with this being the inaugural Ozark Trail 100 miler, nobody knows what the course is like yet. From what I can tell there's plenty of elevation change throughout the entire course, and 7 creek crossings. It's a point to point course, so I am very excited about not having to see the same thing twice! Here's a link to the race website where you can see the elevation chart and course map etc.... Click HERE.

A few things I’m trying different this time -

- I will be trying out Vespa for the first time in a race longer than marathon distance. I used it at the Chicago marathon, and have heard great things about it from runners who have used it for 100 milers. I’m looking forward to it.

- I will be eating a pre-race meal of a very rare steak, baked potato w/LOTS of sour cream, and a dessert of berries with heavy whipping cream. (Not carb loading…). This goes along with the Vespa plan….

- I will be using Nuun for the first time instead of Endurolytes for ease and to make sure I’m taking in enough. I have had trouble keeping on track in the past with Endurolytes. With Nuun it’s simple. Half or one full tablet per bottle. So every time I fill up I toss in a Nuun as opposed to setting my watch to remind me when to take an Endurolyte. Plus, I think it’s better to base your electrolyte consumtion on water consumption and the weather conditions, and not on time.

- I will be using pure Maltodextrin ordered from a bakery online. This is in hopes of not getting sick as I have in the past with using Perpetuem. I may eat some gels and down some Ensure for taste changes…. My uncle Dale tried this along with the Vespa at Arkansas Traveller 100 this year and it worked great.

- I will not be taking Hammer Anti-fatigue or Race Caps Supreme. Again, I am trying to make this as simple as possible. I’m hoping that cutting out the need to track how much of which thing I’m taking when, and where to keep it will help.

The weather looks good so far, and it sounds like the course is in okay condition. Apparently the ice storm that came through the lower half of the course last year did quite a bit of damage to the first part of the course. However, it sounds like the trail is cleared and is marked well. An update said to watch out for the huge voids left by the root balls of the trees that fell, because you might fall in. Must be some big trees….

So, I hope this goes well with all of the changes that I’ve made. If not, at least I tried. The only way to learn is to try and learn from what happens right??