All the race preparation that doesn't involve running
Managing childcare, mandatory kit lists and drainpipe foam solutions
I’ve just spent £30 in Superdrug. I’ve not been topping up on my makeup supplies. Instead I’ve been buying all the medical bits and pieces I need to undertake a three day ultra. In the UK.
Welcome to the world of preparing for a multi-stage race.
It sounded like a lovely idea at the time. Disappearing off to a remote part of the Highlands to run/hike through the hills for three days. I’d be writing about it for a couple of publications so I would actually be getting paid to run.
And since I’ve been ultra running for six years , I’d have all the gear. Simples. Only it wasn’t. There was a huge amount to prepare for, on top of all the running training.
Last week I spoke about training for the hills when I live on the flat. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve been planning for this trip for months and in some ways it has been more complicated than my 250km ultra across Tanzania over five days.
Here are just some of the things I’ve had to consider…
Childcare conundrums
The first thing I had to arrange way in advance was childcare. This was top of the list. If I couldn’t get this sorted I wouldn’t be going to Scotland. Although the race is only three days I would be away for six whole days. It turns out it takes a long time to get to Knoydart - about 10 hours (I’ve opted for train to Edinburgh then car share from there).
I’m travelling up on the Sunday, doing race check on the Monday, and then the event runs Tuesday through to Thursday. Friday is time to travel home and get back in time to leg it to the wedding reception of one of my runners - eek!
The race happens in term time but there is still the issue of getting my youngest to school and back. My husband leaves the house at 7.30am and isn’t normally home until 6pm, or 8pm if he is climbing. So we needed some sort of extended wraparound care.
Fortunately last year a Japanese graduate who had stayed with us for a couple of weeks pre-pandemic when she was a student had been back in touch. She was living in London and wanted to meet up. We met a couple of times and she was amazing with the boys. They adored her and the feeling seemed to be mutual.
I popped the question and asked Kaoru if she would be interested in coming to stay with Mark and the kids for a week to do some childcare. This was back in November last year. She immediately said yes and we agreed a fee. The timing fitted perfectly as she knew she would be between jobs after a stint of travelling.
Getting this sorted was a huge relief. The only caveat is that she can’t really cook so we’ve had to prepare a week’s worth of cooked meals for her to heat up, in advance.
Mandatory musings
With a race like this where you are out in the middle of nowhere, exposed to the elements there are certain things the organisers insist you carry. Without them you can’t leave camp each morning.
And in this particularly race you also have to carry all your clothes, food and sleeping gear for the three days (more on this below). They provide the tents and hot/cold water but that’s it.
That trip to Superdrug was to get everything on the medical mandatory kit list. This included a tube of antiseptic cream and a separate tube of antihistamine cream. There were also items like tweezers (to pull out ticks 🤢), green needles 🤷♀️, hand gel (surprisingly hard to find these days), antiseptic wipes, disposable gloves, rehydration sachets and KT tape.
Aside from medical kit I’ve also had to source a compass, emergency bivvy bag, 100 lumens head torch with a spare battery, and a knife. Luckily I’ve been able to borrow a lot of gear from other ultra runners and raid my husband’s Swiss Army Knife collection (a choice of two).
Weighing in
On top of the fiddly little things listed above there are also some Very Big Important Things like food, clothes, sleeping bag and something to sleep on.
I’ve never done an event where I’ve had to carry everything. So I’ve had to get very technical. Spreadsheets have been created. Scales have been dusted off.
I bought rehydrated meals based on their calorie to weight ratio, opting for the meals with the most calories for the lightest weight. While I would normally load up on about 5,000 calories a day on an event like this, I’ve had to accept I will probably be depleted. Food is heavy.
Similarly for the sleeping bag (race rules say minimum 5 degrees warmth rating), inflatable mat and running tops I choose the lightest option for the most warmth. My sleeping bag is a -1 rating and weighs 584g. It is incredibly light.
Fortunately I have been sponsored by Montane and Sea to Summit so they have provided me with a lot of gear. Had I shelled out for it myself I would have spent over £1,000 on kit alone.
I’ve also had to think about hygiene. How can I keep clean without adding extra weight? Wet wipes are too heavy, as is deodorant. I’ve opted for the end of a bar of soap and some £1 microfiber towels from Savers.
Testing times
With all this gear to carry I’ve also had to build in time to test it and carry it. I had a few problems with various backpacks at first, the straps painfully digging into my shoulders or not fitting properly. But after a couple of weeks of trial and error I settled on the Montane Trailblazer and gaffer-taped the foam used to cover drainpipes under the shoulder straps.
My next issue has been the weight. I’m just not used to carrying so much - even though my final pack will only be about 6kg. I’ve had to spend the last few weeks of training wearing the full pack on dog walks, on the stair stepper at the gym (yes really) and on family hikes while visiting my parents in Wales. It still feels really heavy.
I’ve also been testing my trail shoes trying to decide which pair are best. I’m now two days out from leaving and I still can’t decide between the INOV8 Trailfly and the Scarpa Spin Planet. One rubs the back of my heel, the other my big toe. There simply is no perfect shoe when you are running 125km through bog.
Wish me luck!
The preparation has been an additional mental load that I could have done without, particularly since I have a book coming out on May 8th, and I’m currently writing another one within a tight deadline.
But it’s done now and hopefully it will be worth it in the end. The Highlands look absolutely stunning and whatever happens I’m sure it will be a unique experience.
See you on the other side!
Pick of the week
I’m absolutely loving my Montane Anti-Freeze XT Hooded Down Jacket and I’m convinced it will keep me warm during the cool evenings in Scotland. It’s far superior to any other down jacket I’ve used before and it’s superlight. It’ll be perfect for the evenings when I’m still wandering the hills, desperately trying to make it back to camp before dark!
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. If you have any running news for me, let me know! Send feedback to lilycanter@yahoo.co.uk or suggest topics you’d like me to cover.
