Ultra Marathon Race Tips: The final week

This blog was prepared for participants heading into the Margaret River Ultra Marathon. This 80km event is hosted in southern Western Australia by Rapid Ascent. It is a joy to be the official coaching provider for this great event!

Hey Everyone.

Wow! Time has flown and I cannot believe that this Margaret River Ultra experience is here already! I just wanted to provide you with some final well-wishes, tips and tricks to ensure you perform wilder on the event day.

• You cannot get any fitter now. So just relax now and get ready to play wilder on the 17th October.
• Use the last 4 days before Saturday's event for optimizing your recovery - this will help you to focus on good nutrition, loosening up your muscles with a bath & massage, hydration and generally just enjoying the reward for all the hard work you have put in.

• I strongly encourage keeping active the before the event (Friday). Resting completely on this day will make you feel tired and heavy. Instead, aim for 1 or 2 x 15-20min very easy jogs to loosen up the muscles.  Add some 20 second slightly quicker efforts to help put a spring in your step. These jogs will also help combat travel, work or the sense of lethargy from tapering.
• For the last four days (Tuesday - Friday) focus on increasing your carbohydrates. These are necessary for stocking the muscles full of glycogen. Prior to this, focus on a good protein intake to ensure your muscles are repairing and that you are combatting any risk of sickness kicking in.  (Did you know that if you allow your muscles to recovery you can get up to a 15% strength gain during taper week? WOW!)
•  In the last 2-3 days before the event make sure you swap to a carbohydrate rich and low fibre, lower protein diet. This will allow you to get as much energy into the muscles without risking fibre and protein sitting in your guts on race day. During this time, also increase electrolytes so that your fluid and sodium levels are topped up.
• On the event morning eat a light breakfast! Don't skip this meal. Two crumpets with honey or a couple of energy bars and a bottle of electrolyte is an ideal pre-race food. However, if concerned, stick to what you know & trust.
• To prevent blisters, here at Find Your Feet we highly recommend using Vaseline rubbed thickly over Fixamol/Hypafix placed on the high-wear areas of your feet (this is the white tape athletes use under strapping tape to prevent allergies – available in chemists). Use a trail running or merino sock over the top. Perfect! We have plenty in stock here at Find Your Feet.
• During the race don't change your race or nutrition strategy. Also, be warned… it is easy to set off too fast or skip your nutrition. Don't do it!  Stick to your plan.
• Don't start too hard but still make sure your cadence is high enough that you are not ‘plodding'. A cadence of 90 single steps a minute is ideal (180 double steps). The aim of the first 3/4 of the race is just rhythm and enjoying it. The real race starts after that.
• Tell yourself that the half way mark is at the 3/4 point. This makes the second half easy! Never get too far ahead of yourself. Just focus on the trail, views & friends around you.
• Don't fight the rougher sections, sand or hills. It is the same for everyone and attacking these sections will only burn excess energy. Stay relaxed and just kick into casual mode for these sections.
• MOST OF ALL... ENJOY IT!  You will love it as long as you don't put too much pressure on yourself. At the end of the day, where else would you really want to be than running along gorgeous single trails and wild ocean beaches?

If you need more tips and tricks, check out my Find Your Feet Podcast and Blog at www.hannyallston.com.au There are also lots of wonderful tips and tricks in my The Trail Running Guidebook.

Finally, I just want to thank everyone for their incredible support of my little business, Find Your Feet during these really strange and uncertain times. We have loved helping so many of you prepare for this event and to find your feet too. We would warmly welcome you all onto one of our Trail Running Tours & Retreats if you need some rest, recuperation and more playfulness after your Margaret River Ultra experience. We are always here with our Find Your Feet store to assist you with all your trail running & adventure needs.

Well, best wishes to you. May you thrive on 17th October!

Hanny Allston