Lessons Learned: My first multi-stage ultra

If you're thinking about taking the plunge and becoming an ultra runner, or attempting your first multi-stage event, it's probably going to go something like this:

  1. Sign up for race, get stoked.

  2. Read a million books, blogs, and talk to past competitors to learn everything you can. 

  3. Panic. 

  4. Put together training plan that is incredibly aggressive. 

  5. Attack training, but subtly avoid all the things you don't want to do (e.g. run with your pack, train to hike, test your food and weigh your gear). 

  6. Compete in race, realize you are an idiot and made idiotic mistakes. 

  7. Complete race.

  8. Wait two weeks, sign up for another one, swear to yourself you will not be an idiot the next time. 

I find that this is true for about 2/3 of ultra runners I meet. The other third consists of people who were actually able to heed the advice of competitors, or who are unable to finish or vow never to return again. 

When I first began training for the 155 mile, 6 stage race through Sri Lanka, I had heard similar advice from race staff or previous competitors. They said, "Don't just train to run, train with your pack," and "You want to get your pack as light as possible, make sure you pack it ahead of time and play around with your gear." I heard this over and over. And what did I do? Well, I love to run, so I put together a comprehensive and aggressive training plan of...running. I was running 50-70 miles a week at times, on treadmills or on a very flat and beautiful course in Austin called the Town Lake trail. My body responded to training - getting leaner and faster. As people continuously complimented how in shape I looked, I figured I was on the right track. A few times I put on my pack and put a few books in it, but I hated the way it bounced around when I ran. 

In addition to my (just) running regimen, I started ordering gear from REI and various ultra equipment stores. I love online shopping and reading reviews, so that was fun. But I did a few dumb things. Mainly, I compromised on weight quite often. Sure, there was a lighter sleeping bag, but I loved getting good comfy sleep, so I could handle a little extra weight. I'm a vegetarian, so I ordered bulk freeze dried red beans and rice, one of the heaviest camp foods out there. I brought toiletries, just in case. I figured I needed deodorant (wrong), a really good full sized nail clipper (wrong), and maybe some camp shampoo in case I stumbled upon a stream (wrong). What I learned the hard way during the race, is the everything adds up. You don't think taking an extra couple of bras and shirts will matter, but it does. When you let 10 items slide despite the weight, you pay for it.

When I checked in for mandatory equipment check, the saucy English volunteer looked at my sleeping bag (weighing in at ~4 lbs, compressed volume of 13 liters!) and said, "That's a big bag..." What did I do? I swore that I was okay with the weight because I loved getting good sleep. You know what was embarrassing? My sleeping bag didn't fit inside my pack, I had to freaking bungee cord it to the outside. RED FLAG! And you know the worst part? Sri Lanka is a jungle - it was 90 degrees at night with 90% humidity. The last several days of the race I didn't even unpack my sleeping bag it was so hot. Yeah. I'm the girl who had a 4 lbs, -15 degree rated sleeping bag in the middle of the jungle. 

As you can imagine, I struggled with the weight of everything. I think on the second or third day I even tossed some of my optional equipment. I distinctly remember throwing away like 2 lbs of cashews that  I had packed. As some of you may know, I also suffered a stupid knee injury on Stage 2, which forced me to walk. But guess who didn't train to walk? This girl. So I hobbled 125 miles on legs that were not trained. The strong running muscles I had built over 8 months of training were useless. My hip flexors were as weak as could be. Maybe I could've suffered with my pack if I had been able to run, but I just couldn't. I didn't even have proper callouses built up on my feet for walking. Every single day I thought would be my last. 

Maybe you need to suffer through a first race. I returned from Sri Lanka and swore to not be an idiot the second time around. But I feel like I need to write this article, so that it might save one lone idiot out there like me. Run ultras. Practice. Be stingy with your gear. Good luck.