Category Archives: Tips

Making Your Own Energy Gels- Simpler Recipe

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I make my own gels and use them for any event/ training run where I’m likely to use 4 gels or more. This is because each flask holds about 3 gels. For any shorter event I use commercial gels and I particularly like the Accel Gels from Advantage 1 which have a bit of protein in them.

 

accel-gel-lime41

I got to wondering recently if I could simplify my gel recipe even further (here’s the previous post). Have you seen that cookbook ‘4 Ingredients‘? They take a bunch of stuff that is often already pre made, then combine it to produce something that you might potentially eat. My sister quite rightly calls it ‘food assembly for bogans’.

But I don’t care about that- I care about making the best possible gel mix in the fastest possible time, and I’ve discovered something worth sharing.

Cottee’s seem to be switching all of their cordials to a double strength version, and they were on special at my local shop so I bought a couple of flavours to sample, Coola and Raspberry. I need to tell you- Coola flavour is my favourite ever cordial flavour, it’s like a little bit of my childhood.

Cottees_Coola_1L_OpenLid_581x243pixels

This means I can delete 3 ingredients from my previous recipe- brown sugar, honey and water and substitute for cordial, but how much cordial?

240ml of cordial contains 240x 0.67 = 160.8 g of sugar
so in 32ml we would have 9.12g of sugar
150kj

so

serving size 32ml
simple carbs 9.12g
Complex Carbs 16.8g
Total Carbs 26g
total Kj 280+150= 430kj

which is a little higher than the last recipe, you can compare with commercial gels here

Compare this with
Endura- 26g carbs, 444kj
Gu- 20-25g carbs, 420kj
Torq- 29g carbs, 468kj

here’s the recipe-

Using double strength Cottees Coola cordial

280g maltodextrin
1/4 teaspoon salt
50ml lime juice
240ml of cordial

Yes it really is as simple as mixing it all together in a big bowl, working the lumps out and then putting it in the flasks, which then go straight in the freezer in a sandwich bag. Easy.

4 Ingredients…. is this a cooincidence? I left in the lime juice because it may be acting as a preservative, you can probably leave it out if you fancy living dangerously.

Anyway it tastes great, and doesn’t look like baby poo so I’m happy.

Training Run Recommendations

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I’m learning as I go here, but as some of these runs are in remote areas I’d like you to have a look at these recommendations. Really we are just a bunch of friends going for a run together, I don’t take any responsibility for things that happen. These items might ensure that things don’t happen to you!

Print your own maps
Look over the maps before you run to see the tricky bits
Bring enough water + a bit extra
Bring enough food + a bit extra
Include some basic first aid stuff like compeeds, snake bandage and aspirin
Take your phone. Stick it in a ziplock sandwich bag if you need to keep it waterproof
Don’t leave anyone alone. This only really applies to the 2 people at the back, but I really don’t want anyone left by themselves. Anyone in between groups is probably ok

Optional- Put my number in your phone 04111 7 9999 or have an emergency plan, like you mate, spouse etc.

 

Also I now keep a bag of stuff in the car for when I finish. Thanks to other runners I now have a lot of things that make my trip home much more comfortable, and a bit less smelly
Towel
Deodorant
Spare shirt
Thongs
Jumper
Sports drink
Couple of pieces of fruit
Protein powder
Baby wipes
2 plastic bags. One for wet clothes, one for shoes

 

Six Foot Track 2013 Gear List

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This is mostly a list to myself so I don’t forget anything. The weather forecast is for 13-23 degrees so I won’t need any extra clothing, but I will be a bit cold at the start…….

What I’m wearing on the day
Salomon Sense Mantra shoes- alternate Salomon Speedcross
Injinji toe socks- vaseline on toes
InnoV8 Gaiters- tropical strength anti leech stuff on calves
Linebreak compression shorts
Patagonia Ultra shorts
Bodyglide on naughty bits
double pocket SPI-Belt
NRG singlet
3M paper medical tape on nipples
Leather weightlifting gloves
Garmin heart rate strap
Garmin 910xt
Serfas Portal sunglasses

What I’m going to carry
2 flasks of home made sports gel
1 Growling Dog Berry bar, cut up
1 85% cacao chocolate bar
9 Salt Stick salt capsules in small zip lock
zip lock bag containing Compeeds and Ventolin inhaler and cash for the end
Sports drink to consume just before the race
Expired credit card to remove leeches

What I’m going to put in my Drop Bag for after the race
Towel
Deodorant
Spare shirt
Thongs
Jumper
Sports drink
Chips
2 plastic bags. One for wet clothes, one for shoes

Discussion
The weightlifting gloves are to protect my hands if I fall. A simple fall could take you out of the race if you damage your hands, but I’m not 100% sure I’ll take them because 1. there are no hand holds going down nellie’s Glen and 2. there isn’t a huge amount of single track, which are the most likely spots to fall. I’ll eat the chocolate bar and the Growling Dog bar on the way to the river in the hope they will give me a lift up Mini Mini and Pluvi. I won’t be carrying any water as there are 17 aid stations, max 5km between them. In case you think I’m planning to overdose on salt, I always carry a lot more than I need to pay back those who helped me through my cramping in Six Foot Track 2011.

I think that’s it, does anyone have anything else to add?

Making Your Own Energy Gels

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Hi, my name is Adam and I’m a sugar addict. I use it before, during and after running. I don’t get the deep lows that stop others from using it during races, so I consider myself to be fairly lucky. One thing I have noticed though, is that the guy in the running store looks at me a bit funny when I come in all the time for my fix, er I mean another box of gels. He looks at me even more strangely when I go through the racks and add to my pile a whole bunch of anything new. Most people have sensitive stomachs but I’m lucky enough that I can eat almost anything during a run. And I like pretty much all of the commercial gels on the market, except SIS- Science in Sport. Oh, you have them? Take a look on the side where it says ‘no simple sugars’. Are you f/ing kidding me? Where were my simple sugars when I needed them going up the side of Mt Solitary a few months ago, buddy? That mistake cost me at least 15 minutes…… but I digress.

I use Endura (Citrus and Raspberry, the grape tastes like some horrible lolly at the bottom of a cheap Christmas bucket)  but have to be careful of the (8mg) caffeine content. And I especially like the Accel Gel Key Lime with protein (tastes like cheesecake, yum!). However in a long race I’ve been finding that it’s a bit of a pain keeping the rubbish from flying out of your pocket. And if I forget to empty my pockets at checkpoints, the sticky rubbish really builds up. So I decided to make my own.

After much internet research I found a good starting recipe here, they even sell an ebook with recipes. But I wanted to start very simple, and wanted something that does not need cooking. I’m pleased to say after a few false starts, I finally have an easy recipe that works. Here are the ingredients-

The 1970’s called, they want their kitchen back

Maltodextrin
Available from health food shops or over the internet. This is a multiple chained carbohydrate often added to foods for bulk. It is easily digested and provides a runner with longer lasting energy than a simple sugar, and doesn’t ‘bonk’ so badly. I paid $28 for 2kg from a health food shop, but I’ve found out that this money would have bought me 5kg or more if I’d shopped around.

Salt
Yep, table salt. I’m sure some people will insist on using Himalayan rock salt, but this isn’t rocket science folks

Water
That stuff that comes out of a tap

Lime Juice
Originally from a lime, this time it came out of a squeezy bottle in my fridge

Honey
There’s a rumour that the worlds bee population is collapsing, you should read up on why this will possibly mean the death of all human life on the planet. Or perhaps you can just go to your cupboard and get out the sweet tasting fruits of the stinging insects labour

Brown Sugar
This is where I link to a Rolling Stones song isn’t it? This is my one concession against simplicity- I could have used any other kind of sugar, however this was available and it does have a decent flavour.

Here we go-

280g maltodextrin
1/4 teaspoon salt
100ml water
50ml lime juice
80ml honey
50g brown sugar

Put all the ‘other’ ingredients into a bowl and slowly add the water, while mixing. The mixture will need to be mixed quite a lot and it doesn’t hurt to leave it for a while and come back to attack those lumps. In general, the less water you add the less thin the result will be, but you’ll have to chase more lumps. This makes the equivalent of 16 gels, and I pour the mixture into Endura flasks (bottom of this page).

Calculations
The Endura flasks each store about 125ml of mixture. If you have a look at this page you’ll see that the average serving size is about 30-45ml, so I’m going to estimate a serving size of 32ml or 4 servings to a flask.

This gives the following specs for each serve-
Maltodextrin (96% carb, 16.05 kj per 1g)
280/16= 17.5 (x 0.96)= 16.8g of carbohydrate
17.5x 16.05=  280 Kj

Honey (27% carb, 12.72 kj per 1g)
80/16= 5 (x 0.27)= 1.35g of carbohydrate
5x 12.72 = 63.6 Kj

Brown Sugar (98% carb, 16.70 kj per 1g)
50/16 = 3.125 (x 0.98) = 3.0625g of carbohydrate
3.125 x 16.70 = 52.2 kj

Salt
1/4 teaspoon = 1g
1/16 = 0.0625 g per serving, and sodium accounts for 39.3% of the weight of NaCl
therefor each serving contains 24.6mg Sodium

assuming brown sugar and honey only contribute simple sugars, we then have-
Serving size = 32ml
simple carbs= 4.41g
complex carbs= 16.8g
Total carbs= 21.21g
Total energy= 396 kj

Comparing to the table again here, we find that both the carbohydrate and the energy available from our mix is roughly the same, gram for gram. Our serving size is a little smaller and our energy properties are correspondingly smaller, but definitely within the range we would expect. Sodium figures vary wildly between brands, we can easily change this but I’d have to say from experience the sodium is ‘adequate’.

Home made gel flasks

One of these flasks is not like the other ones

 

Storage
I store these in the freezer. They don’t actually freeze, but I figure they will last a bit longer in there.

Longevity
I had an unused flask left out of the fridge accidentally for over 2 weeks and it looked fine, so I’ve stopped worrying about whether it will give me some nasty bug. I’m not sure why- I guess it would have something to do with the natural preservative action of the honey, the PH of the mixture or the fact that I use lime juice with preservatives? Who knows a food technologist?

Flavour Options
You could swap the water for coffee- that would give you a small caffeine boost in each sip. One shot or 100mg of caffeine over 16 gels is 6.25 mg per gel, a little less than you’d get in an Endura. Or potentially make this a bit simpler by ditching the honey, brown sugar, water  and lime juice and substituting for a fruit based cordial. I didn’t do this because I didn’t want to re do all the calculations!

Anything else?
Each one of these flasks will help you to run 30-40km, but I usually supplement with something else to break the boredom. I always carry 2 flasks on me, but have one wrapped in a sandwich bag so it can go back in the freezer if not used. I always throw out whatever is left in the used flask at the end of a run. Also, as seen on another site, it’s not recommended to use any protein supplements in these home made gels as they will go off rapidly……

Please let me know if you have success with these ideas, or if you have any new recipes, thanks!

North Face Non Mandatory gear

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Here’s a list of a few things I’ll be carrying in next weekends North Face 100. They’re not on the mandatory gear list, but don’t make life hard for yourself- if it will make your race easier, take it!

Sunglasses- I’ll be wearing Serfas Portal sunnies, thanks to the local importer VeloVita for getting them in on time! Why wear sunglasses all day? Lots of reasons- you won’t get a headache from the sun, if you get hit in the face with a branch on the single track you won’t get an eye injury, and if you get photo chromatic lenses they’ll adjust to the available light.

Garmin 910XT– how else will I know how slowly I’m running?

Nipple tape– You may not need it, I do.

Spibelt– I’ll most likely have my 2 pieces of spare food in the pocket, and hang my race number on the front using the optional elastic toggle thingys.

Socks- I’ll be wearing Injinji socks. The higher versions because I’ll put anti leech stuff under the socks so the little blighters can’t get inside

Skins- Most likely I’ll wear a long version of the Linebreak compression tights

Shorts with a pocket- I love the Patagonia Ultra shorts. Sadly unavailable now, however they are great because they have nice big pockets on each side. I reserve one pocket for rubbish and clean out at each checkpoint, the other pocket for stuff I need close to hand.

iPod- I’ll use the iPod Nano 16GB. Anybody who knows me understands that my first priority is chatting to other runners, but last year when leaving checkpoint 4 I was alone and loved putting on some choons as I descended the Giant Staircase.

Headphones- the Sennheiser PMX-680i are very comfortable and pretty easy to route the cables.

Bodyglide– it’s not fun to put lube where the sun doesn’t shine- if you don’t, it’s going to hurt bad. Insert prison joke here.

Gloves- for me, something like these is ideal, they have a mesh back so my hands don’t get too sweaty but they give some protection. Yes I know they’re ugly.

Salt Stick capsules– this is very much a personal ‘feel’ thing. In a road marathon I’d have one at 20km and one at 30km to stave off cramps. During TNF I’ll probably have a couple more but can’t really predict how many I’ll need. I always take a few extra, because I ALWAYS see someone on the course who needs them. You should consider what you’ll be taking for cramps! By the way- the super huge ‘this will last me for 10 years’ bottle was only slightly more expensive than the ‘3 marathon’ bottle.

Aspirin- I’m a simple bloke so a simple solution for headaches seems in order. Might be some Panadol in the first aid kit too but I’m mostly looking to follow Jane Trumpers advice and steer clear of drugs. Unless someone lights a joint up Kedumba, then I’ll try to warm my hands on it.

Compeeds– These things are like magic on blisters and hot spots. If you get a hot spot, stop immediately and slap one of these super sticky things on, the pain will go away and you can carry on- an absolute must in your kit. I gave one to a guy on Kedumba last year and I think he would’ve named his children after me. Poor kids.

Ventolin inhaler – I would never have survived childhood if it wasn’t for Ventolin, and while I’ve only had one asthma attack in recent memory, cold weather can cause EIA- exercise induced asthma. I’d be silly not to carry it.

 

North Face 100 Nutrition Plan & Drop Bags V2

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Well it’s only 20 days to go so I’m trying to figure out what to eat on the day. This will all go out the window as soon as the gun goes off, but it pays to be prepared……. Basically I’m writing this because in the later parts of the race I won’t be able to think for myself, but if I know what I’m SUPPOSED to be doing I’ll be ok.

After talking with a friend today, I realised it isn’t very clear where all this stuff is coming from-
Checkpoints will provide-
Endura sports drink (pre mixed)
Water to fill bladders
Fruit
Bread/buns
Gels are available at some checkpoints, but you can’t depend on them, and if you do, you might have to take grape flavour, which is quite vile tasting. Other items I will have to carry.

Start to Checkpoint 1
1x Banana
2x Gel
At CP1- Drink 500ml Endura at checkpoint, take another 500ml with me when leaving.
Chia seeds
Do not fill bladder

Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 22x Gel
1x packet Gu chomps
1x Salt tablet

At CP2- Drink 500ml Endura at checkpoint, take 500ml with me plus 1x Growling Dog bar. Take a piece of fruit, maybe a bun
Fill up bladder

Checkpoint 2 to Checkpoint 3
3x Gel
1x packet Gu chomps

At CP3- Macaroni and cheese 2-300g. Chia seeds, 500ml Endura, take 500ml with me when leaving plus  1-2 boiled eggs and a banana
Check bladder, don’t fill up too much

Checkpoint 3 to Checkpoint 4
2x Gels
1x Banana
1x Gu chomps
1x Salt tablet
Important- must eat Gu part way up Nellie’s Glen!

At CP4- 500ml Endura, fill bottle to take with me
check bladder, fill up to 1.5l!
Take a cup noodle with me

Checkpoint 4 to Checkpoint 5
Important- eat 1-2 gels going up Kedumba!
4x Gels
1x Gu chomps
1x Growling Dog bar
1x Salt tablet

At CP5- check to make sure you don’t have too much water. Drink 500ml Endura, take a 500ml bottle with me. Eat a piece of fruit if you can. Piss off and finish the race.

 

This means I’ll need to carry from the start of the race to checkpoint 3-
8x Gel (1 spare)
3x Gu Chomps (1 spare)
small flask with chia seeds
1x banana

And I’ll need to pack the following
Checkpoint 3 bag
3x Gels (1 spare)
Macaroni Cheese
Chia seeds
2x boiled eggs (peeled, in a sandwich bag)
Banana
Gu Chomps

Checkpoint 4 bag
4x Gels
Gu Chomps
Growling Dog bar
fruit?
Chips
Proper headlights (will be carrying low weight versions during the day)
Clothing for night time
Leave sunglasses in bag here

extra mandatory gear if required

Checkpoint 5 bag
Lemonade/ Coke
Gels
Gu Chomps
Chips

Race Day Prep and Nutrition

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Breakfast of Champ- 'Back of Packer'

Please read this with the usual disclaimers- I’m not an experienced ultra runner so as my race craft improves I’ll change some of these things, and what works for me might make you violently ill. Remember- don’t try new stuff on race day!

Sleep- I never sleep well before a big race, but get as much quality sleep as you can. It will make you calmer and you probably won’t forget quite as much important stuff…..

Let’s assume you’ve trained your bum off, carb loaded correctly, snipped your toe nails and slept well. You’ve laid out the night before all the stuff that you need in the morning, and you’re staying somewhere near where the race starts. If the race begins at 7am, I’m going to get up at 5-5:30am. Here’s what happens next-

5:30 Breakfast. Four Weet Bix (or non toasted muesli) topped with chopped apple plus other fruit if available, a bit of yoghurt and some skim milk. Black coffee (a little stronger on race day if possible, maybe 20%), and a bunch of vitamins. For a short race (half marathon or less) I’ll add a tablespoon of chia seeds to breakfast. Read the paper online

6:00am Off to the bathroom for various reasons- hey you don’t want to ruin your race before it starts right?

6:10am Put on socks, shoes, body glide, compression gear, shorts, nipple tape, heart rate monitor, singlet. For longer races I’ll add extra foot care- strapping, compeeds, lubrication. For trail races I’ll add a layer of anti leech stuff on my lower legs.

6:30am arrive at start. Begin sipping a 600ml bottle of sports drink- Gatorade, Powerade or Endura if I’ve remembered to make it up.

6:50am Two puffs of a Ventolin puffer- as an ex asthmatic this helps my breathing a lot. For a shorter race I’ll have a gel at this point. Hand over excess gear to wife, line up for race!

Note- Chia seeds are one of those things that tree hugging vego hippies like to proclaim as a ‘super food’ and there’s nothing more likely to turn me off something than calling a ‘super food’. In this case though, there seems to be something in it. These things seem to give me a boost of endurance- not energy as such, but ability to carry on longer than normal. They don’t taste bad, and in longer events I’ll sometimes take an empty 300ml flask with a tablespoon of them inside. I fill up at a checkpoint and drink immediately. Tastes better with honey but not too hard to get down if you’ve been slamming down gels all day. I don’t fill the flask early because they absorb the water and become gluggy, with the risk that you won’ be able to get them down your throat.

After any hard session I try to get some protein down as soon as possible- be careful with protein powder as too much makes me very farty, much to my wife’s disgust.

What’s your plan?

North Face 100 Mandatory Gear

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Update 12.4.2012

–Lowes sell a hi-vis vest that complies with the required standard for $14.95. Yes I know this one says $9.95 but in the store it was $14.95……….

–Anaconda seem to have 20% off North Face fleece at the moment. I now own my first piece of North Face gear, and it’s very nice- $80 marked down to $64

–Anaconda also have a combined whistle and compass for $2.99 though make sure the compass works before you buy one, it’s not the best piece of gear you’ll ever buy, but you’ll never lose it. it’s huge. And yellow.

-Most current Petzl headlamps include a whistle. If you have a Tikka XP2 or similar, have a look at the headband tensioner- you might be surprised to find a whistle moulded into the plastic. I certainly was!

-I also want to acknowledge the huge help I’ve gained from others. In 2011 I was crapping myself at the huge task I’d jumped into, and probably the best source of info was Nick Weinholt’s Enduroexplorer.com website. I’ve since found out that he’s a helpful and approachable bloke too. You should read the website and particularly the training and gear list he did for the 2010 race. And although the Ultra168 guys are a whole new level of crazy (er, I mean commitment) you should read their adventures too- lots of good info there. You should also check out the gear thread on Coolrunning. Pasty has put another good summary there, and you can ask questions too!

 

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on various sites about the mandatory gear for TNF100, so I thought I’d share a few insights I gained last year in the hope that it will help some other competitors. Following is a list of the gear taken directly from the event website with my own explanations and links etc. It will be updated if the gear list changes, or if someone provides an interesting view that we should share here. Description of the mandatory item in italics, explanation below-

1 x long sleeve thermal top (polypropylene, wool or similar). Cotton, coolmax, lycra and any compression garment will not be sufficient even if the compression garment is called a “thermal compression garment”. You may still use compression garments however they do not replace this mandatory item. Refer to this link for an explanation.

My wife’s work distributes a New Zealand brand called SilkBody. After much searching I found that silk does have the thermal properties required, and so I used a piece of this. I had to email the Race Director Tom Landon Smith to have this approved. For the record, I love silk, but I’m going to save up for something nice instead of the fashion crime that I wore last year. Weight: 151g

Update 2 (12.4.2012)- My wife has just been to Patagonia in Sydney and purchased for me a Capilene long sleeved top. In her words- the silk weight version probably does not comply, and the lightweight version is ok for summer but probably not a Blue Mountains winter. The Midweight probably best matches the polypropylene specified in the mandatory item description.

I had an email from Tom the Race Director indicating that the fleece needed to be synthetic and that silk or wool was not appropriate. I’ve moved it to the bottom of this article because I made the mistake of thinking he was talking about the thermals however he actually meant the 100 weight fleece top. D’oh!

1 x long leg thermal pants (polypropylene, wool or similar). Cotton, coolmax, lycra and any compression garment will not be sufficient even if the compression garment is called a “thermal compression garment”. You may still use compression garments however they do not replace this mandatory item. Refer to this link for an explanation.

 I used a pair of polypropylene thermals I had purchased for a trip to NZ. Fairly lightweight, these were purchased from Khatmandu- they are from the Ultracore range- linkWeight: 173g

1 x waterproof and breathable jacket with hood (plastic rain poncho etc. not acceptable)

This is probably the item that causes the most discussion. It must meet the international standard for ‘waterproofness’, have a hood and actually fit you. Yes, people have tried to get through check in with child sized items to save weight. Don’t do it. I can confirm that the lightest jacket that meets the spec is the Montane Lightspeed H2O at 132g. However- in an email from the Race Director Tom Landon Smith, he says that although this jacket will pass, he would recommend going up to the Montane Minimus which weighs 227g. Why? Because the Minimus contains Pertex fabric which is much more breathable. I’m sure the Minimus will probably last longer too! In 2011 I used a Mont jacket (different brand) which weighs about 450g, so you can save a lot of weight here. I’ve ordered the Montane Litespeed H2O Weight: 132g

1 x beanie, balaclava or buff

at Trailwalker 2010 I was given a buff about the halfway point, and it was the most glorious feeling to be putting on something so warm- it has a drawstring so it can be made into a beanie, and I’m going to use that instead of the achingly expensive snow beanie. Remember you lose a lot of heat out of your head, and it’s going to be bloody cold. Weight: 46g

1 x full-fingered lightweight thermal gloves (polypropylene, wool or similar)

I borrowed some lovely powder blue coloured gloves from my wife, it’s not too hard to find these. The borrowed gloves stayed in their packet, as I have a personal preference for non sweaty hands, and covering them up makes me very sweaty. The best compromise I have found here is some old leather weightlifting gloves that have an open mesh back. Lots of protection for your hands if you fall, but not too sweaty. Weight: 34g (nylon cycling gloves)

1 x High Visibility Safety Vest that complies with Australian Standard AS/NZS 4602:1999 -N Class for night time wear.

*I borrowed one of these from my wife’s work. You might have contacts who can loan you one of these, or you can buy them from Bunnings/ Masters Hardware etc. Not expensive, but make sure it meets the specs- and it use go OVER your pack so you can be seen from behind at night. Weight: unknown

1 x headlamp (test your headlamp on bush tracks at night prior to the event to make sure it provides enough light to both see the track and the course markings)

* My main light here is the Petzl MYO RXP. It outputs 140 lumens (160 in boost mode) and has lots of options, the big bonus being it has regulated output- this means that as your batteries wear out it will keep a constant light output- your light doesn’t get dimmer over time. I also used the hideously expensive Lithium batteries, and they lasted for several months after the event was over- I could almost view them as good value! During the day I will carry 2 small cheap lights from a $2 shop. I’ll have the good lights in my bag for checkpoint 3. Update- ‘cheap’ didn’t work- I walked into Khamandu and they had exactly what I wanted, at 5x the price I wanted to pay- I picked up 2 tiny ‘Keyring Mini Hand Torch‘ at $10 each- and that was 50% off! Yes I felt dirty paying $10 each for a 9g torch that would sell in Shenzen for 20c, but that’s life. *I have asked the Race Director for a ruling on the torch vs headlamp description, will update when I receive a reply. Weight: 10g  (light until CP3). Weight: 134g (Petzl MYO RXP with batteries)

1 x small backup light in case of headlamp failure but still bright enough for you to walk by and see course markings

* I will use a Petzl Tikka XP2 for my backup light. it is perfectly ok for an event like the North Face 100 as your main light, but I’m lucky that my wife works for the local distributor so these things breed like rabbits in our house. Weight: 10g (light until CP3). Weight: 88g (Petzl Tikka XP2 including batteries)

1 x mobile phone (Telstra Next G is strongly recommended as coverage on the course is far better than any other network)

*Yes Telstra aren’t my favourite people either, but my phone is with them and the network is pretty good. Weight: 150g

1 x compass for navigation in the very unlikely event that you get lost (while we recommend a good quality compass such as the Silva Field 7, you can bring any compass as long as the magnetic needle will settle quickly and will point to magnetic North. A watch compass is allowed as long as you can calibrate it and use it correctly)

 another key item with lots of questions. Yes I actually saw a few people last year get through by explaining that their iPhone has a built in compass, and you may be able to convince someone that your phone won’t run out of battery when you need it. HOWEVER- don’t go trying to bend the rules just because you can. Get a real compass. Raid your kids toy box, go to Toys R Us and have a look. Find a small compass that works and isn’t too crappy and you’re done. I bought my 2011 compass from an Australian Geographic shop- it looks a little like the Silva, but was half the price. It isn’t truly crappy and may make the cut for this year, but it weighs 48g, I’m sure I can get something smaller……. No link, does not seem to be currently available. OK, I’ve just bought this from eBay, should weigh about 10g, Weight: 48g (to be updated with a lighter one….). Weight: 10g (this is the lighter one for 2012)

UPDATE- just got an email from the Race Director which says the following- Can I use an iPhone as my compass?  Answer is no.  ‘It can be a watch as the gear list states but you need to be able to calibrate the watch compass correctly.  The phone is no good as it is needed for calls and the more use it gets the more chance of getting wet and not working any longer.  The compass is most likely to be needed if it was wet so big chance of drowning the phone especially when trying to make a call at the same time.’

1 x whistle

*most Salomon packs seem to have a whistle built in, so I have 3. You should either borrow one from someone who owns a Salomon pack, or buy one from a toy or sports store- Rebel Sport will have these. You can go there after you’ve been thrown out of Toys R Us for being disruptive. Weight: included with pack

1 x emergency space blanket, light bivvy sack or equivalent

* Salomon Advanced Skin XT Wings Super Nuclear Speedcross Blah packs have these inside, or I bought one for about $5 from Khatmandu last year. Hint- Khatmandu seems to always be on sale……Weight: 55g

1 x compression bandage for the treatment of sprains or snake bite (crepe compression bandages are fine but they need to say they are compression – for sprains and snake bites)

I asked, but never got to the bottom of what makes a suitable compression bandage- common sense says that it’s the elastic in the bandage that will provide the compression. Supplied by my wife from our medical box, but you can buy these from Chemists. Weight: 45g

1 x full box of waterproof & windproof safety matches (provided by organisers)

1 x firelighter block for emergency use only (Jiffy Firelighter provided by organisers).  You will need to provide your own zip lock bag or container.

*pretty self explanatory- there will be a table at check-in with these items on it. Grab a small amount and stash them in a zip lock sandwich bag that you have brought along. You’ll need a couple of extras for this and following items. Weight: no idea, say 30g

1 x lightweight Dry Sack to keep your compulsory clothing dry (plastic bags or zip lock bags are fine but Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil dry sack is recommended)

*I bypassed buying a dry sack, and put everything in individual zip lock sandwich bags. I also wrote on the outside of each bag what the contents were, and found that I never had to look far for anything. This is important and could save time when you are cold and mentally shattered. Weight: 3g each, you’ll need about 10 of these

Capacity to carry 2 litres of water (water bladder or water bottles)

* the Salomon Super Advanced XT Wings Wooshka Skinbag comes with a bladder that holds 1.5 litres, so it doesn’t technically meet these requirements. I bought some Platypus bendy bottles and a 2l Platypus bladder and now I have more than enough capacity. Indeed, I could smuggle a cheeky red and some fine cognac on to the course. But won’t. Weight: 2l water = 2Kg, Weight: 157g (bladder)

2 x bars / food portions

* When you pull everything out of your pack after the event, you probably won’t remember why you have 2 squished muesli bars at the bottom. These were your emergency food items. Equally important- if you get into trouble, don’t forget they are there! Weight: 39g (muesli bar) Weight: 33g (packet of Gu chomps)

1 x Ziploc bag for your personal rubbish

*Oh no! You’ve just added 3g to your running weight! Don’t worry, you’ll sweat it out.

1 x set of maps and course descriptions (provided by organisers). At registration, you will be provided with one set of maps and course notes.  You will need to protect these from getting wet (using item below)

* provided on A3/ sometimes A4 paper, you will put these in a safe place and forget they are there. It’s unlikely you will refer to the maps- the course is very clearly marked. Weight: 62g (I weighed another competitors handout from 2010)

1 x waterproof map case or any other way to keep your maps protected such as map contact

*The best of these I’ve seen is by Sea to Summit. I have a Sealine one that is big and bulky. The Sea To Summit should be available from most of the camping stores around Kent St in Sydney- Update, purchased this 4.4.12 for 15% off at Paddy Pallin, $25.50 apx), Weight: 128g (Sealine from 2011). Weight: 53g (Sea to Summit 2012)

1 x A5 Participant Emergency Instructions card on waterproof paper (provided by organisers)

*self explanatory. Don’t need to memorise it, just know where it is if you get in trouble. Weight: 6g (pretty sure this info is on the back of your race number, so I weighed one from another race)

1 x timing band to be worn on your left ankle (provided by organisers)

**don’t put this on too tight. Having blood gush out of your leg because the timing chip dug a hole in you is not a good look. Yes, I’ve done it. Weight: if you really want to know, email me and I’ll ask Tom the RD

1 x race number to be worn on your front and visible at all times (provided by organisers).  A recommended method of securing your race number is to use an elastic waist strap like a triathlon band which allows you to easily have your number visible over the top of your outermost item of clothing.  You will need to provide your own elastic waist strap if you choose to do this.

*remember if you aren’t near the front of the pack you will most likely experience a few weather changes during your event, and you’ll probably want to change clothes. If the extra fleece and waterproof pants are declared mandatory during he race you could be changing both your bottom and top clothing, meaning that the best way of having your race number visible at all times is to have it on a special belt or a SPI-Belt. For some unknown reason Running Wild NSW were giving these away at the Knapsack race, so I have one- but if you don’t you should find them at Rebel Sport/ Performance Sport or other sports stores. By the way- you should join Running Wild NSW- they have some great events! Weight: 6g as noted above + race belt weight. Weight: 60g (SpiBelt with 2 pockets)

1 x long leg waterproof pants

* I bought mine from Rebel Sport for about $40,  they are Team brand. You can get some for about $20, but they were non breathable plastic and looked easy to rip, and very heavy. You may not have to carry this for the whole race, see the explanation on the website. Weight: 191g

1 x 100-weight long sleeve synthetic fleece top

* I borrowed a piece from my wife in 2011. 100 weight polar fleece is not very heavy. You may not have to carry this for the whole race, see the explanation on the website. An example of a 100 weight fleece top here, but I actually ordered this 200 weight one here because it was lighter and cheaper. Weight: unknown. Don’t want wife to catch me raiding her closet. Again. (2011). Weight: 346g (2012 bought my own)

UPDATE- I’ve just had an email from the Race Director which says this- Does the synthetic fleece have to be synthetic or can it be wool? ‘ The answer is it does need to be synthetic as synthetic fleece doesn’t get wet fibres whereas wool fibres do absorb water and can end up being wet, and therefore clammy and colder.  Even though equivalent weight wool tops are probably warmer when dry.’ I’ll need to look at some polypro clothing to substitute for my silk. No big deal.

Other things to remember-

There will be at least one random gear check. Don’t try to skimp on any of the mandatory gear, it could ruin your race if you have to wait for a crew member to drive one to you- which is the best case scenario.

In 2011 we were required to carry a first aid kit. I use an Aide Void kit which is very small and has lots of worthwhile stuff in it. Declaration- yes my wife works for the company that distributes these but I will carry one anyway in 2012…….

All of the outdoor shops seem to be on sale right now (Khatmandu permanently!) and I saw some of the mandatory gear at great prices where they all cluster around Kent St Sydney.

 

Recommended items:

  • Vaseline, Body Glide or other body lubricant
  • Sunscreen
  • Cap or sun hat
  • Spare socks
  • Spare headlight batteries
  • Additional warmer clothing at supported checkpoints
  • A spare headlamp in case your main light stops working.
  • More substantial first aid kit (sterile dressings, roll of strapping tape, blister care such as blister block patches, Compeed or Fixamol, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, and any relevant personal medications).

I’ll do another post soon about the non mandatory items you should consider……….

Notes for North Face Training

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This is a fuller explanation of what is in the training program, and a few things that aren’t included at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unofficial-North-Face-100-Training/315837878435094

Please keep in mind that I’m an amateur like you- this gives you an excuse to ignore or change any of this advice you don’t like…..

Monday Nights

This intervals session changes every week and typically goes like this-

2km warm up

6-15x hard effort runs up a hill or around a circuit that includes a hill, i.e.. do 3 sides of the circuit at 85-90% effort, then one side at a cool down pace

2km back to start

Have a look here for a session that will give you an idea of what to do

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110275223

-don’t wear your pack to this session

Wednesday Morning

flat, easy 10km- this is an easy version of the back-to-back run that a lot of the more experienced competitors do. Its designed to get your legs used to working when a bit tired, and people using this strategy report that it helps their fitness a lot. Wear your pack

Wednesday Nights

This is a tough session where your effort is in going up the hills, concentrating on keeping your rhythm and not stopping. Small steps, moving your arms, keep your heart rate under control. One of these courses took me 6 weeks before I could do the whole thing without stopping. Wear your pack, over the weeks steadily increase the weight so that you’ll be used to running with it. I guarantee after a while you’ll hardly notice it.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/131832281

Thursday Nights

This is a middle distance run that you do at a slightly faster pace. Hopefully you will find someone to run with that can push you along a bit. If you run with a club, you might step up to a faster group and see how far you can stay with them. Wear your pack.

Saturday Run

If you’re training for an endurance event, this is the most important run of the week. This is known as LSD (Long, Slow Distance) so just concentrate on getting to the end- your other runs will help your speed. It’s not a race, don’t chastise yourself about how long it takes, don’t worry if you have to stop for a drink or snack, but do take it seriously! This is getting you used to being on your feet for hours. Always take water, food, enough clothing, some money, sunglasses and a cap. Yes, you’ll need to wear your pack!

Sunday Run

Some people swear by active recovery, where you go for a shortish run the day after and event. As we get closer to the North Face 100, you’ll be doing major distances every weekend. If you go for an easy trot around your suburb on Sundays, your legs may not feel like they’re made of cement. Don’t forget your pack!

Tapering

Some people recommend a 2 week taper, I feel better with 1 week. You should figure out what is best for you. Taper doesn’t mean stop all activity. You should go for a couple of runs during your taper to keep your muscles awake! But nothing that’s going to require recovery time. For 2010 I did about 16km the Saturday before the TNF100 and 7km on the Wednesday before. This was just about perfect- I was full of energy and bouncing off the walls by the weekend- it really is quite a scary effect!

Diet

I’ve just had a look at some of my results from last year and realised I was in better condition then. I’m a better runner now, however I’ll have to lose a couple of kilos if I wish to beat last years times. (Update, only a week later and I feel great, much more like a runner! Must be those extra km’s)

If you’re like me, your diet will take care of itself. I’m not a dieter, and I eat a lot of junk food. But the closer I get to an important event, the easier it is to say no to chips, pies etc. Especially after Christmas!

Weight Training

As much as you might like running- to become a better runner you’ll have to strengthen other bits of you. When you run on trails, you’ll need good core strength to help you move your legs into position and to stabilise your stride on uneven surfaces. I’ll seek more info from someone who knows what they are talking about to explain more about what’s required.

Cross Training

What a great idea, I’ll take cycling thanks! To be honest, I’ll be struggling to do what’s already been proposed, however it would be nice to add some cycling or swimming. But if I take any more time out from family duties I may be murdered in my sleep. And rightly so.

Running at Night

Unless you’re a tiny Spanish bloke called Killian you’ll probably be doing some of the course at night. You really, really need a good light. Best get a headlamp so you can keep your hands free, make sure you have spare batteries- and for the event use Lithium batteries even though they are eye-wateringly expensive. You really need some night running experience. In 2011 one of our first training runs was through the bush in the dark with bucketing down rain. It was fantastic, and we made some great friends that night.

Suck it up Princess

You need to learn the difference between ‘I can’t’ and ‘I can’t be bothered’. Sometimes running hurts. You get sick of it. It’s raining, cold, hot, overcast or too sunny. Missing a session isn’t going to make any difference to your results, but missing a few might. You need to be able to get to the start line even if it’s blowing a gale, and say ‘I can do this. I’ve run in much worse’. However-

Injuries

Don’t get injured, it sucks. If you have a choice between not completing your training or doing it and getting injured, bypass the training. As they say ‘you have to make it to the start line to have any possibility of finishing’ Actually it’s ‘to finish first, first you have to finish’ but I don’t think many of us are going for the win in a 100km race!