The North Face Ultra-Endurance Challenge

Marin Headlands 12-6-14

 

On Friday December 5th I flew out to San Francisco to observe and provide crew support for a former student who recently joined the ultra-running world and quickly achieved elite status. He would be running the next day in the North Face Ultra-Endurance Challenge, a 50 mile race through the trails of the Marin Headlands. My first task was to make sure that he was fueling and hydrating himself well the day before the race. We went to Fisherman’s Wharf where he happily ate most of a loaf of sourdough bread, which he had never tasted before. He needed protein too, of course, so he included chicken breast. He had flown in the day before and was drinking plenty of water to make sure he was well hydrated. This meal was followed by a hefty portion of trail mix before an early bedtime.

We carefully planned his fueling and hydration strategy based on an estimate of his energy expenditure, which we had determined during exercise testing the week prior, and his fluid needs based on an assessment of his sweat rate. Our goal was to provide 75 grams of carbohydrate and 24 ounces of fluid every hour from a combination of gels, bars, bananas, fig newtons, and sports drinks. We placed foods in baggies which I would carry and give him at those aid stations that I was able to get to.

Race day morning started at 2:30 am, when he woke to have several bowls of cereal with milk for his pre-race meal. I weighed him and checked his hydration level before the race. He was off with the elite crowd at 5 am with 3 packets of carbohydrate gel in his vest and sports drink in his water bottle. In the dark all I could see was a sea of headlights. After the start I was off to the first aid station. Luckily I was able to get close with my car because I didn’t have much time. He arrived there having run 6.3 miles in about 40 minutes at a pace of 6:50 minutes per mile. He maintained this pace through the second aid station. And I was off to my next stop, the Cardiac aid station at the 23 mile mark, way up in Mt. Tamalpais State Park.
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This took me longer to navigate and I was worried that I’d miss him. I arrived just as the lead runners came through, but he wasn’t with them. He had slowed down to a 7:12 minute per mile pace due to pain in his hip flexor. I handed him the packet with fig newtons, but he just wasn’t in the mood. He grabbed 3 gels and left.   His path continued through Mt. Tam and down to Stinson Beach, then looped back to Cardiac. He had now completed 35.8 miles. His time had slowed with continued hip flexor pain and calf cramping. He had no interest in the foods we had prepared, opting instead for the Coke, potatoes, and salt available at the aid station. He grabbed another 22 ounces of sports drink and continued on his way. We met up again at Mile 45.1. I had a banana ready, but he passed it up for more Coke, potatoes, and a handful of skittles. We both headed for the finish line, him down the path and me jumping back in the car. He crossed the finish line in 7 hours 58 minutes, 57th in a field of 537 and 17th of 71 in his age group. After a big hug I whipped out the scale. He had lost only 2.6 pounds. When we tested his urine, he was only slightly above the normal range indicating mild dehydration, not bad for a race of this duration. A loss of 2% of body weight from fluid loss has minimal impact on performance, and he had lost less than this. He also tested negative for ketones, indicating that he had ample carbohydrate to fuel his race.

What a thrill this was for me – as well as a great learning experience! I can’t wait for the next race!

Want the runner’s perspective?  Follow the link:  http://anthony-wind.blogspot.com/2014/12/running-through-pain-for-science-north.html

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