Happy girl with her race bib!
RACE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!
Yesterday we went to pick up my race bib, and it was quite an experience. The mandatory equipment was checked and I had to show 5 items that was randomly picked. All passed and I got my race pack tagged and got this little charming red wrist band that says UTMB. Like a kid at an amusement park!
I'm participating in a study about hydration and electrolytes, so I had to leave a blood sample, get weighed and fill in a survey about my running, hydration and salt habits, as well as describe my hydration plan for the race. After the race, the crew will again take a blood sample, I'll get weighed and I'll have to answer a few questions. Really interesting!
Now we're just waiting for the time to be 6 PM. I'll have lunch at our apartment (probably veggies, beans, lots of olive oil and eggs). Then about an hour or so before the race starts, I'll have some fat youghurt with banana and almonds and some white grape juice. And if I'm hungry maybe another egg.
For all of you that's as much into gear as I am, check out my lists below. I'll make sure to tell you how everything worked afterwards. I know I've packed a bit on the heavy side — especially the rainwear and the waterproof gloves could be improved in terms of weight. All in all my race pack weighs about 3200 grams excluding water.
Follow live on http://utmb.livetrail.net (race bib 1359)
Race kit
Race kit
- Altra Superior 2.0
- Injinji LW Mini-Crew
- White cap, since it's gonna be sunny and hot
- X-Kross Sportsglasses, the ones that never fog up
- Suunto Ambit2 and a sweatband from Gococo underneath to prevent chafing
- Craft Sports bra from the Seamless collection
- Craft Seamless top, which feels great despite high heat
- Craft Cool Boxers
- Craft Delta Compresson short tight (I'm borrowing Johnny's)
- A pair of short fingered cycling gloves
The fully packed race vest and my precious trekking poles from Black Diamond
The Race Vest
- Ultimate Direction PB Vest, 11 liters
- Ultimate Direction Soft Body Bottles, 0,6 liters each
- Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z, 110 cm
All of the stuff that's inside the race vest!
The pack (*means obligatory/mandatory equipment)
- Ultimate Direction PB Vest
- Jack Wolfskin waterproof jacket with a hood*
- Jack Wolfskin waterproof pants*
- Black Diamond warm and waterproof gloves*
- Craft hat*
- Craft focus hood jacket (not mandatory, but it weighs nothing and I love running in it)
- Tumbler*
- Food reserve* (Raw Bite, ClifBar Bloks, Resorb Sport, salted banan chips, table salt, our own recovery packs with vitamins/minerals, BCAA)
- Extra underpants and socks
- Warm midlayer top*, an old merino wool top, children's size ;-)
- Craft long tights*
- The course profile for the first half of the race
- Buff*
- Med-kit with adhesive elastic band*, emergency blanket*, Compeed, band aids, Voltaren-gel, Ibuprofen, Shea butter
- Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z
- Ultimate Directon Body bottles, plus an additional soft Salomon bottle*
- Petzl NAO headlamp with extra battery*
- Black Diamond Ion headlamp with extra batteries*
- Toilet paper
- Cell phone* (not in the picture)
- ID card*, 20 EUR* (not in the picture)
In the dropbag 1
In the dropbag — shoes and clothes
- Altra Olympus
- Ullmax socks
- Craft compression calves (I rarely use compression calves or socks, but just in case)
- Craft compression socks
- Craft Weather jacket (a waterproof jacket that I absolutely love, in case I wanna switch)
- Nike short tights
- Craft Cool T-shirt
- Craft Warmwool long sleeve top
- Craft long tight and Craft long sleeve warm midlayer top (in case I get really cold)
- Craft Cool boxers and an old Sports bra that I've used and washed a hundred times so it's super soft
In the dropbag 2
In the dropbag — energy and equipment
- Salted banana chips, ClifBars, Clifbar Double Expresso Gel, ClifBar Bloks
- Med-kit containing everything from scissors, tape of different kinds, toothbrush and toothpaste, safety pins, Voltaren gel, extra plastic bags (large and small) and so on...
- Petzl NAO headlamp with extra battery (I figured the easiest would just be to switch headlamps here, to make sure to have a fresh one for the second night)
- Sunscreen, to put on right away, and a small container to bring with me
- Shea butter (to prevent chafing)
- Cell phone charger
- Salt, BCAA, Resorb Sport, Recovery packs (vitamins/minerals)
- Toilet paper
- The course profile for the second half of the race
In the dropbag I also keep things to be used after the race, such as my Skins A400 Compression tights, a towel and shower gel.
I hope this qualifies as being prepared. Ah, wait, I also painted my nails bright pink, so now nothing (or just about everything) can go wrong ;-)
Johnny will follow along with the organization's buses and hopefully be able to give me some much needed support on a few places. And if we're lucky, he might even have the opportunity to update Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with some news.
And do I have a goal? Yes, of course I have a goal. I'll do everything I can to finish sub 40 hrs, simply because it seems way too hard to be out for the whole time (time limit 46,5 hrs). Apart from this I have no idea what to expect. I'll start slow and try to be smart. And hope to stay smart.
See you all on the other side of the big adventure!
Wish me luck!
/Ellen