Cactus Rose Race Prep

With less than 2 weeks to go until I step off on my next adventure, the Cactus Rose 100 in Bandera, Texas, I have begun what I would consider my first day of logistical race prep. I had already started reading online race reports to familiarize myself with some details about the course and to find out what past finishers had done well (or not-so-well) in their races. So in that regard, I am somewhat familiar with a few of the key features of the course - hills, rocks, sotol cactus, friendly volunteers, unmanned aid stations - but these were only the basics, and while helpful, most race reports don't focus on the course itself in a lot of detail. Now, I need to review the specifics of the course - aid station locations, the elevation profile, and the like.

The beginnings of a game plan are beginning to take shape in my mind. Right now I feel very good. My training has gone well and I have a solid base from the several races I have done so far this year. Yet as I review the course profile I am forced to quell any overconfidence I might feel as I come face to face with the fact that in the course of my training I am not able to get much hill work in, a deficiency which could be quickly and painfully exposed in a race like this:

Needless to say, Cactus Rose has my full attention.

I am not at the point in my running life when I feel that I am ready to call my shots, so I am not going to necessarily suggest that I want to beat "X" time; however, I do hope to finish in the 24-hour range. I believe this is possible given my current level of fitness (although the course may have a thing or two to say about that). With a very busy racing season upcoming - including the back-to-back Bandera 100k and Rocky Raccoon 100 in January - my main focus is, of course, to finish. I have 36 hours in which to complete this task and while I don't intend to use that much time it is reassuring to know that I have it. I also want to finish on a strong note and not completely destroy myself, so pacing and patience will be extremely important. 

What I am doing now is breaking the course down into sections. For ultramarathons, that means looking at the course in blocks from aid station to aid station. This will allow me to focus on my nutrition - a weakness in my previous longer races at Miwok and Rocky - and make sure that I am prepared for the upcoming section from a mental standpoint. Since my crew for this race will be minimal (if I have one at all), it will be very important that I am ready to get through aid stations without much delay. I don't want to rush, but I don't want to waste time, either. So organization and efficiency will be important. Breaking the course down in this way also makes the 100 mile distance seem less overwhelming. Aid stations are typically between 5-7 miles apart. 

Once I have become familiar with the course, or as familiar as I can become given the resources I have available, the focus will turn to race nutrition. That will be the subject of another post. But for now, back to my charts and maps...