Brisbane Trail Ultra - Trail Ultra Marathon Drop Bag Tips
Brisbane Trail Ultra Marathon, like most Ultra Endurance trail running races, will require extra fueling and hydration to help you make the total distance. An ultra-marathon runner does not want to carry the EXTRA weight of Hydration and Fuel for the entire length of the course. Being intelligent and precise about your split times for your Check Point, Bag Drops, and Support Crews will mean you are not carrying any unnecessary weight between checkpoints.
Every ultramarathon runners’ body is different and will require different nutrition and Hydration plan for their event. We like Hammer Nutrition Australia and Red Bull Energy Drinks Products, you might choose different products. That’s more than fine, we’ve written this blog to give you some ideas of how to approach organising your trail ultra marathon drop bag to ensure you have a successful race.
Trail Ultra Marathon Drop Bag Race Tips
It is prudent for an ultramarathon to allow for a slower time between checkpoints. It is always easy to pour Water/Hydration Fluid out of your Water Bottles or Bladder if you are running ahead of time. About 5km from a checkpoint, I check the fluid I am carrying and allow for no more than 500ml for that 5km.
I weigh around 55kgs; therefore, I allow 500ml/hour. 75kg Person will need around 750ml per hour and so on.
Approaching your Drop Bags is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Over the years, I have improved my position in events by hundreds just by being innovative and efficient at a checkpoint. Less is more when it comes to Drop Bags.
I write out my nutrition and hydration plan for the section between each Checkpoint on paper, which I place in a Zip Lock Bag in my Drop Bag that will contain my Gel Flasks and Hammer Bars.
I always carry all my Endurolytes from the start with me. It is also a great idea to put another zip lock bag of electrolytes in your Drop Bag just in case you lose your electrolytes or need to give some out to your fellow trail runner. If you help others when you are racing, you will appease the trail running gods and have a great race.
I’ve coached runners who build nutrition and hydration spreadsheets in excel, they save this document to refer to post-event. They can also write notes about what worked well and what they need to change.
Trail Ultra Marathon Bag Drops Key Points
Use a Coles/Woolworths Freezer Bag - With a ribbon on it.
Mark the bag with a COLOURED Label that you Staple onto the Top of the Bag. Label the Bag the Following;
Name; Shona Stephenson
Checkpoint 2; Mt Nebo
Distance; 45km
Race Number; 1613
Inside the Drop Bag, You Will Have the Following;
Gel Flask/s with the number of gels needed for the next Leg
Perpetuem (or your amino mix) Bottle Frozen overnight if possible to keep it fresh. If This is not possible, put a 500-750ml Bottle in the bag with Perpetuem required in the bottle. Fill it with water when you are at the Checkpoint.
In A Zip Lock Bag put in Any Solid Food You Require, like 1/2 a Banana, Boiled Potatoes, Hammer Bar or energy Bar.
In a zip lock bag, have your required Endurolyte's.
On a piece of paper in a zip lock bag to keep it dry, write out your Split Times, Distances, and Goals for the next Leg in your Zip Lock Bag with your Endurolyte's and Solid Food.
If you are on target, refer to this target to keep you focused, if you are behind, use it as a motivator for the next leg to stay focused and on time for the next checkpoint. It’s best to write these splits checkpoint to checkpoint, to keep you focused on the job at hand rather than worrying about the entire event.
If you are behind, look at it, add some time on and reassess your target. There is no shame in being slower than your goal. It shows more courage to finish an event slower than expected than DNF. Remember this, and you will learn more from coming back from a bad patch in an event than from DNFing an event.
Soft Flasks are pre-filled with clean, freshwater, hydration fluid (Heed or 50/50 Water and Red Bull), and coconut water. We've watched runners who don't separate their water from hydration fluid com unstuck when they've consumed too many calories or electrolytes, it's crucial to be able to control your hydration and nutrition separately when racing an ultra.
The exact amount of water required in a water bottle for your bladder. Many times my support crew overfills my bladder with too much water. I draw a line on my bladder that is the fill line for my hydration plan.
Extra Water Bottle just in case you have an issue. One might break, you might lose one, your bladder starts to leak.
I have everything organised and ready in my drop bag so I don’t have to use anything at the checkpoints.
I do this so I don’t have to;
Think - It’s all ready for Me. Thinking uses energy. I need all my energy for running. I have also planned out what I need, making sure it is correct when I wrote my nutrition plan when I was in a sound frame of mind. I’ve already done the thinking for me in the week before the race not when I am racing.
Wait - I’ve already to go. No lines at the aid station. I am fast and efficient.
Talk - I just need to know where my drop bag is. (Fingers crossed the Checkpoint volunteers will be following the runners on the GPS tracker and have my drop bag ready to go). I don’t need to ask any questions or engage with anyone at the checkpoint, I can remain focused. Talking uses energy and requires thinking. I don’t want to be distracted with unwanted food, water, etc.
I MUST SAY A MASSIVE THANK YOU when I leave the check point area to the volunteers and my support crew.
Medications
NB You may need your medications, asthma drugs, gastro stops, antihistamines, etc.
I calculate when I need my extra Asthma Medications and place them in a bag at either the 1/2 way point or after 12 hours of running. (I always carry Ventolin and a sports spacer on me).
Gastro Stop I will put 2 in every Check Point Zip Lock bag.
Probiotics might also be handy if you get gut pain when consuming gels and sports hydration fluids. I've found they relieve gut discomfort along with drinking coconut water.
Make sure your “Good Head Torch” is in the correct bag when you are scheduling to use it. So you may carry a lighter, smaller head torch through the daytime legs and make sure your preferred headlamp will be in your drop bag before it is dusk.
Change of Clothes
DNFs occur the most at night when trail ultramarathon runners are cold and wet from the days running and sweating in their clothes. It’s a smart idea to put a change of running singlet and base layer thermal in your drop bag for you when you hit the night sections. For the BTU100Mi this might be CP4 Dundas Bush Camp, for the BTU110 it might be CP5, Gold Creek Reservoir.
Should I change my shoes?
Most experienced trail ultramarathon runners do not change their shoes when racing an ultra, even for an event like the BTU100Mi. Make sure you have a new pair of shoes, a style that you've trained successfully in, with about 3 weeks' wear, and use these new shoes as your race shoes. Trust these shoes, they will last the distance for you.
For extreme speed between Checkpoints,
you can opt for a total bag swap.
Total Bag Swaps are great for ultra marathons when you have more than one mandatory gear kit that can be supplied between two or more race packs bags in your drop bags or when you have a support crew.
It is the fastest way to make it through your ultra marathon checkpoint transitions;
Take off your race pack when entering the checkpoint.
Ensure your race pack is already pre-filled and ready to go in your drop bag, make sure your support crew knows what to do and how to pre-mix and fill your bottles correctly.
Make sure you have all the trail ultramarathon mandatory gear in all your Race Packs.
Wear a race belt that you carry your mobile phone, medications, and maps in so you always have your phone and map on you through our transitions.
Practice the transition with your trail ultramarathon support crew, or in and out of your drop bag.
Look at your trail ultra marathon Drog bags as a way for you to be intelligent and strategic with your race. Careful planning of your drop bags will lead to a successful event.