Consistently Slow
I am considering camping out at a ultra(Enoree Passage 40m (50mi-SC) in the near future. DW will probably not go with me .What kind of tent do you have? Sleeping bag,air mattress or both? Propane light or battery operated unit?
Is Enoree a 40miler or 50 miler? Running Sweetwater 50k April 16. May not be enough recovery time for 50 miles. 13.1 miles on the course was an eye opening experience.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
I camped at the Baker Lake 50k last October.
Took out my Clip Flashlight tent, went to set it up.... and found that the bungee cord in the poles had de-bunged (stretched out, no longer elastic) and my poles were no go. So I slept slant-ways in the back of my subaru. It was a long night. Moral: always test your gear before you go. That tent hadn't been used in a few years.
Sleeping bag... DEFINITELY some kind of pad or air mattress. Not only does it help make the ground more pleasing, but it helps insulate you. Especially nice if it is cold.
My lights are all LED and battery powered. You need to decide if you want to cook or stick with snacks. You also need to decide how you want to deal with a campfire (and whether you will use it for cooking). Don't forget to take water. Even if they have running water wherever you camp, you might not like it for drinking.
As far as I know, Enoree is a 40 miler... I see that I messed up and categorized it as a 50m in the maniac calendar. Whoops. I just fixed it. That is pretty much all I know about it, except that the lady who puts on those races (Terri) is very nice and folks like her stuff.
Edit to add: oh yeah, I also camped for a trail marathon in Kansas last May. I... uh... had trouble with my manly duty of Make Fire. I felt bad. I was saved by a much smarter and craftier woman.
Bacon Party!
Yes.
I've done it twice.
First time, I vowed never again. No ice. No real food. No running water (within limping distance). Warm beer.
Second time, I decided it wasn't so bad. Still no ice or food. But, the weather was cooler, so the beer was ok. (Actually, it was supplied by strangers who welcomed me into their campfire circle - chaired me, beered me, and made me a cherry pie over the fire.)
I will be doing it again this year because it's just so much more convenient and so much less expensive than paying for a hotel room I won't be using for 1/3 of the nights and almost all of the time I'm there (during the course of a 100-mile race).
It's really nice to be a bit more leisurely in the morning, pre-race. But, I miss the post-race amenities of real (and nearby!) shower & toilets, handy electricity, ice machine, refrigerator, climate control, etc.
A nice compromise would be a hotel room post-race. But, this assumes I'm in any sort of condition to drive my manual-transmission vehicle! And, check-in time logistics might not make sense, if you're looking for a room at, say, 6:00am.
I have a tent that's larger than I need and that allows me to stand upright.
I use a sleeping bag over a very thin Thermarest pad.
I bring battery operated lights - usually one lame "lantern" in addition to my race lights. (And extra batteries for the race lights!)
I'm neither a camper nor a schlepper. So, I will likely never have such things as a well-stocked cooler, stove, dishes, utensils, etc. I'd love to have it, but not enough to put the money or effort into it.
Liz
pace sera, sera
Hey Buzz... are you saying you've camped twice, or that was your experience at Enoree twice? (I'm pretty sure you mean camping... esp since you are referring to a 100 for #3)
Camping!
I was answering the question posed in the subject line. (I'd not heard of Enoree until this evening.)
I have not done it yet, but probably would if the race is more than a 2-3 hour drive. It sounds like you don't camp much (ever?) so I'd recommend camping a few times before the big race. Like SRL said make sure your stuff works. Remember you'll be getting ready for your race and it'll still be dark out so get your stuff organized. I'm pretty new to these and seem to keep forgetting stuff.
I almost went up to camp at the race I tried to do last weekend but decided to just drive the 1.5 hours in the morning. I'm glad I did since it ended up getting down in the 20's and I don't have much cold weather camping gear.
And Buzzie - Manual transmission after a race sounds brutal. Do you bring a stick or something to depress the clutch?
Only if I get too drunk to drive post race ...
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
All the time. Preferably in my van (easier than setting up a tent), otherwise in a tent of some sort or another (I have a bunch). Sleeping pad is key. Usually have a few bags and blankets since it's nice to stretch out a bit after an ultra, and not be confined to a narrow mummy bag. I use LED lights, no lanterns. Probably do this ~50 nights a year.
Probably do this ~50 nights a year.
Get so drunk after an ultra you can not drive home ???
You the man!
That sounds like an even bigger accident waiting to happen!
Of course, driving home with a bare and broken left foot wasn't such a swift move either...
Problem isn't just the feet/legs... sometimes after a brutal run (especially when it's cold out), I've had to use two hands to turn the key and put the car in reverse. (Still, I love my car! And, things have always gotten better after a few miles.)
Get so drunk after an ultra you can not drive home ??? You the man!
I told you beer at Leadville wouldn't be a problem.
I've done this at a few races and I really don't mind it. Nice to relax with a beer at the campfire after cooling the legs off in a nearby river!
~Sara It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great. ~ Jimmy Dugan
Kalsarikännit
I love camping at races, except I have vowed never to do it again at races where I have to run through the night. Sleep the night before is just too valuable.
Buzzie, I always camp out at Hawthorn Half Day. There is a campground there that you run through, so you can put your stuff out and have a little aid station.
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
Excellent! That will be the plan... maybe I'll even spring for some ice, for a change.
I guess it depends on ones definition of "camping"
I have slept in my car the night before two races.
It was a little uncomfortable, but nothing compared to running the actual races.
Finished and then drove home. Come to think of it, this was a little painful as well.
"Famous last words" ~Bhearn