Ultra Runners

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Leadville questions (Read 97 times)

RUN IT OUT


    Hey I'm running Leadville this year and I have a few questions that i have not been able to find the answers  to.

     

    1. how much water should i carry?
    2. what do you recommend wearing? 
    3. type of head lamp?
    4. road shoes or trail shoes?

    I know this stuff is personal opinion but if you have any experience with Leadville i could use the advice.


    Uh oh... now what?

      Hey I'm running Leadville this year and I have a few questions that i have not been able to find the answers  to.

      1. how much water should i carry?
      2. what do you recommend wearing? 
      3. type of head lamp?
      4. road shoes or trail shoes?

      I know this stuff is personal opinion but if you have any experience with Leadville i could use the advice.

      In a world of vague memories...

      1. I carried one handbottle, wore my two-bottle fanny pack.  I think of the Leadville environs

      needing three bottles where I needed two bottles in the low country.

      2. I wore shoes and some sort of wool blend socks, shorts, some sort of short-sleeve shirt

      (might have been tech material), a baseball cap of some sort, and had a lightweight anorak

      tied around my waist. I never needed to put the windbreaker/rain thingie on.

      3.  That should have been decided on during your night runs quite a while ago.  I have Petzl

      and Black Diamond, a couple of models of each, no real preference.

      4.  Either sort of shoe would work, but there are quite a few pointy-side-up rocks way up

      there in the Rockies.  As with the head lamp, the shoes should have been decided on

      during long runs quite a while ago.

       

      I did a needless sock change at Twin Lakes on the way back.  It did not help, but did not

      hinder, only cost a couple of minutes.  I wore Montrail Vitesse shoes.  They are no longer

      available.

       

      Does question 3 mean you have not done a bunch of night runs?  Some folks like a hand

      held flashlight, some like head lights, some like both.  Some need to run a ways to find out

      which hand to carry the light in.

       

      Weather can have a lot to do with what you wear at the start, but so can effort.  If you get

      caught in the incredibly long conga line to Mayqueen, you might be slowed down and not

      be going fast enough to stay warm--cap and gloves might be nice to have (I wore gloves to

      Mayqueen, then put them in the fanny pack... just in case).

       

      And other stuff...

      RUN IT OUT


        Thanks for your insight. I do have a black diamond head lamp and wear it on my night runs but it does not have the diffused light function, so i was thinking about getting that does. As for shoes i have both trail and road shoes and i have done long runs/50's in both that is why i asked.

         

         

        I am still a little confused an what to wear, but i ma thinking i can just tie something around my waist like you said. I am slightly nervous about getting sore feet so i was think about buying hoka's but it might be too late in the game for trying a new pair of shoes. 

        ultrarunner08


          Hey I'm running Leadville this year and I have a few questions that i have not been able to find the answers  to.

           

          1. how much water should i carry?
          2. what do you recommend wearing? 
          3. type of head lamp?
          4. road shoes or trail shoes?

          I know this stuff is personal opinion but if you have any experience with Leadville i could use the advice.

           

          I ran Leadville last year and it was a great experience.

           

          1. I only carried one bottle between aid stations except for the crossing of Hope Pass in which I carried two.

          2.  At the start of the race last year it was cold. I took a light jacket with arm warmers and gloves that I took off close to Mayqueen.The rest of the race was pretty warm so I went shirtless until I reached Mayqueen again. When you get to Twin Lakes get a rain jacket no matter what the weather is like because it can be clear blue skies at Twin Lakes and raining on top of Hope Pass.  No matter what you do make sure you have a jacket from Fish Hatchery back to the finish because it gets really cold at night and if you get cold it can ruin your race.

          3.  I wore the Black Diamond Spot headlamp with a cheap handheld flash light.

          4.  I would not get Hokas this close to the race. I used trail shoes the whole time. I actually changed at Twin Lakes because of the river crossing. I kept them on until I got back to Twin Lakes and changed back into my dry shoes.

           

          Just do whatever you have done in training. Don't start second guessing yourself. Mostly have fun and enjoy it because it is an awesome race. Take in the views and savor the moment because it will be over before you know it .


          Uh oh... now what?

            Thanks for your insight. I do have a black diamond head lamp and wear it on my night runs but it does not have the diffused light function, so i was thinking about getting that does. As for shoes i have both trail and road shoes and i have done long runs/50's in both that is why i asked.

             

            I am still a little confused an what to wear, but i ma thinking i can just tie something around my waist like you said. I am slightly nervous about getting sore feet so i was think about buying hoka's but it might be too late in the game for trying a new pair of shoes. 

             

            A nice thing about the night running at Leadville--very little of it is in mean rotten nasty up/down/twisty/rooty stuff.  You seldom need two lights, You will be on about ¾ moon.  If you have a clear sky, you will have a lot of help from up above.  Some folks like two lights for nasty stuff, some like a headlight if using only one light, some like a hand light if using only one light.

             

            Will you have a crew?  How much flexibility with lighting will you have?  Be sure you have some sort of back-up light for in case batteries or bulbs or you trip and fall and the last thing you saw of you light was the arc it made as it flew through the air way high in the Rockies--not a back-up battery or bulb, a flashlight safely stashed in your vest, backpack, or fanny pack... just in case.  A single AA or even AAA one-LED will do.

             

            Another minority opinion -- you have plenty of time to find out if Hoka shoes would work for you.  I think nowadays a lot of people change shoes, some more than once--saving the newest, most cushioniest (that isn't a word) for the last change.  You have time to buy shoes, go for a run in them and decide.  I knew which shoes I wanted, took them out of the box for Leadville--never changed during the run.

            HoosierDaddy


            GreyBeard

              Side note - just looked up the start list.  1143 runners.  That is insane.  Winfield will be a zoo.

               

              Water depends on your needs.  I drink 20-24 oz / hour so look at your times.  Also, you won't notice sweating at altitude so don't let yourself get dehydrated.

               

              I would saw apparel depends on the day.  Anything can happen and I do recommend a light jacket for hope pass.  Or carry a 99 cent plastic rain parka you can get at walmart or camping place.  They work fine too.

               

              I use a black diamond icon headlamp.  I would say a good headlamp is worth the investment.

               

              Both types of shoes work fine - Not too much technical except on the Colorado trail after May Queen for 3-4 miles and Hope is in spots.  Go with what feels good.  Even changing shoes into another pair of the same shoes feels good after a long time.  Fresh socks really help too.

              2020

              • Black Canyon 100k
              • RRR
              • Zane Grey 100k
              • High Lonesome 100
              • Wyoming Range 100 (?)
              • The Bear 100
              • Javelina Jundred (?)
              RUN IT OUT


                Thanks the all the info everyone. I will have a crew but no pacers.  Have decided to go with my Nathan's HPL 20 hydration pack and i'm getting a pair of hokas.  Bondi B or the mafate, I have not decided.  I am also getting a .99 cent poncho to throw in my pack just incase. As for the headlamp, I'm going to get a new black diamond  and have a small flash light in my pack.

                   

                  Does question 3 mean you have not done a bunch of night runs?  Some folks like a hand

                  held flashlight, some like head lights, some like both.  Some need to run a ways to find out

                  which hand to carry the light in.

                   

                   

                  I will be doing my first 100 in the fall and also struggle with what to do about night running.  I have run in the dark for many years with a headlamp on my head, but I rarely need to turn it on.  Usually ambient light is enough on the trails and only dark shapes running towards me make me turn it on, but I am also running solo with no other runners behind or going the other way.  I've heard about people getting headaches/dizziness from using headlamps for multiple hours.  If it is up to me, I would prefer to run by ambient light only.


                  Uh oh... now what?

                    I will be doing my first 100 in the fall and also struggle with what to do about night running.  I have run in the dark for many years with a headlamp on my head, but I rarely need to turn it on.  Usually ambient light is enough on the trails and only dark shapes running towards me make me turn it on, but I am also running solo with no other runners behind or going the other way.  I've heard about people getting headaches/dizziness from using headlamps for multiple hours.  If it is up to me, I would prefer to run by ambient light only.

                    Where do you run?  It would be nice to be able to run without lights.  We would go to the desert where we could run under a full moon and not need lights of any kind, only to return to Corvallis (Oregon) and the heavily wooded trails where even a full moon could not light the way.  Full moon on solstice were tracked and awaited.  They were beautiful runs several times--Arkansas, Oregon, New Mexico (White Sands is almost magical).  I can run the prairie with no lights, but have a light with me for when the trails goes into the forest... again the gathering of trees, the many roots on the forest floor, and a rock or two means I will have a light or lights.

                     

                    I am very fortunate in that I can put a light on my head and sort of forget about it.  It is there if I need it, but I use the handheld (the 3/10 green LED monster) most of the time.  I would do enough runs with lights, hand or head, to find out what will be least uncomfortable.  There is too much at stake in a hundred miler to let a personal whim (root, rock, or missed sign) derail you.  I have seen people underestimate how soon it would get dark and how quickly it would get really really dark and totally screw up getting to the next aid station.

                      Where do you run?   I can run the prairie with no lights, but have a light with me for when the trails goes into the forest... again the gathering of trees, the many roots on the forest floor, and a rock or two means I will have a light or lights.

                       

                       I would do enough runs with lights, hand or head, to find out what will be least uncomfortable.  There is too much at stake in a hundred miler to let a personal whim (root, rock, or missed sign) derail you. 

                       

                      I run in Northern Illinois and many of our trails are glorified roads that cars aren't allowed to drive on.  I definitely agree on technical stuff or heavily tree covered areas I want a headlamp, but it is so rare I actually need one that it is hard to force myself to leave it on for the entire run.

                       

                      I suppose I have to get off my lazy but and drive to a real trail with technical features that I can run on for several hours at night.


                      The King of Beasts

                        Hey I'm running Leadville this year and I have a few questions that i have not been able to find the answers  to.

                         

                        1. how much water should i carry?
                        2. what do you recommend wearing? 
                        3. type of head lamp?
                        4. road shoes or trail shoes?

                        I know this stuff is personal opinion but if you have any experience with Leadville i could use the advice.

                         

                        1.  I would recommend carrying more than you think you might need.  Its a good idea to have enough in case you throw up and the next aid station in 5 miles away.  (I drank out of the streams a few times)

                         

                        2. I wore a singlet (my luck singlet) with my number on it over a short sleeve shirt.  Once the sun came up I took off the short sleeve undershirt.  Your favorite running shorts.  I like smartwool socks.

                         

                        3. petzel something.

                         

                        4. road shoes to twin lakes, change into trail shoes for the crossing, back into a fresh pair of road shoes for the trip in.

                         

                        Also I always planned on running straight through May Queen - it is an absolute clusterfuck - just pick up a few gels and be on your way.  if you have a crew let them sleep in a it and tell them you will see them at Fish Hatchery.  After he 2008 race I would not run without a light rain jacket with me at all times.

                         

                        2 ways you can play it - pack/go very light and hope you run great - or pack an extra 8-16oz of fluid and 4 extra gels & rain jacket and make sure you get through the race no matter what.

                         

                        History

                        2008 - 27:0x

                        2009 - DNF

                        2010 - 26:0x

                        2011 - 23:25 35th overall

                        "As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man I have chalked up many a mile. Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks, And I've learned much from both of their styles." ~ Jimmy Buffett

                         

                        "I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way."”

                           

                          1.  I would recommend carrying more than you think you might need.  Its a good idea to have enough in case you throw up and the next aid station in 5 miles away.  (I drank out of the streams a few times)

                           

                          Nice!  The very few times I have been in the mountains, the rule used to be above the tree line no filtering/iodine was needed.  Not cool puking your guts out, but very cool drinking fresh water out of a mountain stream.


                          Uh oh... now what?

                            On the back side of Hope Pass (the Winfield side), about halfway down, maybe, there was a wonderful stream of water coming out of a rock wall.  I had a big drink, topped off a bottle, splashed wonderfully cold water on my face... both times.

                            RUN IT OUT


                              Well thanks for all the advice. I ended up using my camelbak but I put a smaller 50 oz bladder in it. The setup worked perfectly. The smaller bladder weighed less, was easier to fill and held plenty of water. I finished the race in 29:11 and had great time. The only problem was I destroyed my knee in the first 50 on the down hills and had to walk the hills going up and down but could run most of the flats. I had good race but I can do  a lot better. Round two 2014.

                                Well thanks for all the advice. I ended up using my camelbak but I put a smaller 50 oz bladder in it. The setup worked perfectly. The smaller bladder weighed less, was easier to fill and held plenty of water. I finished the race in 29:11 and had great time. The only problem was I destroyed my knee in the first 50 on the down hills and had to walk the hills going up and down but could run most of the flats. I had good race but I can do  a lot better. Round two 2014.

                                 

                                Nice job and congrats!!

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