Post-Hoodoo & Post-508 Thoughts

The following is a FB post I made to a private group of like-minded cycling friends. Putting it here for others to view and comment.

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Post-Hoodoo & post-508 thoughts/discussion... Rob Mann wrote a detailed post on his personal FB timeline about his experience at SS508. Rather than respond to that post, I decided to have something here for us to hash out. 

[Robert Mann, BTW, this will be longer than your post. I hope you read it. I'm mentioning you because you're making me think about these things, but I am not trying to single you out in any way. Please know that I love and respect you, just I as do my other cycling family members.] 

Doing a 500 mile ultra is a big jump from a double century. For those of you doing solo 500 events (not team), we all have our various weaknesses. There are many common issues experienced, however. And, the solution that works for one rider is not necessarily useful for others. Furthermore, what works for you on a double century may not be what works on the longer events. Since these events happen infrequently, it's hard to gauge and be fully prepared. Hoodoo 300 is great intermediate step. 600 km brevet/rando rides are also nice. Regardless, I highly recommend doing a 24+ hour ride where you're riding for at least 3/4 of the total time (18+ hours) to see how you handle the various common problem issues. IMO, a longer single ride is better preparation for a 500 mile ultra, with respect to these issues, than doing a long multi-day ride, like Hoodoo stage race or riding a double-double (two double centuries on consecutive days). 

Lastly, I am used to doing self-supported ultras, so I think in terms of 'what goes in my dropbags', but if you have crew then your 'dropbag' is van with people in it! 

Stomach Issues... This was a problem for Rob at SS508. I'm fortunate not to have this problem, other than for brief periods. I carry chewable antacid tablets for when the stomach acid seems to be rising towards my throat. (Occasionally, I just chomp them for fun.) Alka-Seltzer tablets (in convenient single use packs) work well for me when I have stomach upset. (Thanks, Tony Musorafite, for teaching me this in the middle of the night at Loa in 2015.) The AS tablets aren't easy to consume on the go -- they really need to be mixed with a half-cup or so of water -- so they're great to have in all your dropbags. Food... Solid v. liquid... Real vs. pre-packaged... I love getting my calories in the bottle. SPIZ, and SPIZ/HEED mix typically make up 3/4 of the calories I consume on an ultra. Gels are what I use for when I feel bonked and need my body and brain to perk up. Chips & cookies are nice. Nut butter packs (Justin's!) are good. I consumed a few of them at Hoodoo, but left them untouched in my dropbags at SS508. Soda's okay, but I've been doing less of that lately, opting for non-carbonated change-of-pace drinks, like Gatorade. Sandwiches, PB&Js, etc. are not for me. Others love 'em. For me, it feels as if the solid food sits in my stomach like a rock and takes forever to digest. Being self-supported, I usually don't have any "real" food. But, with crew, I love having watermelon (especially when it's hot) and bananas. How do you fuel yourself on an ultra? How's that different from what you use on a double century? What do you do/consume when you're experiencing difficulty? 

Sleep... The other 'gotcha' from Rob's write-up. Luckily, I've always been a night owl. I can get up early when I need to, but I'm no Steve Meichtry! I don't consume caffeine daily so having it on the ultras is quite helpful. I used to try to get the caffeine from sodas. (Mtn Dew! Am I right, Victor Cooper?) But, for the past few years I've been using caffeine shots. I like the Isagenix e-Shot. They're only 85mg caffeine, which is less than your typical 5-hr energy. Others I know like the Reign brand drinks. Some folks like caffeine tablets, too. I won't go anywhere without a music player, and usually listen to music for about half of the time during an ultra. Sometimes, just chewing one at a time of candy (jelly beans, Skittles, etc.) helps. I'm not a gum chewer, but I know some folks like it to stay awake while driving. IDK about chewing gum while riding. Going self-supported, I find it difficult forcing myself to sleep at the time stations when I'm not fully sleepy. If I had SAG, then I wouldn't schedule my sleep, but rather crash in the van if/when I get sleepy. FWIW, I did not sleep at all during SS508, although I was nodding off pretty badly on the return leg in the fog on Rt722. (I only nearly crashed into Marco a handful of times!) At Hoodoo, I slept for 15 minutes or so, seated in the dirt on the side of the road, between Kosharem and Otter Creak State Park (around mile 305). How do you stay awake? What do you do when you're feeling sleepy?

Supplements... I use 'em. Maybe I'm wasting my money.? I really like Hammer Tissue Rejuvenator; pop them like candy. Hammer Anti-Fatigue caps are consumed regularly, too. Ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc. are also something I do. What about you? What do you like and why? Or, why do you avoid them?

Clothing... Kevin Bilbee was messaging me the night before the SS508 start regarding putting rain gear in my dropbags. LOL. I left all of that stuff at home! (Very dumb, in retrospect, not to have brought more kit to Reno.) Going self-supported is completely different than having SAG with respect to this issue. I typically carry some extra clothing to put on/take off between time stations. I plan the dropbags to have kit needed for the upcoming leg. Sometimes the timing is off, because I'm not on schedule, but that's what the extra carry stuff is for. I typically have one or two kits for the first day of 500, one night kit (warm knickers, long sleeve baselayer & jersey, hat, shoe covers etc.), and one day two kit. Do you like to change shorts? How often? Do you feel like you need more/less cover up for an ultra compared to other/shorter rides? What about the heat? How do you stay cool. I've used "ice socks" at times to keep cool, although I find it's important that you don't have water making your chamois wet.

Stopped Time... "Faffing" as the British say. This is (obviously) my largest downfall on the ultras. Whatever. Chatting with volunteers and other racers is one of the things that keeps my mind active and helps me to be less sleepy. I was best when I did Hoodoo 300 in 2013 and had a checklist in each dropbag reminding me what to do. I did the list and left the stop. I should probably go back to that plan. 

Back/Arm/Hand and Soreness... First and foremost, everyone should get fit by a reputable bike fitter. A professional bike fit is imperative for keeping you injury-free. For me, regular strength training and weightlifting for the past nine years has made all the difference with respect to back and arm issues. For Hoodoo and SS508 I carried a simple 2L hydro pack. (USWE! Excellent bags. Way more secure than my old CamelBak.) Marco, at SS508, on the other hand, opted to carry additional water bottles mounted behind the seat post because he was worried about his back being a weak link. How do your arms and back hold up on the ultras? Do you do anything special to prepare or during the event? I typically don't wear any gloves at all unless needed to keep warm. However, I was wearing gloves at Hoodoo an SS508 this year and experienced no post-race numbness that's typical for an ultra. So, I guess a little extra padding is a good thing! (LMK if you want to hear my numb fingers story from doing my first ultra.) 

Foot Pain... One foot. Two foot. Hot foot. Hurt foot. I know many folks struggle with hot foot. Is it worse on the ultras? What helps? Maybe switching between different shoes (if you have SAG) on an ultra would help? (You should have extra shoes in the van so you can change to dry ones after a strong rain.) I have shoes with Boa fasteners, so altering the fit/tightness is relatively easy. Saddle issues... This is an area with which I struggle. Obviously lots of chamois cream are in order for an ultra. Like everything else, this is an issue that takes some trial and error to find what works best to minimize chafing on the longer rides. What's helped you? 

Your Bike... The only event of any kind I have ever DNFed is 2016 Hoodoo 500 voyager when my bike wouldn't shift into it's lowest two cogs in the rear. I climbed over Boulder Mtn. in way too large of a gear. By the time I got to Kosharem (mile 310) my bike no longer shifted, and my right knee was shot. I experienced issues with flats at Hoodoo this year. By SS508 I switched to tubeless and was fortunate to have no flats. The basics are important: you want good/fresh tires; cables should be not more than a year or so old, brake pads (disc or rim) should be checked and have adequate life left; a new chain makes a world of difference; newer cassette and chainrings are make for a smoother drivetrain, too. What else? What problems have you experienced and what did you learn from it? Lastly, for a self-supported ultra, you're typically carrying more 'crap' on your bike than usual. How much training do you do to test out your rig? 

Mental issues... Don't psych yourself out. Take it one step (stretch of road, hill) at a time. It's only bike riding. You pedal the bike and it goes forward. Pretty simple. Seems like folks were freaking out about Six Mile Canyon at the end of SS508. When it came, it really wasn't all that bad (although I was in a 1:1 gear pedaling very slowly while following someone walking their bike). Anything else? What am I missing?

[Edit... I left off Body Care. For me, this is: sun protection, eyes, and lips. I'm not big on sunscreen, but like to cover my ears, nose, neck, and face occasionally. I put single use eye drop packs in my dropbags to keep my eyes from getting too bloodshot. I keep forgetting to have some lip balm with me. My lips are pretty bad now from SS508, but still way better than they were after finishing Hoodoo three weeks ago.]