Michael: Tweaking the Checklist

Only the rainfall;
Hammering down like a thug
Relentless and cruel.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

For the first time in two years here it’s rained throughout the morning for two days in a row. Yesterday I ran through it, but I wasn’t going to risk a bike ride with these crazy drivers in a cold down pour. So instead of riding I turned to prepping for the other aspects of our upcoming race in Costa Rica; travel logistics and our checklist. For the most part my previous list has held up but I have made a few minor tweaks to it in light of our last experience venturing into Costa Rica for a trail race.

Pre-Race
*Kool & Fit or other warm up oil, Vaseline, nipple guards, sunscreen/insect repellent, race # on belt or pinned, warm-up pants & jacket hydration & nutrition loaded into pack, I.D. & some spare cash, music.
Race Wear (from the ground up)
*shoes, socks, calf sleeves, running boxers, shorts with pockets or possibly tights, short sleeve shirt, arm sleeves, mountain bike gloves, cap with neck gaiter, wind breaker or poncho, running watch, wedding ring, necklace.
Gear
*Ultra Aspire Revolt vest with 500ml bottle, gel flasks, small zip lock with toilet paper/hand sanitizer, moleskin, Bio Freeze, duct tape, small zip lock, bag for warm up wear and gear.
Nutrition/Electrolytes
*Home made gel, salt tabs, pre-race meal supplies (If you’re a fanatic about it. I’m on the quasi -religious side when it comes to pre-race breakfast.), vitamins/supplements.
Travel Related
*itinerary, checklist for travel items, reservation #s and contact info. (plane, train, bus, car rental, hotels…), maps, pajamas, ear plugs, warm clothing, shake out running attire and shoes, Cash to exchange, Passport, Driver’s License, Panamanian I.D., bank card, credit card used to secure hotel and/or other deposits, note the time zone change. Inquire about vegetarian options at hotel restaurant.
Miscellaneous
*bottled water, foam roller, massage stick, knotty ball, headlamp,
Considerations
*This hotel does not have a refrigerator but does have a coffee maker. We should still be able to buy some produce and expect that it’ll hold up as we’re going to be at 6k ft. so it should be cool enough to last for the few days we’ll be there.
Rationale
*calf & arm sleeves aren’t for compression, but at race start at 5:30 at close to 6k ft, it may be cool enough to wear them for quite a while. They also provide protection in case of a fall, brush, insects, and the sun. And if it starts to heat up the arm sleeves are easily removed and stored.

An interesting aside to this race is that the 50k I’m in starts at 5:30 over fairly moderate terrain until the 16 mile mark, then it starts a 7 mile climb that goes from 5k ft. to 10k ft. The 21k that Kimme’s in starts at 8:30 and is  the same 7 mile climb then the 7 mile descent that us 50kers do. That means there’s a good chance that Kimme and I will start the long climb very close to the same time and we should get to see each other out there possibly a couple of times. That should be fun.