The Syllamo Race Director sent an e-mail last night with final instructions on the race. Everything is falling into place: I've prepared my gear checklist, camping arrangements have been made, I've started martialing my supplies, etc. There are 44 racers doing all three races (29 males and 15 females). In addition, there are sixteen 20k racers; eleven 60k racers; and six 40k racers.
In the race instructions the RD told us a little about the course profile. Looks like we'll be doing some climbing:
20k: 3,000' (Click here for profile)
60k: 8,000' (Click here for profile)
40k: 4,000' (Click here for profile)
It's not brutal, but it will be a good challenge. By way of comparison, here are some of my recent training walks:
Mission Peak: 3,016' (6.85 miles)
North Shore: 2,193' (17.2 miles)
Here are the elevation gains for some of the more prominent 100 mile races:
Rocky Raccoon: 5,375'
Heartland: 6,000'
Kettle Moraine: 7,685'
Rio Del Lago: 9,000'
Arkansas Traveller: 12,086'
Leadville: 15,600'
Western States: 18,000'
Angeles Crest: 21,610'
Hardrock: 33,385'
(Thanks to the great site Run100s for the elevation information)
So mile for mile the second day of Syllamo (8,000' over 60k/37.3 miles) will have more climb (214' per mile) than all of the above races except Hardrock and Angeles Crest. Of course, 37 miles of climbing is a lot different than 100 miles of climbing.
The challenge in this race is to go fast but not too fast. "Leave something in the tank" is what I keep saying to myself. If I burn everything up on the first two days then day three will be a death march. Luckily the cutoffs are very generous:
20k: 5 hrs. (24:08 per mile)
60k: 12 hrs. (19:18 per mile)
40k: 9 hrs. (21:44 per mile)
If I can't make those cutoffs then either the course is brutal or I'm injured.
So there's not much left to do but wait, recheck my list, wait, plan my nutrition, wait, wait, wait.............
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Updated 3/11/2005 with links to course profiles (see above). Whoo doggy, some steep hills!
