'gruecd said:
'pmbrown_22 said:
'gruecd said:
Meant to mention this the other day, but I got my acceptance letter for JFK, so it's official. For anyone who might have missed it the first time, here's the course description again:
The first 5.5 miles (starting on road surface and joining the Appalachian Trail at 2.5 miles) gains 1,172 feet in elevation. The course from 2.5 to 15.5 miles is on the Appalachian Trail (except for two miles of paved road between 3.5 and 5.5 miles). This section of the AT is very rocky in sections as it rolls across the mountain ridge. At approximately 14.5 miles the course drops over 1,000 feet in a series of steep “switchbacks” that then crosses under Rt. 340 and connects with the C&O Canal towpath. The “Canal” section of the JFK 50 Mile is 26.3 miles (from 15.5-41.8 miles) of almost totally flat unpaved dirt/gravel surface that is free of all automotive vehicle traffic. The JFK 50 Mile route leaves the C&O Canal towpath at Dam #4 and proceeds to follow gently rolling paved country roads the last 8.4 miles to the finish. The Boonsboro start is at an elevation of 570 feet. The Williamsport finish is at 452 feet above sea level.
Realistically, it's the section from 2.5 to 15.5 that I'm most worried about.
Well yeah. That just reads painful. My legs are aching just reading about that. Maybe you could just roll down the switchbacks and save your legs.
I'm told that the last 8.4 miles on the road is actually the toughest part because it's such a runnable 50, and you're on a hard surface.I'm also told that nutrition is the hardest part to nail on these ultras.
You'll get the nutrition down during training with no problem. It's basically 300 cal per hour starting at the 30-45 minute mark and as much water as you can drink. Coke can be a lifesaver. If they have that planned, see about testing during training if you have doubts. I would strongly recommend salt stick brand tablets. I did one every 1/2 hr. I used to cramp all the time and don't anymore. I found the road miles to be the easiest. I was flying on anything road relative to the trail miles. With all your training base on the road I think this will be cake for you and where you pass the most people. A lot of these ultra guys only trail run so road is hard for them to adapt to.
I'd suggest hit the stair mill in prep for the climb if you don't have that type of terrain around. It's so easy on your knees but so good for building your leg strength for the hills. That said, 1100 ft in 5.5 miles isn't that steep. Go look at you Boston data and see what you climb over that tough section.
I suspect the hardest part will be the downhill. That's a knee and quad killer, especially if you can't work it into your training. Do you have anything in your area with 2+ miles of downhill at a decent grade?