Avoiding multi-day race mistakes: some of the most useful advice for the Cape Wrath Ultra

The Race Director speaks

Advice for the Cape Wrath Ultra is available in all quarters. Personally, I’m inclined to pay close attention to the race director of any race and that is especially the case for CWU. Race directors have seen hundreds of runners and can spot the patterns. At the individual level it’s not certain what will work and what won’t - that, of course, is the beauty of it all. Yet, the advice from the race director can elevate itself beyond the anecdotal and shed light on the patterns.

The great thing about these tips is that they can almost all be addressed, to some extent, in the last few days before the event starts.

This video with Cape Wrath Ultra’s event director Shane Ohly is gold. (Via the Wild Ginger Trail & Ultra channel.)

Mistake 1: “Overtraining in the week and month before the event”.

There is still time to make this mistake - especially in the UK where we have another long weekend for the Coronation. It is tempting to go out and do three days straight but, so far, I’ve managed to increase my volume without any injury concerns. I think some less intense efforts are good for refining kit choices, if you’ve not already done so, but the training effect at this stage will be limited and any fatigue/niggles carried into the start will soon be horribly exposed. It is nearly time to chill so I’ll be dialling it back this weekend. No panic training! See my last post. 😀

Mistake 2: Pacing problems and going too quick on Day 1 and Day 2.

Shane points out that females have better finishing rates. One reason could be, he speculates quite reasonably, is that they pace better. I think this is a big one for me. Not because I am particularly prone to going out madly, I’m far too far back in the pack to be worried about that. Yet, I look at my pace on my training runs and it is too quick (though I must emphasise I do not qualify as fast - this is all relative) for CWU and it’s not going to be sustainable. I need to back right off.

I recall reading one tip about CWU about pacing strategy. The advice was to concentrate on going really slowly on the ’easy’ days. Of course it is all relative but it struck me then, and it chimes with the pacing advice, that there is plenty of spare time on those days. Now, you want to be in with plenty of time for admin and to eat (see #3 and #6 below) but you can burn a lot of matches to get in just 30mins earlier. That’s almost certainly not worth it and it invites disaster on a multi-day effort.

Mistake 3: Over-reliance on very sweet foods + failure to refuel at the overnight camps.

One meal ain’t enough. Tough if you come in very late but eating and eating is gonna be important. Shane also highlighted the importance of a variety of food. I’ll write more on this but I’m aiming for a very normal diet during the day as much as possible. That means sandwiches and crisps and nuts and cake for me with nary a gel in sight. 😀

Mistake 4: Weak navigational skills

Weak navigations skills and tiredness are not a happy combo. The fatigue part of the equation is largely unavoidable but it just means your nav skills need to be even stronger so when the old cognitive processes are hamstrung you can still find your way. As Shane suggests, at key moments, panic decisions are not good so, if in doubt, take a breath and don’t rush it.

Yet, there is still time to get better at the nav. There might not be time for a course but YouTube is your friend and practising some map and compass work could mean some fresh air without over-cooking the mileage. (See #1.) CWU does not appear to have especially demanding navigation but it is still very possible to cock it up and this is rough ground where any extra miles will be brutal and potentially disastrous.

I’m old enough to have learned to navigate in filthy Scottish winter weather in pre-GPS days. My trusty Silva compass won’t be too far away…

Mistake 5: No excuses on mandatory kit.

Have it all and have it ready to show. And as Shane mentions - it is the minimum. Don’t be afraid to take extra to make sure you are safe. I’ve definitely got a few extra items that I will chuck in the drybag and then see what the weather gods give us. Most eccentrically, I have a pair of old Dachstein mitts that I like to have in the bottom of my bag when it’s foul. I might smell like a mouldy old sheep but they are guaranteed to bring my hands back to life in any weather.

Mistake 6: Personal admin error is the most common reason to DNF.

This is somewhat all-encompassing but it is critical. You have to be organised and you have to try to maintain that discipline even when utterly knackered. It is a multitude of tasks: it means changing your grundies so you don’t end up wth crotch rot; drying and tending to your feet to head off problem areas; sorting your kit the night before and not faffing like a muppet in the morning; and much much more.