Looking at a multi-day stage race?
featuring Travis Rolph
A self-supported multi-day stage race is a lot to bite off; few people have attempted it. TPU appeals to that pioneer spirit that remains in us, even into the 21st century. Many are attracted to the experience.
If you’ve already made the leap, congratulations! You’re embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and we will support you all the way, with content and coaching on nutrition, gear, planning and training that you can put right to work in your preparation phase.
If you’ve been eyeing TPU with desire, but aren’t sure yet whether to make the leap, let us introduce you to Travis Rolph, who successfully completed the inaugural TPU race in 2015. He has some tried-and-true strategies that may catapult you over your doubts.
Travis is an Army Special Ops veteran, and thus an expert in many of the things that intimidate us ordinary civilian runners and hikers: weather, gear, energy management.
Here’s what I learned from “the expert.”
There are three aspects to a self-supported stage race:
- physical training
- mental toughness
- PLANNING
Travis had lots to share about that last one, so the emphasis is his. His military training has taught him to be highly attuned to planning, which may be sometimes neglected by runners as they focus on miles and miles of just putting in time on their feet.
Travis’s training was different than most. He did not do mega-training runs, but instead did medium-distance runs, every day, day after day after day. Instead of typical distance training, with shorter daily runs and huge volume runs on the weekends, he would do something like 8 miles every day for a week.
He emphasized consistency rather than heavy mileage, and recommended that participants train with a full pack in the last several months leading up to the race.
Travis devised training routes that simulated the actual course, setting up his own checkpoints. For example, TPU situates checkpoints every 5-6 miles. The exact mileage between aid stations can be found online at http://trans-pecosultra.com/course-info-rules/#course. On longer runs, Travis would stash water and supplies on his training routes, mimicking the intervals of TPU checkpoints, then practice a very specific routine for clearing each checkpoint:
- When aid station in sight, finish off water.
- Refill bottles.
- Consume calories pre-packed and labeled for each checkpoint.
- Drink half bottle of water.
- Refill bottle
- Exit checkpoint.
He followed this routine at each and every checkpoint, completing it in 1-2 minutes, thus eliminating time that can just droozle away when you’re tired. He wasn’t seeking a speed record, but he was conscious that the more time he squandered uselessly in an aid station, the less time he had for recovery in camp at the finish of the stage.
Daily recovery is essential for a happy stage race.
Travis practiced the checkpoint routine, even on training runs, so that it smoothly rolled out without much thought, at every checkpoint. Efficient, is what it was.
This is the first I’ve ever heard of practicing transition through aid stations. I tried it in a recent trail race, saving myself the minutes that I used to spend standing around, wondering what I should do next and chit-chatting with people, until I would nearly forget I was in a race.
Something else Travis brought from his military training was the weight of his starting pack: 15.8 pounds, without water. That’s ultralight, and it doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the product of careful planning:
Calories packed by day in sealed bags
Sleeping bag, pillow, night gear, clothin
Water bottles, toiletries, safety gear, pack
Food for the week is the heaviest item in the pack, and deserves careful planning. Travis had his calories in separate sealed packs for each day (top of photo.) He had realistically anticipated his energy needs, based on difficulty of the stage and time on feet, and provided just enough. He did not dip into future calories, nor fail to consume those allocated to the present day. It was very precise.
(See our training blog at http://trans-pecosultra.com/food-self-supported-stage-race/ for more details about calorie planning. You will also find posts about sleeping bags, heat training and other essentials for stage racing.)
Identify mission-essential tasks.
Military training has also taught Travis to prioritize. He identifies tasks that are mission-essential, and those that are secondary. For example, his routine upon coming into camp each afternoon took care of first things first. As soon as he dropped his pack, he consumed his recovery shake, launching metabolic recovery. Next he stripped down and tended to his feet. Then he began food prep, to get calories replenished. After he laid out his supplies for bedtime (bag, toiletries, mat), he rested and caught up with the other athletes and volunteers. It was the same every day: mission-essential tasks first, in order of importance, in order to be able to start the next day at 100%.
I asked Travis what he would say to someone 7 months out from their own TPU adventure. He said to look forward to the experience of being “escaped”. TPU is an opportunity to entirely dis-connect from the demands of technology, which make us accessible to others 24/7 via texts and email. In Big Bend Ranch, you don’t have cell reception, so you’re on true vacation.
“Time travel”
TPU gave him the chance to go back in time, to an era when the daily routine was simple, and people talked to each other at night for entertainment. At TPU, you will be totally engrossed in the uncomplicated daily task of running through a remote, epic wilderness, with companions waiting around a campfire at the end of the day.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence, drawn by the unique experience of TPU, let the specifics of Travis’s experience give you the confidence to leap!
Register at: http://trans-pecosultra.com/registration-details and check for group and military discounts, as well as payment options.
Need more information before leaping? You can talk directly to the Race Director, Chris Herrera at 432.294.5284.
Many thanks to Travis Rolph for his willingness to share his experience and expertise!
Explore the magic of Trans-Pecos Ultra at: http://trans-pecosultra.com/photos-and-videos/
