Divide 135 - What worked and what flopped

A self supported race of 135 miles takes a lot of coordination and planning. I thought I would write down my notes and thoughts on what worked for me and I what did not.

Food

I brought a lot. I brought many varieties. I was afraid that I would get out there and certain things would turn my stomach and that is exactly what happened.
The Good:
Fried chicken strips. These were perfect protein. They tasted good (although dry) and were easy to carry. My solution to the dry effect was to eat them with grapes.The grapes worked well on their own also.

Frying chicken before we left

Watermelon. My mother in law was nice enough to cut our watermelon into tiny chunks. They were perfect for eating on the move and they were one of the few things I could eat when my breathing was difficult.
Boost drinks (high protein variety). These were amazingly effective in the middle of the night when I didn't want to eat. Sometimes I could chug them down and others I had to sip. Either way, I was able to get the calories down.

The Bad:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were too dry and tasted gross to me. I think I only ate 1 full sandwich during the race, which was significantly less that I would have guessed (and planned).
Crackers and other dry food. They were just too hard to swallow.
Cucumbers. Too hard to chew.

The Ugly:
Rigatoni past with Italian dressing. The smell of the dressing made me gag. I tried to eat them because it tasted good, but I couldn't handle the smell.
Sliced turkey. It was easy to get down, but unfortunately, not so easy when it came back up.

My crew was very good at making sure I ate. Small amounts of constant eating was better for me than trying to eat a lot at one time. Eating too fast resulted in throwing it back up.

Drinks

I brought a lot of drinks as well. I had Starbucks (bottled fraps and double shots) drinks, various sodas, Gatorade, Naked Juice, and water.
Having the variety was nice. I was able to have caffeine in various forms throughout the race. I never drank any of the Naked Juice because my crew felt it was too much fruit for my upset stomach. I bought the small 4 oz cans of soda and those were perfect for drinking quickly without waste.

Clothes

I find the cheap stuff from Kohls and Target work best for me. I had the same pair of capris on the entire race. I wore an undershirt from a company called 32 degrees. It is very thin but warm. I kept it on the entire race as well. Over that I had my Team Wentlandt shirt, a Target purchase. I wore my InkNBurn buff on my head. My most useful clothing item was my The North Face raincoat. It is thin and light, but waterproof. It has zippers in the armpits for air circulation. It helped in the rain and the wind.

Because of the weather, I brought way too many clothes. I thought I would need more layers in the night. I thought I would change my clothes and I didn't. I had each type of garment in its own gallon plastic bag to keep them from getting wet. Hats, gloves, and other cold weather items were together for easy retrieval by my crew. It turned out we didn't need much of it, but I would rather be over prepared than the alternative. 

Foot Care

Those of you that know me know that my feet are biggest struggle in these races. I have had a hard time finding the right shoe/sock combination to avoid foot pain and blisters.
After this race, I can say 100% that I have it figured out.
I wore the Injinji Trail Toe Socks. They are thicker than their regular running socks. I wore only one pair the entire race.
I lubed my feet with A&D Diaper rash ointment. We reapplied it about every 30 miles or so. There wasn't a hard schedule, I would just stop when I felt hot spots.
The biggest key to this problem were my shoes. I wore the Altra Olympus. They were a game changer for me. I had one small blister on my left big toe, but otherwise, my feet were perfect. I wore them the entire 135 miles and had zero problems with my feet or legs. My hips hurt some throughout the race, but my legs never did. My feet never did. Compared to other races, this was a huge blessing!

My feet the day after. Very little swelling and only one blister.

My Crew

I knew my crew would be a significant factor in my success. I have seen crews implode and work against their runner due to drama or other issues. I needed to avoid that. I needed people that were runners, but also easy going enough to sit in a van together for up to 48 hours.

I chose the perfect combination of people. They got along so well and seemed to enjoy each other's company. They pushed me, supported me, and worked well to make sure I had what I needed. Each of them had the physical and mental tools to do the job.

Lets face it, there is a lot of embarrassing issues that can happen in front of your crew. I had to go to the bathroom in front of them, had to struggle in their presence, and was rather vulnerable in front of them. These people were my rock and never let me down. I would choose the exact same people if I did it again.

Mental State

I got down and sad at times. I was frustrated over my lack of oxygen and upset stomach. The one thing I didn't do was doubt my ability to finish. Especially after I made it to the turn around, I knew the buckle was mine. It was just a matter of how long it would take to claim it.
Nathan talked to me a lot about positive self-talk. I would say something negative and he would turn it around on me. He was great at talking me through issues. Sandy kept reminding me how well I was doing and that I needed to reward myself when it was over.
At one point I told Brady I needed him to tell me he thought I was doing ok. It seemed that I was never fast enough, never eating enough, never doing what he wanted. I think he is just tough on me in a way that pushes me, but when I am down, I take it the wrong way. We had a lot of special moments out there and I know he was (is) very proud of me. He asked me once in the middle of the night what I was running from or what I was trying to prove. I think the answer to that is that deep down I am not that confident. I am not sure I am good enough. Accomplishing huge challenges like Divide really alter your perception of confidence and struggle. It helps me know that I can push through pain and adversity, to reach triumph in the end.

I said before the race that "it takes a village to run 135 miles". My village was perfect. Together, we accomplished something, but more importantly, we made memories that will last a life time.