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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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=What happened=
I covered 81 laps for 123 miles, far short of my goal of 140+.
* '''Mile 40/8 Hours'''. I swapped from my [[Modified Nike Free]] to the [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=HokaOneOne&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zappos.com%2Fhoka-one-one [Hoka Shoe Review|Hoka One One]] shoes I've been trying out. I've modified the Hokas by cutting the toe box open as I do with my Frees. I was having problems with the soles of my feet becoming sore and this looked like it would be a serious problem later. My longest run in the Hokas prior to this was only 10 miles, so this was a risky approach that breaks [[The Golden Rule of Racing]], but the alternative seemed worse.
* '''Mile 65/11 Hours'''. At this point I started to have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_%28symptom%29 Migraines Aura] that prevented me seeing properly. I have only had a [http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120 migraine] while running once, and never before in a race. I rapidly ate several gel packs and 200mg of caffeine to see if I could abort the migraine. After about half an hour my vision returned and I was left with some mood disturbances but no headache.
* '''Mile 100/17 Hours'''. For a few hours my digestive system had been unhappy and uncomfortably hot. Therefore at the 100 mile mark I decided I'd slow down for a bit to bring things under control. The 100 mile mark was a good point for a gentle lap and I also realized the leader had dropped. However, things went rapidly from bad to worse and I had nausea. This was different to what happened to me at [[2012 Poland 24 Hour World Championships|Poland]] and vomiting resolved the nausea within a few minutes. However, my stomach would not tolerate food or liquid from this point on.
** '''[[Downhill Running| Downhill training]]'''. I did a lot of downhill training for Poland and I believe this gave me a lot of muscular endurance. I found my legs were far better than I expected at both Poland and this race.
** '''The [[Morton Stretch]]'''. I saw Mike Morton do a short series of stretches while setting the American 24 hour record in Poland. He felt these kept him limber, so used a modified approach, stretching every 3 laps (4.5 miles). This helped a little for the first 50 miles, but was quite remarkable later, giving me the feeling of new legs.
** '''Hokas.''' Many runners claim that the [[Hoka Shoe Review|Hokas ]] reduce muscular fatigue, but I can't be sure from this run.
** '''Run/Walk.''' I took a short [[Walking Breaks| walking break]] on every lap after running the first couple to get clear of the pack.
* '''Shoes.''' My [[Modified Nike Free]] shoes worked well for the first 50 miles, but did not provide the protection I needed for my soles. The modified Hoka worked better than I expected, giving me amazing protection from the surface. I also found the minimal heal rise and the reduced sole thickness from the ball of the foot to the toes helped keep my biomechanics efficient. However, the fit and inflexibility produced some hotspots and pressure on my Achilles, and they felt heavy. ([[Hoka Shoe Review|Full review to follow in a few weeksof the Hokas]].)
* '''Mid race massage.''' I often find that my hip flexors become painful and tight after about 30 miles, and the pain arrived on cue at Hinson Lake. Some simple [[Massage| massage]], digging into the muscle with my thumbs, resolved the problem and it didn't come back.
* '''Self-crewing. '''At Hinson Lake I find it easy to be self-crewed. I can take my drinks made up in 8oz bottles and lay all my stuff out on a table. I've found this [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=Table&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FOffice-Star-4-Foot-Resin-Multipurpose%2Fdp%2FB0015TRJCM folding table] works remarkably well. Having everything is Ziploc bags helps keep things organized and dry in the rain.
