10 TIPS TO RUN THE ULTRA TRAIL MONT BLANC

Are you in the starting list of the UTMB? Did you train well in the last few months?

You are now in the final stage of preparation; the adrenaline rises and you are very close to the start. It is important not to lose concentration and pay the utmost attention so as not to compromise the work done up to this point.

Here are the 10 Top Tips from our Coaches for the last pre-race days:

1. Start a progressive tapering, keep the same training sequence and intensity but reduce the overall mileage
2. Finish testing your gear and nutritional scheme that you will use in the race at the latest 1 week before the start
3. By this date you should have already done the last long pre-race run by completing the total of kilometers to be covered over several days. 1 week before the UTMB we advise you not to plan holidays by the sea and to opt, if possible and compatible with family commitments, for the mountains. The weekend before the competition, run the last trail running session not exceeding 15-18K and a d+ of 500-600m. The week of the competition limit your sessions to slow running, even on undulating track, of max 1 hour + 5-6 sprints of 100m and stretching. The day before the race, rest or run at a maximum of 20′on the flat. Plan a sport massagge 3 days before the race
4. Prepare your backpack with the mandatory equipment and weigh it several times. Ideally you should be able to have a total weight not exceeding 1-1.5Kg excluding water making the most of the refreshment points. Remember to put your gear (clothes) in plastic bags to prevent them from getting wet due to rain or humidity from the sweating
5. Write a race plan indicating times, stop at the refreshment points, any clothes change and obviously what you will intake in the different sections of the race. Remember that in such a long race the gels and bars must be alternated with other nutritional elements to avoid hyperglycemia. When calculating the amount of sugar, also count sugary drinks (i.e. coke)
6. On the day of the race, avoid or reduce to a minimum dairy products, vegetables, fruites, carbonated drinks, meat. Have your usual breakfast based on sugars and carbohydrates, anticipate lunch at 12-12.30pm and organize a snack based on carbohydrates 2 hours and 30 minutes before the start of the race
7. If it is the first time you run a 170K, start slowly and use the first hour up to Les Houches as a warm-up. Alternate slow running and fast walking on short climbs. Remember that the race really starts from Courmayeur onwards, it is from there that you will have to give your best. In defining your goal, if, for example, you ran the LUT or a similar race and you finished it with a time close to 23-24 hours, you can think of a UTMB in 42-43 hours. Nothing will stop you from pushing harder at the end of the race if you feel you can!
8. During the night, increase the concentration of sugar in your sport bevearge, it will help you stay more alert
9. If you feel nauseous during the race, stop taking sugary foods, drink plenty of water, walk and eat some crackers with grains of salt on the surface. Remember that crises come and go … think, look for the solution and keep walking … don’t give up
10. From Champex – Lac onwards, withdrawals decrease drastically and the perception that you can become a Finisher begins to make its way. In the life base, quickly change your wet clothes and get ready for the last 45K, facing them with all the grit you have left … now you are there!

Would you like our Coaches to help you to prepare your ULTRA TRAIL 167km RACE PLAN? Invest a few tens of euros in a well-structured plan by TRM Coaches and let yourself be guided to the finish line!

FIND OUT more about the Race Plan, click HERE