Are you ready to run? Here are the 5 key tips to tackle your Tor Des Geants® written for you by the TRM Coaches experts in endurance ultra trail races up to 900km:
TIP N ° 1 – DEVELOP AND FOLLOW A RACE PLAN
A 330km Endurance Ultra Trail with 24,000m. D + like the Tor Des Geants® cannot be improvised!
It is necessary to carefully consider a certain number of fundamental aspects related with athletic training such as: pre-race tapering and rest; the check list and preparation of equipment and clothing; the definition of the nutritional plan and the necessary products; the drafting of the day by day race strategy.
Your RACE PLAN must include:
If you need support in setting up the plan we can help you. Click here: Race Plan Tor des Geants
TIP N° 2 – TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET
The formation of BLISTERS and HEMATOMES on the toenails at the Tor Des Geants® are one of the main problems encountered by the trailer runners. In the most serious cases it can lead to the abandonment of the race.
Remember to wear socks suitable to withstand many kilometers and stresses, especially the “trekking” or “trail running” type with reinforcements on the most delicated areas.
If, despite these precautions, BISTERS form during the TOR we suggest you to:
Watch the foot preparation video. Click here: How to prepare your feet for an ultra trail
TIP N ° 3 – MANAGE THE DESCENTS
The Tor Des Geants® track, in addition to a considerable positive difference in height, has a negative difference in height of 22,595 meters which puts a strain on the athletes’ joints, especially by stressing the knees.
It is important, from the first descents, to maintain a speed consistent with your level of training, a correct biomechanical structure of the body to prevent falls, focusing on the position of the pelvis and the inclination of the lower limbs … it goes without saying that it is recommended for this race to use the trail running poles as an extra support considering the duration of the competition.
The poles, in fact, perform the important function of maintaining the correct structure of the body, especially in times when you will be very tired, and of unloading part of the weight (also related with your backpack) that, otherwise, would weigh totally on your lower limbs.
The TRM Coaches use two particular techniques, taught in the TRM Camps: the “Butterfly Technique” forward with the “Crab Technique”, which involve facing the descent either frontally or sideways, to avoid muscle-joint overexertion and safeguard the knees and ankles.
If you don’t know them yet, you can learn and experience the techniques during the TRM Camps. Click here: TRM Trail Running Camps
TIP N ° 4 – MANAGING NUTRITION AND HYDRATION
The management of NUTRITION and HYDRATION in an Endurance Ultra Trail is one of the most critical elements, responsible for most of the withdrawals.
In the week before the race it is advisable: to eliminate the consumption of alcohol and spices that can irritate the intestine; increase the intake of carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (preferably wholemeal pasta and rice); reduce the intake of legumes and raw vegetables; reduce the use of products with a high lactose and fat content.
The day before the race, avoid excessive carbohydrate loading that you are not used to.
The TRM Team has developed a NUTRITIONAL PROTOCOL, the result of numerous simulations tested in endurance races and training, which is adapted to the individual characteristics of the athlete and the specificities of the competition
Here are some general guidelines:
If you are not sure about what to eat on an endurance ultra trail, you can take advantage of the TRM Nutrition Competition in conjunction with the race strategy plan. Click here: TRM Nutrition Competition
TIP N ° 5 – SLEEP PLANNING
Sleep management during the Tor Des Geants® represents one of the critical points of the RACE STRATEGY. We assume that in the months of preparation for the Tor Des Geants® you have studied your sleep cycle, simulated in training and / or in other Ultra Trail races the micro-sleeps to understand the minimum tolerated time according to your characteristics and, finally, understood what are the reactions of your body when you re-start running after a stop for a micro-sleep.
A few final suggestions:
In the future, to avoid the risk of hallucinations or excessive fatigue, train the micro sleep techniques experimented in the TRM Endurance Camp Mont Blanc on the UTMB® track. Click here: TRM Endurance Camp Mont Blanc
Now you are ready, you just have to run ….
Enjoy your race and good luck!
Digital Strategic Marketing Director – certified Innovation Manager – in multinational companies, she is still today the only Italian female athlete to have ran 900 km and 55,000m D+ in the mountains in a single stage race (Transpyrenea 2016, 3rd women overall). She counts numerous Podiums and international Victories on races over 100k. She holds a SNaQ CONI certification as a Trail Running Coach, Athletic Trainer and in Nutrition and Sports Supplementation. Since 2014 she is President and sports executive of innovative technology startups and companies, including Trail Running Movement and Digital Sport 360. She trains elite trail running athletes and she teaches in trail running coach certification courses. She is an author of sports articles on training, nutrition and supplementation in trail running and running, both in Italian and in English and Spanish. She manages relationships and collaborations with Federations and Race Organizers.