The upcoming Cocodona 250 has at least two massive angles, with both Courtney Dauwalter and Jack Scott pushing their boundaries there this year.
Ultrarunning GOAT Dauwalter has been pretty much unbeatable over 100 miles as she’s rewritten the record books in recent years but the step up to 250 miles is something of a new venture and she gave an insight into her prep here after a recent 50km success.
And for Scott it’s very much a journey into the unknown in terms of the conditions he’ll face.
He set an astonishing new record when winning the Winter Spine Race last year, sleeping for less than an hour as he covered the 268 miles on the Pennine Way in what is billed as Britain’s ‘most brutal race’ more than 10 hours quicker than Jasmin Paris’ previous best mark.
But the temperatures in Arizona will be a world away from snow and ice in the UK winter and as he said himself on Instagram: “I know how to run a long way, I know how to behave, push and stay awake. This one is in a new environment and requires respect and specific training.”
Feeling the heat
It’s a fascinating project and one he’s doing in conjunction with one of his sponsors Inov8.
In a recent Q&A with them much more was revealed about his preparation for the 250-miler from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, which features 40,000ft (12,200m) of ascent and is described as “the most diverse point-to-point 200+ mile footrace in America.”
And you can get a flavour of the race via the trailer below…
This will be Scott’s first race in the US and his longest ultra since that incredible Spine success.
He has taken a sabbatical from work and also enlisted the help of sports performance experts at Leeds Beckett University, whose facilities include state-of-the-art altitude and heat chambers.
And in the Inov8 Q&A, when asked what he sees as his biggest challenge he says: “Heat and exposure to the sun on day one and some of day two, when there is very little shade.
“The course is linear uphill and without being crazy steep there is a sustained spell of at least 130 miles above 2,000m. The thin air and runnable course make this a fast race and one full of opportunity. A world class and ruthless field of runners excites me.”
Futuristic approach
He’s about to head out to northern Spain for long training runs in race-like conditions but what’s happened in the lab at Leeds Beckett University sounds next level.
Take this as one example: “To get the most accurate data we are using special thermostat pills. I activate a pill, which is linked to a handheld device, and it gives visual readings from inside my bowel via Bluetooth signals. To make sure the pill is in place I take it around 4am, it then passes through the stomach and is digested with my breakfast.
“By the time I’m in the heat chamber it’s live and doing its job. This also works well for hot-water immersion sessions, which I’ve been doing after treadmill workouts. I’m very grateful to have these facilities and the expertise of Dan Snape and his team available to me.
“All this stuff sounds shiny, a little crazy and dynamic. I’ve seen runners in the past get fixated on the training they’ve done and lose sight of the fact they’ve got to run a bloody long way, alongside some world class athletes who want it and deserve it.
“My physiology is vital as always. I am not relying on my lab testing for some superpower. It will hurt like it always does when going beyond 130 miles. The sleep game is risky and dangerous, and it will come down to grit, experience and want. That can’t be taught in a lab or measured on a machine.”
Sub-60 aim
And in terms of the timings, his Spine Race record was just under 73 hours last year but asked what the target is at Cocodona: “To achieve what I want at Cocodona 250, I will be out for sub-60 hours.
“The body and brain can do it, I know that. I must move quickly and efficiently, be patient and wait for my strengths to shine through.”
The course record time at Cocodona is only a handful of minutes under 60 hours which underlines just what Scott is pitching for – bring on the battle with Dauwalter and the rest!
