Elov's tips for Ultravasan!
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3.5 min reading
For many ultrarunners, the upcoming week will be an important and tough one, it's time for Ultravasan! Whether you are going to run 30, 45, or 90km, it can be helpful to get some tips from an experienced ultrarunner. Therefore, we asked Elov Olsson for his best tips. Elov will himself run the 45km category this year. Below, Elov discusses energy intake, caffeine, and mental strategies.
In addition to energy in the form of carbohydrates, I have come to use Intendshots, which has mainly been beneficial during longer races. Since I have coffee for breakfast, I usually have a few caffeine gels early in the race and then consume intendshots approximately every three hours, which can help you keep sharpness all the way.
Since I have a performance focus in these races, I don't take the time to change shoes. The faster it goes, the less I believe one gains from doing that. However, it might be worth it during UV90 if you know there aren't any top placements at stake. In that case, I would consider starting in a pair of comfortable trail shoes with good cushioning and then switching to a faster pair of road shoes. Ideally, they should have some pattern on the sole so it doesn't become too slippery. The weather also plays a role here, so in really rainy and wet conditions, I would probably stick with the trail shoes.
My mental strategies have developed over the years, and they start even before you reach the starting line. I like to visualize the race during training. Both different parts of the race, but especially the finish line. The latter can provide a great motivation to push through when the kilometers start to weigh on you. Strategies during the race can vary depending on the day I am having. On tougher days on the running trail, I mostly use sub-goals. These can be as short as needed. Sometimes it’s enough to focus on the next aid station, and sometimes every kilometer needs to be counted or even shorter. At the finish, we should aim to succeed, as long as there is no health risk. On good days, I've come to think differently regarding my mental strategy. Here, sub-goals become insignificant, and I just focus on the goal and my body instead. The mental ghosts here can instead be about whether it might be going a bit too fast in relation to the distance, and I work on convincing myself that my legs will carry me all the way. Here, one obviously needs to know their body well, and if it’s going a bit too fast early on, that may become strategy number one that takes precedence.
Elov and Umara wish all participants the best of luck at Ultravasan!
Elov's Tips for Ultravasan
When it comes to energy strategy for races between 45 and 90km, such as Ultravasan, I have some guidelines to follow. These have been fine-tuned over the years and also depend on which race I will be participating in. Since the race is as "short" as 45km, I usually aim for a slightly higher energy intake. This is because the intensity is higher and the body's carbohydrate usage increases, as well as the fact that the stomach doesn't have to hold the intake for as long. Here, I usually aim for an intake of around 100-110g of carbohydrates per hour, where I try to maintain the intake every 20-30 minutes. At 90km, the intensity is somewhat lower, and the stomach needs to handle the intake over a considerably longer time. Because the intensity is lower, the body can partially use more of its own fat as fuel. Here, I have tended to decrease carbohydrate intake somewhat to reduce the risk of stomach issues. The intake typically lies between 75-95g of carbohydrates per hour, depending on how well the energy levels in the body are and how the stomach functions during the race. This can be very individual in terms of how much one can handle and should be tested during training or several races to find the optimal energy intake.In addition to energy in the form of carbohydrates, I have come to use Intendshots, which has mainly been beneficial during longer races. Since I have coffee for breakfast, I usually have a few caffeine gels early in the race and then consume intendshots approximately every three hours, which can help you keep sharpness all the way.
Since I have a performance focus in these races, I don't take the time to change shoes. The faster it goes, the less I believe one gains from doing that. However, it might be worth it during UV90 if you know there aren't any top placements at stake. In that case, I would consider starting in a pair of comfortable trail shoes with good cushioning and then switching to a faster pair of road shoes. Ideally, they should have some pattern on the sole so it doesn't become too slippery. The weather also plays a role here, so in really rainy and wet conditions, I would probably stick with the trail shoes.
My mental strategies have developed over the years, and they start even before you reach the starting line. I like to visualize the race during training. Both different parts of the race, but especially the finish line. The latter can provide a great motivation to push through when the kilometers start to weigh on you. Strategies during the race can vary depending on the day I am having. On tougher days on the running trail, I mostly use sub-goals. These can be as short as needed. Sometimes it’s enough to focus on the next aid station, and sometimes every kilometer needs to be counted or even shorter. At the finish, we should aim to succeed, as long as there is no health risk. On good days, I've come to think differently regarding my mental strategy. Here, sub-goals become insignificant, and I just focus on the goal and my body instead. The mental ghosts here can instead be about whether it might be going a bit too fast in relation to the distance, and I work on convincing myself that my legs will carry me all the way. Here, one obviously needs to know their body well, and if it’s going a bit too fast early on, that may become strategy number one that takes precedence.
Elov and Umara wish all participants the best of luck at Ultravasan!
