Written by Jeff Garmire
I signed up for the Cocodona 250 only a couple of weeks before the actual race. I had never run a 250-mile race. I had never even run a 100-mile race. My racing background was a series of fun runs, middle school track meets (fastest time in the district for hurdles!), and one 50k race. I had no idea what I was doing. My world was FKTs, hundreds of miles of self-sufficient adventures, and untimed long days in the mountains. A 250-mile race was something totally new. That is why I signed up.
I entered the race with the fitness and training but lacked knowledge about how the event would unfold and what strategy should go into finishing successfully. But now, as I am coming back for year two, here are the things I learned on the first go around:
Do your drop bags right
I didn’t know a thing about the structure of long races. During my 50k, I sent a drop bag to the halfway point with a ham sandwich inside. I still had a lot to learn. On the morning of Cocodona, I carried two 40 liter backpacks to the start line and was prepared to drop them off and live out of them for the next couple of days. But my strategy was quickly proved wrong. Most runners were bringing up numerous bags—one for every aid station. I quickly picked out two aid stations and had my only two bags sent there. It was my first faux paux. To combat the lack of support, crew, and drop bags, I threw an extra pair of socks in my running pack and joined the start line.
Find Some Pacers
I don’t know how ultrarunners have so many friends that are willing and able to take time off to pace them through their races, but this is a race that I would definitely recommend bringing pacers. Most of my friends in the Phoenix area were already either working for Aravaipa or volunteering at Cocodona, so I didn’t even ask anyone until a couple of days before the race. Going into the 250 miles, I had one potential pacer, nothing more.
On the morning of day two, I realized how refreshed the runners with pacers looked, and I immediately texted my friend Bryce. With a background as both a thru-hiker and a trail runner, I hoped he would be able to join for some of the night miles. Once I had him convinced, he came out and ran through all of night two. It was so fun that he came back out to pace me through the last 40 miles as well.
Having a pacer didn’t just break up the distance, but it also helped me be more efficient at aid stations, think less about directions, mileage, timing, and continue eating and drinking. A good pacer helps with a lot more than running with you. Bryce checked in, ensured I had nutrition and hydration before we left each aid station, and always had the GPS track up to ensure we correctly navigated each intersection.
Crew can be a huge motivator
I didn’t have a crew last year, but I am bringing one this time. The runners that had support could be more flexible out on the course. They had the benefit of a quiet retreat at aid stations to either nap or regroup. Also, it allowed runners the flexibility in nutrition, gear, and anything else they couldn’t find at aid stations. Some of the runners looked done when they entered an aid station, but came out of their crew vehicle refreshed with renewed energy. Simply seeing familiar faces when the going gets tough can be all it takes to turn a long race around.
Aid Stations are Amazing but Dangerous
Every aid station has a chair and some even have places to sleep. Avoiding the chairs for anything longer than a couple minutes worked best for me. Some runners stayed in the aid stations for huge chunks of time, stuck in a chair, but it did not seem to translate to being any faster when they finally left. Every time I entered an aid station, I had a plan for what to eat, drink, and what to take with me. When that was done I would allow myself a minute or two to decompress and then I was back moving forward again. Even if I sat down or napped half a mile after the aid station, the pull of the comforts wouldn’t hold me back further.
Brush off minor errors
At about mile 200, I made a wrong turn. The route followed a trail but I continued jogging down the road. A mile later I realized the error, simply turned around, and went back to where the mistake had occurred. It was a downer to waste two miles of effort, but there was nothing I could do other than get back on track. Going into the race, I had the overall goal of maintaining a positive attitude and enjoying the adventure. Even a mistake could not bring down my temperament.
Much like my background of FKTs, the highs and lows of a 250-mile race are magnified. A small error can easily lead to a downward spiral. But if you maintain an even temperament throughout—riding the fleeting highs, and persevering through the threatening lows—the benefits are a much more enjoyable race.
Get to know the other runners
The race is 250 miles. Especially at the beginning, there are so many cool and unique individuals to interact with. Through the first (brutal) 50k I had the pleasure of decent conversation with many different runners. Some ended up finishing in the top 5 and others ended their race early, but they all had awesome stories and backgrounds. We were all ready to be out here for days, and getting to know the other runners seemed obvious!
And of course, just have fun!
You chose to do this, so you might as well enjoy it!
