In ultrarunning, we train our bodies to run for hours on end. But a 100-mile race is as much a logistics challenge as it is a running one. Your overall time is not just your moving time; it’s your moving time plus your stopped time. The minutes spent at aid stations can add up to well over an hour, turning a 23:45 finish into a 25:05 or even a DNF. We must therefore train not just to run, but to be ruthlessly efficient when we are not running.

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This is part of a series of posts regarding how we prepare, plan, and train to complete the 100-mile Ultramarathon Umstead 100. Our series for this event: Collecting Laps: one lap at a time to 100. For all the ultrarunning series, here, follow the link. Training for a 100. Alternatively, you can also follow our Podcast so you don’t miss the weekly summary post.

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Think of an aid station transition like a NASCAR pit stop. It should be a pre-planned, choreographed sequence of actions designed to get you back on the course as quickly and effectively as possible. As we look ahead to the next training block, which includes looped events like the Derby 50k and Shakori 40, we have the perfect opportunity to practice these transitions. These races will be our live-fire exercises. This week, we learn the principles.

Assessment:

Your first task is to conduct a Time Audit. You need to internalize just how significant stopped time can be. Let’s do some conservative math for a 100-mile race at Umstead with a generous number of aid stations:

• Main Aid Stations/Drop Bags and Mid Aid station (e.g., 12 stops): If you spend an average of 4 minutes at each (changing gear, refilling, addressing issues), that’s 48 minutes.
• Minor Aid Stations (e.g., 10.5 stops): If you spend an average of 1.5 minute at each (refilling a bottle, grabbing a handful of chips), that’s 7 minutes.
• Total Stopped Time: 48 + 10.5 = 58.5 minutes. (~1 hour)

Just like that, about an hour has been added to your finish time. This assumes everything goes smoothly. Your assessment is to honestly ask yourself: Where do I lose time? Is it fumbling for gear? Is it indecision about what to eat, or what to get? The goal is to distinguish between purposeful stops (e.g., deliberately sitting for 5 minutes to fix a brewing blister) and wasted time (e.g., spending 3 minutes searching for the anti-chafe stick you misplaced in your bag). We can eliminate wasted time.

Planning:

This week, you will design your personal Pit Stop Protocol. This is a repeatable sequence of actions that you will practice until it becomes automatic. The goal is to minimize thinking and maximize efficiency. A great framework is “In, Execute, Out.”

1. Approaching the Station (Mental Prep): In the half-mile before you arrive, perform a mental checklist. What do I need to do? What am I dropping off? What am I picking up? Formulate your plan before you stop moving.
2. The Execution (Physical Tasks): Organize your drop bag and your actions in a logical flow. A proven workflow is:
   • Trash Out: First thing, dump any empty gel packets or trash from your pockets.
   • Refill & Reload: Refill your bottles and hydration pack. Simultaneously, grab the nutrition you need for the next leg and put it in your vest.
   • Repair & Renew: Address any gear or body issues. Reapply lube, change your socks or shoes, grab your headlamp. This should be a specific, planned task.
   • Refuel: While doing the above, actively eat and drink something substantial at the station itself.
3. Thinking about how you could be using your crew and pacers to help you do things in parallel and save time.
4. Exiting the Station (Final Check): Once your tasks are done, get moving. You can continue eating your quesadilla or drinking your soup while walking out of the aid station. This “walking start” gets you back on the course and saves precious seconds.

Practice this protocol on your long runs using the trunk of your car as a mock aid station. The more you practice, the more automatic it will become.

Diabetic Learning Notes:

For the Type 1 athlete, the aid station is both a pit stop and a medical checkpoint. Our efficiency is paramount, not just for saving time, but for ensuring we make clear, safe decisions about our health.

Your Time Audit assessment must include your specific diabetes tasks. A quick blood glucose check might add 1-2 minutes. A full infusion site change could add 5-10 minutes. This is not wasted time; it is purposeful and essential. You must, however, account for it in your overall race plan and make it as efficient as possible. Is your meter buried in your bag, or is it easily accessible?

Your Pit Stop Protocol must have a dedicated medical module that you practice relentlessly.

• Create a T1D “Go-Bag”: Keep a small, clearly marked pouch or Ziploc bag within your main drop bag that contains everything you need: meter, test strips, lancets, alcohol swabs, and a complete infusion set or backup syringe. This prevents you from frantically digging when you need it most.
• Adopt a T1D Workflow: Structure your aid station tasks around your diabetes management. A highly effective workflow is:
  1. Check BG Immediately: The first thing you do upon arrival is get a blood glucose reading.
  2. Multitask: While the meter is counting down, start another task like refilling a water bottle.
  3. Analyze & Decide: Look at your BG number and your CGM trend. Make your fueling and insulin decisions for the next leg.
  4. Execute: Administer any insulin and complete your other aid station tasks.
  5. Final Check & Leave: Confirm you have your low treatments and supplies, and get moving.

Practicing this specific workflow will reduce cognitive load, minimize errors, and make your transitions safer and faster.

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 17	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	Rest	13	Rest	31	Rest	50
Actual	Stretching	6	7	13	Stretching	31	Rest	57

Next Week Plan: Bull City Run Fest

Week 16	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	5	6	Rest	13	10	40