Adventure Packing

May 24, 2012 by Trisha Berube 4 Comments

I haven’t had much time to write this week because I was in NYC for work. But now I’m back and I’m exhausted, and hoping I can stuff enough hours of sleep into the days and nights leading up to the race so that I can actually finish without conking out on the side of the trail.

And speaking of stuffing, I have been spending just about the whole day thinking about what the hell I’m going to pack for the weekend. My friend Jason Robillard says that the amount of stuff a runner packs for an ultra is directly proportionate to the runner’s experience. And since I’m a complete noob, I pretty much plan to pack half my home. The list includes:

Running tanks
Capri-length running tights
Running skirts (INKnBURN, baby!)
Zensah calf sleeves
Invisible Shoes (re-laced and cut shorter to better match the shape of my foot)
Merrell Pace Gloves
VIVO Breathos
Merrell Dash Gloves or Vibram SeeYas
at least 2 pairs of Injinjis
sports bras
albuterol inhaler
my handheld water bottle
my Nathan hydration vest (even though I’m 99% sure I won’t use it)
tons of snacks
at least 2 gallons of water
Body Glide
my Garmin watch
Nuun
a cooler
almond milk
bananas
chia seeds
dried mangos
dates
whey protein
homemade potato salad (the race director requested a food donation)
my blender

You should notice two things here: 1. I did not list underwear. 2. yes, I said I’m bringing a blender. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

The things I hope to learn from this weekend’s adventure are the following:

whether I am able to run 31 miles without dropping dead or injuring myself
what I don’t need to pack next time
how well I can function after a week’s worth of sleep deprivation and high alcohol consumption
why Jason Robillard insists on wearing such short shorts

The race is in three short days, readers. Wish me luck!