Welcome to part one of the (semi) official Ugoku Projects ultrarunning checklist! This behemoth of a guide will walk you through what I, Ugoku Projects founder and CDO (Chief Daddy Officer) Darryl, have learnt running some quite frankly stupid distances!

I hope you find this list helpful as an example of what to think about when packing for a long day out on the trails.  These are just the basics I always take – I’ve made sure to run through my experiences and outline why some of these made the cut. 

But first – who the hell am I to dish out this advice?

Read part two here

My story

I remember arriving at my first trail race and seeing loads of runners with hydration vests, compression socks – the works. It looked like an advert for UTMB (not that I knew what that stood for), and yet, although it was to be my longest run to date, this was only a 14km trail race. 

My buddy and I looked at each other, both thinking the same thing – that we were completely unprepared! All we had was our bib numbers as we wandered amongst the seasoned pros donning knee-high socks and heart rate monitors. Little did I know at the time that this sort of distance would one day become my go-to Sunday morning stroll.

Fast forward to my first 50km race and I’d come a long way. (It was actually about 52km. Doesn’t seem like much, but when you think you’re about to finish and realise you still have 2 more kilometres – it’s not pretty.) 35k into the race I was deep in the pain cave, having not stayed on top of nutrition and hydration. I managed to pull through, but my discomfort paled in comparison to how my evening panned out.

Forgive me for being explicit, but we’re all friends here, right? The fact is, I had gotten such bad chafing on my gooch from the liner of my shorts that, upon attempting to immerse myself in a salt bath lovingly prepared by my wife, I delivered a frankly Oscar-worthy silent performance of agonised facial expressions.

All of which is to say – you learn things along the way. Which brings me back to this list – I hope it might help you avoid severe gooch-chafing one day.

Pre-race routine

The night before the race is your chance to lay out everything you might need, so that, after a potentially sleepless night, you don’t have to think too much when you’re getting ready to run.

Stick to your usual breakfast

Don’t try anything new race day – the last thing you need is to be looking for a discrete bush 8k in (see emergency toilet kit). Any new things should be tried during training. I normally have a hydration mix too before heading off so I arrive nicely hydrated and fuelled.

Anti-chafe balm

I use Squirrel’s Nut Butter, but there are loads of options on the market. This goes (you guessed it) on the gooch, and I use it on my feet too, especially between the toes. 

It’s also worth thinking about your nipples (not like that), especially if you have to run in the rain or you just sweat a lot (like me). I’ve found surgical tape to be a cheap, practical solution that I can carry with me in case I start to feel hot spots – you don’t want to be red number 11 at the finish line.

Know the parking/travel arrangements

I’ve arrived at a race before and found my parking app isn’t working. Let me tell you, needing to find somewhere else to park in a place you don’t know when a race is about to start is massively stressful.

Fill up your race vest bottles

Saves you a couple of minutes!

Post-race drop bag

So you have made it to the finish, congrats! You’ll probably be feeling pretty rough at this point, physically and/or mentally. Having a couple of key items in your drop bag can help ease the transition into ‘recovery mode’.

Comfortable warm clothes
It is so easy to sit down and try to compose yourself after the massive effort – next thing you know, you’re jackhammering as your body temperature rapidly drops. Sitting in sweaty, wet clothing only makes it worse. 

Try to make a point of getting into comfortable warm dry clothes as soon as you can, before settling into the post-race socials. Remember, ‘motion is lotion’ – a walk the following day does wonders too. 

Sliders or comfy shoes and extra socks
Your feet have taken a pounding, so give them some love!

Towel / baby wipes
You’re likely to smell a bit – some baby wipes will lessen the stench!

Nutrition (bars, snacks, etc.) and hydration
Some struggle to eat after a big push, but it is worth trying to get bits in as it will do wonders for your recovery. Focus on protein and carbohydrate-rich foods, although even downing a coke is better than nothing. Stay hydrated and try to keep moving as you cool down so you don’t get overly stiff.

Power bank for electronics
If your phone’s out of battery, you can’t put your run on Strava – so did it really happen?