Good luck! You're going to do great!

Four more sleeps until my first 50 miler! Anxiety high! Starting to think about my drop bag. The course is a "Y" shape and I will have access to my drop bag 3 times. Any distance runners out there have any drop bag advice? Any treat that kept them going? Anything they wish they had put in there, but didn't? So far, I just have the usual: clothes, nutrition, and body glide...

Yes! You're there to run, not play in your drop bag. So don't put a lot of stuff in there. Or you'll play in your drop bag rather than run because you'll be kind of tired.

Here's how I avoid playing in my drop bag:
1) I put the clothes in a ziplock bag and BURY THEM in the bottom of the bag. This way they won't get in the way. You're not changing clothes unless you crap yourself, right? Those are emergency only. Same with any medical stuff or food - you can rely on the aid station food, right? With your stuff as "In case they ran out of gummy bears"? (Or whatever)

2) I write notecards with instructions on them for what I'm supposed to do at each mile. On my list? 1) Use asthma inhaler 2) Reapply bug spray 3) Reapply sunscreen. 4) Get headlamp And that's really it.

I used to put everything plus the kitchen sink in my drop bag. I've cut way down since and things are much more manageable now. What goes in there totally depends on the race and the weather. Meds, sunscreen, water spray bottle and towel (it's amazing how much better you feel when you have a chance to clean the grime off your face occasionally). Spare batteries. I don't bother with changes of clothing unless I know I'm going to be running after sunset and the temps drop a lot.

I don't bother with changes of clothing unless I know I'm going to be running after sunset and the temps drop a lot.

I usually consider the clothing in my drop bag to be a near-game day decision based on weather. I try to avoid the kitchen sink approach and bring only what I really need.

I ran the Beast of Burden winter 50 (in Buffalo. In January. Yeah, it was cold). I had two drop bags and each drop bag had a pair of snowpants and a parka, in addition to extra layers, ski mittens (1 pair in each bag), and ski goggles (one set in each bag)! My drop bags were ENORMOUS. That said, I only went into one of them and I only got the three things I needed - asthma inhaler, parka, and a headlamp.

Good luck!!!

I haven't run a 50 miler, but I did pretty much put everything but the kitchen sink in my drop bag at my 50K. I thought I had it organized...but NO, I was digging through trying to find this and that. Definitely keep it simple. I like the idea of putting any extra clothes in a zip lock or something so they're not getting all jumbled and making things hard to find because chances are you won't use them.

I don't know if you listen to music when you run, but one idea I had, (although I didn't actually use it on my last race - but I still like the idea) was I brought my ipod and had it ready in my drop bag as extra motivation to get me through the last several miles if I needed it.

Good luck! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Make sure your drop bag will be easy to find in the pile. My unscientific survey results indicate that most people use black or blue bags, and there are always a bunch of light colored plastic bags in the mix. I use bright pink soft-sided coolers. They are always easy to find.

My drop bag always has socks, regardless of the weather forecast or trail conditions. And I always pack extra food I know I can tolerate in the event the race food doesn't agree with me.

Have a great time!

Make sure your drop bag will be easy to find in the pile. My unscientific survey results indicate that most people use black or blue bags, and there are always a bunch of light colored plastic bags in the mix. I use bright pink soft-sided coolers. They are always easy to find.

Have a great time!

good idea! i volunteered at a 145km ultra last year and our aid station was 125km into the race so it was getting dark by the time the soloists were coming into our station. we had organized the bags into a system we thought would work, but it was still pretty chaotic and after running 125km some of the runners weren't all there and couldn't even remember what their bags looked like.

one guy came into the aid station and we found his plastic bag and he pulled his pack off his back and reached inside and pulled out a fresh back pack with everything ready to go. he was gone in a matter of seconds. i thought that was pretty slick of him. :glasses: