Mt. Hood 50 Miler: Where We're Going, We Don't Need... Roads. (Pre Race Post)
It’s go time.
The Mt. Hood 50 Miler is coming up, and I wanted to drop a pre-race post to share a little about my training block, my gear, my fueling strategy, and the chaotic stack of snacks I’ll be hauling through the woods.
Also—just to set the tone—"Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need... roads."
50 Miles. All on trails, baby!
Training Block Summary
I kept things pretty simple. I'm slightly allergic to structure and my brain doesn't like thinking too much when I run, so I went by these general guidelines:
- Tons of easy miles. I needed to build my aerobic base, along with communicating to my muscles that we'll be doing this for a long LONG time.
- Tons of elevation gain. Fortunately I live in a relatively hilly neighborhood so I got a bit of practice going up and down hills. Still, I'm at the point where I typically just walk up anything that is more than slightly inconvenient.
- Long runs every weekend.
Lets also talk about strides
Strides were a huge part of my training, and honestly? I think they’re the secret sauce of speed, strength, and running economy.
They let me run fast—but not hard.
Are you still with me? Strides are short bursts of controlled speed, usually anywhere from 100 to 400 meters. You ramp up to a fast pace, hold it just long enough to feel smooth and snappy, and then back off before it gets difficult. It’s like teaching your body how to run efficiently at speed, without the stress of a full-on workout.
Let’s say I average 8x200m strides at around 6:00/mile pace once a week. That’s 1 mile of fast running each week. Over 16 weeks? That’s 16 miles at 6:00 pace added to the training block—without the wear and tear of weekly speed sessions.
It builds leg turnover, form, coordination, and confidence. And I never finish them feeling wrecked.
If you're new to running, strides are a safe and smart way to gently sprinkle in speed. Think of them as hot sauce—a little goes a long way!
April/May = Peak Mileage
This is when I really loaded up on time-on-feet:
Vernonia Marathon (26.2 miles) – a semi-controlled, marathon-effort long run
3.5 hour trail run at a local park (lots of loops, lots of nerds clusters)
Forest Park 50k near the end of May – more gear testing, more nutrition and strategy testing
4-hour trail run in June – yet more electrolyte and nutrition testing
Every one of these was a test: gear, nutrition, clothing, technique. It was a series of mini rehearsals. To hold to the principle of "nothing new on race day," I want to make sure that every thing I packed and ate *earned* its way into my kit. Things that didn't work out either got replaced or I had to take back to the drawing board.
I Got Sweat-Tested
Cramping has always been my Achilles’ heel (and calves, and hamstrings, and probably pinky toe). Even with fuel and hydration, I kept bonking after 3 hours. So I finally shelled out for a sweat test with Precision Hydration and found out:
I am... a very salty sweater.
What it means is I can lose almost 5 GRAMS of sodium through sweat after 3+ hours of work. So my current working theory is that the loss of sodium means I can't retain water in my system which messes up my blood volume, perceived effort, and the electrical signals to my muscles start going haywire.
To counteract this, I’m hydrating intentionally—Precision Hydration 1500 electrolyte tablets, timed water intake, and structured fueling. I'm sipping every 15 minutes during long runs and pairing it with Nerds Clusters. (Because science. And joy.)
Race Day Kit
Here’s what I’m bringing to the race with me:
Apple Watch Series 7 + Powerbank – yes, I’m recording a 12+ hour run on a 3-year-old watch. Pray for my battery. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a new watch for just one race. I also tested my setup during a 7 hour effort and it worked great! So time test it out on a 12 hour effort
Trekking poles – AKA my cheater sticks. I'm hoping they will help lessen the load on the hills.
Salomon ADV 12 pack w/ 2 500 ml soft flasks
Precision Hydration 1500 electrolyte tabs. Will have one flask with electolytes, and one with plain water.
DIY gels using a custom formula (I'll post the recipe later!)
Altra Lone Peak 8 trail shoes. šMy favorite so far
Sunglasses, hat, running buff - full sun armor mode
Nerds Clusters and Oreo Cookies - cheaper and better tasting than standard gels
Drop bag w/ extra Oreos and potato chips – for that "I'm sad but I still need sodium" vibe
Race Logistics
The race starts at 6:00 AM near Timothy Lake, which is over two hours from where I live.
So yeah—there’s no universe where I finish a 50-miler and then attempt to sit in a car for that long. My legs would revolt. My soul would exit my body.
So my solution was to make this also a camping trip!
We found a nearby campsite right by the lake, so I’ll be staying out there for race weekend. That means:
Wake-up time: 4:30 AM
Leave campsite: 5:00-ish
At the start line: By 5:30 AM, caffeinated and ready to go full trail monster
After I cross the finish line, I’ll just head back to camp and stay one more night. No post-race traffic. No sore leg road rage. Just a fire, some food, and maybe a light sob into my Oreo bag.
This plan lets me actually enjoy the moment, and not immediately dive into the “I have to be somewhere” panic spiral.
The Game Plan
Start a little fast – it’ll be cooler at 6 a.m., so I’ll take advantage of that early energy. The first part of the course will be flatter and faster, so I'm hoping to average 10-11 minute miles.
Walk the hills – anything over a 3-4% grade will be walking for me
Keep the electrolytes flowing – drink every 15 mins, fuel steadily, nerds on rotation
Protect the neck – I’ll use my buff for ice or sun shielding during the hot afternoon
Run relaxed on downhills – I'm going to try to go along with gravity as much as I can. Fighting it and excessively braking will put too much strain on my quads. I will try to channel Bruce Lee as I navigate the downhills. I will remind myself of his famous quote: "Be water, my friend."
Chasing the Goals:
- I don't have any aspirations of placing or anything. For my first 50 miler, I just need to finish strong. My plan is to be ahead of the cutoffs by a solid buffer.
Be at mile ~25 before 12:00 PM (cutoff is 1 PM)
Be at mile ~40 before 3:00 PM (cutoff is 4 PM)
If runners can get it to the Warm Springs aid station before 4 PM, they won't get kicked off the course. If I were to have any sort of stretch goal, then it would be to finish by 6 PM, which would be a 12 hour effort for me. But if it were to bleed into a 12:30 effort, I'll take it. That would mean a 15 min/mile pace. Below is my pace chart to make sure I make the cutoffs with with a 1 hour buffer.
That’s the Plan
It’s been a long training block—equal parts tiring and inspiring. I’ve tested, learned, bonked, recovered, and gotten weirder along the way.
Whatever happens on race day, I’m proud of the work I’ve put in. And I’m also bringing cookies. Which honestly might be the best part.
Send me good vibes! I’ll see you on the other side of the finish line—with stories, data, and hopefully no poopy monster experiences.
– Viet
