The Sleep Deprivation Puzzle of Cocodona

Kelly PattersonRace Preview, Running Tips, Ultra Thoughts

By Jeff Garmire Cocodona isn’t only a long race; it is a commitment to days of racing. Last year the winner, Michael Versteeg, took over three days to finish. At 250 miles, a sleep strategy is as essential as a nutrition strategy. It is the one thing I entered the 2021 Cocodona with the confidence that I could navigate. The race starts early, but this works in our favor. With a 5 am start, runners can show up after a full night of sleep. The batteries are fully charged, and days of racing don’t seem so bad. But, as the first night comes, the miles of pounding dirt through the first 10k feet of gain …

If I can finish a 250-mile race, then so can you.

Kelly PattersonImage, Link, Post-Race Interview, Quote, Ultra Thoughts

Written by Jeff Garmire I signed up for the Cocodona 250 only a couple of weeks before the actual race. I had never run a 250-mile race. I had never even run a 100-mile race. My racing background was a series of fun runs, middle school track meets (fastest time in the district for hurdles!), and one 50k race. I had no idea what I was doing. My world was FKTs, hundreds of miles of self-sufficient adventures, and untimed long days in the mountains. A 250-mile race was something totally new. That is why I signed up. I entered the race with the fitness and training but lacked knowledge about how the event would unfold …