Can Lake 50 Specifics
The 50 mile course is one big loop around a beautiful lake.  The 50K course is point-to-point over the final 31 miles of 50-mile route, including the many scenic parts of the full loop.  The route is mostly flat to rolling roads with several major climbs including locally famous Bopple Hill.  There are two short, grassy trail sections used to avoid heavily traveled roads or busy intersections. 

Can Lake 50 Specifics
50 Mile.  Completing the Can Lake 50 is a spectacular "achievable challenge."  The most popular distance is the full 50 miles, probably because running all the way around the lake is so satisfying.  It is way cool to go down to Lakeshore Drive after finishing and look out at the lake and realize that you've just run around the whole thing.  Finishing under the 12 hour time limit only requires a 14:15 per mile average pace... you don't need to be a fast runner to finish; you can walk all the hills and follow a run/walk strategy on the flatter sections and still easily finish within the time limit.

For runners looking for a challenge beyond just finishing 50 miles around the lake, the Can Lake 50 also gives every runner (male or female at any age) an equal chance to win to win a gold or silver medal.  The Gold standard represents 65% of the World Masters Athletics (WMA) standard for each age.  It's a tough but achievable performance.  The Silver standard is significantly easier to achieve at 55% of the WMA standard for each age.  Last year approximately 10% of the 50 mile finishers received Gold medals, 33% received Silver medals and 57% received Bronze finishers medals.

Can Lake 50 Specifics
Aid Stations.  While the Can Lake 50 aid stations are relatively close together (from 2.7 to 5.7 miles apart), you should carry a water bottle and have it refilled at the aid stations.  If you prefer to use a hydration pack, e.g., CamelBac, etc., be sure it can be quickly refilled.  Aid stations will have water and HEED to refill your bottle and a cola drink in cups.  As the cola drink is carbonated, your best bet is to drink the cola while at the aid station.  The aid stations also will have the usual ultramarathon snacks, e.g., cookies, pretzels, bananas, etc. and Hammer Gels.  You should test your equipment, food and drink on long runs prior to race day.  If you find you need food or drink that won't be available at the aid stations, you will have to carry what you need and refill your pack from drop bags at 10, 22.6, 31.4 and 38 miles.

If we have a cold day and rain is forecast, you should have a rain jacket available... either carrying it or having a jacket in a drop bag.  If rain is forecast, the aid stations will have extra large garbage bags available to convert into emergency rain ponchos.

Rest Rooms.  The inconvenient truth is that there probably won't be a rest room or porta-pottie around when you need to go.  Carry toilet paper in a zip lock bag.  You should be able to find a convenient tree or bush to get behind if you can't make it to one of the aid stations with proper facilities.

Road Marking.  The course will be marked with spray paint on the pavement.  Before each turn you will see a double set of arrows indicating the direction to turn.  There will be another set of double arrows at the turn and a third set of double arrows after the turn to confirm you are on the correct road.  The wrong roads will be marked with a big "X" after the missed turn. 
Note:  The course marking is on the left side of the road.  The spray paint marks that are obvious to a runner are easy to miss when driving on the right side of the road.  Handlers and friends driving around the loop should use the maps and directions in the Race Handbook.
Note:  Individual miles are not marked for most of the Can Lake 50 course.  The last 10 miles of the full loop, i.e., 40 through 49, are marked.

Traffic & Road Marshals.  All of the roads on the race route will be open to traffic.  Watch for traffic and be careful at all turns and road crossings.   Late in the race when you are tired, remember to be extra careful as your judgment and reaction times will be impaired by fatigue.  Road marshals will be at a few turns.  Follow the directions of the road marshal.  You may have to stop for a few seconds until the marshal says it is safe to proceed.

Handlers.  Runners may have personal handlers and receive aid at any point along the course.  Since you can receive aid at any point, decide with your handler how frequently you want access to aid, e.g., every 2 or 3 miles.  Have your handler drive ahead that distance and find a safe place to park on the right side of the road.  Your handler then can safely cross to the runner's side of the road and hand off drink or food when you come by.  Tell your handler what you will want at the next handling point so your handler will have those items ready for you.  Having a handler can be a big advantage if you need special food or drink or if the weather conditions are changeable.  Toward the end of the race, your handler can also monitor the progress of other runners near you.  Knowing that you are catching the runners ahead can be powerfully motivating late in the race.
Note:  The best location to receive aid from your handler is at the bottom of a hill so you can walk while drinking and eating.  Your handler should avoid stopping in the vicinity of the official aid stations to avoid traffic congestion and parking problems.

Can Lake 50 Specifics - First Ultras
Training Plans for First Ultras.  As the Can Lake 50 is a road ultra, the training requirements are similar to those for a marathon.  If you have a marathon training plan that has worked well for you in the past, then base your training for a first ultra on that plan.

If you don't have a preferred marathon training plan, I have found the marathon plans published by Jeff Galloway are ideal for adapting to ultramarathon training.  Key elements that make the Galloway plans a good fit for ultra training: 
 - all long runs are to be done with a run/walk strategy (practicing what you will do in the ultra)
 - long runs build up to completing a 28-30 mile run (great for building both your endurance and confidence for the ultra)
 - speed work is repeat miles run at marathon race pace (great for building running efficiency and pace judgment needed for the ultra)
 - plans are personalized based on your performance in 5K races scheduled every 3-4 weeks (5K time is used to predict marathon time and training paces are then based on the marathon target time)
 - plans put a big emphasis on ensuring adequate recovery after hard workout (fitting the motto "No Recovery, No Gain!")

How do you get a Galloway marathon plan for little money?  Go to your Public Library and check out Marathon (author Jeff Galloway, copyright 2001).  If you can't find the book or want to own a copy, big box book stores and Amazon have it for $17.95 or less.  The book has plans for marathon time goals from 4:40 to 2:59, a range which will cover most runners.  Here's an example 3-week cycle from a Galloway plan:

Can Lake 50 Specifics
Both the 50K and 50 mile courses are a mix of major hills separated by long flat to gently rolling sections.  Your run/walk strategy needs to change during the race to fit the terrain you are running over.  A detailed discussion of run/walk strategies for the Can Lake 50 race is below.  The general model for how run any ultra (assuming you want to walk every X minutes on flat terrain):
Start running.  When you have run continuously for X minutes OR come to a hill OR come to an aid station, take a walk break.

Start to Onanda Park (10 miles).  This leg has an easy hill at about 3.5 miles, a medium climb at about 7 miles and another easy hill at 9 miles.  There is also an aid station at 5.2 miles.  A minimum run/walk strategy (e.g., for fit, experienced ultra runners) would be to just walk the steeper portions of the three hills and do a short walk out of the aid station.  The recommended strategy (e.g., for first time ultra runners and those going 50 miles for the first time) is to include a scheduled walk break at about 2 miles and walk all of the three hills.

Onanda Park to Bristol Springs (6.9 miles).  These two legs are mountainous by comparison.  The minimum run/walk strategy is to walk the steeper portions of the two major climbs and, of course, do a short walk out of the Onanda Park and Bopple Bottom aid stations.  The recommended strategy is to walk all of the two major climbs (and, of course, walk out of the aid stations).

Bristol Springs to Rte. 21 Trail Head (5.7 miles).  [This section will change for 2010.  Text will be updated shortly.]  This leg has the longest gap between aid stations and has no shade (but the views are spectacular).  Be sure to top up your bottle(s) and grab something to eat before leaving the Bristol Springs aid station.  The route is mostly gentle grades until the major drop over the last 1.5 miles.  The minimum run/walk strategy (after walking out of the aid station) is to walk part of the steeper grades in this section, e.g., run part-way up the grade, walk for 50-100 meters while drinking & snacking, then resume running.  On the longer grade after the Scenic View, you may want to do insert several walks into the long climb.  The recommended strategy is to walk most of the steeper climbs and insert a scheduled walk after any run segment longer than 15 minutes.  To save your quads, you should also consider doing a short walk on the flat that is about halfway down the big drop to Rte. 21.

Rte. 21 Trail Head to Middlesex (8.7 miles).  These two legs are gently rolling to flat.  The minimum run/walk strategy for 50K runners is to run out of the two aid stations, skip any further walks and make a strong, extended push to the finish.  Fifty-mile runners and 50K runners who aren't up for fast finish should insert a walk at some convenient hill approximately halfway to the Sunnyside and Middlesex aid stations.  The recommended strategy is to insert two walk breaks between each aid station, e.g., run 10-15 minutes and insert a walk at the next convenient hill.

Middlesex to Bare Hill Climb (6.7 miles).  These two legs include the last major climbs of the 50 miles around the lake.  The climb out of Middlesex is long and but not steep.  The climb out of Vine Valley is in two parts.  The first is long and gradual.  The second is short and quite steep.  The minimum strategy is to do alternate running and walking on the long gradual climbs and to walk all of the short, steep Bare Hill Climb.  The recommended strategy is the same except with more walking and less running.

Can Lake 50 Specifics
Fluids.  The Can Lake 50 aid stations will have water, HEED and a cola drink.  You should test Hammer HEED on training runs.  Your local running store may have the product or you can order it from Hammer (www.hammernutrition.com).  The cola drink will be carbonated so you should plan to drink it at the aid station (i.e., don't fill your bottle with it). 

If you find you need fluids that we won't have at the aid stations, you will need to have a handler or use drop bags.  The drop bag locations are 10-12 miles apart.  Two bottles supplemented by water at the aid stations will be enough to get you to the next drop bag to pick up another two bottles with your favorite fluid.

Food.  The Can Lake 50 aid stations will have Hammer Gel packets, cookies, potato chips, M & M's, and at select stations:  PBJ sandwiches, fruit and salt potatoes.  You should test Hammer Gel and other foods on your training runs.

If you want something different to eat, you will need to have a handler or use drop bags.  Carry enough of your favorite snacks to get you to the next drop bag location where you can refill your pack.

Be Prepared.  You will be out on the road a long time and the aid stations are much farther apart than you would have in a big city marathon.  You should carry the following items at a minimum: 
 - water bottle (a 16 or 20 ounce bottle should be enough to get you to the next aid station)
 - toilet paper (carry in a zip lock bag, have enough for a couple of uses)
 - some of your favorite ultra snack so you can eat while walking the hills (gels work well but please do not litter the course)