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Final result (Oct 24, 2026): Finished UTCP Solibao 50K in 10:21:24, 39th overall, 33rd in gender. Watch: 56.45 km, +2,805 m. Start moved by the organizers to 4:00 AM. This page is the plan as written, kept for reference; the day-by-day log below records what actually happened. Plan built with Coach Andy DuBois's principles and logged with the help of AI tools (Claude), checked against Strava.

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Runner Profile and Goals

Experienced ultrarunner (UTMB finisher, H1 Hardcore 100 Miles Hall of Fame) coming off the Hong Kong 100 (50K) block completed in January 2026. Strava data shows current volume has dropped to roughly 15–20 km/week, sporadic, with no run longer than ~6 km since June and hill work only just reintroduced (Sept 1, 2026). No injuries — cleared to train fully. Can train 5–6 days/week, up to ~10 hours total, same capacity as the HK100 block.

Goal race: UTCP 50K "Solibao" — Camp John Hay, Baguio City, Saturday, Oct 24, 2026, 3:00 AM start (later moved to 4:00 AM), ~3,300 m elevation gain, 15-hour cutoff. Course traverses Itogon, Benguet: pine forest, ridgelines, technical single-track, dirt/fire roads, at ~1,500 m altitude.

Honest framing: this is a 54-day (7.7-week) build — roughly half the runway of the HK100 prep — against a course with meaningfully more vertical density (~66 m/km vs. HK100's ~45–50 m/km) and a pre-dawn start. The primary goal is a strong, safe finish comfortably inside the 15-hour cutoff, not a time target. Chasing a number here would fight a core DuBois principle: better slightly undertrained than overcooked going into race day.

Training Approach (Andy DuBois Method, Compressed for a Short Block)

Built from the principles of Coach Andy DuBois's training (attended in 2025), adapted for a short block and a tough course. This is the first structured training program Toto has followed through to race day:

• Periodization & Intensity Balance: Easy days stay genuinely easy (recovery pace) so hill/quality days can be truly hard. No junk miles — with only 7.7 weeks, every session needs a clear purpose.
• Vertical Specificity: UTCP's climb density is ~66 m per km. Training deliberately front-loads hill repeats, hill tempo, and long runs with real elevation (500m → 800m → 1,000m+) to approach race-day climb load — this is more aggressive on vertical than the HK100 plan required.
• Compressed Volume Build: Because current weekly volume is lower than HK100's starting point, Phase 1 (Restart & Rebuild) is non-negotiable — 2 weeks of consistency before any real load is added. Skipping this is the fastest way to injury.
• One True Peak, Not Several: With only 4 weeks for race-specific build, there is exactly one true simulation long run (Week 6, ~3 weeks out, 24–26 km with 1,000m+ gain) rather than the multiple progressive long efforts HK100 allowed. A recovery/absorb week (Week 5) is built in to prevent overcooking — DuBois' own cautionary tale about a 75K training run that "died, big time" three weeks before a race applies directly here, just compressed.
• Strength & Mobility: 2x/week strength (core, glutes, step-ups, single-leg stability) — critical given the technical, steep terrain. Dynamic drills for warm-up; no static stretching.
• Fueling & Night-Race Rehearsal: Long runs rehearse race nutrition every 30–45 min. Because UTCP starts at 3:00 AM, at least one long run (Week 4 or 6) should start pre-dawn to test headlamp, night pacing, and cold-morning gear for Baguio's cooler altitude.
• Mental Strategies: Practice staying positive and even smiling when it gets hard. With a short build and less physical margin, mental composure matters even more on race day.

Rest and recovery remain non-negotiable: one full rest day weekly (Sunday, except race week), 7–8 hrs sleep, whole-food nutrition.

Race Elevation Profile: Solibao 50K (official GPX)

Elevation profile with aid stations (km out/return), main climbs (yellow) and descents (red)

• Distance / gain: 48.7 km and ~2,400 m by GPX (published 3,300 m). Low 728 m, high 1,631 m. Start and finish at 1,531 m.
• Descent 1: km 1.9 to 9.9 (−605 m) in the dark. Zone 1 only.
• Big climb: km 16.5 to 23.0 (+903 m, ~14%). Power-hike, Zone 2.