100 mile ultra
vmclach
Posts: 670 Member
I've been tossing the idea of ultra marathons around in my head for over a year... I ran my first marathon less than a year ago, and I have ran 4 since then. I run usually around 55-70 miles a week. I took 41 min off my marathon time for 4:09-->3:27. I'm 22 years old. I'm wondering
1- how long dies recovering & training for a 100 mile race take?
2- does it really "destroy your speed"
3- how many miles a week would you be running roughly?
4- would I have to run a 50k, 50 miler 100k before?
I am currently signed up for grandmas full (June) & Chicago (October). I'd like to PR& BQ at both of those races... Would running a 100 miler therefore be put of the question until next year? I might try to sign up for Leadville next summer..
Am I getting ahead of myself? I think I am. My fiancé says that running ultra marathons are for people who are retired from trying to "get faster". I disagree. The first non-elite women who ran Boston yesterday (2:44) a 11+ min PR ran 2 100 mile races in the past year...
Thoughts?
1- how long dies recovering & training for a 100 mile race take?
2- does it really "destroy your speed"
3- how many miles a week would you be running roughly?
4- would I have to run a 50k, 50 miler 100k before?
I am currently signed up for grandmas full (June) & Chicago (October). I'd like to PR& BQ at both of those races... Would running a 100 miler therefore be put of the question until next year? I might try to sign up for Leadville next summer..
Am I getting ahead of myself? I think I am. My fiancé says that running ultra marathons are for people who are retired from trying to "get faster". I disagree. The first non-elite women who ran Boston yesterday (2:44) a 11+ min PR ran 2 100 mile races in the past year...
Thoughts?
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Replies
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My first thought is why don't you post this in the general forum like your 10K question :laugh:
As far as the biting off more than you can chew thing, I'm not the right person to answer this, but I did watch the youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VytCTHrnShc&feature=youtu.be 0 -
I don't know *kitten* about ultras...My first thought is why don't you post this in the general forum like your 10K question :laugh:
As far as the biting off more than you can chew thing, I'm not the right person to answer this, but I did watch the youtube videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VytCTHrnShc&feature=youtu.be
But, ultrarunning looks fun from that video 0 -
Take a deep breath, relax and wait until after Chicago before making any decisions.0
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Get the book "Relentless Forward Progress".
Obviously I've never run a 100...but just be prepared for your pace to drop significantly in an ultra...15 minute mile average is GOOD. Also, maybe find an ultra close by and see if anyone needs a pacer? Then you'll get a much better feel for what being in an ultra is like - especially if they need you to pace during the night!
Leadville is my "if I ever run a 100" race too! I'm going to do a 50 before making that decision though. I had a pretty bad experience pacing someone in a 100 last summer (it took us 7 hours to go 5 miles...it was pouring down rain in the middle of the night and my runner was mentally pretty out of it).0 -
There are some ultras that are not locked into any particular distance, just running what you can in a certain amount of time. Merrill's Mile is like that. My first will be in December and it's a 24-hour run on a 5K trail. You can run as many laps as you want over a 24-hour period and you can stop at any time. To me that's a great way to experience ultra running and see if it's something I want to do more of in the future.0
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There are some ultras that are not locked into any particular distance, just running what you can in a certain amount of time. Merrill's Mile is like that. My first will be in December and it's a 24-hour run on a 5K trail. You can run as many laps as you want over a 24-hour period and you can stop at any time. To me that's a great way to experience ultra running and see if it's something I want to do more of in the future.
This is awesome! I had no idea they had races like this. Not sure I could deal with running the same route repeatedly, but an awesome litmus test to trying ultras. Let us know how it goes!0 -
Am I getting ahead of myself?
Yes.
The ammount of dedicated mileage you need to train for that kind of race precludes any time devoted to speed work. I would suggest looking for a 50K after Chicago. You will already have the base mileage built up for the distance but it will give you a "taste" of what ultra-marathons are about.My fiancé says that running ultra marathons are for people who are retired from trying to "get faster". I disagree. The first non-elite women who ran Boston yesterday (2:44) a 11+ min PR ran 2 100 mile races in the past year...
Last year I wanted to run a 50 miler; I even signed up for one in January. When I finished the Lake Hodges 50K I really questioned whether I had 20 more miles in my legs. During November/December I ran a marathon every weekend heading into Christmas and was doing 10+ miles a day during the week. In the end my body started breaking down and I stepped down to the marathon. I am not saying that will happen to you but just to warn you that ultra-marathons are not all pretzels and licorice whips. When push comes to shove I decided I don't want to run for 6+ hours straight.0 -
Am I getting ahead of myself?
Yes.
The ammount of dedicated mileage you need to train for that kind of race precludes any time devoted to speed work. I would suggest looking for a 50K after Chicago. You will already have the base mileage built up for the distance but it will give you a "taste" of what ultra-marathons are about.My fiancé says that running ultra marathons are for people who are retired from trying to "get faster". I disagree. The first non-elite women who ran Boston yesterday (2:44) a 11+ min PR ran 2 100 mile races in the past year...
Last year I wanted to run a 50 miler; I even signed up for one in January. When I finished the Lake Hodges 50K I really questioned whether I had 20 more miles in my legs. During November/December I ran a marathon every weekend heading into Christmas and was doing 10+ miles a day during the week. In the end my body started breaking down and I stepped down to the marathon. I am not saying that will happen to you but just to warn you that ultra-marathons are not all pretzels and licorice whips. When push comes to shove I decided I don't want to run for 6+ hours straight.
Wow!!!!!!!! Crazy. I should try the marathon every weekend lol. I would straight up die. Perhaps not for me after all!0 -
There are some ultras that are not locked into any particular distance, just running what you can in a certain amount of time. Merrill's Mile is like that. My first will be in December and it's a 24-hour run on a 5K trail. You can run as many laps as you want over a 24-hour period and you can stop at any time. To me that's a great way to experience ultra running and see if it's something I want to do more of in the future.
This is awesome! I had no idea they had races like this. Not sure I could deal with running the same route repeatedly, but an awesome litmus test to trying ultras. Let us know how it goes!
Yes, these are called timed races. If you can tolerate the repetitive nature of them they are a great way to test equipment, nutrition strategy, etc within the confines of a safe environment vs. for example 2am on a mountain pass when you don't know if you are lost or not.0 -
Definitely do a 50 first, but with your mileage you could definitely do it. Relentless Forward Progress (mentioned above) has training plans for 100 milers based on 50 and 70 mpw. The nice thing about 24h trail races is they are an opportunity to run trails at night (not exactly a safe training prospect for women) and it gives you a chance to dial in nutrition and practice the time on your feet aspect without pushing for a specific goal. I'm doing a 24h with a mutual friend in 11 days (but who's counting?) I don't really care how far ago-well ok, maybe a little bit- but I want the experience prior to trying to finish 100 in what will probably take me close to 30h.
Speaking of RFP, check out irunfar.com. There are some pretty amazing people that don't follow typical running for years ultrarunner...including a guy who has won the only two 50 milers he has ever done (in HIGHLY competitive fields) by training on a treadmill in a cruise ship and the ship's stairwell, as well as the amazing Emily Harrison- who ran 3 marathons on her way to winning the JFK 50 and qualifying for the Western States 100, only to place 7th among the women 7 months after her first 50.
http://www.irunfar.com/2013/06/emily-harrison-thats-a-long-way-to-run.html
I say if you want to do it, go for it.0 -
I meant to add that the irunfar site is run by the guy who wrote "relentless forward progress." :happy:0
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I've only done the 40 so far, so not an expert by any means.Get the book "Relentless Forward Progress".
I bought and enjoyed this book a lot. It's very practical. It also helped me decide not to run the 50 I was planning this fall. The author talks about something he calls "fear of missing out." They're not going to stop having 100 mile races next year! I know you wish you hadn't waited so long on your marathon-ing, but I do believe an ultra is at odds with the goal of faster marathons. You'll have to be doing multiple "long" runs every week, which may be hard to balance with speed work.
Also, I think there's different kinds of ultrarunners (like maybe runners who want a new challenge vs. hikers who don't like to carry a lot or take time to smell the roses). For me, going 40 miles in one day was an achievement that didn't have anything to do with speed. Next time, though, I will be looking to be a little more competitive.0 -
Exactly what this poster said about fear of missing out. Why jump straight to 100? Why not do a 50K next year? Then a 50 miler the year after? Then, if your body and mind are happy and willing, do 100. For me, 50K wasn't too different from the marathon, except that if you are on technical trail, it takes a hell of a lot longer (as does the training). 50 miles, however, was completely different. My life disappeared a little training for it. My body had a lot more trouble during training. Recovery is different for everyone, but can be pretty lengthy for some.
I'd say take your time. You have several "firsts" you could accomplish before jumping to 100!0 -
David Horton is a legend. His chapter in Relentless Forward Progress was one of the deciding factors in running 50 miles 10 weeks after my first marathon. For the record, there was no "fear of missing out" in my case. I had already been accepted into JFK 50, which was scheduled for almost 6 months later. I just wanted to see if I could. The only person who I asked for advice was Dean Karnazes, who was in town for TEDMED. We were all out for a short fun run and I was talking to him, trying to gauge whether or not I was crazy. Shortly into our conversation he said "you're already talking like you're going to do it. You'll be fine."
Plenty of people are asking "why the rush?" Maybe you just want to see if you can. Not a rush, but a desire for a challenge that is beyond what you think would be an "easy" transition from the marathon distance. Anyway, ultrarunning magazine has an article by Horton this month....you might find it interesting. Particularly when he describes his 20+ years of teaching an advanced running class, and his students who have gone on to run distances of 50k to 100 miles- some of whom have never done a marathon.
http://www.ultrarunning.com/featured/your-first-ultra-you-can-do-it/0 -
Plenty of people are asking "why the rush?" Maybe you just want to see if you can. Not a rush, but a desire for a challenge that is beyond what you think would be an "easy" transition from the marathon distance.
I love you 0 -
Another recommendation for Relentless Forward Progress!
I haven't run a 100 yet, but have had a lot of success at 50 milers. I'll probably run a 100 soon, though.
You have the mileage, but there are a handful of skills that you need to work on to go from the marathon to the 100 miler.
1) Eating. You need to learn to run and eat at the same time. This means you go slower so you can actually digest your food WHILE you are running. You need to know what that feels like - running, eating, digesting.
2) Running trails? Many 100 milers are on trails. Dunno where you're at.... if you've done a lot of hiking you just need muscle but not skill. If you haven't done a lot of hiking, you'll want to develop some skills like taking a dump in the woods and how to keep deerflies out of your mouth.
3) Running trails in the dark. Like running trails during the day..... only with hallucinations and you can't see your feet or the trail markers. Doesn't that sound AWESOME?0 -
Anyway, ultrarunning magazine has an article by Horton this month....you might find it interesting. Particularly when he describes his 20+ years of teaching an advanced running class, and his students who have gone on to run distances of 50k to 100 miles- some of whom have never done a marathon.
http://www.ultrarunning.com/featured/your-first-ultra-you-can-do-it/
Yes, but he's talking about the 50k not the 100 mile as one's first ultra which I think is perfectly reasonable. This is all just semantics anyway. Training for a hundred will typically take you to training runs/races beyond the marathon distance unless you insist that no run ever before your 100 mile race be longer than 26 miles. That would be tough although I'm sure it's been done/attempted ... probably by someone who did Leadville.0 -
Not necessarily no run, but potentially no race. Clearly if you're training for 100mi you're probably doing back to back long runs that take you into the realm of the 50+ mile weekend. But it would be feasible to start thinking ahead and plan accordingly. I have no doubt that Horton's students likely did his 50k as their first ultra. And one doesn't necessarily have to progress from the marathon to 50mi to 100mi in the same year. But there are a few people out there that may want to make that leap of faith. Will it hurt? Probably. That doesn't make it impossible, and it's certainly not the most likely progression. However it doesn't mean that a talented runner who puts in high mileage like the OP and is realistic about what she is getting into couldn't get the job done. And does anyone other than grand slammers do Leadville now that Lifetime has taken over?0
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Another recommendation for Relentless Forward Progress!
I haven't run a 100 yet, but have had a lot of success at 50 milers. I'll probably run a 100 soon, though.
You have the mileage, but there are a handful of skills that you need to work on to go from the marathon to the 100 miler.
1) Eating. You need to learn to run and eat at the same time. This means you go slower so you can actually digest your food WHILE you are running. You need to know what that feels like - running, eating, digesting.
2) Running trails? Many 100 milers are on trails. Dunno where you're at.... if you've done a lot of hiking you just need muscle but not skill. If you haven't done a lot of hiking, you'll want to develop some skills like taking a dump in the woods and how to keep deerflies out of your mouth.
3) Running trails in the dark. Like running trails during the day..... only with hallucinations and you can't see your feet or the trail markers. Doesn't that sound AWESOME?
^^this 0 -
When push comes to shove I decided I don't want to run for 6+ hours straight.
This, more than anything else, is probably the strongest argument for NOT jumping right to the 100 mile and trying some 50ks and 50 milers first. You're not going to have to commit yourself to a training plan and a race that you could very well hate.
There's very little doubt in my mind that you CAN run a 100 miler in about six months from now, if you're marathon-fit now. But do you WANT to? And I don't think either of us know the answer to that. Are you going to enjoy spending so many hours on the trail in the months leading up to the race? I do! But there is absolutely no point in doing this if you don't enjoy your training. And even the races themselves can be pretty damn boring. It doesn't even get you bragging rights; everyone just looks at you funny when you say you ran really far.
Oh, and your fiance is kinda wrong about saying that ultras are for people who are, what? Old and don't care about their speed? We're running for recreation, are we not? So ultras are for people who like to do them. As are 5ks and color runs and zombie runs.0 -
Alright folks first 50k this weekend! Fingers crossed :P0
