Ultra Marathoners?
ZenInTexas
Posts: 781 Member
Just curious if anyone on this board has done any extreme races? I was reading about 100 mile races and my thought was "why?" Would love to hear about someone's personal experience with one!
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I have run a handful of 50Ks and 1 60K. My next distance goal is a 50 miler. I have no interest in running 100 miles but I could see stretching out to 100K at some point. As far as "why", my first 50K was because the race I wanted to run as my first marathon sold out and the 50K was the next weekend so I only had to make a slight adjustment to my training schedule. The 60K was because I did not want to pay 200+ dollars for the NYC marathon but the Knickerbocker 60K in Central park was 2 weeks later and only 30 bucks.
Also I should add after running a couple of these getting to stop after 26.2 is pretty nice.0 -
I've been doing ultras for a couple of years now. I've done eight 50ks and four 50 milers and I'm hoping to finish my first 100k next weekend. I don't really view ultras as extreme. Base jumping is extreme. An ultra is just running.
As to why, I don't have a simple sound bite to give. I've had the most amazing, profound experiences - both good and bad - doing ultras. I've learned the limits we place on ourselves is largely in our heads. I love traveling vast distances in beautiful wide open spaces on my feet. Is it always fun? Absolutely not. And sometimes it's downright miserable. But that's also part of the challenge, learning how to deal with the highs and lows.
I always find it interesting when people find out I do ultras. It's either cool or crazy. There's generally no middle ground.0 -
I've been doing ultras for a couple of years now. I've done eight 50ks and four 50 milers and I'm hoping to finish my first 100k next weekend. I don't really view ultras as extreme. Base jumping is extreme. An ultra is just running.
As to why, I don't have a simple sound bite to give. I've had the most amazing, profound experiences - both good and bad - doing ultras. I've learned the limits we place on ourselves is largely in our heads. I love traveling vast distances in beautiful wide open spaces on my feet. Is it always fun? Absolutely not. And sometimes it's downright miserable. But that's also part of the challenge, learning how to deal with the highs and lows.
I always find it interesting when people find out I do ultras. It's either cool or crazy. There's generally no middle ground.
I find it both cool and crazy at the same time!! So a follow up question or two, how long had you been running before you started doing these? And at what pace do you run them?0 -
I completed my first one at the beginning of this year. Was NOT prepared for it at all. If you live in Texas too, you know there aren't many hills to train at. I did the Bandera 50k and it whooooooped my butt. Didn't do enough trail running at all.
I want to go back and do it again, with better prep. I will be doing one at the end of the year. (Rockledge Rumble). It will be a lot easier because I know the course and it's not as hilly as the Hill Country at Bandera.
I didn't respect the distance, and it bit me back.
If you're thinking of doing it, go for it! Such an awesome experience. If you've done a full marathon already you might as well take the extra step and go the extra 5 miles. :-)0 -
I have not, but I intend to. We have a fantastic trail running organization here in phoenix, araivapa running, that I think David mentioned. My first marathon was actually a trail run & I loved it. But at the moment, my concentration is on a speedier road marathon time. (My profile pic is me running a half this past March at the White Tank mountains.) I don't have an interest in 100 miles yet, but who knows in the future. I do think 50k is within sights though. Trail running is much more leisurely & the scenery is unbelievable. I feel very blessed to live where I do.0
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I have never run such an event, and cannot say I even know anyone who has. I would like to someday, just to have the bragging rights :happy: even if I had to fake jog most of it LOL.
I do have ultimate respect for those who put in the training, and most of these events do raise a great deal of money for good causes.0 -
I ran my first marathon this month and hope to move up in distance next year. Currently I plan on running a 50k in the spring and if that goes well a 50m in the fall.
I have been running about a year and am currently better conditioned for shorter races. I hope to increase mileage substantially next year so that I am prepared on race day.0 -
I have done the Bandera (25K) a few times. In fact did the very first one. Plan on doing this years again in Jan. It's not the distance at Bandera, as you know its the hills and the rocks. Killers!I completed my first one at the beginning of this year. Was NOT prepared for it at all. If you live in Texas too, you know there aren't many hills to train at. I did the Bandera 50k and it whooooooped my butt. Didn't do enough trail running at all.
I want to go back and do it again, with better prep. I will be doing one at the end of the year. (Rockledge Rumble). It will be a lot easier because I know the course and it's not as hilly as the Hill Country at Bandera.
I didn't respect the distance, and it bit me back.
If you're thinking of doing it, go for it! Such an awesome experience. If you've done a full marathon already you might as well take the extra step and go the extra 5 miles. :-)0 -
I am intrigued by these races. I'm planning to do my first marathon in February 2015 (no sense planning things too soon) and depending on how that goes I have been looking at a 50 miler that's not too far from home. I can't see doing 100 miles - just the amount of time involved.
But less than two years ago I never saw myself running more than a 5K......0 -
I've done three marathons and several halves. I'm doing a challenging marathon in April (Big Sur) and then after that, I'm considering attempting a trail 50k. All the trail races around me (SF Bay Area) are pretty darn hilly, so I know it's not going to just be an extra 5 miles to contend with - it'll also be a significant amount of additional time spent on my feet. I did a trail half this last summer and I was more sore from that half than from the first full marathon I did. I think I've already figured out which one I want to do ~ it's offered in June and October, so it'll just be a matter of figuring out what ends up working best for me. When it comes to an ultra, I really think I'll be a "one and done" kind of person, but who knows... I never thought I'd run a single marathon, let alone three of them!0
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All the trail races around me (SF Bay Area) are pretty darn hilly, so I know it's not going to just be an extra 5 miles to contend with - it'll also be a significant amount of additional time spent on my feet.
Yes, they are! I am a 4 hour road marathoner and just cracked the sub 6:30 mark on what I consider an "easy" 50k (~4,800 feet of gain). Most of the 50ks in our area are 6-7000+ feet of gain. I think Big Sur has about 1000 feet of gain.0 -
All the trail races around me (SF Bay Area) are pretty darn hilly, so I know it's not going to just be an extra 5 miles to contend with - it'll also be a significant amount of additional time spent on my feet.
Yes, they are! I am a 4 hour road marathoner and just cracked the sub 6:30 mark on what I consider an "easy" 50k (~4,800 feet of gain). Most of the 50ks in our area are 6-7000+ feet of gain. I think Big Sur has about 1000 feet of gain.
The 50k I'm considering has 3,190' of elevation gain, which is about the same that I encountered on the trail half I did... I figure spread out over 31 miles instead of 13 should hopefully make it feel a little less extreme? I think my bigger concern is that so little of the course is flat - you're either going up or down and both are challenging in their own ways.0 -
The 50k I'm considering has 3,190' of elevation gain, which is about the same that I encountered on the trail half I did... I figure spread out over 31 miles instead of 13 should hopefully make it feel a little less extreme?
Spread out over 31 miles will definitely help. lol A half with 3,190 feet of gain is a toughie. I did a half that had a bit less than 4,000' and I wanted to kill myself.0 -
I'm not an Ultra runner yet, but...
Ever since I started running with people who had done Ultra's, it didn't seem quite so crazy to me. They're just like any other runner. In all honesty, the ones I've met (which are all just recreational) don't do much more training that you would for a marathon. It's just training on trails vs. roads. Most of them are still only doing 20-25 milers for their long runs.
Another thing that made it less crazy is when you realize that a lot of it is walking. For the most part, only the elite runners are running the whole thing (this is on mountain trails btw - which is pretty much all of the ultra's in Colorado, so I can't really speak for flat ultras). A 15 minute/mile is considered a good time for a 100 mile race (in the mountains).
I honestly think this is why I'm so excited to do my first in March (just a 50K, not a 100 or anything). I hate all of the pressure regarding times that you have in road racing. Ultra's (and just trail runs in general) are so much more relaxed, and because of that, in my opinion, more fun.
After my 50K, I hope I like it enough to work my way up to a 50 miler, and then MAYBE someday a 100...but the 100 is definitely still a BIG maybe. I definitely think that if you plan on doing 100's, having a pacer during the night is pretty crucial. Running in the dark (as I found out while helping pace a runner last year) is tough stuff. I don't think I would ever be able to get through it without one.0 -
I am registered for my first Ultra (50 miles) for this coming March 1, 2014. My training begins next weekend, Nov. 16! Anticipating a great time training and the event itself. It'll be difficult, no doubt but I am really looking forward to it.
I have completed 1 full marathon and 2 HM's. My 3rd HM will be next Saturday and will serve as the kick off to my training for the Ultra. How much fun is that!?! I am looking for a full to use as a training run further into my training. Seeing as all my long runs will be solo, anything I can do with a little bit of company will be great.
I don't know if I will do more than one Ultra. We'll just have to play that by ear. I enjoy the longer distances. 5K's and 10K's are hard, hard, hard. You have to run full tilt the entire time. With the longer distances, you can pace yourself and enjoy the scenery a little bit.
My race is http://ms50.com/ if you want to look it up. It is supposed to be a good race for newbie Ultra runners. Fingers crossed!0
