Ultra Marathon?

msnucerity · January 2015

Hi All,

just wondering if anyone here has run in an ultra marathon? If so, how did you find the run? (was it the worst decision of your life, or did you love it and wish there were more events like that around?)

How early did you start training? Does it take months, years to train if you're a marathon competitor?

Any info would be most appreciated! (I've read about a ultras and my interest in piqued- I wouldn't be signing up for any races this year but am still really interested)

Thanks!

vcphil · January 2015

I just found one scrolling on the marathon maniacs page. I Had been running for 5+ years.. My mileage was 40+ for 2.5-3 years.. I had ran 6 marathons in the past 11 months and just decided to give it a go. I did no specific training for it [it was just a 50k] other than 2 marathons the 7 weeks leading up to the race and kept my mileage 60-80..

I defintely don't reheet doing it. It went pretty good for me. I was nervous at the start running with "seasoned" ultra runners. They laughed when I said it was my first, but I ended up beating the group I started with by over 30 min :-)

My advice would be to start off incredibly slow and WALK every single hill. I walking 30+ times and my average pace was averaged at 9:10 per mile over 3k+ elevation change. The walk bereak a are SO worth it.

I'd say if toeing the line of a marathon for just "running it" no longer makes you nervous or question your ability to complete the race, you are ready for an ultra.

talulah73 · January 2015

I have been running for 7 years. Started with a 5k Race for Life, then 10k, Half Marathon and then 2 Marathons and other varying distance races like Hellrunner etc

I did my first Ultra September 2014 ( 35 miles ) and ran 3 - 4 times a week. Mileage was between 20 and 40 miles a week and my longest run was a rubbish 19 miler.

I could have trained better and ran more and should have but although I regret my inadequate training I certainly do not regret running an Ultra.
It was really hard and at some points I thought I could not do it but it was amazing and the buzz was amazing when I finished.

I have my next one in May ( 34 miles ) and this is more of a training run for the big one. I am doing a 50mile Ultra in July.

If you have a long run of 15 miles and find that pretty easy you could train for a 35 mile or 50 mile ultra in 16 weeks

Huppdiwupp · January 2015

I ran my first "ultra" of about 45 miles and lots of hills about three years ago, two years after my first marathon. My only goal was to finish, and so I stuck to a very slow pace. It was still tough for the last two hours, but I'd say that if you've run a few marathons, you should be able to do it. I didn't do any training runs over 25 miles, but I did run a lot of hills in training - if you're used to running flat races on the roads but sign up for an ultra with a lot of hills, that will be the most challenging part, both for the uphills and the downhills. The next year, I ran the same race, but this time I "raced" - and it was a lot tougher, despite more training (but I was also more than an hour faster). So, as with any race, it's the pace that hurts you, not the distance.

SillyC2 · January 2015

I'm an ultrarunner! I've run about 20 of these?

If you're already running marathons, you can just run a 50k three weeks after a marathon and call it good.

If you're looking at a road 50k, you'll prepare for that and run that no different than a marathon. Same thing, really, just five more miles.

HOWEVER, if the event is a trail ultra you'll need to make a few adjustments to your training to have a good time. And it's not more mileage, incidentally. Ultrarunners don't typically train with higher mileage than marathon runners (unless you've been doing the "beginner" marathon plans - you'll want to at least be up to "intermediate" mileage for an ultra).

A few differences - unless you are super fast, you need to learn to eat and run at the same time. There's some skill involved here, but also, your enteric nervous system is capable of a bit of learning as well. Most likely, if you DON'T typically eat an run at the same time, your guts shut down. You need to start waking them back up and get your system used to both running and digesting at the same time.

You need to do some training on trails. We have a local trail marathon that attracts a ton of road runners, and I'm always passing these lithe looking young dudes near the end that have sprained their ankles. When I first started on trails, my ankles, hips, and glutes took a BEATING. Also, walk up hills. All of them. Always. Learn to do it fast.

And slow down on your long runs. In part, because you need to be eating and digesting. But you need to be training in zone 2 / zone 3 for heart rate. No zone 4 ever. Well, okay, you can do that on your short runs. But never ever go there on your long runs no matter how good you feel.

Good luck!

CodeMonkey78 · January 2015

If you can run a marathon, you can run an ultra. I ran two last year and loved them

. If you are reluctant about the distance, start with a 50k or timed event to see how you like it.

You can find plenty of races at: https://ultrasignup.com/

I would recommend keeping a fairly high mileage base, work on a fueling and hydration strategy on every long(er) run, learn to eat while running, learn what foods to avoid (to prevent GI problems), and do not skip your long run. Ever.

Re: hydration, you will need more than just water. You will have to replace sodium and other minerals lost through sweat over long periods of time. Some like Gatorade, but I prefer either Skratch or S-Caps.

I would continue weekly tempo work and/or hill work on shorter distance days and make sure that your long run is slower while keeping your HR in Z2 or Z3 like @SillyC2 suggested.

If you choose a trail race, don't start too agressively and walk the steep hills or run/walk them. I know several people that walk 10 steps, then run 10 steps for the hills. Save the energy for a strong finish. If the race longer than a 50k, several people I know swear by timed run / walk intervals when they need a break or cannot continuously run -- running 8 minutes and walking 2 minutes is the most common that I've heard other ultrarunners use.

HTH!

aldousmom · January 2015

I'm an ultra-marathoner, a trail runner. I find a lot of races on ultrasignup, but if there is a running group in your area you can ask them for their favs as well. Another resource is the facebook group "Trail and Ultra Running". it's a fantastic group.

I ran half marathons for 1.5yrs before I decided to run ultras, so I joined a marathon training group and registered for a 55k. It took about 3 mths to train. Now I'm always marathon ready, so I train about 6wks for a marathon or 50k (ish) race, 2 mths for a 50 miler. Haven't gone beyond 50 miles yet, though.

I do race frequently, so I've done a lot of races in the last two years.

jturnerx · January 2015

I've done a few ultras, both timed and fix distance events, up to the 24 hour and 100 mile. I did my first 50k about 5 months after my first marathon. I've done almost 30 ultras since. My top three bits of advice for what it's worth:

1. Train on similar terrain as your course if possible. Sandy? Big vert? Technical? Flat? Train toward that if you can.

2. Get your nutrition in order. Everyone tolerates different things at different times in a race. This isn't too much of an issue in a 50k but go longer and it gets to be important to sort out. Ask five people what they do and you'll get five different answers. Experiment.

3. Get your head in order. You can potentially be out there for a really long time. Long enough for major mood swings, hurts to hurt more or go away, and the weather to go from beautiful to biblically awful. If your mind is resilient enough to handle the ups and downs it helps things go easier.

Long Distance Runners

Ultra Marathon?

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