The Ultra Running Hangout
BasicGreatGuy
Posts: 857 Member
If you enjoy the challenge and thrill of long distance running, and like talking about ultra running with other people with the same passion, whether it be on the trails or the road, this thread is for you.
If you are new to ultra running or thinking about training for your first ultra marathon and looking for advice and tips on gear, nutrition, good races to sign up for, looking for a ultra running partner, or anything else ultra running related, this thread is for you.
It has been my experience, that the ultra running community has some of the most friendly and helpful people around, and I hope that that same kindred spirit of friendship can be one of the focal points of this thread.
If you are new to ultra running or thinking about training for your first ultra marathon and looking for advice and tips on gear, nutrition, good races to sign up for, looking for a ultra running partner, or anything else ultra running related, this thread is for you.
It has been my experience, that the ultra running community has some of the most friendly and helpful people around, and I hope that that same kindred spirit of friendship can be one of the focal points of this thread.
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I'm in! I ran a 20 mile trail race a couple of years ago, but I overtrained and injured myself. Now I'm planning on running my first 50k in April, but I'm giving myself tons of time to train so I don't repeat my past mistakes.2
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I have yet to fully convince myself I'll ever do an ultra. I prefer to have obstacles in my way when running. I've done 12hr+ endurance events, and tackled races that were upwards of 15 miles on mountains with obstacles on them. I could see myself tackling a 50k next year depending on how my OCR schedule shapes up....my boyfriend is really into ultras and is doing his first 100k in two weeks. I'm really excited to pit crew for him!1
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lauramargaret77 wrote: »I'm in! I ran a 20 mile trail race a couple of years ago, but I overtrained and injured myself. Now I'm planning on running my first 50k in April, but I'm giving myself tons of time to train so I don't repeat my past mistakes.
Good on you for not letting an overuse injury keep you from giving ultra running another go.
I think you are being very wise to give yourself that kind of training time for your first 50k. You will be able to take your time ramping up the mileage, without feeling inner pressure that you are behind.
How many days a week are you running, and what kind of mileage have you been doing recently?0 -
I have yet to fully convince myself I'll ever do an ultra. I prefer to have obstacles in my way when running. I've done 12hr+ endurance events, and tackled races that were upwards of 15 miles on mountains with obstacles on them. I could see myself tackling a 50k next year depending on how my OCR schedule shapes up....my boyfriend is really into ultras and is doing his first 100k in two weeks. I'm really excited to pit crew for him!
I got to crew for my brother when he did the Cruel Jewell 100 in May. I was up for 37 hours straight and had a blast. Met a lot of great folks.
You should do an ultra with your boyfriend some time. That would be fun.
I have never run an obstacle race. Mountain trails with all their elevation is enough for me. lol0 -
BasicGreatGuy wrote: »I got to crew for my brother when he did the Cruel Jewell 100 in May. I was up for 37 hours straight and had a blast. Met a lot of great folks.
You should do an ultra with your boyfriend some time. That would be fun.
I have never run an obstacle race. Mountain trails with all their elevation is enough for me. lol
Haha well he is definitely way too fast for me lol. His run training is years ahead of mine. Really looking forward to crewing though. I will have to meander through the state park to put in my own training for the day (solid 2 hrs of elevation hiking). And thankfully it is a figure 8 course so I should see him a few times throughout the day. I've heard the community is fantastic, so I plan on making a bunch of friends! And I'm taking a book...or two...haha.0 -
Accidentally signed up for my first marathon in November. If I enjoy it, I may do an ultra.1
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Congrats on your first upcoming marathon.Asher_Ethan wrote: »Accidentally signed up for my first marathon in November. If I enjoy it, I may do an ultra.
If you enjoy running long distances, you will feel right at home with ultras.
I have a 26 mile long run scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I am so pumped up right now, you would think I am getting ready for race day. lol That is how much I love running long distance.
How is your training coming along?0 -
BasicGreatGuy wrote: »
Congrats on your first upcoming marathon.Asher_Ethan wrote: »Accidentally signed up for my first marathon in November. If I enjoy it, I may do an ultra.
If you enjoy running long distances, you will feel right at home with ultras.
I have a 26 mile long run scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I am so pumped up right now, you would think I am getting ready for race day. lol That is how much I love running long distance.
How is your training coming along?
Hahaha I have a 15 mile run planned for tomorrow morning and I'm actually real excited about it as well.
Training is going well; I had a rest day yesterday and I didn't know what to do with myself.
My time after 9 miles really starts to deteriorate so I'm going to try more shock blocks tomorrow and see if that helps. If you have any advice on what I can do about the dreaded mile 9 I would love to hear it.0 -
Asher_Ethan wrote: »BasicGreatGuy wrote: »
Congrats on your first upcoming marathon.Asher_Ethan wrote: »Accidentally signed up for my first marathon in November. If I enjoy it, I may do an ultra.
If you enjoy running long distances, you will feel right at home with ultras.
I have a 26 mile long run scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I am so pumped up right now, you would think I am getting ready for race day. lol That is how much I love running long distance.
How is your training coming along?
Hahaha I have a 15 mile run planned for tomorrow morning and I'm actually real excited about it as well.
Training is going well; I had a rest day yesterday and I didn't know what to do with myself.
My time after 9 miles really starts to deteriorate so I'm going to try more shock blocks tomorrow and see if that helps. If you have any advice on what I can do about the dreaded mile 9 I would love to hear it.
Without knowing more about your training methods (and pace) and running history, my first thought is that you are probably running too fast for your current fitness level and long run objective.
How fast have you been running your long runs, compared to your daily run pace?
Long runs, as a general rule, should be run anywhere from 1.5 - 2 minutes slower (sometimes 3 minutes) than normal running pace. This is the kind of pace that you feel you could run for hours with, before getting fatigued. If you can't carry on a normal conversation with someone while doing your long, slow run, you are running too fast.
If you are not using a running watch, it would be a good idea to do so, in my opinion. That, along with a heart rate monitor strap (if budget allows) will assist you in closely monitoring your pace and heart rate, so that you don't run too fast and burn out early on in the run. Being consistent with pacing mile after mile takes practice.
Early on in the run, the temperature is nice and your body feels rested and strong. A lot of people have a tendency to run fast early in the run, thinking that since the weather is nice and they are feeling strong, that there is nothing wrong with running the long run fast. And after several miles of running 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes faster, the cumulative affect starts to manifest itself, with the runner getting fatigued a lot sooner than intended.
Running fast during the long run, defeats the primary purpose of said run.
In my opinion, it would be best to start teaching your body how to primarily rely on its own stored fat for running fuel, instead of putting the emphasis on carbs during the run.
What is your current fueling regime? Are you waiting until you start feeling tired before fueling?0 -
shoebuy.com is having a 30% off Labor Day sale (with free shipping and no tax) that ends 9/5 at 12pm PST. I was able to get a pair of Altra Paradigm 2.0 for $90.97 They have plenty of brands that are eligible for the sale, from what I could see.
I really like the Altra brand with the wide toe box (amongst other features). The ultra community has really embraced Altra.0 -
Hi. Great thread. Have been hoping for something like this to appear. I've never done an Ultra before but am currently in training for a 50miler in April and a 100 miler in July next year. Got inspired volunteering at an Ultra. Enjoying the training and looking forward to the challenge.0
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Hi. Great thread. Have been hoping for something like this to appear. I've never done an Ultra before but am currently in training for a 50miler in April and a 100 miler in July next year. Got inspired volunteering at an Ultra. Enjoying the training and looking forward to the challenge.
Welcome, Marika
Being around (volunteering, crewing, pacing, or just cheering) ultra runners is inspiring. Glad that you have caught the ultra bug. To my knowledge, there is no known cure but to run more and more.
It is good that you have given yourself plenty of training time for your first 50 miler. Will it be on the trails or road? What kind of mileage are you looking to average on a weekly basis? What do you plan to use for your hydration needs during the two races? Camelbak, Osprey, and One Direction make very good hydration vest, if you have discovered them already.1 -
BasicGreatGuy wrote: »Hi. Great thread. Have been hoping for something like this to appear. I've never done an Ultra before but am currently in training for a 50miler in April and a 100 miler in July next year. Got inspired volunteering at an Ultra. Enjoying the training and looking forward to the challenge.
Welcome, Marika
Being around (volunteering, crewing, pacing, or just cheering) ultra runners is inspiring. Glad that you have caught the ultra bug. To my knowledge, there is no known cure but to run more and more.
It is good that you have given yourself plenty of training time for your first 50 miler. Will it be on the trails or road? What kind of mileage are you looking to average on a weekly basis? What do you plan to use for your hydration needs during the two races? Camelbak, Osprey, and One Direction make very good hydration vest, if you have discovered them already.
Hi.
Thanks.
It was certainly an amazing experience volunteering and getting to chat to some really experienced ultra runners. The race director has or possibly still has the world record for the most ultras in a year, so that was fascinating.
The 50 miler is on road/track and the 100 will be mainly on trail and a large section of pretty flat sea wall so will be interesting.
Currently i'm around 30 miles a week(not much at the minute, but recovered from an annoying injury recently and am testing the waters), but am increasing every week so will be a lot more by the time race day comes around. What would your average weekly mileage be if you don't mind me asking.
Have looked at Hydration packs and race vests. Thinking of going for one by Ultimate direction as had good reviews and has soft bottles, so that I can carry both water and something like Tailwind nutrition. Trying out what works and what doesn't.0 -
If possible, it would be a good idea to slowly work your mileage up to at least 70 miles a week (during a 5 -6 day run week). That will put you in better condition to handle the two races.BasicGreatGuy wrote: »Hi. Great thread. Have been hoping for something like this to appear. I've never done an Ultra before but am currently in training for a 50miler in April and a 100 miler in July next year. Got inspired volunteering at an Ultra. Enjoying the training and looking forward to the challenge.
Welcome, Marika
Being around (volunteering, crewing, pacing, or just cheering) ultra runners is inspiring. Glad that you have caught the ultra bug. To my knowledge, there is no known cure but to run more and more.
It is good that you have given yourself plenty of training time for your first 50 miler. Will it be on the trails or road? What kind of mileage are you looking to average on a weekly basis? What do you plan to use for your hydration needs during the two races? Camelbak, Osprey, and One Direction make very good hydration vest, if you have discovered them already.
Hi.
Thanks.
It was certainly an amazing experience volunteering and getting to chat to some really experienced ultra runners. The race director has or possibly still has the world record for the most ultras in a year, so that was fascinating.
The 50 miler is on road/track and the 100 will be mainly on trail and a large section of pretty flat sea wall so will be interesting.
Currently i'm around 30 miles a week(not much at the minute, but recovered from an annoying injury recently and am testing the waters), but am increasing every week so will be a lot more by the time race day comes around. What would your average weekly mileage be if you don't mind me asking.
Have looked at Hydration packs and race vests. Thinking of going for one by Ultimate direction as had good reviews and has soft bottles, so that I can carry both water and something like Tailwind nutrition. Trying out what works and what doesn't.
I think using the Ultimate Direction vest is a good choice, as is using two different drinks during the race. I do the same kind of thing with my long run training and races. I always make a point to have water and some kind of carb / electrolyte drink. I use as little of the latter as I can, as I am teaching my body (more and more) to use fat as the primary fuel source, instead of carbs. The human body naturally has a lot more fat fuel, which helps to keep one from 'hitting the wall,' not to mention it saves money from having to buy more fueling supplies.1 -
Hi! I'm a vegan ultra runner who just got back on MFP to try to eat better so I can run better! I have about 10lbs I would like to drop, but it's hard when running as much as I do.
I run around 50-70 mpw, and I'm currently signed up for a 50 miler, a 100K and a 50K in 2017
If the 100K goes well (it will be my first time running that distance) I have my eyes on a end of summer 100 miler. Maybe.
I used to have a lot of MFP friends, but they aren't around anymore so if anyone wants to add me, you are welcomed!!1 -
Nice to meet another crazy runner (read: ultra runner)ultratrailgirl wrote: »Hi! I'm a vegan ultra runner who just got back on MFP to try to eat better so I can run better! I have about 10lbs I would like to drop, but it's hard when running as much as I do.
I run around 50-70 mpw, and I'm currently signed up for a 50 miler, a 100K and a 50K in 2017 If the 100K goes well (it will be my first time running that distance) I have my eyes on a end of summer 100 miler. Maybe.
I used to have a lot of MFP friends, but they aren't around anymore so if anyone wants to add me, you are welcomed!!
Hope your training goes well for you. I just finished a 12 hour ultra last Saturday.
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I'm training for a first - a half marathon , but I have no interest in an ultra.I can't even fathom it to be honest. Even a full sounds daunting. I'm in awe of you ultra people.0
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I've only just seen this. I did my 1st Mara distance in July and completed my 1st ultra in Sept. I'd been training for the ultra all year. Now I've got a few more planned for next year but have gone back to doing 20km runs rather than 30- 40 km training runs. I much prefer the trails to road so most of my races apart from 2 next year will be trails.
Mommarnurse - neither did I until I started hanging around my local trail group. They're bad influences 0 -
Following this post. My first ultra, 30 miler, was done a grand total of 6 months after I completed my first ever 5k run without stopping. Took me 7 hours to finish that and I wasn't able to complete the second 30 miler the next day.
That was April 2014. This April I went back and ran the race again, completing both days in 5 hours each. This year I also got my first ever DNF for an ultra. 70 mile run had to pull out at 57 miles after my brother in law was getting really sick. We started together, so we finished together.
Looking forward to next year now, I have a few 50km runs planned, a 75km and a 100km race as well and am currently waiting on details about a 3 day multiday race and a 100 miler to be confirmed.
Those are my big runs with a few marathons dotted here and there to cover my long training runs.
How does everyone else fit in their training around family life? My wife is happy for me to indulge in my "stupid" runs so long as it doesn't impact on family life. Which means that my weekend long runs normally start at 4 or 5am and I try to get 3 or 4 hours in.0 -
mommarnurse wrote: »I'm training for a first - a half marathon , but I have no interest in an ultra.I can't even fathom it to be honest. Even a full sounds daunting. I'm in awe of you ultra people.
I was there once... Then a full seemed doable... Then a 50K... Then a 50 miler... And the more you hangout with people running long distance the more you realize than they are normal people and if they can do it, you can do it!!
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I run when I can. For my last ultra I didn't train anywhere near as much as I wanted but I got a bigger run in and 1 smaller one if I could per week. I also did cross training at home to keep fitness up. For me it was all mental, I stuck to my race plan which was pretty laid back. Don't stop too long at checkpoints and finish before cut off. Spring/ summer runs are 5am starts as it gets too hot for long runs. Smaller ones in the afternoon after kids in bed. Winter my son plays footy so long runs are in the afternoon.0
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I can't wait to get back into Ultra Training again. Broke my ankle at an event so no training at the moment, and is driving me up the wall. Is great to see so many runners here
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ultratrailgirl wrote: »mommarnurse wrote: »I'm training for a first - a half marathon , but I have no interest in an ultra.I can't even fathom it to be honest. Even a full sounds daunting. I'm in awe of you ultra people.
I was there once... Then a full seemed doable... Then a 50K... Then a 50 miler... And the more you hangout with people running long distance the more you realize than they are normal people and if they can do it, you can do it!!
I'm a lone runner. Unfortunately. I know very few runners and it's hard with my schedule to get together with anyone else to run.1 -
mommarnurse wrote: »ultratrailgirl wrote: »mommarnurse wrote: »I'm training for a first - a half marathon , but I have no interest in an ultra.I can't even fathom it to be honest. Even a full sounds daunting. I'm in awe of you ultra people.
I was there once... Then a full seemed doable... Then a 50K... Then a 50 miler... And the more you hangout with people running long distance the more you realize than they are normal people and if they can do it, you can do it!!
I'm a lone runner. Unfortunately. I know very few runners and it's hard with my schedule to get together with anyone else to run.
I'm very much a lone runner. It's the one time in my life I get to switch off. I love the community around ultra running. The before and after race chats are great but when I'm on the trail, I just want to run on my own.
I did a 30 miler where another runner wanted to talk to me for the whole thing. That was more painful than the actual run itself. Running through the gorgeous New Forest and he just wouldn't shut up and let me enjoy the peace and quiet. In the end I tanked my time but almost 30 mins, just so he would get bored of my super slow pace and long breaks at check points.
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I have fallen in love with trail running, and I would love to do a trail marathon. The New Forest sounds wonderful, I love it there so much, night walks looking for bats, sunrises looking for frogs and reptiles, birds, ponies, etc. I guess it was an organised run?0
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@tiny_clanger Yeah it was a organised run. Quite a few of them in the New Forest. There are a few runs actually coming up.
http://www.racenewforest.co.uk/
I am currently signed up for the 26th Feb Marathon. I was going to run the one on 27th November but slipped a disc last week at the gym, so having to take it easy at the moment.0 -
Ooh, will keep an eye on that. The Feb marathon is too close to Brighton for me, but maybe one of the summer events. I was also looking at this one newforestmarathon.co.uk/#top Do you know anything about it?0
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Running my first ultra in spring. Which will actually be my first organized race; trying to make myself be more social.
@FatMoojor I would be very annoyed to have another runner talk incessantly to me while trying to enjoy the race. You were polite about it, I might have tripped them "on accident". LOL1 -
Tiny,
I've never run that race. It is always to close to another race for me to do. Next year it is the day after I run the Thames Path challenge. But it has been going for quite some time and has had good reviews.
I'm doing the following next year in October. I have run it a couple of times now. Really good multiday. Wonderful route which seem to find some mountainous hill in the new forest, well they feel mountainous after 25 miles! Really well run and organized event.
http://www.xnrg.co.uk/events/details/pony-express-2017.aspx
Those people are also putting on a 3 day event in May bank holiday, across the Southdowns, 3 days, 30 miles a day.
Just trying to persuade the wife that this is a good use of my time.0 -
@FatMoojor
That looks awesome! Not sure I'll be ready for the full distance by October (Brighton is my first marathon and I've not gone further than 13.1 on trails yet) but maybe a day trip....1
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