DonPendergraft Member

I'm doing an inaugural 50M trail race next month. But the RD has done tons of road races and gets raves. Plus, BONUS, known for large bling (finishers medals). I think #aldousmom has run some of her races and could tell you more.

Running on a cool Fall day is a lot different than a hot August day, so there's that. But basically you drink if you are thirsty, so it depends on you. If you can run 18 miles without getting really thirsty, then go for it! If my run is going to be over 2 hours I take water unless it's super hot then I will bring water if…

What Carson says. It depends on the shoe as well as the runner. The runner's form and weight are big factors. A racing flat will wear out much faster than a heavily structured shoe, and a heavy runner will wear out the foam a lot faster. Some also have materials that just aren't made for durability. I had one pair of shoes…

Loved the recap. I hope my 50M goes as well as yours did. It seemed like you had a lot of fun and didn't kill yourself. Also, a time to be proud of!

So, for your 1st ultra you just decided to skip the 50K or 50M option and just go straight to 100K? WOW! Congrats. :smile:

Pebble seems to be the way to go for now. A lot of bang for the buck! I will have to start saving up some frog skins...

As I turn 50 in less than two weeks, in for the comments! :)

I don't wear a headlamp for my pre-dawn runs. To me, a headlamp is to see, not to be seen when running at least. I see fine in town. When I lived in the country with no lights and it was cloudy, I needed a headlamp to see since I ran on old dirt roads. I use one at night when on trails too in order to see. As far as what I…

I don't remember where I read it, but supposedly when you start running (regardless of age) you have about 7 years to reach your best. If you don't start to age 45 then should improve until 52 using this logic. If you start at 23, you will improve until 30. I don't really know though. It's all relative. I will be 50 next…

I have a Note 2 and it's pretty large. Even bigger when I put the extended battery on it. I use an Amphipod belt at times. If I'm wearing my SJ Ultra Vest, I just put it in the back of that. In the dark on the road I have a highwayman's vest with a pocket that it fits into. It's not a huge problem really. Here's a link to…

I use this app when I go trail running alone and it works well. I text it to my family and then set it to expire in 5-6 hours and just go. It will crush your battery, but running GPS on your phone does that so I use my extended battery. I use my Garmin 910xt for all of my tracking, so this app is more so that others can…

Respect for the Bob Beamon reference! :)

Well, how did it go? :)

I finished the Do-Wacka-Do Trail Run a couple of weeks ago. I did the 50K in 6:58 and some change. It was rainy, cold and muddy but I finished!

I've thought about that shoe. The only downside that I can see is that the durability is, to put it kindly, not so great. But the shoe is cheap enough that you can afford to replace them more often too! I still would like to try them.

They are a neutral shoe, so yeah, they aren't going to give the arch support you are looking for. You should have tried the M2 as that's their trail stability version!

I find the older I get the more easily I fall into the over trained mode. I have to back off every few weeks. It stinks, but what can you do? :o)

I've heard that some have had great success with tongue pads to keep the foot from slipping forward and slamming your toes on downhills. Just use The Google to find out more on tongue pads. ;)

LOL. That's the shoe she said I should try, but I actually got the N2. The only difference is the N2 is slightly more cushioned. I still have not run in them. Scheduled for 25 on Saturday so they will get a good test!

As an oldster, I liked this article. :)

I've heard good things about the Saucony Peregrine. Good luck with that! I may try them if these don't work out. I may end up loving the PI's, but the upper is mesh so I'm very skeptical of their ability to improve on the silt/sand situation. But I wanted a new pair of shoes just for the trail anyway. Better footing, rock…

Daisy, I'm pretty sure that Cascadia is a stability shoe. But the worst part is that is the shoe I was wearing for my last 50K when my knees exploded all over the trail. At least that's what it felt like. I finished the race, but realized that I needed to lose some weight and to try a more cushioned shoe before my next…

OK, on the advice of my coach I've ordered a pair of Pearl Izumi EM Trail N2 shoes. Not sure how missed this shoe, it has some great reviews. Nick Clark did the Grand Slam in them. Not sure how much dirt they will let in, but they are worth a try!

Tongue pads? What do they do? Do they keep your foot from sliding forward? They would seem to be good for filling up a shoe if you have a low volume foot.

Sarah, Thanks for replying. I may try the Altra. I've not 100% sworn off Hoka. I just cast a gimlet eye at them because of past experience. It's funny you single out those two models as they are the two that I tried. I put 300 miles on the Mafate's before kicking them to the curb. I loved the cushioning. But for the first…

I eat more than some on the run. Once size does not fit all when you hear how much to eat. I girl that weighs 110lbs and probably get by with 100 calories an hour. For me, it's closer to 300 because I'm moving about 190lbs through space and I don't want to bonk. It also helps me not get too hungry! As far as logging, I…

A lot of it is merely a function of quantity. The more food, the more waste and therefore the greater need for elimination. That's why the older heavy guy at work lives in the bathroom. If you are about 5,000 calories a day, I promise you that you would be spending more time on the throne!

Duly noted! :)

I would recommend reading Dr. Timothy Noakes book "Waterlogged". Hyponatremia is no joke. Pushing fluids isn't a good idea unless you really are dehydrated or getting dehydrated. That is why he says to "drink to thirst" only. If you are a salty sweater, then you probably have a fairly high salt diet and your body is just…

I only bother with a recovery drink after a long run (2+ hours) or after an intense run (track work, hill repeats, etc). But when I do, I do drink chocolate milk. It's cheaper and at least as effective as Ultragen or Endurox. I use low fat milk and chocolate syrup (non-HFCS).