wannabe ultra runner?

T Rex

2L (which I carry) lasts me about 25-30 miles, except in warm weather when I drink a lot more, so your 1L sounds about right.  You can fill your bottles up at each water station.

All the best for your first ultra!

Khanivore

Have a place in my first ultra after doing no running at all for a year or so. I’m doing chiltern wonderland in September. Running Paris marathon in April as a way to get me running again. That has not gone well - started training late, overdid it, and got injured. But - at least I’m back out there and excited about running again!

I will start reading through this thread but can someone point me to helpful advice on developing mental strength? This is a real weak point for me and I’m more worried about this causing me to quit than even the physical aspects.

T Rex

Hi Khanivore.

Steady as you go.  Don't rush the training.  Don't treat any training runs as time trials.  You need to build up the endurance first.

I've done CW50.  It's great event, not following any national trail for long, it ducks and dives all over the place. Quite hilly, but you do go through some idyllic villages.  There is a lot of interest and no long dull sections so it is a good one to choose for your first.

Your question is not easy to answer.  Where do we get mental strength from?  What is it that makes us not give up?  It's different for everybody. 

It essentially comes from having confidence in your ability that you can keep going when things get hard, or go wrong.  Choosing not to give up when you start to be confronted with problems.  This usually comes from experience - you've been in this place before and so you know you can get through it, and perhaps put up with things a bit better than before.  It's a matter of gradually extending your comfort zone. 

In a marathon new runners often hit a 'wall'.  In ultras it's a bit more subtle.  You can have repeated bad patches, but with experience you come to know that you are not condemned to feel like this for the whole of the rest of your race. You come through these patches.  I often have a long bad patch in the high 20s/low 30s miles but as I get into the mid and high 30s all that is forgotten and I'm moving well.

Debra Bourne

Hi Khanivore, T Rex makes some good points. It -is- about practice, to a large extent. For example I hit a low at about 15 miles in my first 100-mile event, wondering whether niggles would turn into injuries and prevent me getting my back-to-back at Comrades later in the year. I knew from previous experience at 50-mile events that I would come through an early 'low', plus I told myself logically that at the moment they were just minor niggles, and I could always pull out later if they did seem to be getting much worse. They didn't get worse - even disappeared - and I finished the 100 having not even thought about those niggles for probably 18 hours or more, and was fine for Comrades.

My overall approach is to advance in steps, so I know that I 'ought' to be able to complete the next level.

Chlobo

I've entered Race To The Stones Day 2 (50k) July 2019
The furthest I've ever run is a half in 2011
The furthest I've ever walked is 21miles in a day

I've started running again with a more focused plan with this event in mind and am comfortable at 5k, stepping up to 10k by the end of this month and entering a 10k early next month.

My plan right now is to aim to complete the 50k like this

run 10k
walk 10k
run 10k
walk 10k
run 10k

That's the rough plan but obviously if there are massive hills I will walk them and just compensate by running more of the flat/downhills.

Does this sound like a crazy plan? With feb, march, april, may, june as my training window?

Niall1980

Evening all. Newbie here. I turn 40 in August 2020 and am planning to celebrate it with an ultra. Have ran a few half marathons and some off road 10ks which I enjoyed a lot more. I usually do CrossFit and powerlifting and am competing this July. Just looking for some advice regarding training and where to begin. Any advice much appreciated. 

Debra Bourne

Start building up mileage and most importantly time-on-feet. Back-to-back long runs are good (i.e. two long runs one day after the other - can start with e.g. 10 miles then 6 miles. Look at the traing plans provided here: https://www.ultraladies.com/free-training-plans.html - they are practical to actually follow, and will let you complete your first ultra and even enjoy it, Get off-road as much as possible - use footpaths, follow a National Trail if there's one near you, etc.

Debra Bourne

Chlobo, I'd suggest switching in much shorter blocks.

Niall1980

Thanks Debra. I reckon the Mourne way ultra next June will be the one I aim for so plenty of time even with my powerlifting meet looming. Anybody done that?

Big_Avo

I have been running on and off for years, and have recently started to enter races and completed a couple of half marathons.

I have still got a long way to go (no pun intended) but I would love to do the Manchester to Liverpool Ultra.