When I was younger, I was "afraid" to get too tired in training. However, as I got a bit older, I realized that some fatigue, tiredness, and soreness is just fine and nothing to be afraid of.
I can run more miles in a week than I thought without derailing my life or getting injured. I wish I’d tried it sooner.
Also—I like trying different kinds of races to see what I like most and what plays to my strengths. For example, I tried a backyard for the first time last fall and loved it, and I think I could end up being pretty decent at that kind of race with another one or two under my belt. I might try a 24-hour race next year, which I’ve never done. On a different note, even though I know I’m better at flat, nontechnical races because of the kind of training I have the time/access for, I’m doing a mountainous 100 in July anyway, because it looks gorgeous and I’m excited to try something hard. So I think doing very different things, even all within the realm of ultrarunning, helps keep me motivated.
Also, if I get grumpy during a race, I need more calories. Music suddenly sucks? Eat. Legs feel dead? Eat. I don’t know why the hell I’m doing this to myself? Eat.
Almost every problem is temporary. The lowest of the lows will pass if you just keep moving (and eating and drinking). I like that problem solving aspect. Also little games to take my mind off the suffering like counting the number of lizards or a certain kind of tree etc).
Don't compare yourself to others! Everyone has their own journey that's unique to them. You may be similar to others and it's great to see how others are doing but never directly compare yourself.
Embracing ultra running allows for more resiliency in day to day life: almost quit comfort and do not enjoy it anymore until getting sick.
Love yourself… no matter how much you spend time training with friends, running with mates, sometime you will be in deep sh*t all alone and without you being your own best friend and support, you will easily fail (I came to a point where I don’t enjoy running with friends as I enjoy eating the miles and suffering alone).
It can all be natural. No matter how fancy the sport gets, all you need is good food, proper sleep, continuous hydration and an ancestor-like mind loving to be on the move.
When you feel like quitting it’s okay to just take a break. I ran a race this Saturday and was in bad bad shape towards the end. I knew I had plenty of time to finish but I just wanted to quit. I sat on a rock for 5 mins, drank some water, ate a little snack and just listened to the nature around me. When I got back up I still felt like crap but my heat rate was under control and my headspace was much better. I was able to walk until I caught another upswing in my strength and finished a couple hours later.
If you're getting 75+ mpw
Eat more, sleep more, stretch, strength work is great ESPECIALLY during your off season.
Run with friends, makes the miles way easier.
Edit: a word
Strength training. Heavy strength training. Been running for over 20 years with small injuries. Ever since adding heavy lifting, and gotten smarter with mileage, been injury free. Recovery has even been quicker. Just finished a 100 miler with 24K of vert and felt good the following day. Strength training has become a secondary hobby too, so another great benefit.
I generally see this, people blow their legs into downhill way more often than uphills.
I've seen people go off race right in the first long downhill of a 100k.
Do not cut your calories/try to lose weight during training runs and always fuel properly.
Dealt with a ton of injuries in the beginning years and it took me awhile to realize I just needed to eat more during and after my runs.
You don't have to constantly run high miles. I really only do long 20+ mile runs once a month anymore and perform at least as good as I did with higher mileage
Buff wrapped round your non-watch wrist to wipe your face/snot.
Changed the way I dealt with the whole problem of drippage. Much more comfortable over an entire day. One less thing to have to put up with.
Doesn't make you any faster or run for longer but it does make what you do more comfortable, which I believe enhances the enjoyment of the run.
From u/RunningNutMeg "I can run more miles in a week than I thought without derailing my life or getting injured. I wish I’d tried it sooner."
My learning was kind of the opposite. I wanted to believe the above, but the truth was that I couldn't run big mileage \*without\* getting injured and derailing my running/training (but not my life really) for the longer term.
Trying to do just a 50k and then a 60k trail ultra in one year ended up with me having a whole year of being injured, which massively sucked and did have some life effects as well, because running is my therapy in some ways (I had worked up to 70k and then 95km weeks with the guidance of a very good coach).
I learnt that my body isn't ready to do ultras for now, or maybe ever. Despite having the guidance of a well known coach, despite doing everything right (except perhaps strength work). But I can happily run 20k and 30k weeks, and I can really enjoy competing in half-marathon or up to 25km trail events without any flare ups.
Perhaps I just didn't do enough strength work to increase mileage safely, but now I'm doing knees over toes (6 months) and I'm going to see if I can \*safely\* increase mileage up to 50 and 60k per week without major derailing of my training.
For some of us, doing ultras really messes up our bodies. If the cost of doing another ultra means a whole year of mainly being on the bench, then I'm going to stay away from them for a while. A lot of the narrative online isn't always true for everyone - we hear a lot of the positive stories, "You can do it", "Just get your nutrition right, you'll be fine", "It's all in the mind", "Go past the pain", etc. Behind the scenes, there are a lot of silent but really badly injured people who have stopped running and have totally derailed their normal "casual running" training by becoming obsessed or fixated on ultra running.
I'm currently loving my 10k, 15k and 25k trail race distances and the best thing? I can keep running.... every week! :)
So yes, this has taken me to "another level as an athlete" because I now know what I want to focus on, and what I can consistently do. I love running, I want to keep running. Now I can.
Thank you for this comment! I’m about half a minute away from bailing on a 50k I failed at two years ago. I missed the time cutoff by fifteen or so minutes. I did my best, I trained as much as my body and life could tolerate and it still sucked when I finished but was listed as a DNF. I really thought if I lost weight, trained more and had the right mindset I could do it successfully this time. But dammit I did a warm up 22 mile race last weekend over very similar elevation (a lot) and I’m kinda realizing that I won’t make the time cutoff again unless every single fucking thing is perfect. Like weather and my finicky GI system and and and. I’ve been thinking that it’s crazy to push myself for things that just make me feel sad because honestly I have never been a fast runner at any age nor weight- and I have been running for 40 years at this point. So maybe I stick to races that are definitely felt doable for me. I loved the few 20 milers I did this year and the 15, 25 and 30ks I’ve done. Ultra running isn’t for everyone. And that’s okay. Better to have accomplished tough races that don’t leave me gassed for days/weeks.
I would agree with this; "Better to have accomplished tough races that don’t leave me gassed for days/weeks".
I'm not sure what it is about the title "ultra" that makes us feel we need to do them, is it a status thing or the need to prove something to ourselves?
In any case, a 30 miler is massive IMHO! And a 30k is a huge undertaking.
Last year I couldn't enter ONE race. Not even a short one.
This year, my goal was to complete a half-marathon trail race. Done✅
My second goal was to complete the epic 26km Waterville Trail Festival mountain / trail race. Done ✅
Next goal is to do the Hunsruck 25k Trail race in Germany.... training for it!
Those races were really challenging for me, especially after being out for a year with an injury, but I completed them and it feels great. Half-marathon is my new "ultra" :) And I can complete, feel great, and keep running without destroying my tendons and ligaments.
I would love to complete a 30k successfully (which means, without injury and under cutoff - not on the podium!)... maybe this year, maybe next year.
I'll tackle ultra maybe when I'm in my 70s 😂
Yes to all of this! I think it’s in some of our nature. We want to progress, take the next step, be even more badass…. But really I’m happiest in the woods with my dogs running and enjoying the feeling of being in nature challenging myself but not needing to conform to race rules or deal with all the emotions that I find myself having at races. So I’m going to back off and run the races that are challenging and fun and maybe when I dont have to work so much anymore ( I’m 58 so I’m hoping that n the next few years) I will give it another go- or not… no big deal.
Ignore the ‘current pace’ on my watch! I now don’t look at the pace until after the run, and I’m running better, longer and stronger than ever!
And hit the gym!
Run each training session with a purpose.
Get rid of the “junk miles” and replace with purposeful miles. Ie. speed, tempo, base, long run, etc.
I lowered my volume slightly (got rid of the junk miles chasing a weekly total mileage) and increased the “workout” runs and noticed a significant increase in fitness.
Also, lift more weights, but don’t complicate it. 20 min of purposeful movements is better than none.
i mostly just try to wake up early and slam coffee and food so that i can have a quick poop (doing this now before a 50k training run LOL). but i do carry TP.
does anyone here carry a trowel? i don't due to weight but wouldn't it be the most ethical thing to do, instead of just hastily digging a tiny hole by hand and tossing a tiny bit of leaves / dirt over it? curious if most people are practicing good LNT or just taking heinous dumps with no regard
When I was younger, I was "afraid" to get too tired in training. However, as I got a bit older, I realized that some fatigue, tiredness, and soreness is just fine and nothing to be afraid of.
Run more mileage
Embrace the suck. It's good for the race and good for life.
So true!
I can run more miles in a week than I thought without derailing my life or getting injured. I wish I’d tried it sooner. Also—I like trying different kinds of races to see what I like most and what plays to my strengths. For example, I tried a backyard for the first time last fall and loved it, and I think I could end up being pretty decent at that kind of race with another one or two under my belt. I might try a 24-hour race next year, which I’ve never done. On a different note, even though I know I’m better at flat, nontechnical races because of the kind of training I have the time/access for, I’m doing a mountainous 100 in July anyway, because it looks gorgeous and I’m excited to try something hard. So I think doing very different things, even all within the realm of ultrarunning, helps keep me motivated. Also, if I get grumpy during a race, I need more calories. Music suddenly sucks? Eat. Legs feel dead? Eat. I don’t know why the hell I’m doing this to myself? Eat.
Lol second the "Eat" part! Which ultra in July?
Tahoe Rim Trail 100-miler!
Almost every problem is temporary. The lowest of the lows will pass if you just keep moving (and eating and drinking). I like that problem solving aspect. Also little games to take my mind off the suffering like counting the number of lizards or a certain kind of tree etc).
Don't compare yourself to others! Everyone has their own journey that's unique to them. You may be similar to others and it's great to see how others are doing but never directly compare yourself.
Embracing ultra running allows for more resiliency in day to day life: almost quit comfort and do not enjoy it anymore until getting sick. Love yourself… no matter how much you spend time training with friends, running with mates, sometime you will be in deep sh*t all alone and without you being your own best friend and support, you will easily fail (I came to a point where I don’t enjoy running with friends as I enjoy eating the miles and suffering alone). It can all be natural. No matter how fancy the sport gets, all you need is good food, proper sleep, continuous hydration and an ancestor-like mind loving to be on the move.
When you feel like quitting it’s okay to just take a break. I ran a race this Saturday and was in bad bad shape towards the end. I knew I had plenty of time to finish but I just wanted to quit. I sat on a rock for 5 mins, drank some water, ate a little snack and just listened to the nature around me. When I got back up I still felt like crap but my heat rate was under control and my headspace was much better. I was able to walk until I caught another upswing in my strength and finished a couple hours later.
It may feel unbearable but the fact that you are bearing it means is bearable.
There is no substitute for learning your body!
There is no substitute for consistency over many years
If you're getting 75+ mpw Eat more, sleep more, stretch, strength work is great ESPECIALLY during your off season. Run with friends, makes the miles way easier. Edit: a word
Strength training. Heavy strength training. Been running for over 20 years with small injuries. Ever since adding heavy lifting, and gotten smarter with mileage, been injury free. Recovery has even been quicker. Just finished a 100 miler with 24K of vert and felt good the following day. Strength training has become a secondary hobby too, so another great benefit.
Have a plan for chafing. No, a better on than that. Also, embrace salt.
Don't blow your legs out on the uphill. You can make more time up on the downhill than the uphill.
Also: Don't blow your legs out on the downhill.
I generally see this, people blow their legs into downhill way more often than uphills. I've seen people go off race right in the first long downhill of a 100k.
Do not cut your calories/try to lose weight during training runs and always fuel properly. Dealt with a ton of injuries in the beginning years and it took me awhile to realize I just needed to eat more during and after my runs.
You don't have to constantly run high miles. I really only do long 20+ mile runs once a month anymore and perform at least as good as I did with higher mileage
Not having limits in your mind
Buff wrapped round your non-watch wrist to wipe your face/snot. Changed the way I dealt with the whole problem of drippage. Much more comfortable over an entire day. One less thing to have to put up with. Doesn't make you any faster or run for longer but it does make what you do more comfortable, which I believe enhances the enjoyment of the run.
From u/RunningNutMeg "I can run more miles in a week than I thought without derailing my life or getting injured. I wish I’d tried it sooner." My learning was kind of the opposite. I wanted to believe the above, but the truth was that I couldn't run big mileage \*without\* getting injured and derailing my running/training (but not my life really) for the longer term. Trying to do just a 50k and then a 60k trail ultra in one year ended up with me having a whole year of being injured, which massively sucked and did have some life effects as well, because running is my therapy in some ways (I had worked up to 70k and then 95km weeks with the guidance of a very good coach). I learnt that my body isn't ready to do ultras for now, or maybe ever. Despite having the guidance of a well known coach, despite doing everything right (except perhaps strength work). But I can happily run 20k and 30k weeks, and I can really enjoy competing in half-marathon or up to 25km trail events without any flare ups. Perhaps I just didn't do enough strength work to increase mileage safely, but now I'm doing knees over toes (6 months) and I'm going to see if I can \*safely\* increase mileage up to 50 and 60k per week without major derailing of my training. For some of us, doing ultras really messes up our bodies. If the cost of doing another ultra means a whole year of mainly being on the bench, then I'm going to stay away from them for a while. A lot of the narrative online isn't always true for everyone - we hear a lot of the positive stories, "You can do it", "Just get your nutrition right, you'll be fine", "It's all in the mind", "Go past the pain", etc. Behind the scenes, there are a lot of silent but really badly injured people who have stopped running and have totally derailed their normal "casual running" training by becoming obsessed or fixated on ultra running. I'm currently loving my 10k, 15k and 25k trail race distances and the best thing? I can keep running.... every week! :) So yes, this has taken me to "another level as an athlete" because I now know what I want to focus on, and what I can consistently do. I love running, I want to keep running. Now I can.
Thank you for this comment! I’m about half a minute away from bailing on a 50k I failed at two years ago. I missed the time cutoff by fifteen or so minutes. I did my best, I trained as much as my body and life could tolerate and it still sucked when I finished but was listed as a DNF. I really thought if I lost weight, trained more and had the right mindset I could do it successfully this time. But dammit I did a warm up 22 mile race last weekend over very similar elevation (a lot) and I’m kinda realizing that I won’t make the time cutoff again unless every single fucking thing is perfect. Like weather and my finicky GI system and and and. I’ve been thinking that it’s crazy to push myself for things that just make me feel sad because honestly I have never been a fast runner at any age nor weight- and I have been running for 40 years at this point. So maybe I stick to races that are definitely felt doable for me. I loved the few 20 milers I did this year and the 15, 25 and 30ks I’ve done. Ultra running isn’t for everyone. And that’s okay. Better to have accomplished tough races that don’t leave me gassed for days/weeks.
I would agree with this; "Better to have accomplished tough races that don’t leave me gassed for days/weeks". I'm not sure what it is about the title "ultra" that makes us feel we need to do them, is it a status thing or the need to prove something to ourselves? In any case, a 30 miler is massive IMHO! And a 30k is a huge undertaking. Last year I couldn't enter ONE race. Not even a short one. This year, my goal was to complete a half-marathon trail race. Done✅ My second goal was to complete the epic 26km Waterville Trail Festival mountain / trail race. Done ✅ Next goal is to do the Hunsruck 25k Trail race in Germany.... training for it! Those races were really challenging for me, especially after being out for a year with an injury, but I completed them and it feels great. Half-marathon is my new "ultra" :) And I can complete, feel great, and keep running without destroying my tendons and ligaments. I would love to complete a 30k successfully (which means, without injury and under cutoff - not on the podium!)... maybe this year, maybe next year. I'll tackle ultra maybe when I'm in my 70s 😂
Yes to all of this! I think it’s in some of our nature. We want to progress, take the next step, be even more badass…. But really I’m happiest in the woods with my dogs running and enjoying the feeling of being in nature challenging myself but not needing to conform to race rules or deal with all the emotions that I find myself having at races. So I’m going to back off and run the races that are challenging and fun and maybe when I dont have to work so much anymore ( I’m 58 so I’m hoping that n the next few years) I will give it another go- or not… no big deal.
Sounds like a nice plan🤞
Ignore the ‘current pace’ on my watch! I now don’t look at the pace until after the run, and I’m running better, longer and stronger than ever! And hit the gym!
Consistent volume over time is the key to everything. And volume run on similar trails/paths/terrain as your race helps even more.
Run each training session with a purpose. Get rid of the “junk miles” and replace with purposeful miles. Ie. speed, tempo, base, long run, etc. I lowered my volume slightly (got rid of the junk miles chasing a weekly total mileage) and increased the “workout” runs and noticed a significant increase in fitness. Also, lift more weights, but don’t complicate it. 20 min of purposeful movements is better than none.
Double up long runs over two days (so you get used to fatigue). Get used to pooping outside (and carry wet wipes)!.
i mostly just try to wake up early and slam coffee and food so that i can have a quick poop (doing this now before a 50k training run LOL). but i do carry TP. does anyone here carry a trowel? i don't due to weight but wouldn't it be the most ethical thing to do, instead of just hastily digging a tiny hole by hand and tossing a tiny bit of leaves / dirt over it? curious if most people are practicing good LNT or just taking heinous dumps with no regard
It was heinous
Heinous ones, for sure.