The Forum of Benfleet Running Club

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

ULTRA Running

They say that 'any idiot can run a Marathon, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon' and I subscribe to that! Because of the longer distances, night running and usually mountains or rough terrain involved it calls for a different approach to normal 'short distance' running and different equipment, including much more attention to fuelling needs.

Essentially any distance over a Marathon – usually races range from 50 Km to 100 miles and even beyond to 12hour/24hour (based on highest total distance completed) and 6 day plus multi-day events.

US has best known races – Leadville, Western States, Hardrock, Badwater etc. UK has Marathon of Britain, West Highland Way, Grand Union Canal Race etc. Europe (yes the bit outside the UK) has many in all countries – Ultra Trail Mont Blanc being one of the biggest events in the calendar.

Personally, I find being out for long hours very therapeutic. I can relax from the stresses of work, I can develop brilliant strategies for turning around a Company or making money (and then forget them by the time I get back). Additionally, you will never see an ultrarunner wearing appalling shorts like Karl does……

Equipment needs are different for ultrarunners. Camelbaks, headtorches, trail shoes, gaiters, tights. Even poles are required for some events like Mont Blanc. Planning what to carry is very important.

Most races have cut-off times to complete in……even the checkpoints in between. Miss the cut-off and you are out. Some races allow a support runner to join you after a designated time – essentially for your own safety as you tire after say 60 miles or you are going into a second night. Your support crew is your lifeline. They will provide the food/clothes and shoe changes, blister repairs etc when you need them.

Fuelling is key to long distance running. I have heard it mentioned that ultras are basically eating and drinking with a bit of running thrown in. Science has moved on markedly in terms of electrolyte replenishment. US Ultra sites sell a variety of energy gels, electrolyes and lactate buffer (Sodium/Potassium) capsules. It is important that these are consumed regularly or you will be recording many DNF's (Did Not Finish) and may find yourselves in a nice hospital bed.

This year I am running 5 Ultras for Charity and trying to raise £10K – at £4500 so far. Races are : Compton Downland 40 – March (Downs)
West Highland Way 95 - June (Glasgow to Ft William)
Ultra Trail Mont Blanc 100 - August (around the Massif)
Castillos de Avila 50Km - October (mountains in Avila near Madrid)
Round Rotherham 50 - December (Guess….)

If anyone is interested in knowing more about this subject please let myself or Ernie Jewson know so we can bore you rigid in stereo!

Regards

Mike Mason

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'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

looking around the male contingent at the club yesterday I would recommend you all start running very long distances and very often.....
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Ernie · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Hockley GORC

Being only new to the Sport of Ultras any advice I may give should be taken with this in mind. There are many sites on the Web where advice can be obtained regarding nutrition,training techniques etc.
I personally like some of the advice taken from the GUCR website ( www.gucr.co.uk/ ) notes section in particular "Training advice from Dick Kearn".
Also have a chat with Clive, Vic or Lorna at the Club who are more experienced than I for advice.

The experiences I've had running the few 50-70 mile Ultras contrast greatly with the GUCR I completed a couple of months back. The longer Ultras became for me more of a Survival Saga where the battle for me is between mind & body which is one of the main reasons Ultras interest me.

Some of my own Mental Tips I use during an Ultra Race which are influenced by a background in Survival Training etc...

1. Keep your Cool.

2. Dont concentrate on how far you have to go just what you are doing at the moment.

3. Take it as a matter of course that everything will go wrong and that no-one loves you etc.

4. Stay focused on what you are doing (I find mp3 players a distraction but I'll leave this one optional).

5. Remember to smile, laugh, joke during the race (this is very important ).

6. Try not to contemplate on the fact that it turned out a lot harder than you had imagined "Thats life"

7. Remind yourself these words "This is your Destiny and that unfortunately you dont have the luxury of quitting".

8. Visualize finishing.

9. Pain and Pleasure are very close emotions; enjoy yourself.

10. Put the word "ONLY" in front of every major obstacle ie: "ONLY a 1000 ft climb etc .

Of course there is a lot more to running Ultras than the Mental aspect but I hope some of this could be helpful.

Remember that "BUZZ" you got when completing your first Marathon !... well that same feeling is waiting for you at the end of your first Ultra.

Find out why Ultra Runners keep coming back for more.

And lastly "Enjoy the Pain"

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

Enjoy the pain????? You Aussies are a hoot. Castlemaine 4X as an electrolyte, snakes entrails for gels, candle stuck to forehead as headtorch.....brilliant

ps - how did the rock climbing go?

rgds
Mike
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

Creative Responses to the question "Why do you run ultras?" or "Why would you want to do that to your body?"

If it gives me happiness and a sense of fulfillment and harms no one, how could I not do it?

You now how some people say, "life is passing way too quickly". Well, during a long ultra you can really slow things down--TIME CRAWLS!

You do a lot more harm to yourself by not exercising than you do by running ultras. Why would you do THAT to yourself?

It's crazy... but other than that, it's kind of fun.

"It curbs my violent tendencies" (especially effective when said while holding a knife, axe or chainsaw)

Any idiot can run a marathon, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon!

It's no more foolish than chasing a little white ball around a big lawn and trying to hit it into little tiny holes!

I'm running from my fat ass but it's right behind me so I gotta keep running.

If we didn't run like this, how would we know how far we could go?

I do this because it is the only thing I have found (outside of S&M perhaps) that gives me such incredible pleasure and incredible pain that I feel completely connected to my own existence.

Because I'm a bad person and deserve pain, and running a 100 miles is my penance. I know, there is some deep psychological disorder but at least it seems like a healthy outlet for those feelings.

"If you have to ask, you'll never understand".

"I've got dangerously low cholesterol, and the food you eat during an ultra is generally very high in cholesterol. That's why I feel better after a race."

My mother abused me by constantly dropping me on my head.

What? You mean everyone doesn't do this!?

It gives me the chance to practice singing Alice's Restaurant till I get it right.

Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time.

The drugs, I do it for the drugs.

Because I get to show off my cute butt in those sexy tights.

Hell, I spend $50 to run a marathon and all they have at the aid stops is water.

My wife refuses to tie me down and take a whip to my legs.

The devil made me do it.

To those who know, no explanation is necessary .... To those who do not know, no explanation will suffice.

I do it for the fame and fortune and wild sex from all those ultra groupie women.

How else am I going to reach the finish line, duh?

I just went out to jog a mile and I forgot to stop.

It is just so beautiful- the trails, the sky, the feelings throughout, the joy at finishing.

I haven't found anything else that gives me such a feeling of pride.
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

You Know Your an Ultra Runner If...
By: Various Authors

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Your wife tries to introduce you to your three children and you reply "Three?"

You spend more time in the drug section than the food section of the local market.

You wonder why they don't make all running socks a dusty brown color.

You have more dirt on your shoes than in your garden.

You think that flagel and ibutrophin belong on the breakfast table.

You get more phone calls at 5:00 AM than at 5:00 PM.

You don't recognize your friends with their clothes on.

You have more buckles than belts.

You postpone your wedding because it will interfere with your training.

You keep mistaking your boss for Norm Klein.

6am is sleeping in.

Your feet look better without toenails.

Your idea of a fun date is a 30-mile training run.

You're tempted to look for a bush when there's a long line for the public restroom.

You don't think twice about eating food you've picked up off the floor.

You can expound on the virtues of eating salt.

You develop an unnatural fear of mountain lions.

When you wake up without the alarm at 4AM, pop out of bed and think "lets hit the trails".

When you can recite the protein grams by heart of each energy bar.

You don't even LOOK for the Porto-sans anymore.

Your ideal way to celebrate your birthday is to run at least your age in miles with some fellow crazies.

Your ideal way to have fun is to run as far as you can afford to with some fellow crazies.

You know the location of every 7-11, public restroom, and water fountain within a 25-mile radius of your house.

You run marathons for speed work.

You have more fanny packs and water bottles and flashlights than Imelda Marcos has shoes.

You visit a national park with your family and notice a thirty-mile trail connecting where you are with the place your family wants to visit next, which is a 100-mile drive away, and you think "Hmmmm".

Someone asks you how long your training run is going to be and you answer "seven or eight ... hours".

People at work think you're in a whole lot better shape than you think you are.

You actually are in a whole lot better shape than you think you are.

Your weekend runs are limited by how much time you have, not by how far you can run.

You always have at least one black toenail.

You buy economy-sized jars of Vaseline on a regular basis.

You tried hashing, but felt the trails were too short and easy.

You think of pavement as a necessary evil that connects trails.

You rotate your running shoes more often than you rotate your tires.

Your friends recognize your better dressed in shorts than in long pants.

You really envied Tom Hanks' long run as Forest Gump.

You carry money around in a zip lock bag because store clerks complained that your money's usually too sweaty.

Any time a plain old runner talks about her aches and pains, you can sympathize because you've already had that at least once.

You put more miles on your feet than on your rental car over the weekend.

You don't need to paint your toenails; they're already different colors.

You start planning the family vacation around races, and vice-versa.

When you start considering your next vacation location on the merits of its ultras only.

You spend you entire paycheck on running gear, ultrabars, and entry fees.

You miss a work deadline cause you just had to have that "one more minute" on-line writing to the list.

You become a quasi-expert on different detergents so as to not "hurt" your tee shirts.

You leave work early to hit the trails.

You wear t-shirts based on if you've had good work outs when you've worn them before.

Have a trail shoe collection that would make Imelda Marcos envious.

You walk up the stairs and run down them.

Peeing in the toilet seems unnatural.

You start wearing running clothes to work so you're prepared for afterwards.

Running trail is better then sex. (even if you don't get any)

Vaseline isn't just for fun anymore.

When the start of a marathon feels like a 5K and you're wondering "Why is everyone in such a rush? Where the ##@@**!! is the fire?"

As an infant you were dropped on your head.

Nobody recognizes your power T's. Met a guy at the market the other day who was wearing an AR50 T. So was I. I gave him a hearty, "Ta-da." He said, "Oh yeah, I tell people we were all acquitted and the charges were dropped."

You sign up for a 10K and
you strap on your fanny pack because you never know where the aid stations are.
you bring your own drinks.
you bring potatoes and salt.
you start fast and a six year old passes you.
you are the only one walking the up hills.
you run it a second time because its not far enough to call a training run (and you were racing the first time through).
you are the only one around who is eyeing the bushes THAT way.
you punch the lap button on your watch instead of the stop button at the finish.

When "NEXT GAS 36 MILES" signs start sounding like tempting runs.

Your pedicure kit includes a pair of pliers.

Your number of toes to toenails doesn't match.

You drink from a water bottle at the dinner table.

You consider the mold and mildew in your bottles extra electrolytes.

You just found out Poison and Oak are words by themselves.

You see a 1 quart water bottle colored like an Advil bottle, and don't realize that it's not in fact an Advil bottle.

You know you're married to an ultrarunner when Valentine's gifts come from Ultrafit.

You know you're married to an ultrarunner when she helps you up and says, "Come on, suck it up, keep moving!" and you know she means it in love.

You know you're an ultrarunner when a prospective employer asks for a photograph and all you have is race photos.

You know you're an ultrarunner when the races you enter end in a different area code. -and pass through several different Zip codes enroute.

You know you're an ultrarunner when your crew tries to keep you motivated by saying, "You're in second place and only 6 hours behind first with 25 miles to go!"

You know you're an ultrarunner when you go to your 8:00 a.m. college geology class and you can use the salt crystals, still caked on your glasses frames from your early morning run, in your talk on the category of sedimentary materials called evaporites (and I'm not making this up).

You know you're an ultrarunner when, on the night of a bad thunderstorm and downpour, you ring for a cab, and your announcement that this is the *first time* you're not getting home under your own steam causes a stunned silence in the office.

You bother to argue about (discuss the meaning of) what an UltraRunner is!!!

when you don't finish on the same day as the winner.

your dogs can drink out of water bottles

When you meet the opposite sex you see:
A possible crew.
A possible pacer.
A possible search and rescue team.
A possible race director.
A possible source of race entry fees.

You ask advice of hundreds of people on a list, looking for answers you have already determined to be correct, taking hold of only those, and running with 'em.

Your wife asks you the morning after your first 50 miler if you're still planning on that 100K in five weeks, and you say "Sure!"

You strap on your water bottles and walk the hills... in a 5 K race and consider that your 10 minute pace is a blistering pace.

People praise you to the high heavens for being able to finish a marathon, and you feel insulted.

You do a triathlon and it is your RUN time that is slower than the years when you specialized in triathlon.

You are told *not* to run another marathon during the next few months (because that would be bad for your health), and you really follow that advice - by immediately sending off the entry form for your next 50/100 miler.

Somebody asks about the distance of an upcoming race and you, without thinking, say, "Oh, it's just a 50K."

You're running a marathon and at mile 20 say to yourself, "Wow, only 6 more miles left, this is such a great training run!"

You know you are a clumsy ultrarunner when after running headfirst into the trail for the third time get up and continue running even though you are bleeding and covered in maple syrup where your gel flask exploded and you have another 20k to go.

You go for an easy 2 hour run in the middle of a Hurricane and think it is fun to get wet, muddy and run through the rivers that were once trails.

You get to the 81 mile point of a 100 miler and say to yourself, "Wow, only 19 miles left!"

You try to tie double knots in your Oxfords.

You pass a swamp towards the end of a run and think 'How bad could it be?"

Livestock salt blocks look good after a run.

You're embarrassed that you've only done 50K's...

Your wife/girlfriend/significant other asks you if you want to have sex on any particular night and you respond with:
"sorry, I don't have time, I have to go running"
"sorry, I'm too tired, I just went running"
"sorry, I would rather go read all my messages from the ultra-list"

You go down a flight of stairs, uh, backwards, after an ultra and everybody laughs.

No one believes you when you say "never again".

You refer to certain 100 mile races as "low-key."

You number your running shoes to distinguish old from new, since they all look dirty.

Prior to running a difficult race, you check to see if local hospitals and urgent care centers are in your PPO.

The only time major household projects get done is in a taper or race recovery.

Everything in your life, everything, is organized in different sized zip-loc bags.

You call a 50-mile race "just another training run".

You think a 100-mile race is easier than a 50 miler because you don't have to go out as fast.

You say, "Taper? Who's got time to taper? I have a race coming up this weekend."

You're tapering/recovering, and you'd rather drive 50 miles to watch Ann Trason's heavenly running style for 20 seconds than the Super Bowl.

You have to rent a car to drive to a major event because you and your pacer own stick shifts and neither will be able to drive them on the return trip.

You actually DO drive a stick shift home with a severely pulled left hamstring

You meet someone of the opposite sex on the trail of a 100 and all of conversation is about what color is your urine, can you drink? and were you able to dump.

Ya know you're and ultra runner when a girl changes her tank and her bra in front of you and all you do is take another drink of water, look at your watch, get up and tell your pacer "Let's hit the trail."

On a long drive you see the road signs listing various mileages to different places and think of how long it would take to get there on foot rather than by the car your driving.

You've started a race in the dark, run all day, and finished in the dark (if your lucky).

Your non-Ultrarunning running friends look at you strange when you tell them that 10:00/Mile is a fast pace for a 100 mile race (not to mention most ultras).

You don't hesitate to lie down in the trail (anywhere) when you are falling asleep on your feet during the early morning hours on the second day of a 100 miler; and it feels so comfortable.
Finally...

You know your an ultrarunner when you actually sit down and read all of the postings about, "You know your an ultrarunner when..." and can laugh and relate to all of the comments.

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_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

A good primer on long distance trail running is found at: http://www.oceansofenergy.com/howtorun.htm .

A 25 word summary: The factors that spell success in a first long trail race are:

The weekly long run.

Consistency in training (i.e., rarely skipping more than two scheduled days of running unless you're ill). You can race 50 KM if you are averaging 20 miles/week; 50 miles if averaging 30 miles/week.

Proper strategy during the race:
(a) eating - Start energy replacement right away - including some protein, and electrolytes
(b) run/walk ratio - walking at least 2 of every 10 minutes will enable you to go farther and eventually faster.
(c) proper foot care.

A set of commandments for ultrarunners......
1. Get your butt out the door and go run.
2. You don't get silver belt buckles for running.
3. The race director is not to be questioned.
4. Take a day off each week to recuperate.
5. Thank the RD and volunteers for all they have given you.
6. Be kind and gentle with others; it was you who incorrectly packed your drop bag.
7. It's your own fault for missing the cutoff if you try a tryst in the woods during the run.
8. You paid your entry fee to run the course; so run the course.
9. Don't make excuses when others, who have trained more and are better prepared, finish before you.
10. Quit bitching that the other runners had pacers, crews, mules, or something you didn't have. You ran your race, not theirs.
The 11th commandment: Thou Shalt NOT Whine! Just shut up and serve the cheese.
12. Thou shalt not allow your shorts to creep up and expose a cheek unless
you've got a really cute ass

I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.

Think nobody knows you're alive? Try missing a check point.

Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it. (Said by an aid station captain)

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

"Perhaps the genius of ultrarunning is its supreme lack of utility. It makes no sense in a world of space ships and supercomputers to run vast distances on foot. There is no money in it and no fame, frequently not even the approval of peers. But as poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. The ultra runners know this instinctively. And they know something else that is lost on the sedentary. They understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being -- a call that asks who they are ..."
- David Blaikie
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 891 Location: Hockley

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keri/080220
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.