Forums >Running 101>From couch potato to 8 day ultra marathon event
Why is it sideways?
This has all the elements of spectacle:
1) Instead of seeking to master one's self and one's skill, you swing for the fences and hope for the best.
2) The belief that you can do it is predicated on blind ignorance than on experience and knowledge.
3) The payoff of the adventure is measured in terms of blog hits rather than new capacities or insights.
4) The promise offered to the possible spectator is the possibility of carnage and catastrophe rather than the demonstration of excellence and skill.
5) The seeking of advice is indistinguishable from the seeking of attention. It's all part of the show.
In short, it's a stupid idea, which is of course its attraction. I'm sure that you will be successful and attract many followers and perhaps even some slight degree of fame.
Good luck.
Then again, maybe this will set you down the path to being a runner.
Or, it might just be a fun thing to do with a friend.
A guy I know did this last year--he and his teammate finished 3rd. He was one of the best runners in New England and a proven mountain goat before he went though.
His updates that another friend would forward me via email were some of the most riveting running related writing I've ever read. It sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and a truly transforming experience.
I think a person can do a lot in 18 months, but as another poster said it will take a high level of obsession/stubbornness.
Runners run
It will also take a bit of luck not getting injured. I would guys 80% of the runners know are always finding ways to get themselves injured. Now I find lots of ways to do this as well but now I just run through them. I'm stupid like that.
2014 Goals: (Yeah I suck)
Injuries are rarely due to bad luck. Almost always they are a failure of training.
Yeah, 80% seems awfully high. Bearcat, perhaps you are overestimating or perhaps you just know a lot of people straining, etc.
THAT SAID, I dunno that it is "almost always" the other way. Maybe I know too many trail runners. Though, heck, I suppose it could be said that if you turn an ankle running trails that this is indeed a failure of training (or at least lack of running skill. I lack this skill apparently)
Consistently Slow
My reply was great. I am now relaxed.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
I've never run an ultra, but I have an interesting conversation with an ultramarathoner. We talked for a few miles while running a marathon. He mentioned running a 100 miler each of the two previous weekends. His hill training was 4 to 6 hours at 4.5 MPH on a treadmill set for a steep uphill (15% ?) on Saturday, followed by 3 to 5 hours on Sunday on the same treadmill at the same speed except it was set for a steep downhill. I googled him afterward. He was one of six people to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning that year. There's a lot of good information on training for ultras at www.ultrunr.com.
I've never run an ultra, but I have an interesting conversation with an ultramarathoner. We talked for a few miles while running a marathon. He mentioned running a 100 miler each of the two previous weekends. His hill training was 4 to 6 hours at 4.5 MPH on a treadmill set for a steep uphill (15% ?) on Saturday, followed by 3 to 5 hours on Sunday on the same treadmill at the same speed except it was set for a steep downhill. I googled him afterward. He was one of six people to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning that year.
There's a lot of good information on training for ultras at www.ultrunr.com.
Do you know what kind of legwork he did, other than the treadmill climbs and descents? I read an article about training for ultras and trail running in general. According to the author (experienced austrailian ultra runner) you really need to do a lot of your running on trails as it strengthens your legs to cope with the very varied terrain. I'd imagine that the 10-hour treadmill weekend routine would be a bit one-sided? Dunno, I bet its better than running on a flat treadmill though
Thanks for your kind advice and encouragement. I added some more background info, could help in case someone would be interested in adding some more coaching advice. I've been getting better than expected results so far. I'm optimistic about the project - even considering sneaking in a full marathon before the winter season comes.
Running Blog: On my two feet
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No, no it is.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
Yeah, it's pretty sweet.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Ran my first half marathon+ today at 2:21. Two months into training
It was the weekend long run, not a race. First race coming up in a month, I'm aiming at a sub 2h half there - but the finishing time isn't that important, getting the milage into those legs is. Goretex trans alpine run 2012 coming up in 15 months *gulp*
If you are going to be fast on technical trails, you need to train a lot on the same sort of surface. Technical trails have some of the longest learning curve of any surface and if you haven't invested the time you'll pay a 1-2 min/mi penalty at the same effort over someone who has the skill. It takes most people years of working just on this to get good.
But trail training has less to do with being able to go the distance really. I'm a crappy technical trail runner but do just fine on roads or nontechnical trails at ultra distances.
IMO if a lot of the race is on technical trails, you should do just enough training to get over the initial barrier of being really terrible at trails. Beyond that, progress is too slow for you to be able to tackle getting good at it in the time you have. It would be one more thing to try to accomplish and you simply don't have enough time to do more than the minimum required to reach your goal.
I'm looking for some advice.
I'm planning to participate in a trail marathon (or 43k) in the fall (early October). I've walked part of the trails a few years ago and at points it's quite a technical trail. There are ome hills along the course as well, some 900 - 1.000 meters of total altitude gain. The idea is to be able to make a better assesment for how to tackle the remaining training time before the Trans Alpine Run in September 2012.
So far I have done one half marathon, where I overheated and dehydrated. Finishing in 2:19:33 I didn't come anywhere close to my goal of a sub 2h finish. Since then I've commited to slow and low hr MAF-training. I think I've had some improvement already, based on my training low (a bit early to be sure about that though).
Leading up to the marathon I have one more half and a 10k planned for September (that will be all the anaerobic I do as marathon preparation). Combined with my training log I think theese races will provide enough information to be able to make a better race strategy for the marathon than the one I made for my first half.
At this point I think I shouldn't excpect anything better than a survival "death march" of up towards 6 hours. I have high hopes of improving my arobic base up until then and finish in sub 5h though. Anyhow I think it will be a valuable experience along the hilly road to the Alps.
Any toughts, wise words of expereience?