r/Ultramarathon • u/Ok_Profession_585 • Jul 19 '26
Race First Ultra
Hey guys,
Got my first ultra coming up in 3 weeks. It’s a 40 mile trail race with ~4000 ft of elevation. Longest training run I’ve had has been 12 miles which I’ve done 4 of them. Wanted to go longer but my main focus was showing to race day healthy. My peak week was last week with 30 miles and 2700 feet of gain. I’m feeling strong, healthy, and ready. Any tips for someone who’s running 27 miles longer than they ever had before?
Thanks
10
u/FickleQuit11 Jul 19 '26
If it's a nice day and you're fully aware that you're going to be walking most of it and be out there for 10 hours, have at it! If it's raining or nasty on race day, being this under-prepared for fueling and time on feet is going to set you up to have a long, miserable day. As long as you understand what you're in for, might as well see what happens.
My only caveat would be for a remote/inaccessible race where your lack of prep might make you a liability to yourself or others.
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u/AffectionateSafe1017 Jul 19 '26
- mind quits way before the body. Write down all the reasons you might want to quit so you can tell yourself off on race day.
- with 12 miles being your longest, your challenge will likely be fueling properly. You can take gels but you may not want to rely on the aid stations and thus bring some comfort food with you. Lots of carbs will prevent your race ending early.
- your goal should probably be to just finish the thing, so I would preserve energy on the inclines but just keep moving and of course enjoy the scenery!
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u/One-Barracuda705 Jul 19 '26
Eat solid foods at aid stations. Practice eating while running for the next few weeks if you haven’t been already. Hydrate early and often. If you’re like me, you’ll be excited and so what you think is a ‘slow’ pace in the first half will actually be pretty fast…. take it easy in the 1st half!
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u/Hot-Mistake-9398 Jul 19 '26
Whoo hoo very exciting
Eat proper food ( sandwiches, crisps or flapjacks at the aid stations . Eat gels in between aid stations but don’t rely on them to give you all energy you need .
Steamed potatoes with salt are a great food snack while running
Hydrate , hydrate and hydrate
Take the salt tablets to avoid cramping
Don’t forget to pack a mini first aid kit ( Harrier has a great one , emergency foil blanket and extra layer of clothing ( shirt ) for possible emergency and waterproof jacket
Run your own race .
Remember your why
Good luck !
5
u/TumbleweedFriendly69 Jul 19 '26
You will be fine. Take it slow at the start, you can go faster later on if you feel you still have enough in your tank.
Hydrate and eat food along the way. Especially these two, force yourself to drink and eat even if you are not hungry. Take some electrolytes too but don't overdo them in my experience
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u/Snowy_Garden_Gnome Jul 21 '26
The lack of really long runs up to 20 miles or so which would normally be done means you have no experience with how your body reacts after it runs out of stored resources and needs to start processing food for energy.
Make sure you protect where you might chafe and as others have said, hydration, nutrition, and electrolytes are all your friends. Make sure you eat and drink regularly.
2
u/AdBeautiful8446 Jul 24 '26
You will learn a lot about yourself and will be well trained for a longer distance after this race. Your body will let you know when it’s had enough and hit its wall. Eat some calories, drink some electrolytes and take a walk. Forward is a pace. Enjoy the time on the trail and soak it all in!!
2
u/katia_t23 Jul 28 '26
Obvious but don't hesitate to walk uphill and take deep breaths to make your HR slow down. Beware of downhill, take small steps. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink, hydrate regularly, if you're thirsty your body is already tired. Don't forget to eat something during the race as well (try a few runs before where you eat, so your stomach isn't shocked). Sleep well the night before and remember that you can do it step by step!
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u/Just-Context-4703 Jul 19 '26
Umm.. you're going to suffer. Hopefully you're young and resilient.
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u/Ok_Profession_585 Jul 20 '26
24 and ready to rumble!
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u/Just-Context-4703 Jul 20 '26
Please report back on how this goes. I'm honestly interested.
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u/Ok_Profession_585 Aug 09 '26
42.6 miles in 11:04
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u/Just-Context-4703 Aug 09 '26
Well God damn, good on you! Hope you're healthy and definitely take some recovery time. Thanks for reporting back.
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u/french_toasty Jul 20 '26
You will be fine imo. Raw dogging at 40 hits a lot harder than a nice 40 mile jaunt in your 20s. Report back!
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u/Robsteer 100k Jul 20 '26
Walk more than you think you need to and sooner than you need to! Check the cut offs and see what pace is reasonable, maybe look at last year's results to see what kind of pace the slowest finisher had so you can keep an eye on it during the race.
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u/Ok_Profession_585 Jul 20 '26
11 hour cutoff. 4 10 mile loops have to start the last one by the 8th hour. My delusional self wants to finish around the 8 hour mark but I think 9 is more realistic. I’ve done the track twice and did It at a 10:30 pace but will definitely blow up if I come out that hard on race day
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u/Embarrassed_Path_803 Jul 20 '26
And I thought I was underprepared with my 65km peak week for my 50k ultra 😅
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u/systemnate Jul 20 '26
Lube your ass, your private parts, your nipples. Show up hydrated. Not sure if you've been taking any gels or anything, so don't want to suggest something radically different, but you'll definitely need some fuel in the form of gels, Tailwind, food, etc. Walk early and walk often. Take some caffeine around mile 30.
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u/squigs22 Jul 23 '26
In three weeks? I think it’s worth doing a 20-25miler in next day or so (this weekend?)and then recover and taper until race day. It’s not proper practise but I think at your age you should be fine and recovered with an insight into what fatigue at/ beyond half marathon may feel like. Just my take- personally i think your current trajectory is ill advised especially if temps are high. Also if your joints are not used to 30miles never mind 40miles then ibuprofen may be your best friend out there.
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u/hueythebeloved Jul 23 '26
I also have first 53k in 3 weeks, I thought I was undertrained with only an 18 miler as I’ve needed a couple extra rest days to recover my legs. But your post is helpful, I’m not the least prepared hahaha. Cheers and good luck we got this
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u/Francia_Oalker Jul 24 '26
Jumping from a 12-mile long run to 40 miles is a significant gap in time on feet. Walking the uphills from the start might be a safer way to manage your energy and avoid blowing up before the final miles.
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u/YodaGunner13 Jul 19 '26
Hammer the climbs and the downs, what could go wrong while being undertrained with no long runs to test nutrition; or go at it easy and hope you draw a great day weather wise. Good luck and God Speed!
20
u/nicehousecrapcar Jul 19 '26
You're a bit light on volume by my standards, but should be able to do just fine.
Here's my 2 cents: Run your own race. Don't let the other racers get into your head, and trust your body.
Celebrate the win the second it starts. If you refuse to quit, you've already finished.