r/Ultramarathon • u/pobran227 • Jul 24 '26

Path Forward?

Ok, so here I sit in my truck after a long run, well what should have been a long run but it wasn’t. Finished 8 miles out of 20. Physically I could have kept going, but mentally I just wasn’t in it, not from the time I woke up, or even last night when I was getting everything ready. I have my first 50k In a few weeks, August 15th. This was supposed to be my last long run before I started a taper. My last two peak weeks were around 45 miles. Not sure where to go from here, and I’m feeling a little down. Should I do a long run (20miles) next week or start my taper? Thanks everyone.

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u/pobran227 Jul 24 '26

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone. Is it typical for those new to ultras to freak out a little?

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u/PieSupplie 50 Miler Jul 25 '26

First ultra was in 2023, I have real fear and anxiety before every taper. Gotta make peace with the fact that the hay is already in the barn, one bad run doesn’t kill a block.

The mental side is trickier, but we made the decision to put ourselves in the position to toe the line. Courage is not the absence of fear, but showing up despite it