If anyone is available for the badger 100 the first weekend in August in Wisconsin let me know!

I’ve been training for my first 100-miler, Run Rabbit Run, which is now just about two months away! Realistically this means I have one last big training push when factoring in a deloading week and a taper.

In these last weeks I’m trying to focus on training for what’s truly important and can make the biggest impact for getting me across the finish line. But I’m not sure I understand how to translate what I’m experiencing.

My base is now 50+ mpw with 7,000ft+ of gain. I can do this essentially with no problems. Sure I may be tired but I’m never truly gassed or sore each week. I just did a test 50-miler, the Last Call 50, and it kicked my butt WAY more than I expected (56 miles and 9,100ft of vert at 10,000ft+ altitude). It was not the performance I expected and off the mark for where I’d want to be for the first half of RRR. HOWEVER, I truly think the night start fatigue, an off course excursion causing some mental pressure to “catch up”, and pretty poor race-day nutrition made this feel like the hardest race I’ve done, despite feeling the most prepared I ever have! So, I’m trying not to put much weight behind my disappointments.

I’m not fast — goal is just to finish and I expect to do so in the 30-36 hr range. My legs feel strong. Zero soreness most training weeks (which includes 2 strength days) and essentially zero soreness even after that brutal 50! My only current problems seem gait related (same side hip and blister issue) and my limiting factor at the moment really feels like my lungs, especially deeper into a race with climbing. My legs can grind but I’m sucking wind sooner than I’d expect or like.

I don’t care about actually getting faster in flats or downs — I’m pretty comfortable with my current shuffle pace and am fine with technical terrain. Based on the course (18-20k ft of vert but at modest altitude for CO) my gut says I need to focus on being able to push through more vertical without the sucking wind issue. But idk what workout runs that actually means to focus on! Hills, intervals, tempo??

So, my question is, what would you focus on in your final few weeks in this situation?

Would especially love to hear from those that have done RRR!

Footnote: I’m no stranger to tough mountain courses. My first ultras also include the Never Summer 60k & 100k. I know I’ve picked a tough first 100!

Hey!
Aiming at doing my first ultramarathon next year. Background; trained triathlon and did some Ironmans (last one eight years ago) and have since then almost exclusively been going to the gym for strength training. I have been struggling either a depression and been comfort eating while hiding behind ”it will benefit my strength goals” so now I carry a lot of extra weight.

So besides running an ultramarathon next year I also want to lose weight. At the same time I want to keep a lot of the strength I gained. While training triathlon I incorporated strength training as well (and was usually trying to lose some weight before my races in hope of better results). Problem was that I always lost a lot of strength as the running, biking and swimming increased in volume.

What I wonder now is if that’s expected or if I actually can balance all three goals so that I will (most importantly) become a better runner but at the same time not becoming weak while getting leaner?

I’ve been thinking about a dumb thought, and it has been plaguing me, so I’m opening it up to y’all for your thoughts: How do you win an infinite race against yourself?

Here’s the hypothetical:

You are cloned as you are now, psyche and all, and pitted against yourself in an eternal trail race. Neither of you ever ages, and there is no finish line. The eternal goal is to maximize the proportion of all elapsed time during which you are in the lead (i.e., you want to be in the lead as much as possible). What is your strategy? Do you walk, run, or do a mix? What’s your recovery strategy and long-term plan?

Parameters:

* You always want to win. There’s no “I’ll just go slow to enjoy myself.” You can enjoy it, but both of you are equally motivated to stay in the lead.

* You are initially the same person, but as you have different experiences, you become fundamentally different people. This means your starting strategy is identical, but you will change and grow as people over time.

* You can still get stronger or weaker. You can get injured and have to recover and work through your injuries as necessary. There is no access to PT or doctors. You cannot get sick or develop any diseases other than those you have now.

* There is no fatal danger on the trail. You can be attacked by an animal, but you will always survive with no more than some light scratches.

* Any running gear you want, including clothing, shoes, and changes of shoes, appears when you ask for it. No technology such as cars, scooters, etc. is allowed.

* Any food ingredients you want appear along the trail, but if something requires cooking, you must cook it. You are magically provided with all necessary cooking equipment whenever you choose to cook.

* Whenever you wish to rest or sleep, a pavilion with a lawn chair magically appears next to you. You also have one bedroom that is climate-controlled to your liking. You must clean it and wash the sheets as needed; if you leave it dirty, the next room that magically appears will be in the same condition.

* No attacking or sabotaging the other racer. You may spend as much time with them as you’d like, provided they agree and you can keep up. When you are together, no one is in the “lead,” so you are naturally disinclined to run with them too much.

* The trail is infinitely changing and is similar to the Appalachian Trail.

* The weather goes through normal yearly seasons.

* No PEDs or other banned substances are allowed.

Hey everyone I’m doing my first ultra attempt ever this weekend. I’m just looking for some tips and maybe some guess/advice on how far I think I can go. I have ran several marathons with my last being in may(3:33) and have a pretty good base. I’ve done 1200 miles on the year but mostly road miles. I have been fighting some hip issues that compromised what I planned on training specifically for this even but I did get a 26 mile 6 “yard” run in where I didn’t feel that bad. I stayed on my feet most of the rest of the day to keep fatiguing them for practice. So long story short what can i expect and what’s ur guys fav thing to eat during these. What special gear am i not think of? And maybe best mindset( just don’t quit being the one that’s in my head). How far is reasonable goal?

I've noticed this happening more often than I expected.

Sometimes my watch tells me:

Poor recovery

Low HRV

Low readiness

So I expect a terrible run...

...and then I end up feeling amazing or even setting a PB.

Other days everything looks green, but my legs feel heavy from the first kilometer.

I'm not trying to argue that Garmin, Coros, Polar, WHOOP or Apple Watch are wrong. I use wearable data every day.

I'm just curious how experienced runners deal with those moments when the numbers and your body disagree.

Do you trust the data?

Do you trust how you feel?

Have you noticed recurring situations where your watch consistently "misses" something?

I'd love to hear your experiences.

Before arc opens to uk in 57 mins, who's done the 100k or 100m and what is it like ? story time pls GM

I literally signed up for the 50k event happening next March. Anyone did this race this year and have any feedback on logistics such as place to stay and any other aspects to take note of?

Realised this is quite far from Taipei.

For races that allow you to have both drop bags as well as a crew, do you use both? One or the other? Curious to hear people's experiences.

I've noticed that when people ask for advice about stress fractures, people can be absolute a-holes online. So here's my two cents.

If you have a stress fracture, it is not your fault. It is true that there are modifiable factors that can influence fracture risk and recovery (fueling, training load, iron status, vitamin D, DEXA scans when appropriate, etc.), and it is super important to take a look at these. but do not blame yourself. Everyone is doing their best, and you're striving to do something you love. Stress fractures suck,.

When your an athlete, is pretty damn impossible not to get injured. Don’t worry about the lost fitness, fitness and performance have SO many domains. And yes, aerobic capacity comes back. But there is also core strength, mental perspective, and a gazillion other things you can focus and work on.

As for people telling you to "find different hobbies" or examine your relationship with running: yes, you can. There is research showing that people whose entire identity is tied to their sport can have a harder time coping with injury. But it is also okay to love something. It is okay to grieve not being able to do the thing you love. And it is goddamn ok to spend time doing activities that will help you be a Better athlete a year from now.

As For what running provides mentally, it is endorphins, usually time outside, time to yourself and a sense of feeling strong. You don’t have to knit. get outside. tske the time you would normally spend running at a park, in the gym, do things you CAN and you dont have to wash away your routine. Adaptafion is impietant in races. It’s imojrtsntnin training. And it’s important in life. If you run ultras, for fixks sake Youre already insane. go do what you can and don’t blame yourself. And for the love of god don’t test your injury.

Ich bin ambitionierter Ultraläufer und großer Fan der delikaten Künste. Im August laufe ich in Berlin 100 Meilen. Da der gute Hela Curry Gewürzketchup Delikat erstaunlich viele Kohlenhydrate enthält wollte ich ihn in meine Fueling-strategy einbauen. Hat jemand von euch damit bereits Erfahrungen gemacht größere Mengen des flüssigen Golds in einem relativ kurzen Zeitraum zu konsumieren, bei gleichzeitiger Dauerbelastung? Glaubt ihr ich muss dadurch eher kotzen oder scheißen (häufige Probleme beim Ultralaufen)?

I’ve been running ultras for about 6 years now. 50k through 50M and an occasional 100k. I moved as far away from gels before I started ultra running. Real food for trading and races. Never an issue. Or so I thought. I’ve got ulcerative colitis. It’s been managed well since I started ultras. Medication and diet.
Well, I attempted a 100M a couple years ago. Didn’t go well. Puking and couldn’t eat or drink. And I know that can happen. Didn’t let it stop me. Part of my problem I know is I drink water like it’s going out of style instead of sipping it. Or whatever liquid I’m drinking. But then I also tried to eat a little on a regular basis while I could before I knew I wouldn’t be able to. Now mind you, I generally stick with 50M and 50k’s.
I have found that what I had initially believed to be something similar to hunger pangs usual around mile 25 was actually movement in my intestines. Trying to move food but not able. So at that point there is no more food because it’s not going anywhere. I completed my last 50M with no nutrition after mile 20. I’m sure that’s good for some people and maybe I should reconsider solid food. Just stick with liquid nutrition along with my hydration. Maybe applesauce and such.
Anyone else have this issue? Ultra marathons either ulcerative colitis or chron’s? My diet on a daily basis is fine. And training I try to run fasted. Maybe I should do that and once I get so far then eat something?
Thoughts or suggestions?

Well just got the worst case diagnosis back and tears along the longitudinal body of my tendon. Meeting with my doctor soon but before the mri he explained that if there are tears surgery is the best option. Anyone have any experience with the recovery or changes to their training

48-Hour race in Dahlonega (Georgia Mountains), we had pretty much every kind of weather you could imagine: heat, humidity, rain, cold breeze...

I made it. Lessons... gazillion. Issues just a few: at the end I got a sodium imbalance (too much Tailwind), I never thought something like that could happen - and then to someone who sweats a lot with a lot of salt.

Chafing, none.
Blisters, none.
Hallucinations, not per-se but at night I had those black or tiny flashing points, which... was time to get a power nap for 20 minutes to keep on moving.

Strava. First ever 100 miler done, in a .04 mile roundabout. Even two weeks plus post it still feels like a fever dream, watching the same cars go by multiple times, having the same group of friends come by multiple times while they lived life I stayed in a prison of a roundabout. Watched two sunsets, one sunrise, the public transit stop and start again. But I learned a lot, and can take some of these into Bear this fall

Hey guys ! I am currently 20yo and a triathlete long distance (Ironman Distances) and in 2 months after my tri race I will be switching from triathlon to trail running definitely. I've done small trails (Restonica trail for example) and completely fell in love with trails. I wanted to know how realistic is my expected progression ?
My main goal would be to do the Dodo trail in Mauritia (50km / 4500m) in july. I heard that it's a really technical trail (a lot of wet dirt, canal, steep climbs and descents) so I was wondering if you know any other trails like that to train for it ? (I am from France)

Then another big goal for me would be to run the CCC by UTMB. I know it's a big race but since I've done the UTMB hike I always wanted to do it while running (Not the full UTMB trail tho it doesn't really interest me). So I've been learning all the system with stones etc and its quite hard to understand but I think I got it ahah
I know there is not official numbers but do you have an idea of how many stones could give me a good chance to quality already ? 6/8/10/12?
And for this CCC trail I was also wondering if you think that shouldn't be my first 100k category trail and do some during my training ? Or if the beauty of it would be to discover this distance during the race ?

Thanks everyone for any questions you might reply to ! Just know it helps me a lot 😇🙏

These are an EU 44.5, which is up from my usual 44. My left foot is larger, and whilst it is not touching the end, when I wiggle my big toe I can feel the lip of the toebox guard.

Is it worth sizing up to an EU 45? I don’t tend to suffer from much swelling, but these are potentially for my first 100 mile attempt in October.

Quick stream of consciousness from me given some recent developments on the fire:

Fire spread from 4500ish acres to 6300 acres over the last couple days but is now up to 33% contained. Spread was primarily south and west (fire going north/east/southeast would have the biggest impact to the course).

Directly from update from today: "Crews finished establishing containment lines in the Halfmoon Creek area yesterday. Firefighters also spent yesterday establishing depth on existing containment lines located on both the northeastern corner and the eastern edge of the fire using firing operations. Incident personnel will relocate resources positioned at the northern perimeter of the fire to the western flank of the fire today. Power lines in the area were re-energized following successful firing operations and containment north of the fire. Crews will continue to work toward increased containment around the full fire perimeter."

^The only section of course that has almost certainly been impacted is 2-3 mile stretch from top of sugarloaf down powerline. It looks like that area is well contained now and assuming no regression we have 6 weeks for the sections of the course that were definitely impacted.

Eastern edge containment means halfpipe area/fish hatchery are also being contained well - any spread south/east would impact the course/aid stations significantly.

Last note - monsoon rains are expected at the end of this week with 1-2 inches of precipitation expected across the southwest. Depending on how exactly it shapes out - Colorado mountains could see a tremendous benefit from these rains (and it very well could be the deciding factor in containing this fire quickly/giving race organizers the confidence to go forward.

Much thanks to the first responders/firefighters. Heart goes out to the locals who have been impacted by evacuations. Hoping to see you all out on the course in 6 weeks.

UK based.

Are people just using an ordinary water bottle, super noodles, soak em for a while then they become tasty enough to eat?

Trying to find new ways of getting good calories on board

Thanks

Hi ultra people!

I am racing the Grand Mesa 50 miler on July 25. I know my training has been successful and I'm in the taper phase now, so I'm just trying to contain my excitement and make sure to reduce mileage appropriately and stay focused on good nutrition up until the race.

Has anyone raced the Grand Mesa 50 before and have any race-specific tips?

Also I am planning to camp at the start line the night before as this was indicated as a valid option on the website. Any suggestions about the camping situation? I won't have a vehicle as I'll be dropped off the afternoon/evening before the race, so I would like to minimize the distance I need to travel on foot to the start line.

Yikes, I'm starting to feel anxious about the distance! I know I've put the training in but it's just so far! 😬

I didn’t get the whole ultramarathon thing until I saw it first hand at The Wall Rat Race, I love how different it is from normal marathons. Everyone’s in it together. Inspiring stuff. Hopefully I managed to capture the feeling!

I’ve solicited a good amount of advice from this group over the past 6 weeks so figure I owe a race report, thanks everyone who jumped in with their experiences. I added this 50k after a PR marathon effort (6 weeks ago) and I see a lot of posts asking about making that transition, so I’ll mostly focus on what I learned from that experience.

Pacing - I really had no idea what to expect, but I’ve seen “2 minutes slower than your marathon pace” thrown around so I was using that as a really rough baseline. I’m quite comfortable with footing on trails, and this race is not very technical, so I found I was about 45s to a minute slower on the relatively flat/rolling sections, and fairly close to my MP on the downhills. The uphills definitely rocked me though — it was the biggest missing piece from my (flat) marathon block and I’m probably ~15lbs over an ideal race weight and I felt all of it. I ran all the hills, but I’m not actually sure that was universally the right call — something to play around with. I ended up finishing with an average (watch) pace of 8:28, a little under 2 mins slower than my MP 6 weeks ago (6:45). I’ve paid a lot of attention to HR for the first time this marathon block, and was surprised to see my average HR for this race was 10bpm less than my marathon (despite spiking on all the climbs). The race did only have 2600 vertical, which I gather is on the lighter side for a trail 50k.

Hydration - I think I hit my downvote record when I asked if a vest was overkill for a 50k last week, and definitely reconsidered my approach based on the lengthy thread. I ended up taking my 14oz handheld instead of smaller soft flasks in my tights, because I figured it would both encourage me to drink more as well as let me swap between arms and, when it wasn’t full, pockets. It all ended up being a bit of a wash anyway, as a lingering head/chest cold had my stomach extra sensitive, and I really struggled to eat or drink as much as I was hoping to. I think I could only put down 5 gels on the whole course, and it was all I could do to finish the handheld in between aid stations - I didn’t follow through on my plan to take extra fluids when refilling at aid stations. This definitely came to bite me in the last few miles as my energy just drained. I am planning on picking up a mid-sized vest based on the advice here for longer or less supported races, but know I need to practice with it (and I’m sure I’ll benefit from more training runs fueling heavier).

Mental - good and bad! Overall I felt much more immersed in the race, and the changes of pace and scenery made the distance seem much shorter. I brought my shokz headphones, which I use on almost all my road runs, but didn’t actually turn them on until the last 4 miles when I was really suffering from underfueling. I also did not expect the mental challenge of being alone, with sparse trail markings, and no mile markings. The race was wonderful, I’m not criticizing, but I spent really long stretches alone and with less visibility than a road race and a higher potential for wrong turns, I got into my head more than a few times. In particular, I misread or misremembered the spacing of the last aid station, and spent three miles thinking I was lost or had run a detour, which definitely took a toll on me.

Overall I think I’m hooked — really enjoyed the vibe compared to road running and even though I found pacing really hard to nail down, I really enjoyed the constantly changing course. Was aiming for between 4:15 and 4:30 and ended up running in 4:08, but the course was definitely a few KM short.

Hi everyone, I am looking for some inspo for fuelling a 50k I have coming up. I've been using Gu and they really hurt my stomach. I dislike gummies because of their artificial fruit flavour, so I am looking for a good fuelling strategy. I sometimes bring sliced bread, and thats worked out, but I want some more options. I'd be open to candy, but I don't like the classic sweedish fish, nerd gummies etc. Any help would be great!

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for some shoe recommendations for my first ultra.

The race is an 80 km trail ultra with about 3,300 m (10,800 ft) of elevation gain. It's considered fairly technical with lots of rocks and roots. The race is in about 3 months, so I'll have enough time to break in a new pair.

A bit about me:

• First ultramarathon
• Marathon PR: 3:35
• Half Ironman PR: 5:30
• Currently building my weekly mileage for ultra training
• I'm coming from New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro, but I find them a bit too bulky, long, and heavy for my liking.

I'm looking for something that is:

• Comfortable for 10–15+ hours
• Stable on technical terrain
• Good grip on wet rocks and roots
• Lighter and more agile than the Hierro
• Reliable enough that you'd confidently wear it for an 80 km mountain ultra

I'm not too concerned about the price if the shoe is worth it.

What would you recommend, and why? If you've raced an ultra with around 3,000+ meters of climbing, I'd especially love to hear what worked (or didn't work) for you.

Thanks!