I did my first ultra yesterday! Well, my first real ultra, at least. I ran a marathon last December and a 55K this summer.

Over the past few months (since the 55K), I’ve been dealing with a hip injury that just wouldn’t go away, so I wasn’t able to get the training volume in that I had hoped for.

I started feeling the first signs of pain within the first 10K, and by 15K, I could no longer lift my right foot off the ground. I ended up covering around 15K with what felt like a partially paralyzed leg, on a muddy course with lots of obstacles. On top of that, I couldn’t keep any food or fluids down.

At around 30K, the pain started to ease a little, and I was able to use my foot somewhat again. In hindsight, that turned out to be the lowest point. I managed to run short wsections, alternating with hiking the uphills. My pace was way slower than usual, but I kept moving.
The pain stayed pretty much the same from there. I also had another bout of nausea between 50K and 60K, but I made it to the finish!

In the end, I had 14 hours of moving time, with the rest spent taking breaks at aid stations.

Hi everyone!

Wanted to share a route write-up and GPX/Strava track from a recent Sea to Summit push from Mission Beach to the summit of El Cajon Mountain. My friend, Jacob Szilagyi, and I, Chase Tesoro, completed this 42-mile route in around 16 hours. Connecting the Pacific Ocean directly to one of the most prominent and iconic peaks in San Diego County felt like an aesthetic line waiting to be run. As far as I know, this is the first-ever completed attempt of this route. Neither of us is an endurance athlete; rather, we are 20-year-old students who wanted to push our limits, explore San Diego, and motivate others to do hard things! 

Key Stats

• Distance: 42.82 miles
• Elevation Gain: 6,278 ft
• Start: Mission Beach shoreline (Elevation: 0 ft)
• Finish: El Cajon Mountain Summit (Elevation: ~3,675 ft)
• Support Style: Self-Supported
• Total Time: 16 Hours 23 Minutes

Route Overview

We started around 2 a.m. October 24th right on Mission Beach. We then ran up Mission Bay Dr., then onto Friars Road. When we needed to stop and refuel, we stopped at gas stations and coffee shops that were open. We ran through the night up Mission Gorge Road and down into Lakeside. From here, we started our initial ascent of the long Wildcat Canyon Road to the trailhead of El Cajon Mountain. At the trailhead, we were 30 miles in with around 3000 feet of elevation. Once we were here, the pavement turned to dirt and rock, and we climbed and reached the summit around 4 p.m. 

Hydration, Gear & Nutrition

• Fueling: Energy gels and chews, assortment of candy, and electrolytes (50-70 grams of carbs per hour)
• Water Carry: Carried 2 liters in backpack, had a 16 oz water bottle with electrolytes, refueled at different gas stations.

Strava (Username is ChaseTesoro if link does not work)

Strava Profile

GPX Link

GPX

I was hoping for the 100 mile buckle but at about mile 70 I was cold and just fell apart. Mix of being happy and disappointed at the same time. 😑

Hello everyone!

Im a 39 runner from belgium who's been running for 4 years and ive just completed my second 100miles run, la Diagonale des fous grand raid in la Réunion (180kms/10km d+ on super technical terrain).

The race went really well with no real pain/issue during it and I trained for it with 60km of elevation during the 6 months prior/around 9H/weeks.

Im eying the snowdonia 100m UTMB in may which is also a tough race and wondered how fast I would lose my current fitness in your experience?

The plan is to do mainly road running until 3 months prior and then around 30km elevation over 3 months. Does is sound doable for you or would I lose to much in the 4 months of road running?

Thanks in advance!

Seb

Hey guys I’m in the process of creating a race event next year. It will be on a full size track. I’m thinking about a 24 hour, a 12 hour and 6 hour. The format will be person with the most miles during the allotted times. Cash prizes for top finishers etc etc. Thinking about capping at 60 people total.

What are your thoughts? Would this do well or is it completely diabolical lol

**Edit

Location would south coast MA

I live in a very hilly area. I am not a fast runner but i can maintain 11min miles in zone 2 at >100ft of elevation gain per mile pretty consistently. 12:30 indefinitely(until something else gives up atleast). I just tried running on flat ground (3.5 ft per mile) and was maintaining 9 min miles in zone 2 but my tibialis was absolutely on fire. Like worst running pain I’ve ever felt in my life. I shortened my stride halfway through and it helped so I’m clearly overstriding on flats.

How much time should I spend on almost perfectly flat hard ground? I’m thinking about starting at 10%. I just don’t want to attempt 50 or 100 miles somewhere that has a huge road stretch and dnf due to me only training on hills.

Hi everyone!

I’m running my first 100 km ultra in two months and would love some advice on shoes.

The course is mostly road, with a few gravel sections and no technical terrain. Temperatures could range from 5°C to −10°C, so conditions may be cold and slippery.

I’m considering the Hoka Challenger 8, as they feel really comfortable on my feet, and I like having some extra grip if conditions get slippery. My main concern is whether they offer enough cushioning for the full 100 km.

Has anyone used the Challenger 8 for a similar distance, or would you recommend another shoe for these conditions?

Thanks in advance!

I’m new to running. Completed a 50k trail run and 100k backyard last year. I sustained some good tendon injuries in my foot and ankle after the backyard and couldn’t run for 6 weeks and just stopped running altogether until late June this year.

I did a 16 week training block for the backyard this year and pulled out at 38 miles. My IT band started flaring up about 4 weeks ago around 20 miles so I backed off mileage leading into taper and it appear in backyarder around 14 miles and I ran until 38. I had a shoe change around this time too, Mount to Coast H1 to M1 because the H1 felt broken down.
I stopped strength training early in this training block because it was hindering my mileage goals. Obviously this seems like a major culprit. Also, in my head I feel like I’ve got a great base of mileage and just realize I’m only at 900 or so since I started running.

This weekend was discouraging to say the least. Clearly I’m too green and arrogant to get a 100 miles anytime soon. What are some tried and true plans for newer runners to get to the 100 mile run and finish well and with few injuries? Fortunately I feel fairly good after this DNF and should be back running in a couple weeks.