50K is the New 26.2 – Running Your First Ultra Marathon
By Sarah Nels – You can follow me here as well.
One tenth of one percent of the U.S population has completed an ultra marathon. With record attendance at marathons in 2012, why aren’t more marathoners graduating to 31.06 miles?
Running a marathon is a major accomplishment and common bucket list item, but the fun doesn’t have to end at 26.2! Ultra running is technically defined as any distance over 26.2 miles, with common distances of 50K, 50M, 100K, and 100 miles. A common saying in Ultra Running is “If you can run a marathon, you can run a 50k!” It only takes a little extra effort in your training to join the elite ranks of long distance runners called “Ultra Runners.”
My journey to Ultra Runner status started years ago with turkey trots and half marathons. IT band and tendinitis issues forced me to move my running to softer ground or give it up forever. I loved hiking and running, so it seemed like a natural progression to attempt trail running. I found a group of runners that hit the trails every Saturday morning and decided to give it a try. After spending a few weekends listening to their epic adventures and being truly inspired by their unworldly perseverance, I signed up for a 50K training program. I had never run more than 15 miles and didn’t even know what a marathon felt like. 10 months and a few injuries later, this was my Facebook status update:
I now have six 50Ks under my belt and two more scheduled for March 2013. My last 50K was the Tahoe Rim 50K – it took me almost 8 hours to complete, but it was an epic journey with lots of volunteer support, trail shenanigans, breathtaking vistas, and a major sense of accomplishment at the end!
You can’t drive to this view on the Tahoe Rim Trail!
If you’re ready to upgrade your status to “Ultra Runner,” here’s my 5-step plan:
- Step 1: Put your money where your mouth is: Sign up for your first 50K. Depending on your current level of fitness, give yourself at least 12 weeks of training time.
- Step 2: A goal without a plan is just a wish: Find a training plan and stick to it! A 50K training plan will likely include more cross training than a marathon program and recovery runs on Sundays – both are key to your success as an Ultra Runner. Building core strength helps with climbing, descents, and tricky technical trails while recovery runs help you make the adjustment mentally to running on tired legs.
- Step 3: Join a trail running or ultra running group: Five hour Saturday runs will go by much faster if you’re chatting away with a group of like-minded individuals, and more importantly, safety in numbers on isolated trails. I’m no stranger to having friends run ahead of me to scare away snakes.
- Step 4: Eat and drink early and often: While every runner has different nutritional needs, I try to consume at least 100 calories an hour on a 2.5 hour run, 200 calories an hour on runs 3 hours or more. Use practice runs to learn what your body likes during long workouts. As you will be eating and running at the same time, your stomach might not be able to digest complex foods. There are lots of energy gels and bars on the market – try them all. You can also pack fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (a personal favorite), mashed avocado or potato. Training is the time to dial in your nutritional needs.
- Step 5: It’s all in your head: Set a seemingly impossible goal, know what it takes to achieve that goal, accept that there will be hurdles along the way, and just do it! With a little mental toughness and commitment, you will amaze yourself!
Hope to see you on the trails!
Sarah
P.S – No, I haven’t read Born to Run.
Pretty cool article. I ran a half last October and thought at the time “who wants to run a full” I’m running my first full in May and now thinking about doing an ultra. What’s another 6 miles???
Thanks for the read.
Jeannine
P.S. You should read Born To Run. It’s transformative in it’s approach to running and the joy found there in.
Bob,So true we have something good going here in Eugene! We are lonikog forward to hosting you and your film crew. Get that back of yours healthy. I’ve heard it’s a bit sore right now. Stay strong and keep rocking those races!!
Sounds like it is going to be a fast course that is one of the renoass I picked this race plus I wanted to come to Eugene how can Eugene not be featured in our movie A Long Run? Bob Anderson
10th at 7:30am: We’ll be back in Midway running the Iron Horse Half Marathon cosure (info here.). We are starting at 7:30 because it is a very long day for those of us in marathon training. If
Sarah, your blog is amazing and so are your accomplishments. Be very proud of yourself. I hope that one day I will have your motivation and strength. Good luck and keep blogging.
Tim-read your blog as part of a blogging corsue I am taking. Caught your post about the marathon! I ran this race in 1985 and it was one of my favorites. It is absoultely the most beautiful corsue, as advertised. Best of luck on the last 10 mental miles you will do great! Your miles are behind you only have to run and enjoy.
This watch looks exactly like the Timex Ironman iControl one I crreuntly wear and love. I’ve had it for about a year now and haven’t had any issues with the band as of yet. It is a great watch and it also allows me to change the music and volume on my iPod. For that feature alone, I don’t think I’m going to be able to give it up when the Garmin Forerunner 110 that I pre-ordered arrives. Maybe I will just run with both of them. Hey I’ve got two arms right? Haha.
I love this watch and have had one for years. When my band started comnig off we contacted Timex as you cannot buy a replacement band. They had us send the watch, with $10, and took care if fixing it.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha, you were right, I didn’t believe it. I’ve been siinttg her all morning trying to think of a good one myself. I have two friends who have birthdays today so I guess I’ll just text them a happy one.~Bliss~
Saturday June 30 at 7:30am- We’ll run parts of the Iron Horse Half-Marathon Course. It is out-and-back, so you can run as far or as little as you want. Parking and route inamooftirn can be found here.
Oh dear.. the pressure! Thanks for making running a 50k totally doable!
Bob Anderson (from Facebook 9/9/12)Race number 35 this monring. The End of Summer 5k in San Jose. I finished 15th overall in 20:58. Wanted to run faster but just felt heavy today. But I am now just at a 7min/mile pace for 244 miles of races. 15 to go next up 5 mile in SF in two weeks then the 10 miler in Eugene Oregon thanks for the support!
Tim-read your blog as part of a blogging cosure I am taking. Caught your post about the marathon! I ran this race in 1985 and it was one of my favorites. It is absoultely the most beautiful cosure, as advertised. Best of luck on the last 10 mental miles you will do great! Your miles are behind you only have to run and enjoy.
Tim, you looked great this sumemr when I saw you! Kudos to you for losing some weight and taking on this challenge. I need to do the same! I’m not going to wish you luck ’cause I know you’ll conquer this challenge like all the others. Bravo!
Hi Ray!Why do they don’t make an android aaedtpr? All the major phone producers have made the micro-USB a standard so there is no reason not to make an ANT+ micro-USB aaedtpr for android phones.(As you might suspect, I am an android user.)
[...] Nels, ultra runner extraordinaire, recently took to the MapMyFitness blog to share her 5-step plan at conquering an ultra marathon. Sarah hadn’t even run 15 miles [...]