Ultra Runners Chatty Thread

[RelentlessForwardProgress]

If you regularly run ultra, are planning your first or are kinda secretly mulling over the idea of doing one welcome to the party.

Hi 😬

Tentatively joining … bought a book on it and everything so it must be happening 😂

Not run an ultra but have done a marathon and doing London this year. I spend a lot of time out on hilly trails over daft elevations simultaneously loving it and thinking I’m mad. My biggest worry about the London marathon is it is just so flat and tarmacy… I’m worried I’ll get bored 😳

Love long distance.
Have done 50 k a few times, but never all in one go- over a day with proper breaks.
Would love to do Endure- mostly for the dusk/ dawn running.
Out if practice at the moment though.

Waves at @catinthewindow
Ooh you sound like a proper Ultra runner with the high trails and everything.

When I lived in London I used to go and watch the marathon every year and do a bit of cheering and I think it would be difficult to be bored with the great british public chucking jelly babies at you and generally interfering encouraging you

Does that mean there are 3 people on the thread doing London? That's so great. I'm only extremely slightly jealous.

Hello @grafittiartist

@RelentlessForwardProgress yep, the marathon. I did my 20 miler in March and then lockdown. Did the virtual event last October, locally, and now have to wait until next October to run the actual course.

@RelentlessForwardProgress - I’m an ultra runner in every way but the actual distance (yet) 😂😂

@RelentlessForwardProgress

Hello *@Giraffeski* I'm so jealous you get to do the London Marathon, its on my bucket list. One of my friends is also running it but she's found the messing around with the date quite hard to cope with and she's not that keen anymore, which is such a shame.

Funnily enough I wanted to defer to April but I have a sponsor place through NB so I wasn't allowed to, now after all the messing about i'm glad because at least i know where I am with it all!

I'm a bit nervous to be honest, I've done a few ultras but never done a road marathon before, i'm really a fell runner at heart .
Just went out to do an hours run at marathon pace and totally fucked it up, I can't hold a pace to save my life and went out far too fast, did the whole thing just below my half pace.

Got a lot of practicing to do before October

[quote catinthewindow]@RelentlessForwardProgress - I’m an ultra runner in every way but the actual distance (yet) 😂😂[/quote]
I began training for and running ultrasound because I read that the ultra way is 'eat as much as you want, walk as much as you want' and this is me all over

*Ultras

Oh yes eating and walking the hills are definitely two features that appealed to me

Has anyone seen the documentary 'Once Is Enough' on Amazon Prime? His description of learning what an Ultra involves is very, very funny.

Hello! I'd like to join please. I have done a couple of trail marathons and one unofficial ultra

Totally lost interest in anything road.

Love some hills and trail!

What training plans do people use?

[quote RelentlessForwardProgress]@dammit88 run to the sea looks like a lovely race but its a bit far for me.

The next race I'm doing is a marathon in a couple of weeks, chosen as my DS saw a picture of the medal and wanted one . Its this one. Yabba Dabba Doo Race

For some reason I'm feeling really breathless at the moment, I did a marathon a couple of weeks ago and it was a case of dig in and get to the end race rather than an enjoyable race, so I'm hoping my breathing improves in the next couple of weeks so its more fun that the last one.[/quote]
I've done a few of Denzil's races and the medals are always fabulous!

I've got Great North run next month and in theory a 50k in Oct. But I've been struggling with motivation and an on/off knee niggle all year and I'm barely in HM shape let alone an ultra

I've joined a gym to try and fix the ongoing issues and step back a little from the one step forward two steps back race training. I don't think it's a coincidence that my best race performances were when I was strong all over from climbing 3 times a week. Haven't been since lockdown I because it was either closed or too crowded for me to deal with.

I can go to the gym at 5am so apparently this is what I do now

Hello @OJandacupoftea....is that name in honour of the other running thread or is it a coincidence

I use the 100 mile race on 50 miles a week plan in Relentless Forward Progress, (hence the name) I never have any problem doing a long distance race, but i'm so slow, I really need to try and speed up a bit!

I haven't got anything booked in longer than marathon distance until the end of November, so I was thinking about doing a speed programme for a few weeks. What plan do you use? Would you recommend it?

Ooh please tell me more about the climbing @TheWholeWorld

I went once, it was awful, it was a taster session and there were about 8 of us with one bloke who had everyone's rope and was chatting to his mate on the desk and it scared the crap out of me and I swore I'd never go again.

A couple of weeks ago I had to go back because my DS wanted to go, and we had a 2 on 1 lesson and it was much better, I wasn't terrified all the time, only some of it, and I felt it so much in my back the next day I realised it must be really good for you. So I kinda think I should go back and keep trying and maybe the terror would wear off? Or is it a sign its just not for me? Do you enjoy it when you are actually climbing? Did you have lessons to start?

@TheBitchOfTheVicar ha - we think alike 😂 Whenever anyone asks me why I run long distances I reply ‘snacks’. When I hear people say ‘you have to run 5 miles to burn off a slice of cake’ I think amazing… let’s do 10 😳

Morning! Can I join this thread please? I have my first ultra in less than 2 weeks and I could do with the support 😂 I've been running (slowly and inconsistently) for the past few years, totally lost my mojo through the first lockdown and had to start C25K again last October. Ran my first trail marathon at the beginning of August, and now on taper 😬

Morning @Happyface120 which race are you doing! I wish I was in the zone for an ultra at the moment

I'm doing the Firelighter on Anglesey- 35.7 miles of coastal path. I swing between excitement and panic!

@RelentlessForwardProgress I get much less terrified roped climbing, in fact I will go for really sketchy moves and don't mind falling too much. The big thing is trusting the person belaying you. The people I climb with I've known for ages. If it was a stranger then I think feeling terrified is totally understandable! We mostly did bouldering before lockdown, which did frighten me a lot more. But when you can trust your hands and feet that helps. Since I've been back I'm weak as anything, the climbs feel really hard and actually I've noticed a real gym-bro attitude about people there which I don't enjoy. I tried a different bouldering place recently which is much less bro-ish. The thing I'm struggling with is how rubbish I am now compared to 18 months ago I used to have really good upper body strength, I had a core! Turns out that is helpful for running

@RelentlessForwardProgress

Hello *@OJandacupoftea*....is that name in honour of the other running thread or is it a coincidence

I use the 100 mile race on 50 miles a week plan in Relentless Forward Progress, (hence the name) I never have any problem doing a long distance race, but i'm so slow, I really need to try and speed up a bit!

I haven't got anything booked in longer than marathon distance until the end of November, so I was thinking about doing a speed programme for a few weeks. What plan do you use? Would you recommend it?

Hi - not on another thread; just what was in front of me for my latest name change

I have used the Hal Higdon app. I'm not a huge fan as it was supposed to be flexible and update as training progressed but it never did. I just got wise and screenshot the plan distances suggested rather than paying the subscription. Also it seemed to be more geared up for speedy road races.

hi, found your thread - no one is ever going to forget me, at they, I should change my name to orange juice drinker

Hello @Happyface120 It must have been so disheartening to have to do c25k again, you've done so well to get back to running. I've just had a look at the Firelighter on the Run Ultra website. It looks absolutely beautiful but the elevation graph is a bit on the frisky side .

@OJandacupoftea interesting about the Hal Higdon, thanks, I've got 80/20 running, so I think I might give that a try. Mind you i've had his racing weight book since the first lockdown and I haven't actually followed it or lost any weight yet.

@TheWholeWorld....that makes me feel less of a wimp, thank you, i will try and persevere with the climbing. My running friend who is into climbing thinks kettlebells are brilliant because they give her core strength but also help her arms, wrists and grip. I've tried it a couple of times but i somehow always seem to give myself a good thump or two by accident.

Hello @54321nought, how is the marathon training going?

Hello @54321nought, how is the marathon training going?

well, I have got "A Plan" for the race day, and tried out the first 16 miles of it today - which will be by last long run before the race itself.

It went ok, I kept to the timings I'd decided on, legs are a bit tired now though.

Orange juice cartons stood me in good stead

now its will just be a few shorter training session.

I don't know. Maybe I've got about a 1 in 3 chance of achieving this? One of the other runners dropped out today, which is a shame.

Has anyone ever tried a Tough Mudder?

toughmudder.co.uk/events/?utm_source=google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs4Xk-4PI8gIVUe3tCh1KOA_OEAAYASAAEgI-fPD_BwE

This is my dream

but, expensive, and difficult to access, I don't think its going to happen any time soon