On Ultras

Don’t freak out, but one thing that has been intriguing me lately is the concept of ultra marathons. Do I want to run one? Well considering I haven’t run a full (regular) marathon in 5 years and actually consider myself a “Born-Again-Marathon-Virgin,” I probably won’t be signing up for an ultra anytime soon. (Let’s see if I can make it through NYC first, mmkay?) However, always willing to read about anything running or nutrition related, the concept of ultras and their necessary preparation is totally fascinating to me.

Plus, all sorts of books like this keep arriving on my doorstep: 

 

The other member of my household may or may not be considering an ultra in 2012. An ultra marathoner’s “crew” is an integral part of the successful completion of an ultra marathon.  Since the other member of my household’s “crew” would essentially consist of “me” – I have been doing my research on other ultra marathoner’s experiences, lessons learned, and best practices.

I recently stumbled upon UltraRunnerPodcast.com and am absolutely loving their podcasts and interviews. I recently listened to their interview with Sunny Blende (a sports nutritionist and ultra marathoner). Sunny was also quoted in Chris McDougall’s Born to Run, saying that ultra marathoning is, “an eating and drinking contest, with a little exercise and scenery thrown in.” (Here’s an excellent article written by Sunny from UltraRunning.com.) It’s no surprise that the nutrition and fueling aspect of ultra marathon training is absolutely crucial. While you can mmmaybe finish a marathon with improper planning and sole reliance on gel and Gatorade stands (blasphemy!) an ultra marathoner’s success is completely up to the preparation of them and their crew. Aid stations spread throughout a 50+ mile trail course in the middle of nowhere are few and far between. Literally. Smart preparation is a must; along with being sure your mathematical skills are intact! The ultra marathoner’s nutrition plan is a precise calculation of calories, electrolytes, sugars, and water consumed and expended on an hourly basis. 

Here are some fun ultra marathon facts that I’ve compiled from my research that you may or may not know!

• An ultra marathon is any race distance over 26.2 miles.
• An ultra may be organized as a distance event (e.g. a 50-mile race) or a timed event (how many miles you can run in 24 hours?)
• Many ultra marathoners plan their long runs in terms of hours, rather than mileage. Like, “Today I’m planning a 3-hour run” instead of “I’m planning a 20-miler”.
• Walking is quite common (and often necessary!) during ultras. Many ultra marathoners recommend walking during uphills.
• There are several hundred ultras held throughout the U.S every year (Huh?? where ARE these events??)
• One of the most popular ultras in the U.S. is Western States, which is the world’s oldest 100-mile trail run, held in California.  You must qualify to enter the lottery, and if you do get in (which only happens to 10% of applicants), your visa will be charged a whopping $370 (makes me feel a little better about NYC)
• Badwater, another famous ultra, is considered “The world’s toughest foot race” and consists of 135-miles from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, of which must be completed in under 48 hours. Reported temperatures during Badwater are upwards of 130 degrees. Runners must to apply for entry, and only 90 runners are accepted.  Crap I missed the application deadline. 

I’m clearly in the beginning of my ultra research, but it is all so fascinating, not to mention quite motivating. If you’re interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out UltraRunnerPodcast.com – even if you’re not considering running an ultra. Their interviews include tons of useful running-related nutrition and training advice. 

Q: Ever consider an ultra marathon? Got any ultra facts to add to the list?

Checking out the Tussey Mountainback Ultra!

It’s Monday –the start to another action-packed week, and the closure to a perfect fall weekend. Joe and I decided to enjoy a mini weekend getaway, and ventured out to State College, PA to visit Penn State, Joe’s alma mater. I have been a few times, but always during football weekends when the place is packed. So this year, we decided to go during a non-football weekend, so I could actually see the sights. PLUS – the Tussey Mountainback Ultra Marathon 50-Miler was scheduled for this past weekend just outside of State College, which we really wanted to check out. 

Backing up a bit – in other exciting news, last week I started running with Back On My Feet Philadelphia. If you haven’t heard of it, BOMF is a “nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of those experiencing homelessness by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.” NaturaStride and GoGazella have supported BOMF in the past, so I finally decided to join the group for some of their weekly runs! My first run was on Friday morning – where I ran 2 miles to the meeting spot, joined the group for a 3-miler, and ran 2 miles back home for a total of 7 excellent miles. A bunch of the BOMF runners are training for the Philadelphia Marathon and had a long run scheduled for Saturday morning as well. Still psyched about my Friday group run, I decided to join them on Saturday, too, and completed 12 miles (which was perfect, since coach recommended I get in a couple longer runs before the Philly half to build confidence). I haven’t run with a group of people in SO LONG and LOVED it! It made the runs fly by and I loved chatting with people who love running as much as I do. Can’t wait to continue my weekly runs with such a quality organization.  

Anyways – after my long run on Saturday, Joe and I drove out to State College. After we checked in to our hotel, we decided to stop by the Tussey Mountainback “expo” that was being held at a nearby hotel. Now, by “expo” – I mean a couple of folding tables and chairs. HA! These people were there for a purpose, not to browse running paraphernalia.

So, we literally stayed for 5 minutes.

And then the night really began. Joe decided to take me on a pub crawl of his old stomping grounds. We were troopers – right there with the 19 21 year olds. But first we stopped by the Nittany Lion.

The Crawl took us to: The Allen Street Grille for dinner, Mad Mex (for a marg), The Dark Horse (for a “Tanto” – which I’ll discuss later), the Adams Apple (for a “Sin”), College Pizza (for the obligatory late-night pizza bad decision), and the Skeller for a beer. I think.

The Tanto was disgusting. The bartender poured 6 types of alcohol into it. I took two sips and determined that continuing would result in a terrible night. So, hoping not to reveal our true ages amongst the co-eds, Joe and I covertly snuck away from the drink, abandoning her on the bar. Not ashamed – just growing up.

Moving on, since this is a blog about running and not a blog about drinking (ha) we were in bed by midnight (champs!). We enjoyed Sunday breakfast at the Waffle House, were I found my favorite: yogurt bowl with honey and granola, and ww toast with PB.

Then it was time to track down these crazy ultra runners.  

We ventured out to Tussey Mountain, and enjoyed the gorgeous foliage. We decided to check out aid station # 9, which was roughly around mile 35. We found the transition area, which included 5 or 6 parked vans, waiting for their ultra runners to arrive. The Tussey Mountainback is also a relay, so this was also a transition hand-off for the relay. Shortly after we arrived, Meg McGrath who ended up getting 2^nd place for women strolled in!  She looked totally un-phased and relaxed, as if she just jogged an easy 5k. We all cheered for her as she arrived, grabbed something to drink, downed a banana, and took off, to tackle another 15 miles.

Unbelievable.

The 1^st place female finished in 7 hours, 4 minutes. The 1^st place male finished in 5 hours, 33 minutes.

It was definitely cool to see. Still don’t think I’ll ever be an Ultra-kind-of-girl – but love the idea of it.

Anyways – I’m off to Chicago for a couple days! Running route and/or restaurant recommendations welcome!

Questions: Do you enjoy running with a group or alone?

Would you ever consider running an ultra marathon?

What is the worst cocktail you’ve ever had?