Like I said, name a higher price! If you’re taking on one of the first three the sky’s the limit. Think of it as sponsored training! Like I said, raise it as high as you want just know that can’t be your excuse. That said, I also offered you Vermont 100M and ultimately just decided to let you pick with all the back pedaling going on.
If I could base my name, reputation and career and on a race, it would be my job, my determination to meet that goal. Just know that.
I know now it is hard (understatement), but will get a good grasp of what it feels like this first 50mi and will come back to you with feedback and a possible contract.
This is an entirely reasonable approach and I’m not backing out. I make methodical, planned decisions and commitments.
b) Bet me for your second Ultra race without doing the first
There is a bit of dissonance, but it’s ok, I’ll take the heat and may come back with a contract for your review. I’m doing 1 ultra for sure, so you’ll hear and see the pain, no doubt.
Ok fair enough. I’ll formally cease and desist on the trolling. It’s great you’re running these race(s). If you have serious questions I can pitch in.
For starters the biggest adjustment is going to be culturally. The TriHead culture which is definitely more of a jock thing is all about points, times and spandex. Lots of technobabble and equipment, nutrition. For me personally, I just can’t do the whole Tri culture thing. Road running is like that but dialing back the testosterone, people still show up with timers and watches. Trail racing is much more of a quiet spoken run it as you see it sort of thing. More like dirty hippies running through the woods for the joy of running. It might help your experience to be more beta there for lack of a better term.
Without knowing the courses for trail races you want smartwool socks and something like a Brooks Cascadia or whatever works for you. The wool drains better and will be less likely to blister when wet. For aid stations it helps to have a another one or two other pairs of socks. A competitor would never stop to take the time to do that but I was always just trotting along for survival so given that you tend to often cross a creek or two or occasionally be running in snow or ankle deep mud, I always felt an occasional fresh pair of socks lifted my spirit. It’s a longer day than you’re used to so try having some things like pita bread, chicken noodle soup, stuff like that, because by the end the goo packets and stuff will make you want to vomit. I had to look for them but I bought potassium supplements and would occasionally take one to avoid cramps, the whole banana thing is bogus. Stay ahead of your glucose, and adhere to the recommended schedule you need to eat before you crash, if you fall behind you’re done. Consider a camelback or alternately those little bottles that fit on your hands for awhile I was mixing my own powders into those bottles as I became more sophisticated about nutrition but I forget what I was using and the details of it, not necessary. Contrary to your plan, don’t stop and don’t hover at the stations, even 5 minutes at a station for 6 stations on a 50 miler is a half hour. Start off at a comfortable jog, then slow it down a few notches. You should feel like you are jogging a little too slow until about mile 15, then jog comfortably for the middle, then the last 15 will just be rough. Walk any moderate inclines and don’t be afraid to let it roll on the declines. By let it roll, I just mean to save your quads a little by not power braking the whole way down the slopes. Using energy to go slower is super in efficient unless you might crash. Crashing is the most inefficient. You probably honestly really need to start altering your training now for that 50 miler. You’re going to need some long runs >15 miles to just test things.
Thanks BS. I upvoted this. But, it went back to a net zero upvote instead of 1 upvote (me) and someone downvoted this for some reason. I wish the feedback system on here would show 1 upvote , 1 downvote instead of net zero so we know its high volume if its 10 upvotes, 10 downvotes or 10 up 8 down would only show 2 up. etc. Yeah, I have some socks I am considering. Shoes are big, so may have an extra pair or two on the stations. My current schedule is branching out to more Ultra type workouts. Mainly cycling for ever and ever. I will have to integrate some runs and need to do them on the trail or the beach. I’ll keep posted my progress. My friend seems a lot less prepared than I am, so not sure how he is going to take this race, but I will carry him if it means finishing together.
Also, a lot of people tend to wear their shoes a bit looser because your feet swell during a long race. It’s not a big deal but you may notice a lot of ache across the top of your foot after races and sometimes people lose their big toe nails. This is very common to the point of one sponsored ultra runner having his toenails surgically removed. I’m not really sure the exact solution but I I was running in relatively upsized shoes comfortably as I got more into the races as my response. It will probably be trial and error. If your feet hurt be cautious about altering your stride because it’s common for people to try to save a blister and ending up straining their knees which is worse. Pacing is your main enemy because you have no experience. The typical goal is negative splits meaning you get slowly faster throughout the race but without a reference point your best bet is to be extra cautious early and worst case scenario wind up enjoying the last few miles slightly more. It’s easier said than done. And honestly, if you get into running and your friend is unprepared, it might be best to separate. He will mess with you and you might inadvertently make it worse for him by causing him to over pace early on.
Yeah I actually think he is going to over-pace as he is used to a 26.2 pace or something. I’m looking for negative splits and a build up like the run portion of the Half Ironman on Sunday. That was my goal and I basically stuck to it, mainly to avoid crashing or blowing out. I ordered another pair of Flyknit Mariahs today and am going to start in those probably then have a lot of other shoes I may switch to (I have a lot of shoes - a lot of Asics actually). I might put some Flyknits at the 5-6 station, not sure, but the Flyknit racers have a thicker sole. The Mariahs are basically socks, so I would have to watch out for rocks and pebbles, but have a pretty good eye for them through my various sports (pebbles are deadly in skateboarding).
I’m trying to get an idea of the ‘depth’ of this race. You’re giving some good info. I’m not a subscriber to Ultra Running Magazine or anything and have only met 1 ultra athlete (well 2 counting you). The guy that did the sub 10 full Iron (my former spin coach) was an ultra athlete.
From: Kailua-Kona, HI USA Occupation: Full time triathlete in ’09/ Realtor
Recent Races: First time Ultraman. 2009 Ironman World Championships finish time 9:57:25, 2009 Ironman Coeuer D’Alene, 2009 Brusselton 70.3, 2009 Hawaii Honu 70.3.
Entering UM because: in 2001 I was hit by a passing RV while training on my bike in Colorado. My sponsor and career ended 2 years later. I never got to finish what I started. Now, I’m 30 years old, I would like to complete the Dream I began in 1997. I have crewed at Ultraman the past 2years.
Support Crew: Paddler: Bo Pardeau Land Support: Darwin Holt, John Callos
The Ultraman World Championships is an athletic odyssey of personal rediscovery; as such, it is the next step in the endurance challenge of being human. Covering a total distance of 320 miles (515 kilometers), on the Big Island of Hawaii, it requires that each participant complete a 6.2 mile (10 K) open ocean swim, a 261.4 mile (421 K) bike ride, and a 52.4 mile (84 K) ultra-marathon run, the distances being determined by the size of the Big Island. After lava flows destroyed parts of the original course, in 2018 athletes will traverse the Saddle Road on day 2 into Hilo.
The first Ultraman Triathlon was held in 1983 on Hawaii Island and was organized by Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will. Among the group, Curtis Tyler served as original race director with the goal of having more than just a competition but an event which focused on the guiding principles of Hawaiian culture…. “aloha” (love), “ohana” (family), and “kokua” (help). In 1992, ] Tyler turned over Ultraman to Jane Bockus on the condition that there never be prize money. Jane Bockus, often referred to as “UltraMama”, has kept the event the same with the exception of a course change in the years 2001 & 2002 when it started and finished each day in Kailua-Kona .
Yeah chicken noodle soup and pita and hummus would be great. I might order and freeze some mussels or shrimp too, that’d be tasty. Even cold steak. Meats are what will get me going again for the long term. Superfoods and veggies for constant micronutrients. Lots of coconut water. Tropical fruits… I will have fun organizing all of this… it is such a challenge to me. Are most Ultras BYOF, or some provide food?
I don’t usually eat PB&Js because of the grains, but might go grains for this race. Lots of PB&Js - I’m sure those would be great. I plan on blending some raw quail eggs into Vega mix and freezing it in waterbottles as well.
I’m also going to freeze some Vega recovery mix for the aid stations also.
