For me the training is every bit part of ultra running as the completion. I don’t enter races, (only my Garmin knows) I just train to go long distances at a point I pick in time. The bigger picture is, you are laying down a much healthier old age. Happy trails everyone., and remember…YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD!
I agree completely, I attempted a 100 mile over the summer and although the race was difficult, having to sacrifice time with family for training was the most painful for me
I turn 60 in April, started running about 3 yrs ago, planning to do three 50-milers this year and maybe my first 100-miler next year. I've never been in such good physical shape, this might be the best investment in retirement that I make!
I think there is a huge difference between pro runners and fun runners who merely want to complete the distance. I just completed a 50 miler where I finished dead last. I completed it well ahead of the cutoff and I wasn’t injured. In fact I went to work the next day. That to me was a success.
I don’t even like to think of these events as races and don’t love that they are called that, since i’m not trying to beat anybody and thinking of them as races puts me in the wrong mindset. I view them as community runs, a chance to run with others and be supported along the way.
100% !!! I was trying to express that in the post race interview at Cocodona. For me it’s a vocabulary thing almost - even now I call it a "post race" because not sure what I’d call it otherwise. But I never race in a "I’m competing" kind of way. There’s a few folks racing in a race, but most are either focusing on pushing their own limits in a non competitive way. I’m only focused on finishing - and all the better if I can help someone else do the same. For example offered (and gave) water in that first Cocodona day in the heat of the day. It’d be easy to simply walk by, thinking of myself first and later justifying by thinking "we’re all very experienced runners, and YOU chose to carry less water, you should not expect ME to carry extra for YOU!" . Which is true, but stupid. Whatever, here, drink up otherwise you’ll DNF
@@runningwithsimon 100% and yeah, the spirit of mutual support makes it more gratifying. On the road I can be a little bit competitive, but something about being on the trails just erases that competitive urge in me entirely and i’m left with a desire for camaraderie.
just did my first 100k yesterday, tried and failed the same one last year, longest distance id ran before was a marathon, i was not prepared last year and after a year of preparation i was still nowhere near ready. enjoyed every minute of it but it was awful. 10/10 will do again
I didn’t get any of the American football analogies but very well laid out in terms what is involved in Ultra marathons. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks! Well it's simply that our attention is focused ahead, on the obvious ("running 50 miles is a lot of running!") but what will get you are those things you aren't paying attention (e.g., nutrition)
Thanks Simon for this video and all the others. As someone who is working towards a 50k and eventually working my way hopefully to 100 miles your videos have been informational and motivating. Thank you!!
Just wanted to say that this is one of the best ultra advice videos I've ever seen. Agreed with every point you made. Wish I'd seen this 10 years ago, though to be fair that would have been quite difficult :) An easy sub, looking forward to checking out your other content.
Thanks! Honestly, I wish myself I had seen that before getting into ultra... But then again, I learn best by making the mistake and telling myself "never again" (and then doing it 1 or 2 more time before it sinks in)
I just ran my first and only Marathon about a month ago. I just signed up for the shotover moonlight mountain ultra in New Zealand. 60k lots of elevation. I would be lying if i said im not nervous but im sure all will be well. Thankyou for the great video and I love your memes! You are awesome!
Dude thank you for making such great content! Randomly clicked one day and you immediately struck a chord with me because of the mega man x intro. Thank you for the great information and the motivation to go farther!
Ran my first 50k last year. It had only 3300ft of climbing. This coming may im running another 50k with 7000’ of climbing (very nervous for it as the previous 50k was difficult) but I got to go for it. Then next August I have my first 50 miler. I recently hired a running coach because I want to be successful in my ultra adventure. Can’t wait for this next race season! Thanks for the great video and sharing your knowledge.
Smart about the coach! I'm about to release a 'gifts ideas for runners' and that's one of the thing I highly suggest. It can really help unlock your full potential (if you find the right coach...not all coach are good :/)
Thanks for the explainer. I am hoping to get to the trail marathon/50k distances next year but for now enjoying the shorter runs on local trails. This was really helpful!
Amazing intro to ultra running. I'm a 53 yo Triathlete that did my first 50 and 60 ultras this spring and are looking for a 100k in 2024. Due to Ironman and long road races I have a very very good understanding of fueling while I am not too happy about suffering😉. Thanks for great inspiration and tips👍
Fantastic video! I appreciate how you highlighted the distinctions between various running distances in such detail, making it clear that it's not merely about the difference in distance. It's about understanding the different levels of running. It goes beyond just numbers; it's about recognizing distinct levels of the trail running. A possible next topic could be strategies for overcoming the unique challenges encountered at these distances, like dealing with blisters, nausea, and mental fatigue etc...
Thanks! And great suggestions - it's in the work !! And some topics I already posted about. I try to have a mix on my channels of 1) "inspiration" videos (aka my races) 2) general tips (like this one or how to run longer, or make a training plan) 3) topic specific, like my blister video, or the mental stages you go through in a race. Everything I highlighted here, I obviously think are important topic, so I'll cover all of them eventually (e.g., road vs. trail running, sleep strategy). So stay tuned!
This video is sooo good. I can’t state that hard enough. Everything you said all the way to 100k is completely correct. And very very relatable. I can’t say that about the 100 mile distance because i’ll be doing that for the first time later on this year. But these insights are so valuable. Thanks!
Very informative video! I am a beginner ultra runner. I have ran two road marathons and two mixed surface 50 Ks with 1000 m elevation. On a hilly 400 m elevation road marathon i finished at 4h19m. On the two 50k i finished both in over 7 hours. The difference is big. I will say training more uphill walking and relative fast downhill running is very important for me trying to manage faster 50 k or going towards 80 K as next goals.
Nice that you mention the trail half as the "non-ultra" distances are often forgotten while it is a wonderful way to get into the sport and always fun to do. But you are right some of them have so many difficulties because of terrain, weather, type and distance of aid stations... 3 of my 4 trail half marathons are slower than my worst road one. One of them by 1h. Still made me come back the following year to do the full marathon, and the same, about 1h slower than my slowest road marathon ever. Hot swamp where you can't sweat, terrible experience. That 30k on sand in South Texas in the middle of August with a noon start? Slower than any of my road marathons. Just because it's a "small" distance doesnt' mean it's going to be easy. If we were aiming for easy, we'd play golf.
I hiked 20 to 30mi a day for months on the Appalachian Trail. Took my legs about 1.5 years to heal. Had no clue what I was doing. Attempting another AT thru-hike much more prepared in a few months. My PR is 38 miles after 3 days of hiking 20+ miles days. Totally destroyed my legs lol. Thanks for the videos and info.
@runningwithsimon it was mostly my right ankle and left knee. Just did a 400mi hike and I'm still getting a lot of swelling in the right ankle. Going to the gym now for strength training. Love this channel.
I did my first ultra in November 2023 - the day b4 I ran 18 miles and then went to an organised race the next day to do another 18. But I just kept going and ran the full 55km. I was last out of the 5 who were doing the ultra. It took me 6 1/4 hours. I was so happy I couldn’t believe I’d done it! I’m a 47 year old male living in the UK and have just celebrated my 2 year runiversary!
@@runningwithsimon I know! Although I’d booked the ultra, I had decided to only do 3 laps (18 miles) as I was coming back from injury and my plan wanted an 18 mile back to back weekend. Ironically I was actually training for my first ultra at the end of November but ended up doing one at the beginning of the month 😂. I should also clarify I wasn’t ‘racing’ as such. It took me over 6 hours to do 55kms. And I came last. Tho in fairness I’m not sure I could’ve done it much quicker
Just discovered your channel. You have a lot of great content but I'm not sure why I'm here, I can't even run 1 mile lol. I'm restarting from the very beginning.
The first step in such journey is the most important! Good luck - plus, we all (re) start somewhere and we're all there to support (also I'm considering eventually adding some training info for this too)
@@runningwithsimon the first step is def the hardest. no matter how far im running, i always celebrate within the first mile because i made it out. now i just have to finish, but thats considerably easier than starting
Great video. I tell people 50k or 50 miler are the best distances. For me I’m drawn to the hundred. They can make you question everything in your life. Same event same distance and it will be a different experience each time.
Thanks for taking the time to do this. I am terrible at taking breaks. I got away with it at my only 50k but I wonder at what point that breaks down. I scheduled a 100k next and figure I’ll start paying for my inability to stop soon.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing depending on your definition of taking a break. At some point, you'll likely slow down, and that's fine. Hopefully that happens before it's too late!
Great video! I've run ~9 road marathons but trying my first 50 miler (Prospect Park Track Club) this year, it is a road ultra, but a decent bit of elevation gain (something like 2500' since you just loop the ~3 mile loop 15 times or something). Any ideas to deal with just doing the same loop multiple times? I feel like it will be mentally challenging. Living in NYC makes trail running a rarity (no car, barely any trails, just a lot of concrete), but something I hope to get into in my 40s!
I hear you about the difficulties to access trail. When I lived in Boston, we didn't have a car. The only time I'd run trail was during races (almost). But I already had a lot of trail and outdoors experience so it wasn't too bad. For loops, have you seen my jackpot ultra videos? It's essentially a 1 miles loop (which you do both direction every lap, so 2 miles lap). Or my aravaipa run (100 miles in 0.4 loops around a stadium - ended up with PR there with 16h18m). For me, music helps on something like that. But otherwise, it's also having a very clear time goal. Not my favorite races however because it doesn't feel like an adventure...
The Alps!!! I'm a bit jealous... What's the race? Is it Innsbruck Alpine 110k by any chance?! When I lived in Switzerland, I had a really good austrian friend from Innsbruck!
Yeah it amazing! its GGUT (Gross glockner ultra trail) they say its really tough but I can at least try and in best case scenario ill surprise myself so! But I'm also going to run Innsbruck panorama ultra trail two months before GGUT, but not 110K.. I would go for 65K to see how ready I am on 110K GGUT thing you know >D Only little thing I'm afraid of is 6500m elevation >D Its cool that u lived in Switzerland its really breathtaking country) where are u from anyway? @@runningwithsimon
@@robertdioszegi792 Cool - good luck! I'm from Montreal/Canada, lived abroad in Europe for grad school, moved to the US for work (Boston) and now based in California
Ran my first ultra last september (55k, 3000m elevation) mostly on gels snd water after training around 10h per week for 2 months. Finished ok, but with leg cramps and my digestive system tore me apart the night after. Did another 54k/2300m elev. this weekend with around 7h training per week and relying on solid food an isotonic drinks. Finished, got more food, massage and a lot of sleep. Didn't even haven sore muscles, feeling ready to go another round today! Digestion also absolutely ok...
Absolutely awesome video, thanks!! I skipped marathons and went to 50ks. I've completed a handful, slowly but with a smile. I'm ready to step up to 50 miles, and found this so interesting. Especially the fact that 50 miles is where you figure out if you're a pooper or a puker! 😂 Greeeaaaat. Now I'm going back to rewatch, because I'm sure I missed some classic Simon blurbs!
Team Pooper #1 !!!... well, ok, #2 .... But clearly, if one could choose, that'd be the team to pick! I know I sound like I'm recruiting for my pokemon team, but pukers have it way harder! Really sucks to have nausea, and it's much harder to solve. Huge respect for those pushing through that because it's miserable
I transitioned from half-marathon lenght trail and road races to 110km race. I was at the front pack until 50-60km ,then i realised i have no idea what will the rest of the race look like. Still managed to slow down and eat well,finished 8th. I am now preparing for 100 mile race.
I finished my first marathon on Sunday, March 3, 2024. I’m 45 years old, female. who started running in June of last year where I did my 5k with no practice. I didn’t have any athletic experience. I finished my marathon in 4 hours and 57 minutes. I couldn’t complain because 30 days before my race I injured my lower back. And during the race, i got blisters that popped which made it so difficult for me to continue running. And i signed up for an ultra (50k) that’s going to happen on April 13. I’m scared and nervous. I haven’t trained on trails and part of me thinks that I might not be ready for it. The only reason why I signed up for it is because I’ll be turning 46 on April 15. So maybe I just want to brag that I have accomplished something big 2 days before my 46th birthday lol. This video is so helping though. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Congrats on your first marathon! That's already plenty enough to brag about on your 46th ;) I think it'll be good for you to get on trail a bit. As long as the race has generous cutoff, all you have to do is keep moving! You got this :)
@@runningwithsimon so funny but after I posted a comment on your video, I went to a trail and ran 5k. I might do that every day for a week. Only zone 2 and 5k.
real good advice i failed my 100miler i managed 122k of 160 for me nutrition in hind sight i wasnt using enough hydration tabs so was slowly dehydrating witch makes eating harder ; i got where i couldnt chew anything and even difficult to swallow gels when temperature dropped to freezing i couldnt move fast enough to keep warm and was just too exhausted
Simon, I noticed that nobody touched on racing with HR zones. say, if I want to go for a 50 miler, is it ok to run at HR zone 4? 5? for how long? what are the strategies here. perhaps you can do a video on this? thanks for the useful videos, by the way.
One of the main issue about going into zone 4 and 5 is about the source of energy. Oversimplification here, but you always burn some energy from both fat and some from carbs. The ratio depends on your metabolic threshold, VO2max, and intensity. There's a limit to how much fat you can metabolize per hour (or minute) and the balance will come from carbs - which the rate is not limiting BUT the total amount you carry around is finite (whereas fat is for all intents of running, a limitless reservoir). Now burning carbs is fine of course, but only for shorter effort. Once you go into endurance event like marathon and longer, you'll deplete those reserve of stored carbohydrate (mostly in the form of glycogen), at which point, you'll bonk. That's the dreaded 'wall' many face in a marathon around 18-20 miles. Of course, you can fuel to push that limit to further in time, but you can't consume enough calories in carbs to compensate indefinitely. So you'll bonk at some point UNLESS you can source enough energy from fat. And from studies, we know that in lower intensity zone, a much higher proportion comes from fat, making it (somewhat) sustainable to go at these pace, whereas as zone 4 or 5 is not.
@@runningwithsimon apologies in advance for the ping-pong replies, but I want this to remain here for others to read as well. In other words, our best bet in a race is to go between zones 1 and 2, with the occasional visits to zones 3 - 5, during hard climbs, even if this is in the middle or at the end of the race. Of course, I am assuming proper nutrition and hydration, which is almost never the case :-). thankyou again for taking the time to help us out.
Great advice 👍 One thing I'm not sure about is weekly distance, I don't think more than 50 miles a week is needed for any race distance and risks overtraining or injury. I do 40-50 miles a week with focus on long climbs and descents, I also do low rep heavy squats and dead lifts twice per week. I switched up to my first 200 miler this year and that training distance worked really well for me.
Totally agree with the risk of overtraining and I tried to emphasize that in my prior video. I think it's a hard balance to reduce risk of injury because undertrained, and risk of overtraining. Mileage doesn't tell the whole story - but it's easier to discuss that instead of time on feet. If you do 50 miles with long climbs and descents, and strengthening session, that is likely equivalent to a flat 60-65. I reduced my mileage when I moved (and now it's impossible to not climb at least 1200 ft per 10 mile)
How do you structure your weeks? I'm currently doing 2 strength sessions per week but i struggle with combining this with longer weekly mileage. How many restdays do you have? Do you do this all year round or only during off season?
@@EverythingWasGreat It's difficult, I would possibly use an 8 or 9 day cycle except I always have busy Mondays at work so I do a 7 day cycle and have Monday as my rest/recovery day. I do Tuesday and Thursday for Weights, Saturday and Sunday for long runs. Wednesday and Friday I can do anything as long as it is easy zone 1 or 2. Weights I do I do heavy low rep to increase strength but not muscle size, 3 - 5 sets of
Good insight to these distances. I live in the Phoenix, Arizona area and looking to do the Mogollon Monster Marathon in September, 2024. Training for it will be difficult as the temperatures here can get up to 118 F in the summer time. How should I approach (do) my training for that race? Thanks Simon!
Is it the race organized by Aravaipa? If so, just in case you didn't see it, I actually did the 100 last fall so have a look! We shared a lot of the course with the marathon - I think there's just a little segment that is unique to the marathon so I can't say I know the whole thing. It's a fun race, aravaipa has good events. But the aid station are far apart. I don't know if you have an aid station before "merging" the 100 miles course, but I think there are like 2 or 3 aid station only - so you go 8-12 miles on your own. Which is really not typical for marathon. And that's something to keep in mind especially regarding needs of fluids. You'll be out there in the middle of the day, it's hot, and it's very exposed. I was carrying more water than typical. I think it's a race that it may be good to have a go at some of those section in practice to adjust to how technical it can get. It was mostly fine (a fair amount of direct road and runnable trail) but there was at least 2 section that the downhill was a bit rocky and technical. Beyond that for the heat training, it certainly was a factor for this race. But if you live in phoenix, just getting used to running in the heat during summer will probably plenty enough to prepare. If you can, do some of those mid day on hot days.
@@runningwithsimon Yes, it is a Aravaipa event. I will be carrying '3' liters of water in a bladder in my pack and a 500ml bottle with electrolytes on my waist belt. There are '2' aid stations on the route. I do my runs at 4am and it can be pushing close to 100° at that time. I also have a mountain that is 15 min driving time away that has great trails to train on. It will be a bit tough to train in the heat so I appreciate your help very much! Thanks Simon! Skål!
Hello Simon, I am running 42 km Trail Marathon in Dec 2024. I have always been a fitness junkie - Gym, Weights, hiking, long weighted walks etc. Recently I got into long distance running. I am running about 86 km per week as training. Is it too much? I feel great though!!! schedule as follows Mon to Thu: 9km x 2 days + 12km x 2 days= 42 KM Fri: Rest Sat: Steep Hike 2km Sun: 42 km Marathon. If I keep doing this will I build up stamina for 100km? Ever run in NZ?
Never been to NZ - would love to hike/trail run there some day. But it's far so hard to squeeze the travel time with my work schedule. Maybe some day. That's a good volume. You still have a lot of time too - I'd focus on quality. Like why is it only 2km hill training? I'd push that a little more distance-wise. Do you have strengthening session? But overall, yes it's solid.
@@runningwithsimon that hill in my town is too bloody steep! may be find a gentle slope hill? there is a great ranges around my town called Kaimai Ranges. Google when you get time :)
I'm eventually going to make 2 full video on nutition - one for training and post-race (which are both often overlooked but probably even more important) and one for race day strategy. It's a very tough topic because people react extremly differently to food. For 100k, I will focus on fast absorbing carb for a majority of the race (things like gels, gummies, coke) on trails, drinking only sport drink like tailwind, and grab things like bananas at aid station. Aiming for about 200-300 cal per hour for as long as I can. I can sometimes do the full race like this, but on harder course if I'm out there longer, I might start grabbing things like ramen. But that's more towards the last 10-20 miles in the worst case scenario.
@@runningwithsimon hey this is useful, I was thinking you take solid foods(like ramen in your case) even for 100k , so would gels (and taking bananas/oranges) be enough if needed?). I don't like coke on the run. gels worked, but never tried anything else.
@@manojsurya Yeah, that's what is tough about nutrition. What works for me might not work for someone else. And even for me, what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Fast carb are a great source of energy, but prone to induce diarrhea or nausea when having too much. That can be partly trained - one of the issue is that there's a limit in rate of absorption of carbs, which you can train and increase. But if you have too much, it sits in your gut, and the gut microflora has a huge party - with predictable outcome. Solid food is "easier" from a GI issue perspective - so once you start struggling, you have to have some. For me when I start struggling, I'll add things like grilled cheese, bacon, quesadilla. I try to wait as long as possible however, because fast carb are absorbed quickly and allow me to go faster. I'm fairly fortunate in the sense that it takes me typically 10-12 hours before I start struggling, although that depends on the day, and also other things like climate and exertion level. I can't predict it - but definitely notice when it happens. Because 13 hours is a typical 100k finish for me, it means I can get away with this most of the time. But I have to be careful because I may need to adjust on race day. For other runners that are more sensitive to it, issue would come earlier so they have to include solid and non-sugar-based food earlier. So some people even at distance like marathon and 50k, can't rely fully on gels and such. It's really hard to say where you will land for this - I think I'm actually lucky and typically issues and the need for solid starts more at 50M. Even for me sometimes that's how it is - but I've run 50M, 100k and even my first 100M on pure gels. No clue how that was even possible, but to this day, it remains my best race by far.
I ran my 1st 100k mid October confident I would finish as I did some 60k's in (way) before 7hrs and for the rest (40k) there were still 10hrs left. However I had problems with drinking/eating already in those shorter distances and hate the different gels I used during my long runs (they were all too sweet for me). So, it's no understatement I'm far from mastering nutritioning. However, I finished the 100k (in 11hrs and 34mins) with too small amounts of Maurten sportdrink, 2 white rolls with marmalade and (at last) 1 gel. The latter gave me a BIG boost in the last 4k (total race distance was a few meters from 104k). Seems I found my gel! It's sooo personal.
So right! Glad you made it - 11:34 is a solid time! Not sure if you saw but I posted a fueling video which hopefully can help. But yeah ultimately finding the right gel is a trial and error…
A lot of those are from the Ouray 100 course - which is a race in the San Juan mountains of colorado. Probably the most scenic race I've ever done. Here's a link to the race recap ua-cam.com/video/tmI00LqCUsg/v-deo.html
haha yes! Oh the good old days before my indoor studio - when I couldn't film if it's raining or too late at night! fyi I don't know if you've seen it or if it's of interest, but I've since released a movie about night running here: ua-cam.com/video/KeNin-0TRZc/v-deo.htmlsi=8J5aW4qTp5LlYDTD
When you put those gell/drink stats.....Is that ALL you usually intake? No bars or snacks? I am looking into running further (16miles is my max) and was just curious about this.
For a marathon or 50k? Yes - gels and gatorade is plenty, and won't vary much from race to race. Your body stores glycogen worth about 2000Cal that is readily available. A guy like me burns about 100Cal per miles, so for example on a 26 mile run - I'd need 2600 which means I need AT LEAST 600Cal from another source. 1 gel = 100 Cal + whatever I get from drinking. That covers it. Sure, you could rely on fat metabolism, but the metabolic rate is too slow to compensate, which basically means you'd need to run slower. OR you take readily available carbs - gels and liquid being the fastest and easiest to absorb. Bars or snack wouldn't make much sense for me in a 3-5hrs effort. Longer and harder to absorb. Depends how well you can digest and that's where longer distance become harder. I'd love to be able to only use gels for a 100 miles, but that's just not happening. I'll be sick before that, so then you add things like solid food (bar, snacks, whatever). But fast carb would always be my preference if I could (but I can't at some point)
Hi Simon awesome video great info I've learned a lot 👏 I have a watch question 😀 Like I've said before I haven't run a race of any kind yet but did that km50 a week ago and are on km505 for the month so far and I seem to be running more in the mountains and experiencing with some trails as well which means I need a watch with maps. Currently I'm thinking about the Garmin 965 as it's in my budget. I'm still thinking whether I'll enter and run say a km50 or km100 for which I think the 965 is good for but I'mm also a big fan of fast packing and over lighting in the mountains maybe go on a km3000 adventure running the length of Norway as I've cycled it before so now I think the Enduro 2 comes in unless I run with a power bank which I'll probably do to charge my phone and camera so then I guess the 965 is still good. Any thoughts be appreciated 🙏
Hi! I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to electronic gear. What I use a Garmin Fenix 6X Pro. Battery is plenty enough for what I do, and the watch is pretty rugged, which I do appreciate especially when hiking/mountaineering some class 3 and 4 where I smash it hard on rock but know it's going to be fine (...not doing it on purpose obviously but impossible to avoid). So overall I'm happy, but I mostly got this one specifically because there was a huge discount when I was shopping. I'm 100% sure the 965 is a good one but haven't tried myself. And other brands can be solid too - Coros, Suunto. But what is for sure is that I'm very happy to have a multisport watch. I use it all the time. The map is mostly when trailrunning (very practical to download GPX / route), but I end up using it in training, or biking, or swimming. Also, it's pricey, but if you use it - they last a long time so it's not that bad
Oh and I saw your comment about the side view! Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback! Always trying to improve, and I have no background in movie so I always learn! Yeah, I agree with you. I don't do it because I like it - I actually don't. It's more a necessity - the side camera is basically secondary/back up for recording. I'm recording solo, so sometimes there can be unforeseen issue and I'd lose the whole recording session without a backup. If someone was filming me, they would notice if the focus is bad or something, but by myself, I can go 1 hour and could lose everything. Actually the reason it was so frequent in the last portion on this movie was EXACTLY that - for whatever reason the main camera stopped recording towards the end (maybe there is a max amount of time). So at least I had something to fall back to (you can actually hear the difference in sound recording as I switched audio to the GoPro mic (side camera). I've also had once my main camera sound was terrible - I'd have lost 100% (you can only notice while editing) which obviously would be a huge waste of time. The other reason is also that it helps in editing - if I want to cut some a sentence or two, or if I fumbled my words, switching view makes it seemless (but yeah, 90% of the time I just put some clip of running instead as it's more interesting than seeing my face). So yeah, totally agree with you!
@@runningwithsimon hi I thought you might of seen it but after watching your other video I thought I might off came across as a dick so I removed that part but I only mend it well but being bipolar has often land me in hot water as I don’t tend to have a filter and just share my honest opinion 🤷🏼♂️
when you say 50 miles a week, how many days are you running? i usually run 50 miles a week in 3 days with 4 off. sometimes i do back to back and theres always lots of hills and very technical trails, cuz those are the fun ones! i might try to bump up to 60 or 70 in 3 or 4 days in preparation for 50 and 62 miles, but i might also stay at 50 and do back to back marathons to avoid tendonitis
Not really - the shoe choice should be adapted to your feet and the terrain you'll be running. I wouldn't wear the same shoe at HURT100 with technical trails on mud and roots vs. Javelina 100 with rocky desert non-technical trails. But I'm trying to be more vocal about it in my race recap - what shoe I used and why. I'll also post reviews about specific shoes - I started with Hoka Speedgoat 5 here (plenty more to come, I just need time to put the movies together) ua-cam.com/video/RkmRDgGiJgs/v-deo.html
Coke as in coca cola? Yes, absolutely. And it is for many ultrarunner. Sometimes that's the only calories you can still consume without being sick. What makes coke unhealthy on a day to day life (high calories) is what makes it great in the context of burning 12-14k calories in a day.
If you are pre-diabetic (or diabetic) I would check with my doctor. Otherwise, no I have never heard any evidence suggesting that it would lead to diabetes. Quite the contrary, the physical activity will protect against. As for keto - I heard that some runners manage it, but it'd be very hard as a lot of your calorie intake comes from fat. Which is harder to digest. It'd work fine in training, but when you have to have like 6-8k Calories, that just doesn't sound feasible
@@runningwithsimon thank you for the reply. My concern is with marathon+ distance runners who are sustaining their pace with glucose/fructose gels/drinks. Yes running is definitely protective but the carb loading and carb fueling that’s been recommended in the last 50 years and has become a big business is concerning to me. As I have already seen (anecdotally) children who are active in sport’s develop high blood insulin and glucose levels due to the high carb nutrition recommendations for fueling performance. Something to keep in mind as fit does not equal healthy 1:1.
Hi! I wonder for (longer) trail events, are they always very well marked or are you supposed to find your way using a gps? My orientation skills aren’t great so a bit scared of that :)
That's rarely an issue but there is a range. You are NOT expected to have to figure your way - this isn't orienteering. But some course are better marked than others. Most race are on existing trails - so you really only need to stay on trail (which is rarely difficult). Then the main thing becomes to not missing a turn - which are usually well marked. Also, you are often with others. It's still a good idea to have the GPX on a sport watch just to check/confirm. Because missing a turn does happen. Especially at night. Especially if you are starting to be sleep deprived. Or sometimes you might still be on course, but because you don't see marker, you start second guessing yourself. Watch is plenty to figure this out.
hey simon, i'm a bit lazy to do small runs then one long run, i'm doing 6km 6x/week and want to get to 10km for 6x/week, can I score a good marathon time by then incorporating speed works in my daily 10kms or do I really have to start doing small runs with speed work and slow long runs? 10km feels so much easier mentally and planning-wise
I'm not the expert of getting a fast marathon time so take it with a grain of salt. But you'd want to switch it up more - a mix of long runs zone two, and threshold and tempo run, and some intervals. And some strength sessions. A flat 10km daily is not usually seen as the best way to improve marathon time. Doesn't mean your time will be terrible, but you'd probably get better results with the same amount of training hours with a more structure training plan that incorporate the elements above
It'd be the 'peak' weeks, so yes, the longest you'll ever reach - which I say you should try and hold for like 2-3 weeks. Not sure if you've seen my "How to build a training plan" video (if not, highly suggest), but the mileage I mention here are those '3 weeks at the end'. You could have a larger buffer between your peak mileage and race. And the weeks before that are meant to build a strong aerobic base, and also get your legs and joints and everything used to higher mileage slowly. ua-cam.com/video/cNzBhZSOe78/v-deo.htmlsi=QaGejR2SsMZ6Ctuo&t=621
Miles - but that's certainly on the 'safe side' to be in tip top shape to run one. And is a good balance if risk during training (higher mileage is harder on your body during training and can also lead to overtraining). You could complete a 50k with less but the risk of injury on race day is higher. Also that's a peak training (if you've seen my video about how to build a trianing plan). Hope that helps!
I try not to - and I think usually people try to power through it. But I've napped before and that was fine. Mostly if I sleep-walk, so a little power nap can help (you can see race like my Zion 100 in 2023 Ouray 100 2023 - I napped a couple of time in both). You just have to manage your time smartly and determine if it's smarter to take that break and come back stronger, or keep going potentially at a slower pace. Usually, the math suggest it's smarter to keep going, but not always.
Oh actually, I just remembered, I made a short about it. That was me during Zion 100 in 2023 (it's a good race, worth watching the long video too) ua-cam.com/users/shorts2Y6nEPuzJa4
That hit was brutal. Do you know if he was injured from it? Honestly what the commentators were saying was perfect for the clip, but yeah, brutal brutal! I have sooooo much respect for these guys - anyone taking hits like that and having the courage to get back out there...
First I'd suggest making a strong training plan with a peak mileage per week of about 50-60 miles per week. Check out this video for that. ua-cam.com/video/cNzBhZSOe78/v-deo.html Also beyond that, you need to work on nutrition / fueling strategy, preventing blisters, do some hill training, etc. You won't have to train on trails, but everything else is basically the same as a 90k trail race. Check out this list of video which has tips on different topics! I hope it's helpful, and let me know if you have any specific questions :) ua-cam.com/play/PL0hJ0EXAkuLEzBZ4ubXwK0iBSW4cN6UyP.html
OK so I meant I was working tonight and a guy I’m working with asked me, but I’ve only done one, so he asked me in 100 mile which would be easier a mountain one or a flat one because I was telling him the key is walking and I said I’m actually not sure I said if you’re really good at you can just endure whatever I said then probably the mountain one wouldn’t be you know as bad or hilly one let’s sayand I said but I told him I’ve only done one and it was kind of flat one and I’m glad it was flat you’re the expert so I thought I said I’ll throw out question to Simon because we’re just here working tonight so it seems like we’re doing stuff too is on, and I’m going from one of your videos to the next
Honestly I think it's such a great question because it's much more convoluted then it seems at a surface level. Like - what is "hard"? Do we mean how hard it is to not DNF? Or how tired you are after being done? Or how hard it is to win or rank well? Because I think those could all be valid definition of a 'hard' race, and the impact of mountain vs flat is totally different. For me, I prefer mountains AND also think they are "easier" because I have different time expectation racing. Say Javelina (8k)- if I don't do sub24, I'm really bump out. But Wasatch - I'm just glad to cross the finish line. Most commonly we think about how hard it is to complete (aka not DNF). And I think mountains don't matter at all for that. It's all about the cutoff. And mountain race cutoff tend to be more generous, so it often balances out. For example I think Leadville (which is what, 16k ft? - therefore not that bad) is much harder to complete than Wasatch (22k?) because the +6hr more than make up for a course that is harder. How tired you are (and indirectly how difficult it is to actually cross that finish line) - elevation gain matters a lot. But your pace matters even more. And the type of hills. So yes mountain is harder for that, but like you say, you'll walk more. And I think we naturally tend to 'balance' the effort to something that is equivalent. I think the type of hills matter more for me. Not all 20k ft gain are the same. With a mild uphill incline (but same total elevation) you really have to weigth in walking and losing so much time. Or running and getting tired. If it's steep up, I much prefer because you HAVE to walk, and it's done quicker. For downhill it's the opposite. A mild downhill is great because you can go full speed. Steep however gets technical so you have to go slow AND it's tireing. Placing well - like how prestigious it is - the only factor is who shows up. A race like Javelina is flat-ish but super hard to win or rank because top pros are showing up.
I have autism I done 100 km at 7hours and 54 minutes my friend said that was slow he never ran 100 km in he's life so he shouldn't judge your expert at utra running so is my time slow be honest with me
Congratulation! It's extremely fast. I don't think I know anyone (except the pros I know) that could run this. I certainly can't. My fastest was ~10hr (as part of 100 miles)
I mean, definition-wise, either >26.3 miles or 50k or above. A marathon is…well, a marathon. It doesn’t mean it’s not an accomplishment to be proud of!
lol - but seriously, worth trying coca cola in a race if you are struggling. Hard to say why it works so well with me (and many others) but it does...!
Seriously! Although this weekend at an aid station I asked Coke, and the poor aid station volunteer was like "Is Pepsi OK?"... haha yes my friend, anything will work at this point
For me the training is every bit part of ultra running as the completion. I don’t enter races, (only my Garmin knows) I just train to go long distances at a point I pick in time. The bigger picture is, you are laying down a much healthier old age. Happy trails everyone., and remember…YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD!
Never too old!
I agree completely, I attempted a 100 mile over the summer and although the race was difficult, having to sacrifice time with family for training was the most painful for me
I turn 60 in April, started running about 3 yrs ago, planning to do three 50-milers this year and maybe my first 100-miler next year. I've never been in such good physical shape, this might be the best investment in retirement that I make!
@@jg5555 wow, that sounds great and I wish you happy trails and enjoy the ride. You never regret a run, but you always regret not running!
@@jg5555have you done any yet this year? How did they go?
I think there is a huge difference between pro runners and fun runners who merely want to complete the distance.
I just completed a 50 miler where I finished dead last. I completed it well ahead of the cutoff and I wasn’t injured. In fact I went to work the next day. That to me was a success.
That's very true! And pros are always facing so much more pressure. For me, if I have a bad day - then I guess I'll just take it slow today.
I agree would be very happy to experience my first Ultra like that
That’s awesome and a dream for me one day 😊
This is the motivation I needed to read. Thank you.
movitates me ...finish the race, not injured and back to work is great
I don’t even like to think of these events as races and don’t love that they are called that, since i’m not trying to beat anybody and thinking of them as races puts me in the wrong mindset. I view them as community runs, a chance to run with others and be supported along the way.
100% !!! I was trying to express that in the post race interview at Cocodona. For me it’s a vocabulary thing almost - even now I call it a "post race" because not sure what I’d call it otherwise. But I never race in a "I’m competing" kind of way. There’s a few folks racing in a race, but most are either focusing on pushing their own limits in a non competitive way. I’m only focused on finishing - and all the better if I can help someone else do the same. For example offered (and gave) water in that first Cocodona day in the heat of the day. It’d be easy to simply walk by, thinking of myself first and later justifying by thinking "we’re all very experienced runners, and YOU chose to carry less water, you should not expect ME to carry extra for YOU!" . Which is true, but stupid. Whatever, here, drink up otherwise you’ll DNF
@@runningwithsimon 100% and yeah, the spirit of mutual support makes it more gratifying. On the road I can be a little bit competitive, but something about being on the trails just erases that competitive urge in me entirely and i’m left with a desire for camaraderie.
Next week (ish) - Top 5 races and tips on finding this one race that will be the perfect challenge and inspiration to reach a new your full potential!
Ran my first half this weekend. Doing another one this spring and a marathon next Fall. Finally making progress towards running ultras one day
Good job!
Your meme game is off the charts. One of the most helpful ultra tips videos I've watched, and I've watched a lot now!
haha thanks! Glad it's helpful and slightly entertaining!
just did my first 100k yesterday, tried and failed the same one last year, longest distance id ran before was a marathon, i was not prepared last year and after a year of preparation i was still nowhere near ready. enjoyed every minute of it but it was awful. 10/10 will do again
"it was awful. 10/10 will do again" haha that's the spririt!
I always think of that line from Nick in New Girl: "Do I regret it? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably."
I didn’t get any of the American football analogies but very well laid out in terms what is involved in Ultra marathons. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks! Well it's simply that our attention is focused ahead, on the obvious ("running 50 miles is a lot of running!") but what will get you are those things you aren't paying attention (e.g., nutrition)
Thanks Simon for this video and all the others. As someone who is working towards a 50k and eventually working my way hopefully to 100 miles your videos have been informational and motivating. Thank you!!
Glad it's helpful! Good luck - it's a journey for sure, but totally worth it!
I’m in the same boat, I just did my first 45 mile race and wow the difference is astounding
Just wanted to say that this is one of the best ultra advice videos I've ever seen. Agreed with every point you made. Wish I'd seen this 10 years ago, though to be fair that would have been quite difficult :) An easy sub, looking forward to checking out your other content.
Thanks! Honestly, I wish myself I had seen that before getting into ultra... But then again, I learn best by making the mistake and telling myself "never again" (and then doing it 1 or 2 more time before it sinks in)
Great video, this is valuable information. I'm training currently for my first 50 miler. Cheers!
Awesome, good luck!
I just ran my first and only Marathon about a month ago. I just signed up for the shotover moonlight mountain ultra in New Zealand. 60k lots of elevation. I would be lying if i said im not nervous but im sure all will be well. Thankyou for the great video and I love your memes! You are awesome!
You got this!
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Dude thank you for making such great content! Randomly clicked one day and you immediately struck a chord with me because of the mega man x intro. Thank you for the great information and the motivation to go farther!
Thanks! Glad it's helpful and or appreciated!
Excellent video. Great info for someone with a few road marathons underbelt but curious about a 50km trail run. Thanks for putting together 🤲
Glad it was helpful!
Great video love all the insight. I'm new to it hoping to do my first 50k in September of 2024.
Good luck :)
Ran my first 50k last year. It had only 3300ft of climbing. This coming may im running another 50k with 7000’ of climbing (very nervous for it as the previous 50k was difficult) but I got to go for it. Then next August I have my first 50 miler. I recently hired a running coach because I want to be successful in my ultra adventure. Can’t wait for this next race season! Thanks for the great video and sharing your knowledge.
Smart about the coach! I'm about to release a 'gifts ideas for runners' and that's one of the thing I highly suggest. It can really help unlock your full potential (if you find the right coach...not all coach are good :/)
Thanks for the explainer. I am hoping to get to the trail marathon/50k distances next year but for now enjoying the shorter runs on local trails. This was really helpful!
You're welcome! Nothing wrong with shorter distance - as long as you enjoy the trail, that's perfect!
Amazing intro to ultra running. I'm a 53 yo Triathlete that did my first 50 and 60 ultras this spring and are looking for a 100k in 2024. Due to Ironman and long road races I have a very very good understanding of fueling while I am not too happy about suffering😉. Thanks for great inspiration and tips👍
Yeah and fueling Ironman I felt was tricky because you can’t do it while swimming so you start in the red.
Fantastic video! I appreciate how you highlighted the distinctions between various running distances in such detail, making it clear that it's not merely about the difference in distance. It's about understanding the different levels of running. It goes beyond just numbers; it's about recognizing distinct levels of the trail running. A possible next topic could be strategies for overcoming the unique challenges encountered at these distances, like dealing with blisters, nausea, and mental fatigue etc...
Thanks! And great suggestions - it's in the work !! And some topics I already posted about. I try to have a mix on my channels of 1) "inspiration" videos (aka my races) 2) general tips (like this one or how to run longer, or make a training plan) 3) topic specific, like my blister video, or the mental stages you go through in a race. Everything I highlighted here, I obviously think are important topic, so I'll cover all of them eventually (e.g., road vs. trail running, sleep strategy). So stay tuned!
I’m
This video is sooo good. I can’t state that hard enough. Everything you said all the way to 100k is completely correct. And very very relatable. I can’t say that about the 100 mile distance because i’ll be doing that for the first time later on this year. But these insights are so valuable. Thanks!
Glad it helps! And 100M is right around the corner!
Thanks Simon, I enjoyed your video. Lots of good information!
Thanks - glad it's helpful! Plenty more on the channel, and plenty more to come!
Thanks for the insight, doing first 50km in May, this will help with never doing anything over 10km prior. Cheers
You can do it!
A nice overview of distance, skills and expectations on tackling ultras👍
Thanks 👍
Very informative video! I am a beginner ultra runner. I have ran two road marathons and two mixed surface 50 Ks with 1000 m elevation. On a hilly 400 m elevation road marathon i finished at 4h19m. On the two 50k i finished both in over 7 hours. The difference is big. I will say training more uphill walking and relative fast downhill running is very important for me trying to manage faster 50 k or going towards 80 K as next goals.
Cool - thanks for the insights - totally agree. Seems like 8k more is nothing...but....it's a huge difference!
I really like your direct tips- great videos
Thanks - plenty more to come! I've just been busy a bit with racing but I've got ~20-30 topics lined up
Nice that you mention the trail half as the "non-ultra" distances are often forgotten while it is a wonderful way to get into the sport and always fun to do. But you are right some of them have so many difficulties because of terrain, weather, type and distance of aid stations... 3 of my 4 trail half marathons are slower than my worst road one. One of them by 1h. Still made me come back the following year to do the full marathon, and the same, about 1h slower than my slowest road marathon ever. Hot swamp where you can't sweat, terrible experience. That 30k on sand in South Texas in the middle of August with a noon start? Slower than any of my road marathons. Just because it's a "small" distance doesnt' mean it's going to be easy. If we were aiming for easy, we'd play golf.
To be fair, I wouldn't want to play golf mid day august in south texas :P
Great breakdown 👌 and way of showing the differences between races and their unique challenges!
Thanks! Hope it's helpful :)
Fantastic video. very good advice, made me laugh a lot. Thanks for going in depth about each distance
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for this great video, really enjoyed it and so glad found your channel!
Glad you found it! And saw your post about being in the best shape of your life - that's great :)
Thanks for the video Simon I appreciate your explanations! I subbed. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks - plenty more to come this year!
I hiked 20 to 30mi a day for months on the Appalachian Trail. Took my legs about 1.5 years to heal. Had no clue what I was doing. Attempting another AT thru-hike much more prepared in a few months. My PR is 38 miles after 3 days of hiking 20+ miles days.
Totally destroyed my legs lol.
Thanks for the videos and info.
1.5 year?!? Was it joint or was it muscle? That's forever...Glad you are doing better!
@runningwithsimon it was mostly my right ankle and left knee. Just did a 400mi hike and I'm still getting a lot of swelling in the right ankle. Going to the gym now for strength training.
Love this channel.
Great video...love the football sacks thrown in for good measure.
Thanks! I love the commentators too - seems pretty relevant sometimes! “You make a mistake like that, and you’re lucky if you’re QB is still alive”
I did my first ultra in November 2023 - the day b4 I ran 18 miles and then went to an organised race the next day to do another 18. But I just kept going and ran the full 55km. I was last out of the 5 who were doing the ultra. It took me 6 1/4 hours. I was so happy I couldn’t believe I’d done it!
I’m a 47 year old male living in the UK and have just celebrated my 2 year runiversary!
You ran 18 miles the day before racing your first ultra? ... Ooops
@@runningwithsimon I know! Although I’d booked the ultra, I had decided to only do 3 laps (18 miles) as I was coming back from injury and my plan wanted an 18 mile back to back weekend. Ironically I was actually training for my first ultra at the end of November but ended up doing one at the beginning of the month 😂. I should also clarify I wasn’t ‘racing’ as such. It took me over 6 hours to do 55kms. And I came last. Tho in fairness I’m not sure I could’ve done it much quicker
Just discovered your channel. You have a lot of great content but I'm not sure why I'm here, I can't even run 1 mile lol. I'm restarting from the very beginning.
The first step in such journey is the most important! Good luck - plus, we all (re) start somewhere and we're all there to support (also I'm considering eventually adding some training info for this too)
@@runningwithsimon the first step is def the hardest. no matter how far im running, i always celebrate within the first mile because i made it out. now i just have to finish, but thats considerably easier than starting
Great video. I tell people 50k or 50 miler are the best distances. For me I’m drawn to the hundred. They can make you question everything in your life. Same event same distance and it will be a different experience each time.
Thanks :)
Yup, they're like a box of chocolate - you never know what you're gonna get!
Thanks for taking the time to do this. I am terrible at taking breaks. I got away with it at my only 50k but I wonder at what point that breaks down. I scheduled a 100k next and figure I’ll start paying for my inability to stop soon.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing depending on your definition of taking a break. At some point, you'll likely slow down, and that's fine. Hopefully that happens before it's too late!
Did first 50k last weekemd ... shore 2 shore ny fun. 6.5 hours vs 4.0 hours for road marathon .. long time. thanks for the vid
Congratulations!
Yeah - those ~8km, and trail, make a big difference!
Absolutely love your memes.
Thanks! They're fun to make - probably my favorite thing to post on IG
Great video! I've run ~9 road marathons but trying my first 50 miler (Prospect Park Track Club) this year, it is a road ultra, but a decent bit of elevation gain (something like 2500' since you just loop the ~3 mile loop 15 times or something).
Any ideas to deal with just doing the same loop multiple times? I feel like it will be mentally challenging.
Living in NYC makes trail running a rarity (no car, barely any trails, just a lot of concrete), but something I hope to get into in my 40s!
I hear you about the difficulties to access trail. When I lived in Boston, we didn't have a car. The only time I'd run trail was during races (almost). But I already had a lot of trail and outdoors experience so it wasn't too bad.
For loops, have you seen my jackpot ultra videos? It's essentially a 1 miles loop (which you do both direction every lap, so 2 miles lap). Or my aravaipa run (100 miles in 0.4 loops around a stadium - ended up with PR there with 16h18m). For me, music helps on something like that. But otherwise, it's also having a very clear time goal. Not my favorite races however because it doesn't feel like an adventure...
great video! I'm about to run 110km trail in alps.. in 8 months and it helped a lot 😁 so wish me luck
The Alps!!! I'm a bit jealous... What's the race? Is it Innsbruck Alpine 110k by any chance?! When I lived in Switzerland, I had a really good austrian friend from Innsbruck!
Yeah it amazing! its GGUT (Gross glockner ultra trail) they say its really tough but I can at least try and in best case scenario ill surprise myself so! But I'm also going to run Innsbruck panorama ultra trail two months before GGUT, but not 110K.. I would go for 65K to see how ready I am on 110K GGUT thing you know >D Only little thing I'm afraid of is 6500m elevation >D Its cool that u lived in Switzerland its really breathtaking country) where are u from anyway? @@runningwithsimon
@@robertdioszegi792 Cool - good luck! I'm from Montreal/Canada, lived abroad in Europe for grad school, moved to the US for work (Boston) and now based in California
Ran my first ultra last september (55k, 3000m elevation) mostly on gels snd water after training around 10h per week for 2 months. Finished ok, but with leg cramps and my digestive system tore me apart the night after.
Did another 54k/2300m elev. this weekend with around 7h training per week and relying on solid food an isotonic drinks. Finished, got more food, massage and a lot of sleep. Didn't even haven sore muscles, feeling ready to go another round today! Digestion also absolutely ok...
Solving nutrition is so important!
Absolutely awesome video, thanks!! I skipped marathons and went to 50ks. I've completed a handful, slowly but with a smile. I'm ready to step up to 50 miles, and found this so interesting. Especially the fact that 50 miles is where you figure out if you're a pooper or a puker! 😂 Greeeaaaat. Now I'm going back to rewatch, because I'm sure I missed some classic Simon blurbs!
Team Pooper #1 !!!... well, ok, #2 .... But clearly, if one could choose, that'd be the team to pick! I know I sound like I'm recruiting for my pokemon team, but pukers have it way harder! Really sucks to have nausea, and it's much harder to solve. Huge respect for those pushing through that because it's miserable
@@runningwithsimonI hadn't thought of that... at least Team 2 can still eat and drink! And honestly, that's one of my favorite parts! 😂
Merci beaucoup de partager toute cette information! Super intéressant. Québec ici✌
Bonjour de la californie! Je serai de passage cet ete pour Quebec Mega Trail (et visiter la famille)
Great insights, thank you!
Thanks Carmen!
I transitioned from half-marathon lenght trail and road races to 110km race. I was at the front pack until 50-60km ,then i realised i have no idea what will the rest of the race look like. Still managed to slow down and eat well,finished 8th. I am now preparing for 100 mile race.
Congratulations! Have you picked a race yet?
I finished my first marathon on Sunday, March 3, 2024. I’m 45 years old, female. who started running in June of last year where I did my 5k with no practice. I didn’t have any athletic experience. I finished my marathon in 4 hours and 57 minutes. I couldn’t complain because 30 days before my race I injured my lower back. And during the race, i got blisters that popped which made it so difficult for me to continue running.
And i signed up for an ultra (50k) that’s going to happen on April 13. I’m scared and nervous. I haven’t trained on trails and part of me thinks that I might not be ready for it.
The only reason why I signed up for it is because I’ll be turning 46 on April 15. So maybe I just want to brag that I have accomplished something big 2 days before my 46th birthday lol.
This video is so helping though. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Congrats on your first marathon! That's already plenty enough to brag about on your 46th ;)
I think it'll be good for you to get on trail a bit. As long as the race has generous cutoff, all you have to do is keep moving! You got this :)
@@runningwithsimon so funny but after I posted a comment on your video, I went to a trail and ran 5k. I might do that every day for a week. Only zone 2 and 5k.
Excellent video, great info here
Thanks Jason!
real good advice i failed my 100miler i managed 122k of 160 for me nutrition in hind sight i wasnt using enough hydration tabs so was slowly dehydrating witch makes eating harder ; i got where i couldnt chew anything and even difficult to swallow gels when temperature dropped to freezing i couldnt move fast enough to keep warm and was just too exhausted
Sorry you struggled! Hopefully learned your lesson for next time!
Really good info, thank you 🙏🏼
You're welcomed!
Great video! Thanks!
Thanks - glad you enjoyed!
Simon, I noticed that nobody touched on racing with HR zones. say, if I want to go for a 50 miler, is it ok to run at HR zone 4? 5? for how long? what are the strategies here.
perhaps you can do a video on this? thanks for the useful videos, by the way.
One of the main issue about going into zone 4 and 5 is about the source of energy. Oversimplification here, but you always burn some energy from both fat and some from carbs. The ratio depends on your metabolic threshold, VO2max, and intensity. There's a limit to how much fat you can metabolize per hour (or minute) and the balance will come from carbs - which the rate is not limiting BUT the total amount you carry around is finite (whereas fat is for all intents of running, a limitless reservoir). Now burning carbs is fine of course, but only for shorter effort. Once you go into endurance event like marathon and longer, you'll deplete those reserve of stored carbohydrate (mostly in the form of glycogen), at which point, you'll bonk. That's the dreaded 'wall' many face in a marathon around 18-20 miles. Of course, you can fuel to push that limit to further in time, but you can't consume enough calories in carbs to compensate indefinitely. So you'll bonk at some point UNLESS you can source enough energy from fat. And from studies, we know that in lower intensity zone, a much higher proportion comes from fat, making it (somewhat) sustainable to go at these pace, whereas as zone 4 or 5 is not.
@@runningwithsimon apologies in advance for the ping-pong replies, but I want this to remain here for others to read as well.
In other words, our best bet in a race is to go between zones 1 and 2, with the occasional visits to zones 3 - 5, during hard climbs, even if this is in the middle or at the end of the race.
Of course, I am assuming proper nutrition and hydration, which is almost never the case :-).
thankyou again for taking the time to help us out.
Great advice 👍
One thing I'm not sure about is weekly distance, I don't think more than 50 miles a week is needed for any race distance and risks overtraining or injury.
I do 40-50 miles a week with focus on long climbs and descents, I also do low rep heavy squats and dead lifts twice per week.
I switched up to my first 200 miler this year and that training distance worked really well for me.
Totally agree with the risk of overtraining and I tried to emphasize that in my prior video. I think it's a hard balance to reduce risk of injury because undertrained, and risk of overtraining. Mileage doesn't tell the whole story - but it's easier to discuss that instead of time on feet. If you do 50 miles with long climbs and descents, and strengthening session, that is likely equivalent to a flat 60-65. I reduced my mileage when I moved (and now it's impossible to not climb at least 1200 ft per 10 mile)
How do you structure your weeks? I'm currently doing 2 strength sessions per week but i struggle with combining this with longer weekly mileage. How many restdays do you have? Do you do this all year round or only during off season?
@@EverythingWasGreat It's difficult, I would possibly use an 8 or 9 day cycle except I always have busy Mondays at work so I do a 7 day cycle and have Monday as my rest/recovery day.
I do Tuesday and Thursday for Weights, Saturday and Sunday for long runs. Wednesday and Friday I can do anything as long as it is easy zone 1 or 2.
Weights I do I do heavy low rep to increase strength but not muscle size, 3 - 5 sets of
@trailsandbeers thanks a lot for taking the time to reply.
@@trailsandbeers whats on and off season? im confused
Good insight to these distances. I live in the Phoenix, Arizona area and looking to do the Mogollon Monster Marathon in September, 2024. Training for it will be difficult as the temperatures here can get up to 118 F in the summer time. How should I approach (do) my training for that race? Thanks Simon!
Is it the race organized by Aravaipa? If so, just in case you didn't see it, I actually did the 100 last fall so have a look! We shared a lot of the course with the marathon - I think there's just a little segment that is unique to the marathon so I can't say I know the whole thing. It's a fun race, aravaipa has good events. But the aid station are far apart. I don't know if you have an aid station before "merging" the 100 miles course, but I think there are like 2 or 3 aid station only - so you go 8-12 miles on your own. Which is really not typical for marathon. And that's something to keep in mind especially regarding needs of fluids. You'll be out there in the middle of the day, it's hot, and it's very exposed. I was carrying more water than typical.
I think it's a race that it may be good to have a go at some of those section in practice to adjust to how technical it can get. It was mostly fine (a fair amount of direct road and runnable trail) but there was at least 2 section that the downhill was a bit rocky and technical.
Beyond that for the heat training, it certainly was a factor for this race. But if you live in phoenix, just getting used to running in the heat during summer will probably plenty enough to prepare. If you can, do some of those mid day on hot days.
@@runningwithsimon Yes, it is a Aravaipa event. I will be carrying '3' liters of water in a bladder in my pack and a 500ml bottle with electrolytes on my waist belt. There are '2' aid stations on the route. I do my runs at 4am and it can be pushing close to 100° at that time. I also have a mountain that is 15 min driving time away that has great trails to train on. It will be a bit tough to train in the heat so I appreciate your help very much! Thanks Simon! Skål!
It's really easy for me to guess my trail marathon finishing time. I just subtract 10-20 minutes from the cutoff time.
Haha smart.
Hello Simon, I am running 42 km Trail Marathon in Dec 2024. I have always been a fitness junkie - Gym, Weights, hiking, long weighted walks etc. Recently I got into long distance running. I am running about 86 km per week as training. Is it too much? I feel great though!!! schedule as follows
Mon to Thu: 9km x 2 days + 12km x 2 days= 42 KM
Fri: Rest
Sat: Steep Hike 2km
Sun: 42 km Marathon. If I keep doing this will I build up stamina for 100km?
Ever run in NZ?
Never been to NZ - would love to hike/trail run there some day. But it's far so hard to squeeze the travel time with my work schedule. Maybe some day.
That's a good volume. You still have a lot of time too - I'd focus on quality. Like why is it only 2km hill training? I'd push that a little more distance-wise. Do you have strengthening session?
But overall, yes it's solid.
@@runningwithsimon that hill in my town is too bloody steep! may be find a gentle slope
hill? there is a great ranges around my town called Kaimai Ranges. Google when you get time :)
Great video
Thanks :)
When Robert DeNiro is your running guru :D
Solide 💪 Avec la music de Megaman X en intro?? Insta subbed.
@@fabuloss77 merci !
Going to give my first 100 mile crack this year , cheers 🍻
Awesome - good luck! Did you decide which 100?
@@runningwithsimon yes, a local one in Australia 🇦🇺. Cheers
Very useful video to give the top view. Thanks for sharing. Can you share your nutrition plan over 100km distance?
I'm eventually going to make 2 full video on nutition - one for training and post-race (which are both often overlooked but probably even more important) and one for race day strategy. It's a very tough topic because people react extremly differently to food. For 100k, I will focus on fast absorbing carb for a majority of the race (things like gels, gummies, coke) on trails, drinking only sport drink like tailwind, and grab things like bananas at aid station. Aiming for about 200-300 cal per hour for as long as I can. I can sometimes do the full race like this, but on harder course if I'm out there longer, I might start grabbing things like ramen. But that's more towards the last 10-20 miles in the worst case scenario.
@@runningwithsimon hey this is useful, I was thinking you take solid foods(like ramen in your case) even for 100k , so would gels (and taking bananas/oranges) be enough if needed?). I don't like coke on the run. gels worked, but never tried anything else.
@@manojsurya Yeah, that's what is tough about nutrition. What works for me might not work for someone else. And even for me, what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Fast carb are a great source of energy, but prone to induce diarrhea or nausea when having too much. That can be partly trained - one of the issue is that there's a limit in rate of absorption of carbs, which you can train and increase. But if you have too much, it sits in your gut, and the gut microflora has a huge party - with predictable outcome. Solid food is "easier" from a GI issue perspective - so once you start struggling, you have to have some. For me when I start struggling, I'll add things like grilled cheese, bacon, quesadilla. I try to wait as long as possible however, because fast carb are absorbed quickly and allow me to go faster. I'm fairly fortunate in the sense that it takes me typically 10-12 hours before I start struggling, although that depends on the day, and also other things like climate and exertion level. I can't predict it - but definitely notice when it happens. Because 13 hours is a typical 100k finish for me, it means I can get away with this most of the time. But I have to be careful because I may need to adjust on race day. For other runners that are more sensitive to it, issue would come earlier so they have to include solid and non-sugar-based food earlier. So some people even at distance like marathon and 50k, can't rely fully on gels and such. It's really hard to say where you will land for this - I think I'm actually lucky and typically issues and the need for solid starts more at 50M. Even for me sometimes that's how it is - but I've run 50M, 100k and even my first 100M on pure gels. No clue how that was even possible, but to this day, it remains my best race by far.
I ran my 1st 100k mid October confident I would finish as I did some 60k's in (way) before 7hrs and for the rest (40k) there were still 10hrs left. However I had problems with drinking/eating already in those shorter distances and hate the different gels I used during my long runs (they were all too sweet for me). So, it's no understatement I'm far from mastering nutritioning. However, I finished the 100k (in 11hrs and 34mins) with too small amounts of Maurten sportdrink, 2 white rolls with marmalade and (at last) 1 gel. The latter gave me a BIG boost in the last 4k (total race distance was a few meters from 104k). Seems I found my gel! It's sooo personal.
So right! Glad you made it - 11:34 is a solid time! Not sure if you saw but I posted a fueling video which hopefully can help. But yeah ultimately finding the right gel is a trial and error…
What trail race is that you are running in the early like 5 minutes of this? Looks amazing.
A lot of those are from the Ouray 100 course - which is a race in the San Juan mountains of colorado. Probably the most scenic race I've ever done. Here's a link to the race recap
ua-cam.com/video/tmI00LqCUsg/v-deo.html
I find it funny that the video finished at night while talking about how running at night is a big challenge haha
haha yes! Oh the good old days before my indoor studio - when I couldn't film if it's raining or too late at night!
fyi I don't know if you've seen it or if it's of interest, but I've since released a movie about night running here:
ua-cam.com/video/KeNin-0TRZc/v-deo.htmlsi=8J5aW4qTp5LlYDTD
Would love to see someone with your 100 mile ability and video editing skills to do a video on Eastern States 100.
Maybe some day! Although August is a tough period - so many races I want to do...
Great info.
Thanks!
When you put those gell/drink stats.....Is that ALL you usually intake? No bars or snacks? I am looking into running further (16miles is my max) and was just curious about this.
For a marathon or 50k? Yes - gels and gatorade is plenty, and won't vary much from race to race. Your body stores glycogen worth about 2000Cal that is readily available. A guy like me burns about 100Cal per miles, so for example on a 26 mile run - I'd need 2600 which means I need AT LEAST 600Cal from another source. 1 gel = 100 Cal + whatever I get from drinking. That covers it.
Sure, you could rely on fat metabolism, but the metabolic rate is too slow to compensate, which basically means you'd need to run slower. OR you take readily available carbs - gels and liquid being the fastest and easiest to absorb.
Bars or snack wouldn't make much sense for me in a 3-5hrs effort. Longer and harder to absorb. Depends how well you can digest and that's where longer distance become harder. I'd love to be able to only use gels for a 100 miles, but that's just not happening. I'll be sick before that, so then you add things like solid food (bar, snacks, whatever). But fast carb would always be my preference if I could (but I can't at some point)
Incredible information. Thank you!@@runningwithsimon
Hi Simon awesome video great info I've learned a lot 👏 I have a watch question 😀 Like I've said before I haven't run a race of any kind yet but did that km50 a week ago and are on km505 for the month so far and I seem to be running more in the mountains and experiencing with some trails as well which means I need a watch with maps. Currently I'm thinking about the Garmin 965 as it's in my budget. I'm still thinking whether I'll enter and run say a km50 or km100 for which I think the 965 is good for but I'mm also a big fan of fast packing and over lighting in the mountains maybe go on a km3000 adventure running the length of Norway as I've cycled it before so now I think the Enduro 2 comes in unless I run with a power bank which I'll probably do to charge my phone and camera so then I guess the 965 is still good. Any thoughts be appreciated 🙏
Hi! I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to electronic gear. What I use a Garmin Fenix 6X Pro. Battery is plenty enough for what I do, and the watch is pretty rugged, which I do appreciate especially when hiking/mountaineering some class 3 and 4 where I smash it hard on rock but know it's going to be fine (...not doing it on purpose obviously but impossible to avoid). So overall I'm happy, but I mostly got this one specifically because there was a huge discount when I was shopping. I'm 100% sure the 965 is a good one but haven't tried myself. And other brands can be solid too - Coros, Suunto.
But what is for sure is that I'm very happy to have a multisport watch. I use it all the time. The map is mostly when trailrunning (very practical to download GPX / route), but I end up using it in training, or biking, or swimming. Also, it's pricey, but if you use it - they last a long time so it's not that bad
Oh and I saw your comment about the side view! Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback! Always trying to improve, and I have no background in movie so I always learn!
Yeah, I agree with you. I don't do it because I like it - I actually don't. It's more a necessity - the side camera is basically secondary/back up for recording. I'm recording solo, so sometimes there can be unforeseen issue and I'd lose the whole recording session without a backup. If someone was filming me, they would notice if the focus is bad or something, but by myself, I can go 1 hour and could lose everything. Actually the reason it was so frequent in the last portion on this movie was EXACTLY that - for whatever reason the main camera stopped recording towards the end (maybe there is a max amount of time). So at least I had something to fall back to (you can actually hear the difference in sound recording as I switched audio to the GoPro mic (side camera). I've also had once my main camera sound was terrible - I'd have lost 100% (you can only notice while editing) which obviously would be a huge waste of time. The other reason is also that it helps in editing - if I want to cut some a sentence or two, or if I fumbled my words, switching view makes it seemless (but yeah, 90% of the time I just put some clip of running instead as it's more interesting than seeing my face). So yeah, totally agree with you!
@@runningwithsimon hi Simon thx for that
@@runningwithsimon hi I thought you might of seen it but after watching your other video I thought I might off came across as a dick so I removed that part but I only mend it well but being bipolar has often land me in hot water as I don’t tend to have a filter and just share my honest opinion 🤷🏼♂️
I went from a marathon (unsanctioned around a track) to a 100 miler for my first real race. It’s all in your mind.
Amazing - yes we can do incredible things
Great video! Hopefully lots of ultra wannabes will see this!! It's such a great sport! 😁😁😁
Thanks! I hope they do and that it'll help them not 'learn the hard way'...!
when you say 50 miles a week, how many days are you running? i usually run 50 miles a week in 3 days with 4 off. sometimes i do back to back and theres always lots of hills and very technical trails, cuz those are the fun ones! i might try to bump up to 60 or 70 in 3 or 4 days in preparation for 50 and 62 miles, but i might also stay at 50 and do back to back marathons to avoid tendonitis
I suggest 1 or 2 days of rest. If you do 50 miles per week but in only 3 runs, I'm curious to know if you include intervals and speedwork?
Hello, I'm new to your channel. Do you have a video that has a topic with shoes for ultra marathon?
Not really - the shoe choice should be adapted to your feet and the terrain you'll be running. I wouldn't wear the same shoe at HURT100 with technical trails on mud and roots vs. Javelina 100 with rocky desert non-technical trails. But I'm trying to be more vocal about it in my race recap - what shoe I used and why. I'll also post reviews about specific shoes - I started with Hoka Speedgoat 5 here (plenty more to come, I just need time to put the movies together)
ua-cam.com/video/RkmRDgGiJgs/v-deo.html
@21:12 did you say "coke" is a good full source.? Just wondering if I heard correctly ha
Coke as in coca cola? Yes, absolutely. And it is for many ultrarunner. Sometimes that's the only calories you can still consume without being sick. What makes coke unhealthy on a day to day life (high calories) is what makes it great in the context of burning 12-14k calories in a day.
Any concern about nutrition/ fueling leaving runners pre diabetic? Thoughts on keto based running fuels?
If you are pre-diabetic (or diabetic) I would check with my doctor. Otherwise, no I have never heard any evidence suggesting that it would lead to diabetes. Quite the contrary, the physical activity will protect against. As for keto - I heard that some runners manage it, but it'd be very hard as a lot of your calorie intake comes from fat. Which is harder to digest. It'd work fine in training, but when you have to have like 6-8k Calories, that just doesn't sound feasible
@@runningwithsimon thank you for the reply. My concern is with marathon+ distance runners who are sustaining their pace with glucose/fructose gels/drinks. Yes running is definitely protective but the carb loading and carb fueling that’s been recommended in the last 50 years and has become a big business is concerning to me. As I have already seen (anecdotally) children who are active in sport’s develop high blood insulin and glucose levels due to the high carb nutrition recommendations for fueling performance. Something to keep in mind as fit does not equal healthy 1:1.
Hi! I wonder for (longer) trail events, are they always very well marked or are you supposed to find your way using a gps? My orientation skills aren’t great so a bit scared of that :)
That's rarely an issue but there is a range. You are NOT expected to have to figure your way - this isn't orienteering. But some course are better marked than others. Most race are on existing trails - so you really only need to stay on trail (which is rarely difficult). Then the main thing becomes to not missing a turn - which are usually well marked. Also, you are often with others. It's still a good idea to have the GPX on a sport watch just to check/confirm. Because missing a turn does happen. Especially at night. Especially if you are starting to be sleep deprived. Or sometimes you might still be on course, but because you don't see marker, you start second guessing yourself. Watch is plenty to figure this out.
hey simon, i'm a bit lazy to do small runs then one long run, i'm doing 6km 6x/week and want to get to 10km for 6x/week, can I score a good marathon time by then incorporating speed works in my daily 10kms or do I really have to start doing small runs with speed work and slow long runs? 10km feels so much easier mentally and planning-wise
I'm not the expert of getting a fast marathon time so take it with a grain of salt. But you'd want to switch it up more - a mix of long runs zone two, and threshold and tempo run, and some intervals. And some strength sessions. A flat 10km daily is not usually seen as the best way to improve marathon time. Doesn't mean your time will be terrible, but you'd probably get better results with the same amount of training hours with a more structure training plan that incorporate the elements above
On entend le Québec!👍
Toujours!
Your mileage recommendations, are those for the "long" weeks or is it most weeks?
It'd be the 'peak' weeks, so yes, the longest you'll ever reach - which I say you should try and hold for like 2-3 weeks. Not sure if you've seen my "How to build a training plan" video (if not, highly suggest), but the mileage I mention here are those '3 weeks at the end'. You could have a larger buffer between your peak mileage and race. And the weeks before that are meant to build a strong aerobic base, and also get your legs and joints and everything used to higher mileage slowly.
ua-cam.com/video/cNzBhZSOe78/v-deo.htmlsi=QaGejR2SsMZ6Ctuo&t=621
@runningwithsimon thanks, really appreciate it. I found your channel with this video. I will take a look at the others.
You said you run a weekly distance of 45- 50 for a 50k. Is that 45-50 miles or km? thanks
Miles - but that's certainly on the 'safe side' to be in tip top shape to run one. And is a good balance if risk during training (higher mileage is harder on your body during training and can also lead to overtraining). You could complete a 50k with less but the risk of injury on race day is higher. Also that's a peak training (if you've seen my video about how to build a trianing plan). Hope that helps!
Candy from puffed rice and soda are perfect for me in a 50 mile
I should try this with the rice krispies. Soda always works - you wouldn't think that given it's just sugar and sugar at some point is big no-no.
is it reasonable to take 30-minute to 1-hour naps during a 100-mile ultra trail race at some point?
I try not to - and I think usually people try to power through it. But I've napped before and that was fine. Mostly if I sleep-walk, so a little power nap can help (you can see race like my Zion 100 in 2023 Ouray 100 2023 - I napped a couple of time in both). You just have to manage your time smartly and determine if it's smarter to take that break and come back stronger, or keep going potentially at a slower pace. Usually, the math suggest it's smarter to keep going, but not always.
Oh actually, I just remembered, I made a short about it. That was me during Zion 100 in 2023 (it's a good race, worth watching the long video too)
ua-cam.com/users/shorts2Y6nEPuzJa4
They dont tell you that your legs wont let you sleep for 2 days, prolly
haha going through that right now - only about 12-24hr for me but yeah, it's a thing
@@runningwithsimon beast
No not the hit on my eagles that hit on Jaworski was brutal
That hit was brutal. Do you know if he was injured from it? Honestly what the commentators were saying was perfect for the clip, but yeah, brutal brutal!
I have sooooo much respect for these guys - anyone taking hits like that and having the courage to get back out there...
My question is how to prepare for 90km road marathon 🙏
First I'd suggest making a strong training plan with a peak mileage per week of about 50-60 miles per week. Check out this video for that.
ua-cam.com/video/cNzBhZSOe78/v-deo.html
Also beyond that, you need to work on nutrition / fueling strategy, preventing blisters, do some hill training, etc. You won't have to train on trails, but everything else is basically the same as a 90k trail race. Check out this list of video which has tips on different topics! I hope it's helpful, and let me know if you have any specific questions :)
ua-cam.com/play/PL0hJ0EXAkuLEzBZ4ubXwK0iBSW4cN6UyP.html
OK so I meant I was working tonight and a guy I’m working with asked me, but I’ve only done one, so he asked me in 100 mile which would be easier a mountain one or a flat one because I was telling him the key is walking and I said I’m actually not sure I said if you’re really good at you can just endure whatever I said then probably the mountain one wouldn’t be you know as bad or hilly one let’s sayand I said but I told him I’ve only done one and it was kind of flat one and I’m glad it was flat you’re the expert so I thought I said I’ll throw out question to Simon because we’re just here working tonight so it seems like we’re doing stuff too is on, and I’m going from one of your videos to the next
Honestly I think it's such a great question because it's much more convoluted then it seems at a surface level. Like - what is "hard"? Do we mean how hard it is to not DNF? Or how tired you are after being done? Or how hard it is to win or rank well? Because I think those could all be valid definition of a 'hard' race, and the impact of mountain vs flat is totally different. For me, I prefer mountains AND also think they are "easier" because I have different time expectation racing. Say Javelina (8k)- if I don't do sub24, I'm really bump out. But Wasatch - I'm just glad to cross the finish line.
Most commonly we think about how hard it is to complete (aka not DNF). And I think mountains don't matter at all for that. It's all about the cutoff. And mountain race cutoff tend to be more generous, so it often balances out. For example I think Leadville (which is what, 16k ft? - therefore not that bad) is much harder to complete than Wasatch (22k?) because the +6hr more than make up for a course that is harder.
How tired you are (and indirectly how difficult it is to actually cross that finish line) - elevation gain matters a lot. But your pace matters even more. And the type of hills. So yes mountain is harder for that, but like you say, you'll walk more. And I think we naturally tend to 'balance' the effort to something that is equivalent. I think the type of hills matter more for me. Not all 20k ft gain are the same. With a mild uphill incline (but same total elevation) you really have to weigth in walking and losing so much time. Or running and getting tired. If it's steep up, I much prefer because you HAVE to walk, and it's done quicker. For downhill it's the opposite. A mild downhill is great because you can go full speed. Steep however gets technical so you have to go slow AND it's tireing.
Placing well - like how prestigious it is - the only factor is who shows up. A race like Javelina is flat-ish but super hard to win or rank because top pros are showing up.
100 mile sounds like fun :)
I think you meant to say "fun" :P
@@runningwithsimon yup, but fun and "fun" are the same for ultra runners ;)
I think 5 k races are hard, basically keeping 400 meter pace fo 17 minutes is not easy
Exactly - shorter doesn't mean easier! There's pace expectation, so different kind of challenge!
Running one night is hard, but running two nights must be wow!
Check out my Cocodona 250 movie... 4 nigths. And now I'm about to start Tor des Geants - with likely 5 nights
The FUCKING Mega Man X intro got the like and subscribe. 🫡🫡
haha thanks!
I have autism I done 100 km at 7hours and 54 minutes my friend said that was slow he never ran 100 km in he's life so he shouldn't judge your expert at utra running so is my time slow be honest with me
Congratulation!
It's extremely fast. I don't think I know anyone (except the pros I know) that could run this. I certainly can't. My fastest was ~10hr (as part of 100 miles)
Hi
I fall into the pooper camp 😂
All Hail the Poopers!
19:27
19:32
So when is an Ultra not an Ultra? At my age, 76, a marathon is definitely in the Ultra class.
I mean, definition-wise, either >26.3 miles or 50k or above. A marathon is…well, a marathon. It doesn’t mean it’s not an accomplishment to be proud of!
What magical coke are you refering to?
lol - but seriously, worth trying coca cola in a race if you are struggling. Hard to say why it works so well with me (and many others) but it does...!
have you tried letting the mustache grow? I believe having a mustache would fit u
Ah totally! But yes, every now and then just for fun.
Thank you very much for your help today regarding long distance running 👏👏👏🙏🫶
You are welcome
Coke is the best
Seriously!
Although this weekend at an aid station I asked Coke, and the poor aid station volunteer was like "Is Pepsi OK?"... haha yes my friend, anything will work at this point
Too many clips. Could not make it to the end.
So you're interested in ultra marathons video but can't last a 33 minute video? I'm confused.