Running an Ultramarathon Isn't That Scary

Most runners will never attempt an ultramarathon. It sounds too scary, too hard, and you would have to put in way too much training to complete one. So they never even think of trying. I am here to tell you that its way more accessible and a lot more fun than you ever thought it could be. Many ultra runners will tell you they fear a road marathon more than a 50k trail race.

The Training Time is Not That Much Different Than Marathon Training

Chances are if you're thinking about running your first ultra, you have probably trained for and completed a road marathon. Running a road marathon is no way a prerequisite for running a 50k, but it is something that you can understand.

Your typical training week may have you running three or four days throughout the week and twice on the weekend, with one of those days being the long run. Well, guess what? That's the same as your training week will look like for ultra training. The only difference is that you will probably have to do a little driving to get to a trail on the weekends. 

You don't have to run trails every day, if you can get there on the weekend, that would be awesome. I've coached athletes who could only get out to trails once a month, and they still crushed their first ultra.

You get to play in the woods on your long run

Each weekend you go for your long run, you get to plan an adventure. If you like hiking at all, you will love taking your long runs into the woods. Running on the trails in the woods brings out your inner kid. You get to have some much fun exploring; It almost doesn't feel like training. 

It also becomes enjoyable to plan weekend getaways and camping trips around trail running.

Yes, there are more hills, but you don't run those

One big misconception out there is that you have to be able to run up all of those big hills. That is not true. Everybody walks them. You can pause for a nice break at the top of the hill to take in the views and snap some pictures!

You get to eat lots of yummy snacks on the run

Remember all of those gels you ate training for a marathon, well now you get to have your cake and eat it too! Yup, I have eaten cake on more than one long trail run. In all seriousness, though, you get to experiment with and eat all different kinds of real food training for an ultra. Anything from burritos, veggie sushi, cinnamon buns, you name it. If you like to eat it, you can try and eat it on the run. Doesn't that sound awesome?

The Trail Race Atmosphere is Super Chill

Road races can be a little scary. Everyone is always so serious at the start line. Hardly anyone is talking to one anyone, and then the gun goes off, and you're lost in the crowd doing your own thing until the finish line. The start of an ultra is quite a different scene. Everyone is hanging around laughing and joking, getting to know one another. After the race starts, you run slow enough to chat with and get to know everyone around you.

Also, walk breaks are encouraged, and everybody walks. The aid stations are fully stocked with all the snacks, and sometimes you'll find everything from pizza rolls to grilled cheese and soup. Yup, way better than grabbing a cup of water when you run by one. You get to stop in and have a mini party mid-race. 

Ultras are hard, but If you have thought of doing one... DO IT!

I would be lying if I told you the whole experience was all sunshine and rainbows. It is not. But, neither is training for or running a road race. Don't be scared off by the word ultra. I can say that I am more scared to line up and run a road marathon than run a trail 50k. It is such a different experience, and I think it is something that everyone can do and have a fun time doing.

If you want to learn more about how to train for an ultra check out this blog post about Things to Consider to Customize your Ultramarathon Training.