Relentless Forward Progress_ A Guide to Running Ultramarathons - Bryon Powell [5]
The reassurance that Mike got from his fire is the same one that I feel when I show myself that I can run all day. While neither is necessary, both are a welcome re-creation of ancient proclivities. We are all made to feel the satisfaction of a very long run.
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SO YOU WANT TO RUN AN ULTRAMARATHON!
What Is an Ultramarathon?
What is an ultramarathon anyway? Does it require you to run 100 miles over mountain trails in a race such as the Western States Endurance Run or to suffer through 135 road miles in the furnace-like heat of the Badwater Ultramarathon? No. Simply, an ultramarathon is any race longer than the marathon’s 26 miles and 385 yards.
If you’ve completed a marathon and have run a few additional yards before, during, or after the race, then you’ve completed an ultramarathon. If you’ve taken a wrong turn on a long training run and, through a combination of running and walking, have covered more than 26.2 miles, then you, too, could call yourself an ultra-marathoner.
Still, while both of the above scenarios technically make you an ultramarathoner, it would be somewhat disingenuous to call yourself one after such an effort. As you learn after spending time around other ultramarathoners, the sport is built upon community and the “spirit of the sport,” rather than self-recognition and technicalities.
With that in mind, there’s a second, implicit criterion that should be met before calling yourself an ultramarathoner: the intent to complete an ultra distance. Secondarily and with a nod to the disfavor of technicalities in ultrarunning, the intended distance should be an appreciable distance longer than the marathon. Sorry, but setting out with the aim to run 26.3 miles just doesn’t sit right.
For most runners, 50-kilometer (31.1-mile) races are the gateway into “ultras,” as ultramarathons are commonly known. Those seeking to test themselves with a first ultramarathon at the shorter end of the race spectrum are in luck, as the 50k distance is the most frequently raced ultra distance in most locales. To give you an idea of the prevalence of 50ks, in 2010, well in excess of 200 of them were run in the United States, while 60 were run in California alone. Other runners use time-based races of 6- or 12-hour duration to ease into the requisite distance.
To be clear, you need not run a race to have run an ultramarathon. For instance, you could meet up with a running club for an ultra-distance “fat ass” event. Traditionally, fat ass events carry some variation on the disclaimer, “No fees, no awards, no aid, no wimps.” While the disclaimer may make it sound like fat ass events are no place for running a first ultra, many such events do have limited aid, and their non-competitive nature provides even more collegiality than normally found in the friendly world of ultras. If you prefer solitude, create your own first ultra, whether it involves running laps around your neighborhood or a daylong wilderness adventure run.
All that said, most runners prefer to break the ultra barrier in an official race before calling themselves ultrarunners. If you’ve run a marathon, you may understand the inherent feeling of accomplishment of reaching a true finish line. That feeling is repeated in your first ultra. Satisfaction lies in the act of crossing the finish line, receiving a finisher’s award, and forever after being able to say, “I ran my first ultra at XYZ Race.” Before race day, having a race on your calendar keeps you motivated to train when any of a countless number of detractors, from work and family, to weather and illness, threaten to derail it. At the race itself, you have a built-in supply network of aid stations, while volunteers, spectators, and fellow competitors aid you in your journey beyond the marathon.
Why Run an Ultramarathon?*
* This section is adapted from the article “It’s Time to Run Your First Ultramarathon!,