Craig Palmer - How To Run Your First Ultra-Marathon: From 10K to 50 Miles in Six-Months.

From 10k to 50 Miles

Or

How To Run Your

First Ultra-Marathon

Copyright 2014 by Craig Palmer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed Permissions Requests, at the address below.

From The High Country

PO Box 568

Lake City, CO 81235

www.FromTheHighCountry.com

Ordering Information:

For ordering enquiries, please contact the author at the address above.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Book design and layout by Craig Palmer.

First Edition

This book is based on the knowledge and experience Ive gained during my six-month journey from hiker to ultra-runner, and all information is provided in good faith, but I am not an expert of any kind.

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. It is not a substitute for qualified medical advice. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The author and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the activities described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and dietary suggestions in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercises and dietary programs, you should first get your doctors approval before beginning. Reliance on any information provided by the author is solely at your own risk.

Table of Contents

Preface

What is an Ultra-Marathon?

Can You Run 50 Miles?

Before You Begin

Friends and Family

Getting Started

Training Schedule

Safety

Injuries

Diet

Running Fuel

Exercises

Sleep

Race Preparation

Race Day

Recovery

My Race Experience

Final Thoughts

Acknowledgements

About the Author

In December 2013, I was snowshoeing along a quiet mountain trail with friends when someone suggested I should enter the local ultra-marathon in the summer. My first thought was that I had never run a regular marathon not even a half marathon! This had to be a joke. Still, the more I thought about the race, the more it sounded like fun. Some of my friends were ultra-marathon veterans and they seemed much more confident about this crazy idea than I did. Maybe they were on to something

Six months later, I finished a 50 mile course, including nearly 13,000ft of elevation gain and several knee-deep creek crossings, in less than 16 hours. Id be a liar if I said it was easy. It was the hardest physical challenge Ive ever undertaken in my life, but Im mentally and physically stronger than Ive ever been (not bad for a 30-something). If you want to find out what your body and mind is really capable of, keep reading. This book is a summary of the things Ive learned during and after my journey from 10k to 50 miles.

Its good to know exactly what youre getting yourself into! An ultra-marathon is a race covering more than a marathon typically 50 or 100 miles. Many have aid stations at regular intervals, but you may have to carry your own food and water for a few hours at a time. Youll also meet many new friends as your fellow runners work through the challenges with you.

Thats a question you dont hear every day. If you can comfortably finish a 10K race next week, you can probably finish an ultra in six months. Let that sink in for a minute.

Before we go any further, lets be certain about one thing. You will push your body to its limits. I strongly recommend that you visit your doctor, especially if you have any underlying conditions, before getting involved in an arduous training program. An endurance race can be a life-changing experience, but be sure that your long-term health doesnt suffer as a consequence. This is one risk that you dont need to take.

With a green light from the doc, your only real obstacle to getting started is will power. Once you begin, youll have to commit to four or five training runs each week. Youll also benefit from the help and support from family and friends. At this point, you should ask yourself if you want this bad enough. Once I answered that question (and paid the race fee), my course was locked in.

If you want to know what to expect now, feel free to skip ahead to the section titled My Race Experience to read the full account of my first ultra-marathon.

Running an ultra-marathon isnt something you can decide to do on a whim. You might be able to manage a 10k without real training, but this is going to require dedication. By the time race day rolls around, youll be in the best shape of your life. Whether you finish or have to drop out, youll have an amazing experience.

Ultra-running doesnt have to be an expensive sport. Some of the lesser-known races are very affordable, and you dont need to have the latest kit to be a good ultra-runner.

Pick your goal as early as possible. Find a race that suits you. Consider travel distance, time of year, race fees, race distance, elevation and terrain . Some events are high altitude mountain runs, while others are relatively flat but perhaps longer.

Note that some events require some form of prequalification. This means that the race organizers sometimes want you to prove you have a good chance of completing their event. You may be able to work a qualifying event into your training or convince the organizers that you have what it takes by other means.

Once youve chosen your race, you can begin a realistic training program. I recommend that you choose an event covering 50 miles (or less), and set in an environment that youre familiar with. Extremes of heat or altitude can be hard to train for, and can turn a fun event into an unnecessary ordeal for the unprepared.

The people in your life will be a part of your training (whether they like it or not). Let them know about your plan in the beginning. Youll need their support and encouragement while you train. Maybe you have a friend or two who can join you on some of your training runs, or meet you with supplies when you begin your longer training sessions. On race day, just seeing a familiar face at an aid station can be a huge morale boost. Finally, some races allow pacers to run with you on certain parts of the course. If that is an option for your race, think about whom you would ask to join you as early as possible.

Now that you have a better idea of what an ultra-marathon involves, lets take the first steps (no pun intended) towards running your first race.

Shoes

You just need new shoes, right? Wrong, but good running shoes are critically important. You dont need to have the most expensive shoes in the running store, but they must fit your feet perfectly. If your toes hurt after 10 kilometers, imagine how they would feel after 50 miles.

If youve already picked your race, you can look for shoes to suit the terrain. Ideally, your training locations will be similar to the actual course, but that isnt always possible. For example, I had to train on roads while snow covered everything else, so I needed road shoes and trail shoes. I chose the same brand but different style of shoe to suit each terrain type in order to at least have the same kind of fit, but that was just my preference.