Ultra marathon running is not for everyone. You have to be willing to push beyond your comfort zone. You have to be ready to take on challenges that many others fail, only to see yourself succeed. You have heard that success requires failure, and that certainly is the truth with ultra marathon running.
Many will fail, but those really cut out for the challenge will succeed on their own level. If you are ready to be one of those that succeed, keep these tips in mind for race day:
1. Know what to expect
These races are challenging for more reasons than their distance. They can also offer challenging terrain, hills, and even mountains. Some will be raced in extreme heat while others may be raced in very cold environments. Do your research so you know what challenges to expect, and then train for those challenges.
2. Think about shorter legs of the course
Challenge yourself to get to the next aid station. Challenge yourself to get to the top of the steep hill. If necessary, challenge yourself to get to the next rock or the next curve in the path. Focus on the here and now, rather than the miles stretching out ahead of you.
3. Replace electrolytes during your ultra marathon
You can do this through sports drinks, gels, and other products, or you can do it through salty foods.
Most ultra marathons feature a variety of foods at aid stations, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding something salty. You should also pack some drinks and snacks with you to use between stations. Find out more about the importance of ultra marathon nutrition.
4. Power up frequently
It is common in ultra marathon running to start popping the gels and other snacks within a half hour of leaving the starting line. You will need a lot of fuel, so make sure to pack what you need and don’t wait until you need it to start fueling up.
5. Be prepared for discomforts
You may need to have something on hand to soothe chafing before it gets out of control, or you may need to remedy an upset stomach before it leaves you in the bushes losing the contents of your stomach.
You don’t want to wait for the painful blister to explode on your heel or your inner thigh to start bleeding before you take action. Be prepared to fix these problems as soon as they are noticed.
6. Listen to your body
Know the difference between the normal pain and discomfort of ultra marathon running and pain that comes with an injury. You will really want to finish this race and accomplish something amazing, but you cannot do so at the risk of your body. If you may be injured, stop and seek help.
7. Be aware of your emotional response
Acknowledge your emotional response to the challenge and demands of running ultra marathons, but don’t let those emotions take you down.
You may find yourself going downhill emotionally at the hardest points of the race, but keep your focus on moving forward.
Accept the emotions as they come, but know that they will go back up at some point to excitement and adrenaline.
8. Don’t forget the beauty around you
Part of ultra marathon running is looking around and noticing the views. You may never again see the world from the top of that massive mountain, so enjoy it.
9. Walking is part of the game.
Some runners pride themselves on completing marathons without walking, and that may have been one of your goals when running shorter distances. That should not be your goal in an ultra marathon.
There may be passes that need to be walked, and there will likely be times you just need to take it to a walk. This is common with ultra marathon runners.
10. Don’t try to pass everyone and race to first place.
Running ultra marathons is not about who can go the fastest. Only the elite ultra runners compete for the first spot.
You have to start out slow and be willing to slow down even more if necessary. If you don’t think you can make it to the finish line at the pace you are running, then you should take your speed down a notch.
The better prepared you are for ultra marathon running, the more confident you will feel hitting the trail for your first race. Make sure you are following an efficient and well thought out training plan so you are as prepared as possible.
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