The Ultra-Race

Any distance beyond the standard, 42.195K or 26.1 miles is considered an ultra-distance marathon. I am now reading Bart Yasso’s ‘My Life On The Run’ and his many adventures over seven continents running tough and challenging races.  He was instrumental in co-designing the horrendously hot Badwater 135 Race (it was originally 146 miles, but no permit was gotten to reach the summit).

I have only completed three ultra-marathons, one of which was the Sundown 84K challenge I attempted last year. I have no strong intention to do one anytime soon. I got injured a month after completing it (more about this in a later post). Here are some thoughts for doing an ultra-race such as the NorthFace 100, Sundown 100K and MR25’s annual Ultramarathon:

1)      The build-up is important and you will need to do up to 4-6 hours of continuous running in your training session. For an 84K or 100K race, this translates into a maximum of about 60K as your longest run. You can break this up into a 21K race followed by another marathon on the same day. Every kilometre adds up onto your total mileage.

2)      Nutrition is a key to your completion. You need to eat and drink regularly. You need to drink if you do not want to suffer physically and mentally. Recovery is enhanced with nutritional support on the run.

3)      You will need huge amounts of sleep prior to the race. You need to fully recuperate from each long training session, so take naps or longer, uninterrupted sleep.

4)      Sleep deprivation may be a useful part of your training strategy (Kua Harn Wei and the seasoned ultramarathoners include this as part of their training).

5)      A change of clothes at the halfway point may be useful (if you are toatll soaked and are experiencing abrasions). I changed my socks after my first marathon, had some nutritional support, stretched a bit, and was on my way for the second marathon.

6)      You need to be mentally prepared for bodily discomfort. Gastro-intestinal (GI) issues may be a high possibility. I vomited at the 55K mark, after ‘cleverly’ drinking a cold, tall cup of sugar-cane juice. I chucked a stomach’s worth of mixed juices, and about $10 worth of Power-Gels. The latter caused me more grief than the natural stomach pumping. Stick to trhe familiar!

7)      Train at the exact time of race. Humidity is highest at night, and you run a risk of heat exhaustion. Sweat does not evaporate so easily in high humidity. It just wicks away.

8)      Above all, pace yourself. I was a bit too ambitious on my first lap, clocking 4:12 with my inspirational friends like Mika Kume, Victor Chan and Lieu. They overtook me on the second lap, and I missed my podium by three spots. However, these three earned top-10 placing and I was happy for them. Another day…

Have a safe and eventful race! You will recall all your long races.