Aspire to run at least one 100 in your life

If you're hangin' around the ultra forum, you're probably at least ultra-curious. While running any ultra distance is a great experience, try running at least one 100 miler in your life. Fifty k's, 50 milers, even 100k's are great experiences, but they're still races. Hundos... they're an adventure. It's impossible to extrapolate the experience of the shorter races to the hundred miler. It will change you.

;)
 
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I run 50k in training and have raced a couple 50k trail races. Those to me seemed like just a little longer than a marathon. I haven't raced anything longer than that, but I have ran some 50 milers and even a couple 100ks. The 50 milers were tough, but not extremely difficult. The 100ks though, they took me to the edge of what I thought I could run. I would like to run a 100 miler some day, but I know that it is completely different and will also require some sort of support crew that I didn't have to have for the shorter runs.
 
I run 50k in training and have raced a couple 50k trail races. Those to me seemed like just a little longer than a marathon. I haven't raced anything longer than that, but I have ran some 50 milers and even a couple 100ks. The 50 milers were tough, but not extremely difficult. The 100ks though, they took me to the edge of what I thought I could run. I would like to run a 100 miler some day, but I know that it is completely different and will also require some sort of support crew that I didn't have to have for the shorter runs.

Jason- any plans to return to the 'States any time soon? I think it would be easy for you to get a crew together for a 100 over here. ;)
 
Jason,
how much barefoot running do you put into your ultra training? Ever done an ultra barefoot or part of? Do other people out there do barefoot ultra's? Looking at your photo's on F/B of your weekend ultra that ground would be brutal on barefeet. Sounded brutal on everything actually.
And yes ultra-curious I've spotted a couple of longer distance races later in the year, longer for me anyway. I have to evaluate how much time I can realistically put to preparation for such an event but definately warming to the idea.
cheers brendan
 
Brendan,

I do about 10% of my normal mountain ultra training barefoot. I've run a 50 barefoot, and 4 in a 12 hour race. A handful of people have also run the shorter races barefoot. Todd Ragsdale ran 102 on a track, and Pat Sweeney has come close to 100 on a beach, both in 24 hour events.

In the races I prefer (100 milers in mountains), running barefoot for the entire race would be impossible. You'd have to go too slow and would miss cutoffs.
 
Why? I don't feel like it and it sounds painful:p
 
I'm repeatedly told there is something wrong with me for signing up for a 100... I think it is something not everyone wants to or should do. But I can't imagine not wanting to.
 
I'm repeatedly told there is something wrong with me for signing up for a 100... I think it is something not everyone wants to or should do. But I can't imagine not wanting to.

I think they just want to tell you that you're crazy, looney, bananas but they don't have the nuts, I mean guts to tell you like it is ;)
 
Jason- any plans to return to the 'States any time soon? I think it would be easy for you to get a crew together for a 100 over here. ;)

No plans right now. I would like to get all four of my sons through elementary school here and the youngest is only 1. So by the time I return, I will practically have a crew already. :) There are a few ultras around here, I just haven't been able to read all the info about them yet.
 
I would love to do one in the future. At this point it is a very lofty goal. Currently, I am a recreational runner with bad knees just trying to get to the marathon level, so it will be a very long process. I do have a good aerobic base from years of backcounty skiing, so I am hoping someday. Of course those longer distances would require going back to shoes in my area.
 
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I would love to do one in the future. At this point it is a very lofty goal. Currently, I am a recreational runner with bad knees just trying to get to the marathon level, so it will be a very long process. I do have a good aerobic base from years of backcounty skiing, so I am hoping someday. Of course those longer distances would require going back to shoes in my area.

That pretty much describes me as well there Rick. I hope to hit the marathon level next year (maybe even this fall?), and eventually aspire to run an ultra, though I dont know if I'll ever be able to do a 100 miler, that just sounds like such an impossible thing to me currently. Honestly there is still a part of me that thinks this is all a big joke on the internet and no one has ever ran 100 miles for real lol.

I'm also a cross country skier (though never got a chance last year!) as well as a hiker and backpacker (my true passion).
 
I'm also a cross country skier (though never got a chance last year!) as well as a hiker and backpacker (my true passion).

I know I would love backpacking, but I am a terrible trip organizer and I don't have the proper gear. My true passion is the day long trail run/hike with lots of variety and elevation change. I am discovering many good trails in beautiful areas. The Grand Canyon, slot canyons of Southern Utah, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, and endless mountains. Running marathons is great, but I am basically using the mileage base to be able to do these hikes better.
 
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I ran two marathons last spring and struggled the last couple of miles to run a 4:40 and a 4:24. During a hundred do you walk alot similar to the Galloway method? I was thinking of nicluding some waling on my next marathon what is your opinion of that Jason?
 
I know I would love backpacking, but I am a terrible trip organizer and I don't have the proper gear. My true passion is the day long trail run/hike with lots of variety and elevation change. I am discovering many good trails in beautiful areas. The Grand Canyon, slot canyons of Southern Utah, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, and endless mountains. Running marathons is great, but I am basically using the mileage base to be able to do these hikes better.

When I got back into running, about 3 years ago, it too was an attempt to condition myself for hiking actually. I had a 5 day hike planned, and my pack started out a little over 40 pounds not including water yet. I've since upgraded my gear and knocked like half that weight off. A great resource for hiking is forums.backpacker.com they have regional forums there too you could chat with folks in your area and maybe join a group hike or something too, if you arent good at organizing (and then you dont have to have as much gear either like stoves and water filters).But nothing wrong with dayhikes... I probably have done more dayhikes. They can be harder actually, as you climb all the way up and then back down as opposed to climbing up and staying on a ridge for a few days, and some make for very long days. Some beautiful places there out west that I'd love to travel to but I've never been. I'm a northesterner, while not as well known the Adirondacks and Whites are very beautiful mountains with plenty of peaks to bag and hundreds of miles to hike.

Trail ultras just seem right up my alley just have a long ways to go to actually be able to run one.

Hey Jason, does there happen to be any trail ultras in the Adirondacks or the Whites? Just curious.