Starting at 9pm, I will be running small circles around a high school track for 24 hours.
What have I gotten myself into?
I plan on bringing:
-enough iced coffee and diet coke to choke a horse (caffeine!!!)
-two ipods, loaded with books on tape, podcasts, and all my music
-my laptop, with satellite internet feed, so I can update facebook with my progress
-my camera. duh
-all three pairs of my running shoes
-compression socks
-dozens of pairs of socks
-three outfits to change into in case of chafing
-sunscreen
-a hat
-two pairs of sunglasses (in case one breaks)
-full runner first aid kid with moleskin, bandaids, anti-chaffing stuff, ibuprofen
-chapstick
-gloves and jacket
-costumes to entertain myself
-ummm, I guess food and drinks? Guess I should look into this.
My strategies:
-have at least two friends there at all times, sometimes running with me, sometimes just on the sidelines cheering for me as I go by. I already have a schedule, and have most of the slots filled. It's tough because it's not close to home, but my friends are awesome.
-Keep myself entertained. Costumes, books on tape, podcasts. I'm going to bring my phone, maybe call random people, strike up friendships with other people running, sing songs. I scheduled my hilarious brother for the overnight part, which will be pretty hard to stay awake/entertained
-Have very low expectations. I have no idea what my body is going to do. 100 miles would be rad, but, you guys, I don't know if that's possible, since it would be four times further than I've ever ran before, ever. Every mile over 26 miles is gravy to me. I will not be disappointed if I don't hit 100, or 75, or if my legs give out and I have to walk the back 12 hours. Doing it is an accomplishment enough.
-Lots and lots of food. Hot dogs. Ramen. Girl scout cookies. Other cookies. Bacon. Okay, so I should probably have a lot of healthy food in there, like sweet potatoes and shit. And I will.
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I'm nervous just thinking about. It want it to be here NOW, and I also want more time.
The hardest part is going to be the mental aspect. But it's going to be so worth it. Oh man.
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Have any of you done an ultramarathon? Do you have any tips for this n00b?
Ultra-marathoners amaze me. I've never done more than a marathon so I can't offer much advice.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you like stand-up comedy, I would try to get some of that on your iPod. It puts you in a great mood, but keeps you from picking up the pace the way a fast song would.
Good luck!
Oh man is right! Are you allowed to pull off and pee and stuff? Please tell me you can.
ReplyDeleteThe only ultramarathon I've done is in the domestic sport of laundry.
So, originally, I thought you were a whack job for doing this but suddenly it seems like a ton of fun! I kind of wish I was parttaking in the 24 hour circular fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Kate, I thought it was crazy, but now I wish I was doing it too :) I think it was the track part that sold me. Cause it sounds like a big party :D Can you drink, cause I would totally drink!
ReplyDeleteI've got a tip, although by the end of your race you'll probably have run further than I ever have. Ultras seem to magnify all of the ups and downs of a marathon. You will probably hit some very low lows, but usually, if you can suffer through them, the highs are unfuckingbelievable.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, and have an amazing time.
You ultramarathoners eat the craziest things .... sweet potatoes and shit. Not a combination I would have thought of :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the run - that sounds like a lot of fun!
You are technically considered an ultramarathoner at any distance over 26.2, I do believe...so really...even if you just hit 26.3 I think it's totally ok to get an UltraMarathoner bumper sticker or license plate holder or tattoo or something.
ReplyDeleteYou are a winner no matter what! Have a blast and make it memorable!
Never thought of doing an UltraMarathon. You Rock! Sounds like it will be a blast.
ReplyDeleteCant wait to see pictures of the costumes..
sentcha an email, fool.
ReplyDeletestill sounds crazy to me but maybe it will sound fun someday. ;) Never run over 26.2! Good luck...take it nice and slow would be my advice. :)
ReplyDeleteCrazy lady! But like the others have said, you somehow manage to make it sound fun.. :D
ReplyDeleteI've "only" run a marathon, but from that my advice would be as Dax: be prepared for the lows when they get you, and have a strategy to get through them. Other than that, have a shit ton of food, lots of coke (I mean cola!) and remember that you can sleep when you're dead. Mwah!
You sound prepared, at least in the sense of what you need to bring. I think next year, I will give an ultra a try.
ReplyDeleteYo! Knee is good thanks. No pain hung around afterwards, and that was without icing too. To fingers crossed it just likes to gripe a bit while I'm actually out there :)
ReplyDeleteWow!! I've done something like this before, but it was a team thing and we all took turns running throughout the 24 hours. No way I could do it all by myself. Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteYou are a monster!! You will totally kick ass at that race. I think you're smart to focus on the mental aspect of the race.
ReplyDeleteHow long will your ipods last? maybe you should bring an ipod charger so you can alternate charging them.
Also: SUNBLOCK...make sure you REAPPLY it every few hours, even if it's not that sunny
Good luck! I'm excited to read your recap(s)!
ReplyDeleteHoly moly. You are brave! Good luck! You will rock it!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited! I mean this seems CRAZY!! I can't imagine being cool enough to do something with "ultra" in front of it. Maybe "ultra fry eating" or something along those lines.
ReplyDeleteI am going to totally stalk your fb ass during this!