Thread: Chicago 2008
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Old 06-30-2008, 10:01 PM   #20 (permalink)
misstenacity
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Albuquerque
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcoy777 View Post
Ultras just scare me. I think I would rather do a tri before a ultra.
This will sound very crazy-talk, but ultras overall are physically easier. Less painful, less difficult in training. All they require is the ability to not:
1) barf after eating and then running
2) get bored while slogging for hours
3) get blisters while going for hours
4) (in some races) get lost

Other than that, ya just keep going and you'll finish. You do medium level mileage, none of it fast, much of it on trail, and then just make the weekend long run 4-8+ hours instead of 15-20 miles.... and then you send in your application to Leadville.

Contrast this to marathon training: medium to high mileage, most of it on pavement, speed work, hills, sprint training, long runs at discomforting pace, tempo runs... etc etc. And THEN, 3 or 4 or more hours pounding on lightweight shoes on pavement, in the sun, trying to eat enough and drink enough and not lose your stomach all the while the quads are cramping and your head is sunburning....

I'm just sayin'. Boston in 3.5 hours was all of the pain of a 35 hour hundred miler condensed down 10-fold. And I still enjoyed it.

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Psst, I'm a gastrodork, too.
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