Ultra Distance Events
Ultra Events
Since the Neolithic Marathon most of my running has been either training for or taking part in Ultra Distance events
As I was quite new to running, and now not a youth any more! I decided that I would not be able to run fast over any distance and I felt that
'the loneliness of the long distance runner' was something I would be able to cope with especially as I could not remember how hard it was each time!
I joined the Trail Runnning Association.
Ultra distance is generally regarded as being over marathon distance, 26 miles and upwards. I've done some 30+ and a couple of 40 and attempted one of 86.
I have heard there are also catagories of Ultra distance, 'short' (over 26.2 miles) to 'ultra' ultra which is over 100 miles, a catagory that my Pembrokeshire Coast Path run falls into.
The training that I have done so far for Ultras has been fairly ad-hoc and mostly based on marathon plans, the exception to this is when I used modfied Comrades training plan for Pembroke.
I am of the opinion that if you believe that you can do something it gives you such a huge psychological boost that the actual training reduces in significance.
e.g. Very fit runner #1 has completed many marathons but does not think he/she can complete a 60 mile run and runner #2 who has completed one marathon believes that he/she can, then the chances are that runner #2 will succeed and runner #1 will not.
