5 reasons to run an Ultramarathon:

Abhainn

Exclusivity: Any idiot can run a marathon, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultra.
To push the envelope: If we didn't run these, how would we ever know how far we could go?
Existentialism: To those who know, no explanation is necessary. To those who don't know, no explanation will suffice.
To live longer: Some folks complain that life passes too quickly. Not in an ultra!
Anatomical Aesthetics: Your feet look better without toenails.

Will report back next week on the validity of these:eek:

hunnymonster

lol, I lost a toenail this morning , hey, it's all less weight to carry.

eliwallach

Good luck with that next weekend.

I like the exclusivity bit :P.

cfitz

These toenail episodes sound rather disturbing - why do they fall off? Is it the long runs that causes it?

hunnymonster

In theory, if you look after your feet, you shouldn't lose any toenails but the reality is very few of us get pedicures every day and lost toenails are a fact of life. In my case, my second tow is longer than my "big" toe (lots of people have this deformity before you start the quasimodo routine!) so it takes a lot of repetitive impact and I tend to lose it quite often. If you end up with any bruising under a nail, it tend to fall off 1-2 months later.


For more than you could every want to know about foot care, the book#
Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatment for Athletes (Paperback)

by John Vonhof (Author)
comes recommended.

uglyjohn

i lost 2 doing and training for DCM and had a few more half gone. its the LSDs that do it to me....they are pretty much back now in time for connemara on sunday, (although one is going after my last 20 miler 2 weeks back)

cfitz

hunnymonster wrote: »

In theory, if you look after your feet, you shouldn't lose any toenails but the reality is very few of us get pedicures every day and lost toenails are a fact of life. In my case, my second tow is longer than my "big" toe (lots of people have this deformity before you start the quasimodo routine!) so it takes a lot of repetitive impact and I tend to lose it quite often. If you end up with any bruising under a nail, it tend to fall off 1-2 months later.


For more than you could every want to know about foot care, the book#
Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatment for Athletes (Paperback)

by John Vonhof (Author)
comes recommended.

Cheers Quasimodo.

rovers_runner

How do you define an Ultra Marathon though distance wise?
Is it anything over 30m?
I know of lads who have done 52m in SA and there are 100k races in the outback in Aus.
There seems to be no max limit but is there a minimum distance to define an Ultra?

rainbow kirby

I thought an ultra was anything longer than 26.2 miles?

--amadeus--

Yea, as far as I know anything longer than a marathon is classed as an ultra but in practice you won't see anything below 30 miles and most are a lot longer.

And you don't have to lose toenails - I've only lost one, but maybe my feet are beautiful enough as they are :P

TFBubendorfer

Abhainn wrote: »

Exclusivity: Any idiot can run a marathon, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultra.
To push the envelope: If we didn't run these, how would we ever know how far we could go?
Existentialism: To those who know, no explanation is necessary. To those who don't know, no explanation will suffice.
To live longer: Some folks complain that life passes too quickly. Not in an ultra!
Anatomical Aesthetics: Your feet look better without toenails.

Will report back next week on the validity of these:eek:

6) It doesn't have to be fun to be fun
7) My IQ drops 50 points every time I lace up a pair of runners
8) Pain is good. Extreme Pain is Extremely Good ...
9) There is no satisfaction without a struggle first
and finally
10) That which does not destroy me makes me stronger

spurscormac

If any of you nutters aren't satisfied with 39 miles this weekend, then the following week you could come back to Galway for this:

http://www.celtic100k.com/

50 laps of a 2k course up and down the prom - I think I'd get dizzy and lose count after a while.

mrak

spurscormac wrote: »

If any of you nutters aren't satisfied with 39 miles this weekend, then the following week you could come back to Galway for this:

http://www.celtic100k.com/

50 laps of a 2k course up and down the prom - I think I'd get dizzy and lose count after a while.

I don't believe it. I don't know the first thing about ultras but it seems crazy. Could they not have found a better course anywhere? A 5 mile country loop or something. Even the surface is concrete *shiver* - I'd feel it in my feet after 2k slapping on the hard stuff.

Krusty_Clown

Jesus, it's not really concrete is it? On a positive note, it's only a 30 euro entry fee, which works out at 30 cent per kilometer. One of the best value races in the country (even if you do have to do 50 laps of the 2km circuit).

kingQuez

hunnymonster wrote: »

In my case, my second tow is longer than my "big" toe (lots of people have this deformity before you start the quasimodo routine!) so it takes a lot of repetitive impact and I tend to lose it quite often. If you end up with any bruising under a nail, it tend to fall off 1-2 months later.

And I thought i was just an oddball training for the DM i kept getting my second toes a bit bruised, and the DM bruised them quite badly. They didn't fall off but they did totally regrow from underneath (if that makes any sense!).

So do you run without toenails? Its the one thing that really puts me off this ultra idea... Im very attached to mine. The idea of them falling off is as bad as the idea of getting teeth pulled.

RacoonQueen

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

6) It doesn't have to be fun to be fun
7) My IQ drops 50 points every time I lace up a pair of runners
8) Pain is good. Extreme Pain is Extremely Good ...
9) There is no satisfaction without a struggle first
and finally
10) That which does not destroy me makes me stronger

11) Because you can

Enduro

mrak wrote: »

I don't believe it. I don't know the first thing about ultras but it seems crazy. Could they not have found a better course anywhere? A 5 mile country loop or something. Even the surface is concrete *shiver* - I'd feel it in my feet after 2k slapping on the hard stuff.

That's a very good course. Its on road, not concrete. BIIIG difference.

My own personal preference is for short loops. I've run my best ultrarun on a 400m running track (236K over 24 hours, which is about 590 laps, or thereabouts) pass all facilites (food, water etc) more frequently, can calculate pacing more precisely, and can see more of everyone else (and it is a race, so I like to see the opposition, and how they're doing etc... the racing aspect of ultras is very very engaging).

Abhainn

Enduro wrote: »

My own personal preference is for short loops. I've run my best ultrarun on a 400m running track (236K over 24 hours, which is about 590 laps, or thereabouts) pass all facilites (food, water etc) more frequently, can calculate pacing more precisely, and can see more of everyone else (and it is a race, so I like to see the opposition, and how they're doing etc... the racing aspect of ultras is very very engaging).

There you go. That's the difference for 99.9% of us in just trying to complete an Ultra and the chosen few who race an Ultra.
Unreal mindset.

MCOS

Enduro wrote: »

My own personal preference is for short loops. I've run my best ultrarun on a 400m running track (236K over 24 hours, which is about 590 laps, or thereabouts) .

How in the name of Gandalf's underpants did you not fall asleep or fall sideways or forget to run the bend.....?!! :eek:

Did you find turning left while walking a struggle for a few days after?

TheRoadRunner

MCOS wrote: »

Did you find turning left while walking a struggle for a few days after?

That's a good question. On a 400 metre loop like that do you continually run in the same direction or after a set amount of of time is the direction you run reversed ?

hunnymonster

Dunno about Enduro's race above but most track ultras change direction every couple of hours.

mrak

Enduro wrote: »

That's a very good course. Its on road, not concrete. BIIIG difference.

My own personal preference is for short loops. I've run my best ultrarun on a 400m running track (236K over 24 hours, which is about 590 laps, or thereabouts) pass all facilites (food, water etc) more frequently, can calculate pacing more precisely, and can see more of everyone else (and it is a race, so I like to see the opposition, and how they're doing etc... the racing aspect of ultras is very very engaging).

Okay I stand educated! I can see why it might help with pacing. The prom itself is concrete, but I guess they must be actually running on the closed road leaving the prom for spectators. The turnabouts will be tight - esp the one not in the car park, pretty much coming to a stop every 2k - I would find that tough. I'll definitely go down to watch the carnage at the finish.

Euchrid

spurscormac wrote: »

If any of you nutters aren't satisfied with 39 miles this weekend, then the following week you could come back to Galway for this:

http://www.celtic100k.com/

50 laps of a 2k course up and down the prom - I think I'd get dizzy and lose count after a while.

I'm pretty sure that the first time someone posted this a month or two back, there was an option for a relay, but I can see no mention now. Anyone any clue if this is possible?

Ran the prom many many times and wouldn't mind seeing this and even taking part, but 100km is not on the cards for me - especcially not a week after Connemara!

Seres

cant think of one good reason to run an ultramarathon , can think of plenty of reasons to not run one

Enduro

On the track 24hr I have done direction is reversed every 4 hours (A bollard is put out, and you loop around it). That naturally breaks up the race into segments, which makes it mentally easier to deal with. The turnarounds are the only time you get to see your fellow racers front-on... its a kind of funny effect . I've been on other 24 hour races with longer laps (1k and 3k), where there was no direction changing. Its harder without the direction changes. And yeah, after a while you can make all the turns on autopilot.

mrak, the road will be closed and used for the race. Turns might be tight (I dunno yet), but we won't exactly be sprinting

Theresalwaysone

Can someone attempt to explain the existensialism point in the OP?

jeffontour

Enduro wrote: »

Turns might be tight (I dunno yet), but we won't exactly be sprinting

You will relative to lots of particpants!

Good luck with it, hopefully the Irish have a good showing, going to try head over for a look at some of it. Would have had a go myself but decided on the Wicklow Way Ultra instead, more recovery time after Conn.

hunnymonster

jeffontour wrote: »

You will relative to lots of particpants!

lol, true, we watched the youtube clip from the Art O'Neill the other night and Zuppylurk asked "Did they even get [Enduro] leaving Dublin Castle, or was he long gone by then?"*

Good luck in the 100km Enduro. What are your predictions?


*for everyone not there, the video clip was made about 300 meters into the event!, but yes Enduro was long gone by then :-)

Odysseus

I always give my main reason as "If somebody has got to all the trouble of organising an ultra, its bad form not to show up".

Enduro

You will relative to lots of particpants!

Good luck with it, hopefully the Irish have a good showing, going to try head over for a look at some of it. Would have had a go myself but decided on the Wicklow Way Ultra instead, more recovery time after Conn.

I'll probably be relatively slow in this race... its going to be very competitive indeed.

It is indeed too close to Conn to do both effectively. I'll see you at the WWU, hopefully.

If any of you do turn up on the day be sure and say hello.

Good luck in the 100km Enduro. What are your predictions?

Thanks for that.

Predictions...hmmm....

Personally, my aim is to beat my 100K pb. I *should* be able to do that. Its currently a little over 8 hours. I'll be aiming for well under that.

My main prediction is that it'll be a ferociously competitive race. All the GB runners will be aiming for commenwealth qualification, so they'll be well motivated. The Germans are sending several strong runners. There is a definite possibilty that the race winners will not be the Anglo Celtic Plate winners, which would be very unusual.

The English virtually have a lock on the ACP race. This could be the year that gets upset, but we'll see. The best chance of an upset there would be in the Female category, both team and individual. If the Irish runners can both manage to run to their potential then they should produce both the winning individual and team. I hope so.

The Irish mens team is also quite strong. Thomas and Martin are both very speedy ultrarunners, and will no doubt head out at a cracking pace and keep the English runners on their toes. On paper though, England would have to be favourites for both team and individual races in the ACP.

Good luck in the MDS yourself. Most importantly of all, don't forget to take it all in and enjoy the experience.

Racing Flat

cfitz wrote: »

These toenail episodes sound rather disturbing - why do they fall off? Is it the long runs that causes it?

Pressure of your toe against your shoe builds up on the longer runs, so before you get a chance to relieve the pressure (by taking your shoes off) a blister develops beneath your toe-nail (is that a sub-ungal haematoma?). I imagine this preventswhatever nutrients the nail needs to allow it to continue growing so it dies. Slowly. And falls off. More slowly.

Too tight shoes did for me in the marathon in September. Instantly knew that 4 nails were gone. But the 4th and final did not actually fall off until about 2 weeks ago:eek: (having just looked dirty and yellow beforehand :mad:). This is handy because the replacement nail is already fully grown. Whereas those that fall off straight away, there is no repleacement nail and so it can be a little sensitive and looks like your toe is either bald, fat or both. A good look :rolleyes:.

The best part is showing the fallen off nail to people afterwards. I wonder would they make a good necklace???

ultraman1

on monday there will be a thread,5 reasons not to run an ultramaraton:D

Magnet

Racing Flat wrote: »

The best part is showing the fallen off nail to people afterwards. I wonder would they make a good necklace???

Ha Ha I got a great kick outta that - people get very disgusted about toes!! "Here, look at my ugly toe!"
I thought it was the constant pounding of your toes against the "toe part" of the runners akin to accidently hitting your thumb with a hammer and it going black did it ?!?!
Since losing 5 after DCM I`ve never ran without proper running socks with extra toe cushioning and keeping the nails short...so far so good!
N0. 12
You get to eat your own weight in pasta (yuk) and drink your own weight in water, ribena, Gatorade and any other non-alcohol isotonic liquids!!!:pac::pac::pac::pac:

911sc

hunnymonster wrote: »

lol, true, we watched the youtube clip from the Art O'Neill the other night

Link to clip here for convenience. Nice clip.
Looks like a really cool event.. Where do i sign up for 2010?:rolleyes: