An ultra too far?

Odysseus

I'm interested in people's opinion on this. As can be noted by my training log it's been a sh!te year for me in relation to training. However, I'm signed up for the connemara 100 miler, I am nowhere near where I would like to be at this point in the game.

I'm having some thought's about binning the whole thing but there is a part of me [a significant part;)] that won't allow that, after all its going to hurt either way.

I'm heading out in a few for 40k I hope and this will be one of my questions to ponder on. With such poor training what do you think, go for it or an ultra too far?

Ultimately I'll come to my own decision, but I value peoples opinions on it.

christeb

Having little to no experience of what you're putting (and have put) your body through, I'm quite sure I'm not qualified to answer this, but I'd still like to give it a go.
I think when you get to the stage you're at, a lot of it is mental anyway, so maybe you have just answered your own question with the "significant part" comment.
So go for it! Obviously you'll be doing damage to your body, but even with ideal training it would still take an awful lot out of you. You have the experience of pushing out the pain barriers many times before, it sounds like this one means a lot so I certainly won't ask you to desist

SUNGOD

hi odysseus
i know your going to make your own mind up anyway so i dont mind answering your question.
i think its too much if you dont feel your fully trained for.
personally i think anyone could push to the conn ultra off normal marathon training but a 100k or 100 mile is a different story.
now i have never done a 100k or 100 mile ultra so maybe im wrong
also as christeb says after x amount of miles a lot of it is in the mind but for me i know that proper training and preperation gives me the confidence that i will finish , of course there are no garuntees in a 100 mile ultra.
but i didnt enter purely because i knew i would not be any where near ready and it will hopefully be an annual event so whats the hurry.
enjoyment has to come into any race for me and if it turned out to be 20 miles of enjoyment and 80 miles of torture it would not appeal.
like i said i know you will make the best decision for you
best of luck with whatever you decide

Odysseus

Cheers lads, I had to call the planned 40k at 20 today. Part of it is physical I have lost weight since the MdS and this and not training had an impact on my diet, so the tank is empty. However, the tank is empty on a psychological level, poor motiovation, my last two big races Lapland 08 and MdS went poorly for me, so this had a knock on effect.

In fact I don't think I have a good race since my last Sahara Marathon in Feb 08. I could have finished the 40k today eventually, but I have my partner coming up tonight, we off for a meal its her 40th on Tuesday, so I need to be in good nick for that, not a wreck.

I think I will aim to try get 80k done in about two weeks and use that to make my call.

RacoonQueen

I have a motto when it comes to running "If you feel ready, you're not ready"

Obviously, this is off the scale compared to the Connemara Ultra at a mere 39.3 miles. With 7 weeks to go, you have a LOT of time to train...it's what 6 or 7 weeks since this was 'announced'. Coming off the MdS you must still have a high level of fitness...when it comes to things like this, the main battle isn't the physical one it's the psychological battles you have to overcome through long hours spent training and the LONG time you're going to be out there with little company. 7 weeks gives you about 5 weeks of good, heavy training...plenty of time for long runs, plenty of time for back to back long runs.

You haven't done a 100 mile non-stop footrace before, but I reckon it'll be a fair bit easier than the MdS was, just my thoughts on the balance between the two races.

At the end of the day, dropping out before you start will hurt, dropping out at 70 miles will hurt...finishing will be bloody painful to boot. You'll have a support crew out there, if you want to drop out at any point you can. 100 milers have a pretty high DNF% while I was running my 9 miler the other day I had visions of running this again(then my injured leg landed on a tree root sending a shooting pain to my knee)...go live my dream for me.

ultraman1

Odysseus wrote: »

go for it or an ultra too far?

GO FOR IT....

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I have a motto when it comes to running "If you feel ready, you're not ready"

Obviously, this is off the scale compared to the Connemara Ultra at a mere 39.3 miles. With 7 weeks to go, you have a LOT of time to train...it's what 6 or 7 weeks since this was 'announced'. Coming off the MdS you must still have a high level of fitness...when it comes to things like this, the main battle isn't the physical one it's the psychological battles you have to overcome through long hours spent training and the LONG time you're going to be out there with little company. 7 weeks gives you about 5 weeks of good, heavy training...plenty of time for long runs, plenty of time for back to back long runs.

You haven't done a 100 mile non-stop footrace before, but I reckon it'll be a fair bit easier than the MdS was, just my thoughts on the balance between the two races.

At the end of the day, dropping out before you start will hurt, dropping out at 70 miles will hurt...finishing will be bloody painful to boot. You'll have a support crew out there, if you want to drop out at any point you can. 100 milers have a pretty high DNF% while I was running my 9 miler the other day I had visions of running this again(then my injured leg landed on a tree root sending a shooting pain to my knee)...go live my dream for me.

Cheers RQ, I normally would consider a 100k on the basis of today and in this case there is an added 60k to go. Your spot on about the psych side but that area needs addressing at the moment, but hey if I can't sort myself out in a few weeks I better give up my career:)

MdS against this imo two different beasts, but plently of similarities if you get my point, I would go for the MdS again before this if I have to make a choice at this moment, and the race was tomorrow. Plenty to think on cheers.

Odysseus

ultraman1 wrote: »

GO FOR IT....

Cheers mate.

Edit: Is this a case of Ballyer heads looking out for each other? Or are you looking forward to being at the finish line before me;)

RacoonQueen

Odysseus wrote: »

MdS against this imo two different beasts, but plently of similarities if you get my point, I would go for the MdS again before this if I have to make a choice at this moment, and the race was tomorrow. Plenty to think on cheers.

Really? :eek: Just read about Mike Stroud's account of the MdS recently when I finally got around to reading Survival of the Fittest and it's completely put me off running it, that been said, as soon as I get my first Ultra with a bag out of the way I'll probably change my mind.

I don't think you can really train for an event like the 100 miler or the MdS though can you? I mean, you can't draw up a simple, easy to follow training plan like you can with a 5k or a marathon. It's really just a run as much as you can without overdoing it so you're remotely ready by race day sort of thing. When I was planning on getting training for it I decided I'd better look up some advice online...a few people had some random training plans that they'd follow but you can't really get anywhere near 100 miles in a training run. I really think you should go for it, or at least, keep training for it then in 5/6 weeks time make your decision for definite. As I say, 7 weeks is a looooonnnng time training wise.

P.s Ballyer? Are you two Ballyfermot heads? :eek:

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

P.s Ballyer? Are you two Ballyfermot heads? :eek:

That's correct we are indeed After all there is only one Ballyer you can't count that fake N/Side place.

RacoonQueen

Odysseus wrote: »

That's correct we are indeed After all there is only one Ballyer you can't count that fake N/Side place.

I'm unfortunate enough to live there these days too(Ballyfermot that is :pac: )
that being said, being a 10 minute warm up run from the phoenix park isn't all bad.

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Really? :eek: Just read about Mike Stroud's account of the MdS recently when I finally got around to reading Survival of the Fittest and it's completely put me off running it, that been said, as soon as I get my first Ultra with a bag out of the way I'll probably change my mind.

I don't think you can really train for an event like the 100 miler or the MdS though can you? I mean, you can't draw up a simple, easy to follow training plan like you can with a 5k or a marathon. It's really just a run as much as you can without overdoing it so you're remotely ready by race day sort of thing. When I was planning on getting training for it I decided I'd better look up some advice online...a few people had some random training plans that they'd follow but you can't really get anywhere near 100 miles in a training run. I really think you should go for it, or at least, keep training for it then in 5/6 weeks time make your decision for definite. As I say, 7 weeks is a looooonnnng time training wise.

P.s Ballyer? Are you two Ballyfermot heads? :eek:

I think you can, but that's just my opinion. In a perfect world I would like six months to train for a 100k, but I have only done three of these and this is the longest I have gone in one go. I generally train up to 80k for that, getting the 80k in about a month before hand.

I enjoyed Mike Stroud's book a few years since I read it maybe I should have another go before Connemara. I was picking the MdS as its a staged event, crule and unforgiving, but you get a kip between each stage. Plus I'm a bit of a desert rat. For the 90k stage we had 29 hours this year compared to a 30 hour cut off for the 100 milier.

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I'm unfortunate enough to live there these days too(Ballyfermot that is :pac: )
that being said, being a 10 minute warm up run from the phoenix park isn't all bad.

Yep it a great benefit being that close to the park, I still get to use it abit when I'm down that way.

jeffontour

Sensible hat on:

Don't call yourself in or out for another few weeks. Mood and form can change so quickly at this ultra lark as you well know.

Fellow ultra runner hat on:

Go for it!! If there's any little bit of you that feels you'll regret it if you don't run then it's best to turn up at the start and see how it goes. We learn nothing from not trying.

Odysseus

jeffontour wrote: »

Sensible hat on:

Don't call yourself in or out for another few weeks. Mood and form can change so quickly at this ultra lark as you well know.

Fellow ultra runner hat on:

Go for it!! If there's any little bit of you that feels you'll regret it if you don't run then it's best to turn up at the start and see how it goes. We learn nothing from not trying.

Cheers Jeff, your spot on in both cases, my plan is to aim for 80k within two to three weeks and if that happens, it will be good to go.

A DFN might sting but I reckon that the reget might sting more if I have any doubt.

ultraman1

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I'm unfortunate enough to live there these days too(Ballyfermot that is :pac: ).

:rolleyes:.......the stairs in chasers is yir only man 4 workin out your quads.....

Mick Rice

You can do this race if you want to. To my mind the only question that you need to resolve for yourself is whether you actually really want to do it or not.

Up front I have to say I've never run more that 100k at any event and have only ever done three of them, but I spent most of last year obsessing and plotting two of those races. I did the Leipzig 100k last August off relatively light mileage my last ten weekly totals were 79, 34,43,59,71,73,81,70,84,95 and 59. I had three 'long' runs in those 10 weeks of 26.3 miles, 25.1 and 20.3. My time in Leipzig was 7:50 which has been my best ultra to date. I ran another 100k in Italy later in the year and off substantially higher milage ran 8:12. For me it was a lesson that you should take your chances when they come and that there's not always a direct correlation between training miles done and race performances. I'd always advise someone training for one of these to just do as much as they can and then take what you have to the party.

It's like saving your pocket money for your holliers when you were a kid. If you don't manage to save as much as you had hoped for you don't refuse to go on the holiday.

As other posters have said, these things hurt one way or the other, fit or unfit, ready or not, the only thing that really counts is being there rather than at home.

We'll all be dead a long time.

Magnet

I`m having a fair few doubts myself..
How is it possible to feel ready to "run" 100miles
Anyhow as it is I`m thinking of taking it easy and see how far I get!
On my part "ignorance is bliss" as I`ve never done 100k but We`ve 4 good weeks of training to go yet!!

Good luck with your decision!