First Ultra Marathon

dekbhoy

Having completed 3 marathons in a year and really enjoyed them my main aim for next year is to complete an Ultra marathon. What would be the easiest to begin with or the one ill most likely complete in a reasonably decent time. Looked at connemara but rolling hills are putting me off. Thank you

TFBubendorfer

The easiest Ultra might be the 50k in Portumna in June, 10 x 5k very flat laps in a forest, though a 50k is more a mismeasured marathon than an ultra.

To be quite frank, though, if those little hills in Connemara put you off ultra running then maybe you should think twice about it. They are hardly mountain passes, and Connemara is one of the easier ultras around (as well as one of the best).

NoGutsNoGlory

everyones first ultra has to be connemara..

RacoonQueen

Do Connemara. It's a great race and short enough to be a good first ultra. There are really only two real hills...one with 13 miles to go and one with about 5 miles to go.

Cabaal

Did Connemara Ultra as my third ultra this year (if I count 50km's), out of all the marathons and ultra's I've done i honestly have to say I enjoyed it the most and felt the best after I crossed the finish line,

Never thought I'd say that considering I did connemara marathon the previous year and it was a awful slog to the finish.

Sure Connemara has some hills, but if they are putting you off then this will automatically put you off alot of other Ultra's including Dingle.

iamjenko

OP, an easy Ultra in a fast time....i'm not sure you understand the concept..! ;-)

Enduro

I'd have said Donadea would be perfect alright. I presume its full by now though. The Wicklow Way ultra is Ireland's oldest Ultra and is also 50km. If you think Connemara is hilly though then you're unlikely to be able to cope with the WWU. Likewise for the Mourne Way Ultra.

The easist to complete would actually be a fixed time race, such as the Energia 24 hour race in Belfast. Once you take part there is no such thing as not completeing fixed time events, since there is no minimum distance.

The easiest to get a good time/distance at depends entirely on your own fitness and ability. If you're naturally a very long distance runner then your likely to be competitive at longer events. If you're natural best distance is around the marathon then events around the marathon distance will suit better, obviously. Also, just because a race might seem "easy"... for example Donadea is 50km and relatively flat, doesn't actually make it easier to get a "decent" time. The cut-off at Donadea is quite tight, relative to a lot of nominally more difficult races, and the standard is very high. Connemara, even though it is a little longer and hillier, has a lot lower standard so its easier to get a higher finishing position.

opus

Was going to suggest Donadea as well as that was my first foray into the unknown beyond 42k last year but pretty sure it's full. Conn is certainly worth thinking about, great course & atmosphere, it was really only the final (long!) hill that I struggled with cause of the unfriendly wind direction.

The Eddie Murphy memorial 30m a few weeks back would be on my recommended list as well, if you can run the marathon distance, you'll certainly make an extra 4 miles. Again fantastic atmosphere & support which more than made up for the slight boredom of 30 laps of the one mile course.

Ferris B

Heading for Conn myself next year as my first Ultra (also using Donadea 50k as a warmer upper) and am looking forward to it.

I have experience of the hilly end of Conn having done the half there twice. I would have thought if you put hills in your training then you shouldn't have any issues (hill related ones that is, no doubt there will be plenty of other ones!)

ultraman1

Ferris B wrote: »

Heading for Conn myself next year as my second Ultra (also using Donadea 50k as a warmer upper) and am looking forward to it.

fixed dat;)

RJC

An ultra isn't like a marathon where a "walking break" is a failure. The whole point of an ultra is that you have to moderate the pace in order to ensure you have time for food to go down - unlike a marathon where gels will get you through.

I would cringe at a flat ultra as the idea of using one set of muscles for 50 - 80k would be horrific. The hill and gradients of an ultra allow you to use different sets of muscles which will give you respite from the repetitive strain injury that a flat course can induce.
Ultra running is about changing your perception so if you haven't done one before that should be your goal. Time, place, all that, that's for another day.

belcarra

RJC wrote: »

I would cringe at a flat ultra as the idea of using one set of muscles for 50 - 80k would be horrific.

You should give the 24hr championships in Belfast a go! Enduro managed over 250km on a running track...

Cabaal

Lads, whats involed in entering Energia 24, costs for entry etc?

belcarra

Cabaal wrote: »

Lads, whats involed in entering Energia 24, costs for entry etc?

I think it was £50stg this year. T shirt included in that and for those that broke 100miles there was a free bonus jacket.
Great event. If you're tempted you should definitely go for it!

TFBubendorfer

belcarra wrote: »

I think it was £50stg this year. T shirt included in that and for those that broke 100miles there was a free bonus jacket.
Great event. If you're tempted you should definitely go for it!

It's a great event, absolutely. I still would not do it as my first ultra attempt. :eek:

dekbhoy

Some excellent advice guys. Maybe it will be conn after all. As was said maybe I need to change my attitude of running a great time and focus on completing distance . I love running long distance without clock watching. yes donadea is fully booked so that rules that one out.

RacoonQueen

dekbhoy wrote: »

Some excellent advice guys. Maybe it will be conn after all. As was said maybe I need to change my attitude of running a great time and focus on completing distance . I love running long distance without clock watching. yes donadea is fully booked so that rules that one out.

digger is open to offers for his place

curtisbrown

Longford Ultra is a nice one, very flat

kingQuez

I'm thinking of signing up for the 12hr race and calling it quits@6hrs at the Energia 24 next year (checked with organizers who said it would be OK to pull up early if I needed/wanted to). I want a progression run beyond marathon distance and the timing looks like it works out, and would be an interesting event to be a fly on the wall at.

Enduro

kingQuez wrote: »

I'm thinking of signing up for the 12hr race and calling it quits@6hrs at the Energia 24 next year (checked with organizers who said it would be OK to pull up early if I needed/wanted to). I want a progression run beyond marathon distance and the timing looks like it works out, and would be an interesting event to be a fly on the wall at.

Just one little point.... there really is no need to be using a progression strategy with regard to trying out ultras (similarly to the way that if you want to try a marathon you don't have to start at 100m and progress your way through each distance in between). If your long term aim is to do a longer event (such as 12/24 hours) then the best thing to do is to just jump right in and give it a go. You're more likely to learn more, and learn it more quickly, that way in my experience.

But if 6 hours is what your ultimate aim is, then go for it.

belcarra

To add to Enduro's point, don't limit yourself to the 6 hours in your training focus. On the day I'd nearly guarantee you'll be running for a lot longer (unless you are dogged with injury). It sounds like a huge task right now but when you're there, running slower than your normal LSR pace you'd be surprised how much further you will be able to go.
I'd recommend planning for the 12hrs knowing that aid stations/water/massage tent are all available within 400m of you. You could even take a prolonged break and come back on later.
It's so easy to just fall in with a group for a couple of hours at a time that the 6 hrs passes much quicker than you'd think.

TFBubendorfer

kingQuez wrote: »

I'm thinking of signing up for the 12hr race and calling it quits@6hrs at the Energia 24 next year (checked with organizers who said it would be OK to pull up early if I needed/wanted to). I want a progression run beyond marathon distance and the timing looks like it works out, and would be an interesting event to be a fly on the wall at.

It depends on your pace of course, but a lot of runners do Connemara in about 6 hours. Wouldn't that be preferable than having to pull out of an event halfway through?

kingQuez

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

It depends on your pace of course, but a lot of runners do Connemara in about 6 hours. Wouldn't that be preferable than having to pull out of an event halfway through?

Ah, connemara would be my preference but it needs to be something in the summer or thereabouts to fit in with other plans. I'm thinking about having a go at comrades in 2015, so figured if I could find something of about 6hrs of running next year and treat it as a race, it would be a reasonable time/distance to aim for.

TFBubendorfer

kingQuez wrote: »

figured if I could find something of about 6hrs of running next year and treat it as a race, it would be a reasonable time/distance to aim for.

Not sure I could treat an event as a race if I'm planning on dropping out halfway, to he honest.

If (IF!) Belfast sells out I wouldn't want to take someone else's place unless I want to give it the proper race treatment.

Longford Ultra or Achill Island Ultra are the same 39.3 distance as Connemara, and they are in summer. Might be worth considering.

And like Enduro said, there is no real need to work your way up in steps. I did the 24hrs last year with one single 50 mile race under my belt, and like to think that I did rather well.

Enduro

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

And like Enduro said, there is no real need to work your way up in steps. I did the 24hrs last year with one single 50 mile race under my belt, and like to think that I did rather well.

And in case anyone doesn't know, he did exceptionally well indeed (better than my 24 hour debut )

kingQuez

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Not sure I could treat an event as a race if I'm planning on dropping out halfway, to he honest.

I'm not all that competitive with other people, more with myself once I get an idea in my head, so it wouldn't bother me too much once I had a distance in mind to hit by 6hrs. I would be a little concerned that it's not in the spirit of a 24hr race to only plan to do 1/4 of it and then slink off while people are still on the track though.

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

If (IF!) Belfast sells out I wouldn't want to take someone else's place unless I want to give it the proper race treatment.

Longford Ultra or Achill Island Ultra are the same 39.3 distance as Connemara, and they are in summer. Might be worth considering.

And like Enduro said, there is no real need to work your way up in steps. I did the 24hrs last year with one single 50 mile race under my belt, and like to think that I did rather well.

You're both sort of selling me on giving the 12hrs a proper go now, I knew this place was dangerous to hang out in

I definitely wouldn't take a place if there is any chance it would sell out (hence dropping the organizers an email to check); i've something else on a couple of months earlier and not sure how recovery will work out, hence targeting 6hrs which I'm confident I can do. Might be time to just dive into the unknown though. Thanks

RacoonQueen

Sure just do the 24 hours. If you're up there you may as well give it a bash.