Mid/long ultra newbie in 2015 - share your journey! :-)

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HappyG(rrr) Nov 2014 2:17pm, 28 Nov 2014 23,293 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Hiya. A thread for those who have maybe done a couple of ultras 30, 40, 50 miles, but are doing their first 70-100 miler and want to chat about training, planning, logistics, fuelling, kit, whatev! I am hoping to get into West Highland Way, which is June 2015. I have done a few 30-50 mile ultras, including hilly bits and one 24 hour as well, but mostly flat. So this will be my first reasonably hilly, near 100 miles (14,700ft ascent/descent and 95 miles). Here are some questions I posed on another thread (but they don't want to chat about planning for their race yet - mostly because the ones who chimed in are all super experienced and can just rock up in March and be ready by May. But not me, I need to do a bit more prep! Anyway, it's fun to chat about it all!) Don't limit yourself to these topics though - plenty other stuff to chat about! Are you in already or does your race have a ballot/entry criteria? (even if I don't get in, I'm training as if I am doing it and I might just run it solo the weekend after or something! ) The race weekend - how long are you staying, Is it a whole weekend or do you try and do it in a day? Have you got accommodation booked? Do you book for your crew too (in fact, is your race self-supported or do you have/need a crew)? Are you buying and trying out any new kit for this, your longest, biggest ultra that you've never done before? And yes, training, never mind am I training in Oct/Nov for June 2015, I've been training since June 2013 for this! What races are you doing in your build up and what do you hope to get from them? How are you finding nutrition (in fact, just turn this into the John K quick fire: Road or trail shoes (or do you plan to change them en route and use a mix?) What is your fave food too keep you going when all else fails? Do you use a Garmin, Tom Tom watch in the race or prefer to run without knowing the time/pace? 1 support crew or 2? Water or energy drink (I think he means electrolyte drink, because water and energy drink are for different purposes, imho) Salt tablets (I'm using the Succeeds S-caps, cos they worked for me at Glenmore. Like Robbie B said, I've no idea of the science, but I'm scared to not take them now!) Bottles or a hydration pack (I've got my UD PB vest, with 2 bottles, but they do dig into my chest a bit - prob stick with that tho). G
becca7 Nov 2014 2:42pm, 28 Nov 2014 5,818 posts	0 becca7 Hmm. I'm contemplating the Berlin Wall race, Der Berliner Mauerweglauf. It looks cool but it is a heck of a long way to run. I'm not entered yet and I'm still at the "do I really want to do this?" stage. I have done a couple of Comrades and the SDW50 but this will be a big hike in distance. I shall be doing Comrades again next year and, prior to that, the Glasgow to Edinburgh. Plus a few marathons and shortish ultras to get ready for Comrades. I figure that I might have my legs back by the time of the Berlin race in August.
HappyG(rrr) Nov 2014 3:16pm, 28 Nov 2014 23,295 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Ooh, cool becca, I'm doing Glasgow to Edinburgh too. Look forward to meeting you there! Would love to do Comrades too one day. That's def a bucket list race! So Berlin Wall race - presumably roads and reasonably flat, so the step up is just distance? (What distant, btw?) So no difference in terms of terrain, shoes, kit etc. How is it supported? Aid stations, drop bags etc? And are you using races as your long runs (I know a lot of folk use that technique)? Maras + shorter ultras for a longer ultra? I'm off to google Berlin Wall ultra! G
becca7 Nov 2014 3:38pm, 28 Nov 2014 5,819 posts	0 becca7 Yes, I have been wanting to do Glasgow to Edinburgh for a while. See you there. Berlin Wall is 100 miles, so a big hike from 50 odd. It won't have the hills of Kwazulu Natal but that might mean the same muscles getting pounded. It seems to be on paths and it looks like folks wear road shoes. There are 27 aid stations and there are three drop bag opportunities. 30 hour time limit. I'm thinking that once I have done Comrades it is going to be about recovery so there's not much time for specific training for this race.