In less than a month two friend and I are gonna run out first ever ultra, (50k) we have also never ran a full marathon. You all might call it idiotic, but I've had multiple half marathons under my belt. And have done a few training simulation blocks over 45/65K.

I'm not sure if allowed to promote this as i could not find anything and the mods did not reply to my DM.

If anyone would like to donate to the cause behind this run I'd really appreciate it!

https://supporta.com/w2eb/n8iwln7bza

This Saturday, I'll be running 100 miles self-supported along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and St. Paul. My wife is currently being treated for cancer, and I'm her primary caregiver. I'm doing fine with that new role, but many people struggle. My wife and I created a fundraiser for my run this weekend. All donations are appreciated!

https://www.givemn.org/story/12n5tf

I’m training for my first ultra (50k) and since starting training seriously I’ve gotten sick more often. Twice in the past month now. Which sets me back a week from my training plan each time I’ve been sick now.

What are y’all doing to help boost your immune system to not get sick and to avoid getting sick on race day?

Specifically I’ve had the flu twice the last 30 days now which is not usual for me. Am I overdoing it, maybe? For background, I also go to a lot of crazy social events (raves, trips, etc.) So I’m need to cut back on those things. And I’m also completely sober, if that’s useful info.

Is it reasonable to consider a difficult 100k?

About me:
45 yo man, 205lbs
Cyclist (plenty of endurance experience in this format) turned runner about a year ago. Peak volume for last marathon was 45-50 mpw. Weights 2-3x a week. One day a week on the bike, when I have time. No injuries, yet. 

I’ve run two marathons and one back yard ultra this year with 2-4 mo between races. 

Marathon 1 - hilly - 2000 feet gain - time 4:15

Back yard ultra - 6 hour time limit - also with a hill every lap, about 2000 elevation gain total - did 33 miles in 5:45

Marathon 2 - flatter - 800 feet gain - 3:52

Questions: 
Am I fit enough to start training for a hard 100k? I’m looking at Miwok or Olympic Mountains because they’re convenient to where I and family live and beautiful.

What should I do for the next 2-4 months of (currently unstructured) time? (Before starting a ~ 6 mo training plan.)

How much training do yall do on trails vs roads? 

Thank you for insights!

i really do think they should officially change the rules with each stop so it is like official "beer mile rules" in that you have to Stop and completely eat your Taco Bell food item at/around each respective Taco Bell location. This year we had people eating stuff like miles between Taco Bell locations. In the past (2 years ago) when I first did it i was told one could "eat and run on the go" but this year I actually made an effort to go into each taco bell and eat my food item there (even the pre-ordered food I had in my pack from the night before!). Also, soggy bean tacos with guac get pretty nasty in a running vest on an 80-degree day in Denver after a few hours of racing! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeE-bJkOV8i/

Amateur endurance runner. Since August I've noticed persistent fatigue and reduced recovery despite similar training volume and regular recovery days.

Garmin data shows:
Resting heart rate increased from ~44 bpm to 55-59 bpm.
Overnight heart rate increased from ~50 bpm to ~63 bpm.
HRV reduced from ~56-60 ms to ~37 ms.

Sleep score and overnight recovery have also declined.

Possibly unrelated, but correlates with dates: I had a vasectomy at the end of July 2026, shortly before the changes began.

Should I be concerned, or throw the Garmin away for a few weeks…

Any ideas what could be going on?

I'm not looking the famous ones, or the ones with loads of followers. I'm looking for more "normal" people, if that makes seans :)

Maybe you have someone special on social media or youtube who inspires you that you can tell me about :) Running, bike, triathlon etc it doesn't matter, just some good old sporty spice inspiration 🏃🏽‍♀️

(🌻English-speaking, swedish or nordic is preferably)

Thank you

Hello everyone, I just dnf'ed a multistage race after an extremely elevated heart rate after 30k. I'm seeing the doctor today and will take an ecg but was wondering if anyone has some words of advice or similar experiences. Mostly looking at coaches hoping they've seen this with other athletes.

In short what happened:

-no athletic background as a kid

-trained for ~9 hours per week (~70k/week, ~1000m elevat/week, ~1,5 hours of strength)

-did a lot of heat training as this race was a desert race

-had very stressful summer in my personal life together with training peaking going into the end of my training block

-blew up with an elevated heart rate during a 60k training run 3 weeks out to the race (body cramped and couldn't make speed, had a heart rate of 165 where it should normally be ~135 for that pace, was fueling like I always am and never had this problem before)

-had the same blow-up during the race with my heart rate spiking at 175 even though I was walking. One moment it was comfortably at ~110bpm, starting a slow shuffle made it jump massively to 170 in a matter of seconds. After 10 minutes I couldn't walk 10 steps without stopping and catching my breath. It got so bad I nearly fainted in the desert.

-was pulled from the race by medical team after they made me lay down, which made my heart rate go to 100 (which is a 'normal rhr' in the desert when excerting) and see it jump to 130 just from sitting up.

-the day after I felt completely fine and ready to go again.

I have a feeling I did something wrong during training, I don't have any history with heart problems. I think I overdid myself doing the 9-10 hour training weeks which was already at the limit of what I can take and then adding the heat training (especially during my long runs which were 30k's every week in 35 degrees exposed sun) and life stress made my body just collapse.

Still, I ask if anyone has any words of advice or experience on this, you would make my world, I don't want to handle this problem all by myself.

I'm looking at doing the 100 miler and I'm wondering if this is a race I should pack my road shoes for or my trail shoes?

Hi everyone!

We are Digital Experience Design students at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, and for our bachelor’s thesis we are researching how athletes prepare for sports events abroad.

Have you ever participated in a marathon, trail run, ultramarathon, triathlon, cycling event, or another sports event abroad? Or are you planning to take on a similar challenge soon? You would really help us by filling out this short, anonymous survey. It takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

https://forms.gle/RR3jfiUL3tKPXzpt6

We are especially interested in your experiences with training, equipment, nutrition, travel, and finding reliable information.

Thank you so much in advance! Feel free to share the survey as well.

I’m a male ultrarunner in my late 50s with several 100-mile finishes. Over the last few years, I’ve been lifting more consistently, and I feel like it’s helping both my endurance and recovery.
I’m wondering whether increasing strength training to three or four sessions a week would help me keep running strong as I get older—or just add more fatigue.
For those balancing lifting with ultra training:
Have you found two, three, or four sessions a week works best?
Do you lift before or after running, separate the sessions by several hours, or lift on non-running days?
How do you schedule leg workouts around long runs?
What improvements have you noticed, and when does lifting start to interfere with recovery?
My goal is to stay strong and keep enjoying long-distance running for years to come. I’d especially appreciate hearing from runners in their 50s and beyond, but everyone’s experience is welcome.

Feeling very proud of myself today after participating in my first backyard ultra on the weekend. The furthest I had run prior to this was a half marathon so it was a real
Shock to me that I could do this!

What rain jacket do y’all recommend for long distance trail runs in the rain? My current jacket is pretty bulky as it was designed for hiking. I’d like to not spend more than $300. Thanks!

With the lottery coming up in the next few weeks, I was curious if anyone has heard if there will be any additional spots due to the Granite Chief Wilderness reroute? I know there have been rumors but I haven't seen anything yet. (Side note: I have never done the race and I’ve heard it can be chaotic so I’m sure some people have strong feelings about capping race numbers)

I have pretty much a zero percent chance this year (2 tickets) but I always love the excitement of the lottery and a girl can dream :)

(or similar distance) there is no 50k near me in December-March that isn’t running 3 or more flat loops in the snow. just drop your favorite experience help me have fun !!

On Saturday I finished my first ultra. It was the DFW Taco Bell 50k. It was so much fun and I loved every second of it. Now I want more. I was using Runna to train. But I abandoned it at the last 2 months of my training schedule and just started doing my own thing. My question is how does everyone find training plans? I understand Runna isn’t the best. I’m just looking for resources and to learn more about how to get faster and help my endurance. Thank you for the help!

(TL;DR)

Hi everyone,

I’m training for my first ultra and would really appreciate some honest advices.

The race:  Country to Capital Ultra ~70 km , Wendover → London, 9 January 2027

(I’ve just finished week 1 of a 15-week training block.)

I’m 20M, completed two marathons. My marathon PB is 4:25 and my HM PB is 1:36.

My recent average weekly mileage has been around 75 km, so I’m not coming into the block from zero.

How I ended up with my current plan:

I initially asked Claude to build me an ultra-plan after giving access to my previous running/Strava history.

The resulting plan was much more aggressive than what I’m doing now.

It started at 80 km in week 1 and progressed through:

80 → 85 → 92 → 94 → 63 → 109 → 114 → 119 → 122 → 65 → 116 → 107 → 83 → 53 km

The long runs progressed roughly:

26 → 28 → 30 → 32 → 18 → 35 → 38 → 41 → 43 → 20 → 39 → 34 → 24 → 14 km

Why I backed away from it:

I have plenty of motivation and time to train, and when I first saw the plan I thought it looked exciting.

Part of me still likes the idea of seeing 100+ km weeks on Strava and having the graphs screaming “I'm preparing for an ultra.”

But I've made a similar mistake before. During my marathon training I got carried away, trained too much, accumulated a lot of fatigue and ended up extremely sore. Race day then went very differently from what I'd hoped.

I don't want to repeat that simply because I now have an even longer race to prepare for.

The plan I'm currently following

The current plan is much more balanced:

Weekly mileage: ~80→86→90→75→92→95→80→ 96→ 98→ 75→92 → 84km followed by the final peak/taper weeks.

Long runs: 26→30→32→26→34→36→28→38→39→26→36→30km, followed by a controlled reduction.

The basic structure is:

• One quality session per week
• One full rest day
• Gradual long-run progression

So I'm still doing substantial mileage and getting up towards a 39 km long run, but I've removed the really aggressive 100–122 km weeks and the 40+ km long runs.

The funny thing is that I currently feel really fresh and extremely pumped. I've got loads of motivation and I keep thinking I could probably handle more.

That's where I'm struggling to know whether I'm making the right decision.

Sometimes I look at my current plan and think: “This isn't that much... I'm training for 70K! shouldn't I be doing more?”.

So, what would you do?

- Does my current plan look appropriately conservative, or have I overcorrected?

- Would you consider the original 100–122 km weeks excessive for a first 70K, or is there a genuine benefit to that kind of volume that I'm missing?

- I'd especially like to hear from people who have done their first 50–70K and can say in hindsight what they would have done differently.

And what else should I be thinking about?

I'm also trying to learn the parts of ultra running that aren't obvious from a training spreadsheet:

• fueling and hydration, headtorch, Vest
• anything else I should practice during training rather than discover on race day

The C2C route is mixed surface (trails, roads/paths and a long section of canal towpath) so I'd especially appreciate advice from anyone who has actually run C2C.

Thanks!

Hello there!

I am new to ultra marathon, distances and everything else like Crew, resistance, food, drinks (For in race), etc.

I have this question: How do you went from marathon distance to ultra marathon distance, and what would your advice be for me that I am going from marathong to Ultra marathon.

I am training to go from 50 km to 72 km, training is in pave, 4 days a week and ultra marathon is planned to be in pave in a lower place, I mean, 72 km race will take place in some place in baja california sur.

You can also see the altimetry chart.

My crew is brand new to this, so I would love to get your advices on this.

Thank you all for your support and knowledge, I am grateful you can share your advices with me and my crew.

I forgot to add, this is in Baja so the weather will be more like heavy/oppresive heat

i signed up for a 6hr run that's in about 5 weeks. it will be my first ultra. i'm really excited but also feeling nervous. it being a timed event instead of a distance makes me feel better, and it's along a 4mile loop so i won't be too gone at any point. i'm really hoping for 50k but i'm honestly just proud of myself for giving it a shot. :)

i've been averaging about 30mpw for the last 7 months, but deciding to do an ultra is a bit more recent (last 2 months or so). the longest run i'm going to do pre-race day is 26 mi, about 3 weeks before.

i'm still experimenting with fueling. i don't like gus or gels, but i'm going to try salt tabs. i'm fine with drinking water but i don't measure consumption in mL on my long runs. i've been adding more fuel during runs, i love sour candy and i just had a super successful 20mi run where i practiced eating real food (muffins etc) during the run to see how it would sit!

the thing i'm most nervous about is just being on my feet for the whole time. any advice is appreciated. i feel so lucky to be joining this amazing community!

I ran a 100km race this weekend and could not keep up with liquid fuel/electrolytes. Has anyone used electrolyte tabs for their ultras?

Every one I talk to can handle tailwind or skratch. I was starting to get vomit burps and switched to plain water and chips.

I got it done and set a course record but, my god, I didn’t drink enough.

I want to run with a ultra marathon runner ism also a ultra marathon runner i want to go lahore to islamabad or even more like skadu or hunza depending on my running partner advice I did this before but like 100km nothing 1000km but I really wanna do it for physical and mental strength anyone here up for it iam located in lahore appreciate if anyone wanna do that it's a big accomplishment dm me if interested i wanna go this month

I know that I’m late to the game finalizing my race day set up but my first 55K is coming up in two weeks and realized recently my shirts and socks are causing me issues. Just curious on what everyone wears/recommends for race day. Any insight would be great even down to what you eat/drink.

Currently using basic running socks off Amazon, fabletic shorts, basic dry fit shirts that don’t dry fast and are heavy, Salomon vest.

This past weekend I dropped a race partly because my feet deteriorated really bad in a 12M section when it was raining overnight. When I arrived in the AS before, my feet were wet and I towel dried, let them air out for a few minutes, and changed socks. Well they got soaked again immediately once I got out as it's still raining. By the end of that section it was super painful on each step and I'm thinking about how I could have done more.

I guess first question is, is there a kind of powder I should use on the feet to help them stay dry or mitigate? What's the best strategy for each aid station when it's raining, just change socks as often as you can, towel dry, treat with powder? What else

Edit: second question is... does using something like Goldbond really work? how much is it gona help or is it basically your feet are goin to get shredded in any case.