Chris Hobson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Ultra Running for beginners. (Prologue to my Endure 24 experience).
Most people know that a marathon is a 26 mile run, 26.2 if you are being pedantic, 42k if you are being metric. An ultra marathon or ultra run is basically anything longer than that. Some ultra runs involve a specific distance and the objective is to run that distance in less time than everyone else, or everyone else in your age group, or quicker than you did it last time, or for most people, just to finish the effing run. A different approach is to allocate a specific amount of time and challenge the contestants to run as far as possible in the time allowed.
The Mizuno Endure 24.
This event involves a 24 hour time window combined with a 5 mile / 8 kilometre circuit. The event usually starts at noon on a Saturday and finishes at noon on the following day, the objective being to run as far as possible in 24 hours. Entrants can run as individuals or in teams of between 2 and 8 competitors.
What do you mean by beginner?
Speaking for myself I define myself as a beginner due to never having done an ultra run before. However, this doesn't mean that I'm an absolute novice when it comes to doing endurance events. I have done lots of 10k runs, 10 mile runs, half marathons, two full marathons, a half Ironman and a full Ironman. This year, I had to withdraw from an iron distance triathlon due to some health problems but I didn't have to withdraw from the Endure 24. This actually highlights the difference between the two approaches to endurance racing quite well. The triathlon involves cut off times which I would have to beat. With my health problems I would not have been able to get fit enough to maintain the necessary pace. The Endure 24 can involve extreme endurance racing but this is totally optional. In theory you could walk five miles and then go and collect your tee shirt and medal. Obviously nobody actually does this but the way that these events work means that entry level runners can put together an eight person team and still get a result.
How did it go then?
My wife Liz and I entered as a pair under the heading 'Little Short Legs and Chrome Dome'. We ran 65 miles between us, I ran 40 miles and Liz ran 25 (Liz ran 30 miles at last year's event which I didn't attend). I'm very pleased at being able to run 40 miles without specifically training for long course running. I'm now planning to enter next year's event as a solo and trying for the 100 mile tee shirt.
Most people know that a marathon is a 26 mile run, 26.2 if you are being pedantic, 42k if you are being metric. An ultra marathon or ultra run is basically anything longer than that. Some ultra runs involve a specific distance and the objective is to run that distance in less time than everyone else, or everyone else in your age group, or quicker than you did it last time, or for most people, just to finish the effing run. A different approach is to allocate a specific amount of time and challenge the contestants to run as far as possible in the time allowed.
The Mizuno Endure 24.
This event involves a 24 hour time window combined with a 5 mile / 8 kilometre circuit. The event usually starts at noon on a Saturday and finishes at noon on the following day, the objective being to run as far as possible in 24 hours. Entrants can run as individuals or in teams of between 2 and 8 competitors.
What do you mean by beginner?
Speaking for myself I define myself as a beginner due to never having done an ultra run before. However, this doesn't mean that I'm an absolute novice when it comes to doing endurance events. I have done lots of 10k runs, 10 mile runs, half marathons, two full marathons, a half Ironman and a full Ironman. This year, I had to withdraw from an iron distance triathlon due to some health problems but I didn't have to withdraw from the Endure 24. This actually highlights the difference between the two approaches to endurance racing quite well. The triathlon involves cut off times which I would have to beat. With my health problems I would not have been able to get fit enough to maintain the necessary pace. The Endure 24 can involve extreme endurance racing but this is totally optional. In theory you could walk five miles and then go and collect your tee shirt and medal. Obviously nobody actually does this but the way that these events work means that entry level runners can put together an eight person team and still get a result.
How did it go then?
My wife Liz and I entered as a pair under the heading 'Little Short Legs and Chrome Dome'. We ran 65 miles between us, I ran 40 miles and Liz ran 25 (Liz ran 30 miles at last year's event which I didn't attend). I'm very pleased at being able to run 40 miles without specifically training for long course running. I'm now planning to enter next year's event as a solo and trying for the 100 mile tee shirt.
