Bushman wrote:
In summation I recovered from the 50's faster than the rigors of a hard raced Marathon.
That's a concept my brain is ill-equipped to process. Run twice as far, recover twice as quickly???
Sounds like that second run was quite an accomplishment. A 6:35 pace for the second half of a 50 miler. Hat's off to you!
I have run 150+ ultras with a best 50 mile time of 5:35. Despite that background, I am not sure what to tell you regarding walking vs. not walking. This reflects the fact that there is no one way to do a 50 miler. The keys I see: (1) When you are in the race mentally break it up into pieces. (2) Eat and drink early but not excessively. (3) If you are willing to stay out there long enough you will finish it. Good luck!
Birthday Runner wrote: I consider myself to be a rather stubborn competitor and am considering ignoring this advice and attempting to run the full race distance at a pace 30-40 seconds slower than marathon pace. Is this nuts or does everyone walk? What are the odds of a first timer running the full distance? Is this the recipe for a satisfying debut or for a disaster of a day comprised of a 35 mile run and a 15 mile death march?
I'm always amazed at the amount of vitriol directed at run/walk. It's silly. Run/walk is a pacing strategy like any other. The objective of a race is not to "not walk". The objective of a race is to get from the start like to the finish in the least amount of time. Period.
Do most people walk in ultras? Yup. Staying out there that long requires energy conservation, and that requires some kind of strategy that you follow consistently. Running until you tire and then walking isn't a strategy, it's being a victim of testosterone poisoning.
So you need to decide. Is your goal to be able to say how manly you were, how you endured pain while limping down the course while dozens of people passed you, how you just barely finished but at least YOU DIDN'T WALK or is your goal to run a decent race. Take your pick.
I'm one of those people that enjoy the ultras more than shorter races. I've done many 50-milers and a few 100-miler and 100ks. In my experience, the back-to-back longer runs on the weekend help a lot. I don't use the walking strategy during a 50-miler unless I truly feel the need. In a 100-miler, I do use that strategy, however. Good luck!
Keith Stone wrote:
I'm always amazed at the amount of vitriol directed at run/walk. It's silly.
So you need to decide. Is your goal to be able to say how manly you were, how you endured pain while limping down the course while dozens of people passed you, how you just barely finished but at least YOU DIDN'T WALK or is your goal to run a decent race. Take your pick.
I hadn't intended to vitriol or to belittle anyone who incorporates walking into their race strategy. I know there is some distance out there that will require me to adopt run/walk, and I wasn't sure if I had reached that distance with 50 miles. The majority of the readily available advice on the web supports what you are saying in that walking is a necessity for all ultras including 50 milers. However, it sounds like there is some debate here amongst the experienced ultraers(?), and that running the entire distance (with the exception of hills and aid stations) can be a successful strategy.
My goal is to finish the race in the least amount of time using any strategy to do so. My inclination, inexperienced as it may be, is that running would be quicker, and that's likely to be the final race day game plan. If I fail and become the wiser for it, you can bet I'll be walking in my next 50 miler. But I just might succeed and put up a satisfying time (at least by my standards) in the process.
krew wrote:
In my experience, the back-to-back longer runs on the weekend help a lot.
Out of curiosity, how long are the back-to-back runs and what kind of mpw are they mixed in with?
All of the 50-milers I've done have been done in the buildup to a 100-miler. So, please take that for what it's worth. A basic weekend would be 5-7 hours on Saturday, followed by 3 hours on Sunday. When I could repeat this for three weekends in a row, I knew I was "ready." This weekend would typically be part of a 100-125 mile week.
For me, I've had good luck with the volume through frequency strategy. This means lots of shorter runs during the week and longer runs on the weekend. It has worked for me. But, there are a lot of different ways to reach your goals. I love the long trail runs on the weekend, so I look forward to the back-to-backs.
Good luck!