View From The Edge | Ultramarathons are not harder than marathons just because they are longer; all distances are as hard as you make them
- Maintaining speed over 42km is as hard, possibly harder, than trudging over the mountains for hours on end
I recently completed my first few mountain ultramarathons and my friends cannot believe I jumped straight to running 50km or even 100km without doing a traditional road marathon first. This has opened my eyes to a misunderstanding around our sport.
A marathon is not a stepping stone to an ultramarathon. The 42km road race is as challenging, in different ways, as any other distance. Though being faced with steep mountains and tricky descents might seem harder, it also provides a break not only from the physical pounding of the same muscle groups, but for the mind too.
During a road marathon, you have to concentrate the entire time. You have to focus on your split. If you have a target time in mind, you have to keep an even but fast pace for hours. Not only is this lung-busting work, but it is taxing on the mind. Every time I try to do a fast road run, I begin to day dream and then suddenly realise I’m way off pace. For all those who think ultramarathons are a mental battle, marathons are just as much of a mind game.
In fact, as in any race, if you go all out to your absolute capacity, you will collapse over the finish line, gasping for air. How many ultra runners are gasping for air at the end of a 100km?
A run is as hard as you make it. If you empty yourself, all distances are as tough as each other, be it 5km or 200km.