As someone with a track background, I’ve always looked at ultramarathons with a curiosity. I wondered at what point 8-10 minute per mile pace feels hard, how difficult is it to run in the dark, what impact does lack of sleep have on performance, and do people get bored during these races? I had so many questions and knew the only way to answer them was to experience an ultramarathon myself.
I have always wanted to run an ultra, so as much as I want to frame this as “research” or “training”, it was so sure just me pursuing my dreams. Some of my friends and I signed up for a local 50k along the Pacific Crest Trail. Since it was only 31 miles long, I wouldn’t be able to answer the questions about sleep deprivation and running in the dark, but I would get a taste of the ultra experience. It would tell me enough about this sport for me to know if I wanted to continue to explore the deep dark world of 30+ mile races.
They say a picture says a thousand words, so certainly this video says at least a million. Watch it to hear all of my thoughts on the ultramarathon experience.
