In my post earlier today I described the various different paced runs you can start to add after the distance foundation stage. I forgot to mention the ‘ultra marathon’ pace. This is a recovery like run albeit a very long one but the bonus is because it’s a race you get to basically eat and drink what you want, within reason, on the pretence it is required fuel and hydration.

When I prepare for a marathon I’ll maybe hand-carry a couple of Gu’s, as extra nutrition, as the 42k distance without these bad boys can be a challenge. You add the word ‘ultra’ to a race and you have hydration packs filled to the gunnels with about 6 litres of some super-drink full of electrolytes, sugar, carbohydrates and more protein than a field of chickens. Then you add a fuel belt with more confectionary than a corner store. This could be for a race an extra 4-5k longer than a marathon. What happens in that extra 4-5k that justifies this food and drink smorgasbord ? Worse still is a supported ultra because every 10k or so  these runners get to feast on all sorts of weird and wonderful delicacies.

I’ve always said an Ultra is an eating and drinking conception with running between meals. The person who finishes first and normally eats the least normally wins. My mate Jon in his first ultra ( http://australiadayultra.com ) actually put weight on in the 100k race and still finished second. If he spent more time running and less time eating he could have won !

All joking aside Ultra pace is obviously slower than normal and is dictated by distance and terrain. Common sense dictates the longer the race the slower the pace and if the terrain is mountainous add a few seconds per pace, in between snacks of course.

I’ve ran 16 ultra’s in my career ranging from 46k up to three Comrade campaigns in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Comrades varied between 86-89k depending on how sadistic the race director felt I assumed. ( http://www.comrades.com ) My lasting memory of Comrades was the constant deluge of food offered from organised race tables or just the general public. This consisted of barbecues serving all sorts of meat in all sorts of  disguises. and of course beer, and lots of it.  Unfortunately this is not the norm for ultras, normally you have too work vary hard between aid stations , which is another excuse to spend serious time at the aid stations eating and drinking, apparently.

So if you like your ‘tucka’ then maybe the ultra world is the answer to your dreams., I know Jon can’t wait to get stuck into the 100k in January next year.