Our Musings on 24-Hour Races

I first heard of 24-hr racing while browsing the USATF website and reading the bios of the ultra-runners on their site.  I immediately called my sister to laugh about this idea and together we laughed even more.

Here are Janelle's Ideas for training:

Idea 1:

• Run on the treadmill at home. 
• Give mom prior warning before starting long workouts so that she doesn't freak out and cut the workout short by doing something crazy (unplugging the machine, tackling you, etc.)

This plan utterly fails because either the treadmill or our mom will break down long before the planned workout ends.

Idea 2:

• Get a 24-hr gym membership. 
• Assemble a support team of dedicated friends or paid volunteers.
• Pack several pairs of shoes.
• Run/walk 3 hr on one treadmill.
• Get support team to prep the next treadmill.  Hop unto the next treadmill.  
• Repeat above.  After 6 hrs, change shoes.  
• Support team periodically hands over snacks and waters. In the wee hours,  support team sprays face of runner to wake up runner.
 

Idea 3:

• On top of idea 2, learn how to run along with a support runner pulling you forward on a tether.

All of these ideas are crazy, we know.  But it's an interesting thought exercise.  I started doing some research into the training.  The more I read, the more drawn I feel to the sport.

Here are some pro's to 24 hr racing:

• No DNF's or DNQ's if you don't run fast enough.
• Smaller loops mean you get more access to elite runners.
• Smaller loops means more opportunities to build rapport with fellow racers
• You get to pack snacks.
• You get to take naps.
• Since running/walking is encouraged, you don't have to push past glycogen-exhaust wall if you run smart.
• Mental strategy is huge part of the race.  Along with physical fitness.
• Some novice runners, go for smaller goals - run 100K, 50 mi, marathon distance, inside the time limit and then quit.
 

When I did more research on the training, I skimmed through some interesting articles on how to train for a shorter length ultra-race - the 50 miler.  I read about a "novice plan" to train for a 50 mile race.  I didn't study it too carefully because it said not to attempt the plan until your running base was built up enough that you could comfortably run 13 or 14 miles.  I am still slowly and methodically building my base so that I can comfortably run a speedy 5K wearing minimalistic shoes.

The more I read, the more intrigued I get.  I now have a pie-in-the-sky dream of running a 50 mile race when I turn 50.  Whether or not it is my FIRST 50 mile race depends on how long it takes me to build my running base to that distance.  If I do run a 50 mile race, I think at some point in my training for that race I would run a 12 hr race so I can attempt to run 50 miles with a lot of breaks with snacks and naps.  Running a 50 mile race at a 12 minute mile pace would take 10 hrs; 8 hr 20 min at a 10 minute pace.  Spacing out the 50 miles over 12 hr might be a nice way to mentally overcome the size of that distance.

I have a tentative plan for building my base.  First build my base to run 5K's comfortably.  Then build my base to run 10K's comfortably and safely.  Then build to the half marathon distance.  Then build to 20 mile or marathon distance.  Then run a couple marathons.  Then start doing a novice 50 mile training program.  The idea of slowly and methodically building my base between the different distances has a lot of appeal to me.  I tend to stay more motivated if my goals grow with me.