I quit several sports teams simply because I hated the running. When I was a kid, I always DREADED the mile run in gym class.

but that neither of us was very good at running when we started out. If you've ever listened to our podcast, No Meat Athlete Radio, you probably already know that Doug Hay and I are both ultrarunners, with several 100-milers, lots of 50-milers and 100K's, and a bunch more 50K's between us. How to you go from half (or full) marathoner. In many ways, training for and running an ultra - something most people assume must be a super-intense, painful process of mind over matter - can be FAR more pleasant than racing a half or full marathon against the clock, worried about losing precious seconds for a bathroom break or to tie a shoe.īut let's keep that between us, and let everybody else marvel about how we did it. In other words, ultrarunning is about getting good at not quitting, much more than it's about running fast.

And, my favorite part, hiking up the steepest hills (or for some people, all of them), and sometimes taking planned walk breaks, even before you think you need them. More time at aid stations to make sure you get the fuel you need to keep going and take care of any equipment issues. For most people, running ultramarathons isn't about running certain times. Here's the secret most half- and full-marathoners don't realize about ultrarunning: it's a different mindset.

Download 50k ultra marathon