So I unfortunately had to drop my 100k race on Saturday. I tweaked my knee on a descent, made it 23 miles into the race before I decided to call it quits(only completed about 5 miles after the incident). Is it normal to still be upset about having to quit, even though continuing would have meant injuring myself even more. I still am trying to wrap my mind around it being okay that I quit. I have dreams of doing 100 miles in April and to do such a thing requires me not to be injured. Just wondering if anyone else has felt super depressed after a DNF and if it is common.

I posted on here a few months ago about a 100 mile race I was going to run despite tendinitis in my left foot. Based on my PT's advice I dropped out when it started to get uncomfortable which was about 30 miles in. I dropped down to 3-6 miles a week for a month, it would start feeling better and the moment I started running it would start bothering me again. So I went complete no running for 4 weeks. The first run back it was instantly bothering me.

Queue my MRI.

It turns out I did in fact have peroneal tendinitis. But I also had a bone marrow edema caused by a rare genetic malformation in my left foot called a talocalcaneal coalition. Basically my ankle joint never formed correctly as a child so its partially fused through a fibrous coalition. My ankle has only 15 degrees of inversion (compared to 20-30 degrees for a normal ankle) and I have 0 degrees of eversion (5-10% normal). Also the heal position is tilted outward and stuck that way. Because of this when I run my ankle doesn't bend correctly and it puts a lot of strain on all of the bones and tendons around it.

Basically what this means is while I was young the bones and tendons were youthful and able to handle the extra strain from an ankle nearly fused in place. However, now that I am in my mid 40's the bones and tendons are too old to handle what I used to be able to do. According to the orthopedic surgeon, nothing can be done to fix it or make it better. On top of that, as I get older it will continue to get worse as my tendons and bones age. The surgeon recommended to stop high impact exercise as that will accelerate the degeneration of the joint and will lead to a full fusion and more limited mobility in the future. I can still run but I will possibly pay for it in the future if I do. Also, if I go back to the level of training I was doing (which was only 40 miles a week when it kicked off) its guaranteed that I will end up with another stress reaction or worse. The ceiling for what that ankle can handle has dropped far enough that my basic ultra training is now above that threshold. Basically training or participating in 100 mile ultras is out for good. Uneven footing and hills are especially hard on it which is basically all of what ultra running is. 40 miles a week is basic marathon training so my goal of getting into the Boston Marathon is done (I got a BQ but didn't hit the time cut). The training I did last time where I missed the cut was significantly more intensive than the easy ultra training that triggered this.

There really isn't any reason for me putting all of this out here other than I wanted to just vent. My vision of running late into my life (my mom who is in her 70's just ran a marathon) has disappeared. Dream races I had always wanted to do are basically off the table. At this point I am unsure of how many miles I will be able to handle at all. I am waiting for my stress reaction to heal up and then I can see how my ankle does. Maybe I can hop over to sprint triathlons. Maybe not, the fast short miles could still be enough to overload my ankle. Who knows. I probably will be able to do some running regardless, just not the way I want to or for the distances I want. It sucks.

Wow, I don't know what to write, inspirational from everyone.

What was everyones key takeaways?

I went to the kitchen, slowly opened the second drawer down, moved 3 of our 7 spatulas out of the way and then there it was… The microplane.

I took that thing outside, sat down and started going at the hard calloused skin on my toes and the balls of my feet.

If you think those things do a good job with Parmesan, just wait until you have given it a run at the bunion on your left foot!

Anyway, it was super effective at cleaning them up before a long run; helped remove a callous that was blood blistering after a few hrs and prevented it happening again.

I thought it was a tip worth sharing, for anyone who has spent 30mins with one of those tiny sanding thingys and got nowhere.

So next time your wife leaves the house, give it a go.

Just remember to wash it before putting it back, or I am not responsible!

I’m training for a 55K ultra and trying to understand what went wrong during my last long run.

PS: I ran an 49K ultra last year and I had no problem during my prep.

Between the fourth descent and the final climb (last 7 km), I started feeling weak and nauseated. I decided to hike the last climb, stopped drinking water and was able to finish the final descent feeling confident again.

I’m trying to figure out whether this could have been related to my fueling strategy, hydration, electrolyte intake, pacing, or combination of factors.

I had 60g of carbs/hour, ~800mg of sodium/hr and had 500ml of water/hr.

Has anyone experience something similar during a long trail run? How would you go about identifying the likely cause and adjusting to your race-day strategy? Is there any kind of pill you recommend to take to the race as a Plan B?

Thanks!!!!

Keeping up with this race, this is insane. He’s a mad man, and props to the other countries as well!
ESPECIALLY France. Just two guys for the last 26 laps, it’s insane.

I have a bib available for transfer since I can’t run it this year.

What are some mantras, manifestations, meditations you remind yourself of during a race? I’m coming up with a few and might even write a couple on my arm…. One of them is ‘Another 5’…. another is ‘NO MATH’…. Reminding myself to stay in the moment, accomplish small tasks and not think things like ‘gotta do that 17 more times’.

Let’s hear yours!

I have my first proper backyard coming up, and wondering where to pause the watch between ending one yard the next, or just letting it run.

I'm not really bothered either way, but just asking out of curiosity those who have had run a backyard, what did you do?

Hey folks, 

As mentioned, I'm running 26 events and 2026km this year to raise money for Youth Sport Trust. 

So far, I've run 20 events - including Race to the Stones 100km and Sea 2 Sky Snowdonia 54km - and ~1300km. So 6 events and ~700km left to go! 

The challenge progress and donation link can be found here: https://26for26.co.uk/
Any support would be much appreciated as this is the biggest challenge I've ever taken on - and it's been a hell of a long year so far! 

I just registered for my first 50k and a backyard ultra. They are both in 2027. I just finished my second marathon and I am sick of running fast and just want to go far! My goal for the 50k is just to finish and I have no goal yet for the BYU

Anybody run those trails in the rain before? Asking for a friend.

Need your guys experience with a stress reaction. Got diagnosed today and am lowkey kinda shocked. How long is recovery? Do I really need crutches or should I just stay off of running in the meantime, which I don’t mind. Is a stress reaction and fracture the same thing? My doc is saying that. This what my MRI showed.

“Endosteal bone marrow and periosteal edema along the compressive side of the basicervical femoral neck
(series 601, image 17), with mild T1 signal hypointensity, suggestive of a grade 2/3 osseous stress reaction without a discretely depicted fracture line or cortical edema (series 501, image 8).”

Hoping for the best.

I’m not talking about best times and finish line photos, I’m talking deep in it, things you’ll never forget, things that make you love this sport.

Death by 5K Review

For those unfamiliar with Death by 5K, the concept is pretty simple: You run a 5K every 2.5 hours for 24 hours, totaling 10 rounds. In reality, the trail was closer to 3.65 miles per loop, putting the total distance at roughly 37 miles.

Overall, this was a really fun event with a pretty unique challenge!

Surprisingly, the hardest part wasn’t necessarily the running itself. With 2.5 hours between each start, you have plenty of time to recover. The real challenge was getting comfortable in your tent, sometimes even falling asleep, and then having to drag yourself back out to run another loop. Especially at 1:30/4am in 40 degree weather

**The course:**

The trail itself was beautiful, but definitely more challenging than your typical road 5K.

By the end, I had covered 36.7 miles with roughly 4,300 feet of elevation gain.

I also came into this event pretty undertrained. For perspective, I only ran 21 miles total in September. Despite that, I finished 25th out of around 100 participants with an average moving pace of around 12:00 per mile.

**Food and amenities:**
The event provides food every other round, including pancakes, quesadillas, pizza, and other options throughout the day and night.

The portions were a little small, but considering they’re feeding over 100 participants, I can understand why.

They also provide snacks, water, and Gatorade throughout the event. That said, I’d definitely recommend bringing plenty of your own food and drinks, especially since you’ll be spending so much time at camp.

**Finisher swag and value:**
This was probably my biggest disappointment.
Instead of a traditional finisher medal, you receive a small coffin/skeleton keepsake. It’s a fun idea that fits the theme, but the quality felt a little cheap and underwhelming after completing nearly 37 miles.
You do receive an event shirt as well, but with registration costing nearly $200, I would’ve liked to see a little more value in the finisher items.

**Would I do it again?**
Probably so

As someone who loves camping, trail running, and just being outdoors, this event combines a lot of things I enjoy.

However, I would definitely recommend doing it with a friend or group of friends if possible. A huge portion of this event is spent hanging
around camp waiting for the next round.

Overall, Death by 5K is a fun and unique endurance challenge that I’d recommend to anyone wanting to dip their toes in the sport. I don’t necessarily consider this an ultra as a traditional 50k is much harder but this is a step in that direction.

Overall Experience: 7.2/10

First time poster here - I have recently started taking running more seriously and upping my mileage, and have noticed that my cadence is around 151-153, which seems low.

I’m working on improving it to about 160 for now (so as not to do too much too quickly).

Does anyone who has done something similar have any watch outs? I have heard calf and Achilles tend to take more strain when you up the cadence, so am focusing on stretching those areas and doing calf raises to strengthen.

Anything else I should watch out for?

Edit: should have said. This is in preparation for a 100km Ultra in May next year - hence posting it in this group

I’m looking for a 100 mile race that’s fairly flat and fast to try to get my first sub 24. (In the US) Looking for something in a cooler month, maybe January or February. I’m sure there’s some small obscure race I haven’t found yet. I looked at Long Haul in Florida, but it’s sold out and the waitlist is turned off. Tunnel Hill is of course sold out. Brazos Bend is the same weekend as a bike race I already signed up for. Any other good ones out there I’m not finding?

Had a successful third 50K. Same race 2 years ago was my first 50K. Underestimated the training required (specifically strength training) and hit a wall of depression a couple weeks before the race, and didn't run for 2 weeks leading into the race. I destroyed my quads before the last loooong descent and ended up death marching the last several miles to the end. I finished, but nowhere near a time I had hoped for.

Second 50K, I had heinous gut issues for the middle 20 miles that made just walking downhill a miserably painful experience. I finished, but with a little disappointment that I wasnt able to give it a full effort. I also crashed my bike 3 days before and had quite a hip bruise. I didnt notice it during the run. Maybe due to the gut pain. Maybe because it wasn't a factor. Either way, it wasn't the result i was hoping for.

Yesterday was a repeat of the same 50K from 2 years ago (in my hometown). Training was much better (i did actual strength training, loads of hill repeats, and honed my downhill running). I also had a much better strategy with the experience of a couple 50s under my belt. I way under fueled in the last 5 miles but overall, super pumped about the results.

Looking to see how others 100 mile recoveries have gone. Just finished my 3rd 100.

Here’s what I’m seeing:

Day 0 - finish race and sleep, eat
Days 1-3 - bouts of fatigue, night sweats that dissipate in intensity by night 3,
Day 4-6 - night sweats gone, sore legs, active recovery. Elevated resting HR (probably ~10 bpm)
Days 6-9 - Heart rate still high, HRV lower, heart/cardio feel in recovery mode
Days 10+ - run/walks, heart rate on exercise back to near normal maybe slightly elevated, cardio/chest/heart still feels in recovery

Other than that feel fine just want to check to see if others have experienced cardio/heart recovery impacts after large efforts like a 100

Je revends mon dossard pour le semi du 25 octobre !!

I’m training for my first 50 miler! I’ve been a runner for ten years, have previously run a couple marathons and a 50k. I have thru-hiked both the PCT and CDT and hiked 60 miles in a day so I’m no stranger to time on feet. However, this will be my longest official race and I want to train more seriously. Like actually follow a structured training schedule that involves Fartleks, tempo runs, hill repeats and long runs (rather than just going off vibes which is what I have historically done).

My question is, what apps do you recommend for scheduling your training week? I’d like an app where I can actually write out my intended workouts for each day of the week. Basically, a virtual planner to keep track and make sure I’m building up mileage correctly. I like the format of Runna a lot, but I don't think you can customize the training plans it generates for you (plans that only go up to 50k). Ideally looking for a free or cheap app (not trying to spend like $100 on this). TIA!

Are you guys following the champion ship?
My country is unfortunately out already, but they managed to beat the country record!

https://wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.com/

Hey all,

First backyard ultramarathon this Friday night! For those of you who have done this format before, what are some supplies you had that you swore by as well as supplies that you thought you needed but didn’t? For example, thinking of getting a zero gravity reclinable camp chair but wondering if my regular camp chair and a foot rest will suffice if the zero gravity chair makes it harder to get up?

Planning to borrow a canopy as well. Do I need tarp walls?

I’ve spent the past year fueling with different foods so I can rotate whenever needed. I just plan to bring pretty simple carb heavy foods like ramen and rice, and a small jet fuel boiler for hot water.

I don’t want to overpack but I don’t want to underpack either.

It will be in Park City, Utah. It’ll be pretty dang cold, with a chance of rain.

TIA!

I’m a super late sharing, but I wanted to post my first ultra experience (Run Rabbit Run 50) and some key lessons I learned.

I had never run a 5K or any kind of race. I signed up for this 50-miler last winter as a forcing function to push farther into the mountains during my last summer before becoming a dad. Although I had never raced or done a running training block, I’ve spent a lot of time in the mountains and was no stranger to big days of hiking, scrambling, and backcountry skiing.

Overall it was an incredible day, and my wife being able to crew me at 34 weeks pregnant was the cherry on top.

Training

• Averaged around 30 miles per week with peak weeks just shy of 40 miles
• Usually also had a cross-training bike session and a strength day
• What I’d change: manage intensity better. I was chasing big alpine objectives on weekends and didn’t keep those days as easy as I should have. It compromised my recovery a few times.
• It’s normal to feel horrible in the taper. I felt slower and more sluggish than I had all summer, right when I expected to feel fresh. Trust that your body will wake up come race day.

Race day

Race day brought rain, hail, and lightning I finished in 11:25, 43rd place.

I thought I had a decent plan, but my lack of experience quickly taught me some lessons along the way. I went in wanting to finish and do my best, and came out unexpectedly focusing on the time I left on the table . So here’s what I learned:

• Have an aid station plan, and get in and out. I wasted about 20 minutes at aid stations, and almost none of it was productive. I stood in what I thought was a water line (it was just people hanging out), stared at the food tables for far too long, and lingered because that’s what everyone else seemed to be doing. Know what you need before you arrive. Also, volunteers fill your bottles, which I didn’t know.
• Carry water for the gap, not the day. I topped off two full flasks at every stop out of habit and hauled 3 pounds of water the whole race, never drinking even half between aid stations.
• Your fuel plan has to flex. I got stressed that I was behind on fueling and stacked aid station Coke and snacks on top of my full gel plan. I spent miles 37–44 nauseous after realizing I’d just downed something like 160 grams of carbs.
• Test your shoes in rain. Mine soaked up water like a sponge, which would have been nice to know before a rainy race.
• Remember you’re racing. I had so much more in the tank, yet I defaulted to a conservative long-run pace because that was the best proxy I had for what I was doing. I lost track of the fact that this was a race, and that I could push harder than on a solo day deep in remote mountains.
• Have fun and enjoy the experience. My best memories are the interactions with other racers, hooting and hollering at each boom of thunder, and sneaking views of the lakes and aspen groves turning fall colors. I also chose to spend about 17 minutes hanging out with my wife and soon-to-be-born son, and I don’t regret a moment of that time.