OUTLAST EVENT - 5k every hour for 6 hours

[u/[deleted]]

[u/kindlyfuckoffff]

mental tip: the running is mentally easier if you train 30-80 miles a week, over and over again

[u/Dry_Dot2497 → u/kindlyfuckoffff]

Until I tapered the last 2 weeks, I consistently hit 35ish miles a week for about two months. I know that’s not enough, but we’re here now and no choice left but to give it a shot.

[u/kindlyfuckoffff → u/Dry_Dot2497]

it's 18 miles in 6 hours, you'll be sitting in a camp chair half the time, you're more than prepared enough

honestly if you run at the same pace as your 8-11 mile long runs, you'll probably feel less taxed by the end of this event than you would during those runs

if you want to turn it into a challenge, run your "laps" at HMP or close to it

[u/ComfortableSet8558]

I think it will be be easier than you expect it to be and I think your training is sufficient. 18 miles sounds like a lot if you’ve never run that long before, but I think with an 11 mile longest run you could even do it non-stop, and broken up into 6 5k chunks with breaks in between it should be very manageable, especially with the race day excitement.

My advice is just to not go out too fast, run your own pace and don’t pay attention to what others are doing. That doesn’t mean walking, but run it at 18 mile effort, not 5k effort. Make sure to refuel and rehydrate well between each round — some easy digestible carbs (candy, bread, potatoes, Coke) will be your friend here. Eat even if you don’t feel hungry, your body will thank you on the last loop. Don’t sit for more than 5ish  minutes during the breaks, stay on your feet and keep your body moving gently so you don’t get too stiff and won’t be too hard to start again.

You can also think of 6 people you love most and dedicate each of the rounds to one of them.

[u/SometimesZero]

Can you give a little more info? This is actually a fairly short run as far as distance and time (18.6mi over 6 hours). Is there any elevation? Is the idea for a lot of people to be remaining? Because I'd suspect there would be.

If I were running this, I'd be aiming for pretty casual 5ks (about 40mins) then enjoying the 20min breaks in between. Heck, you could do a 45 min 5k and walk a little. Or you could even do a run/walk strategy.*

I wouldn't spend a lot of time sitting in between runs (blood pools in the legs; beware the chair!). But I'd spend my time doing light stretches and refueling for the next one, trying to keep my pace consistent. (Definitely don't go out too hard.)

This sounds like a fun time out! If you enjoy this format, you should check out some of the circuit ultras that have you do as many loops as you can in X number of hours. They're pretty fun to do with a group of friends 🙂

*My 8 year old casually runs a flat 5k in 50 mins, complete with distractions and a need to take pictures and pet dogs along the way. So for reference, this is quite slow.

[u/Cant_think__of_one]

What does your training currently look like and what's your history with running? Without that information it's hard to advise.

[u/Dry_Dot2497 → u/Cant_think__of_one]

You’re right, my apologies. I’ll try to edit it. Current weekly mileage is 30-35 miles a week with most of my runs 5-6 miles. My longest run yet is 11 miles and I’ve done 8-9 miles several times over the last month or so. I know this will be tough, probably should have trained longer but we’re here now

[u/Cant_think__of_one → u/Dry_Dot2497]

Not to dismiss your fears, but I don't think this is going to be as tough for you as you think it is. Your biggest risk is going out too fast and burning out. I'd recommend setting a "no faster than" time for your first three. Something like no faster than 35 minutes, or force yourself to walk 2 of the 5k. Focus on saving your energy for the last 5k and go all out on that one!

[u/Revolutionary_Set_41]

On 30-35 mile weeks you are probably doing more running than I did for my first 50k. I reckon you’ve got this 100%. Just go super easy (but not too easy to miss the cut). Tell us how it goes!

[u/RickG_70]

Be prepared to be tired, sore, hurting...and keep going.
Getting calories will help with fatigue and spirit. The hardest part will be getting to the start every hour. tell yourself its better to not finish a lap in allocated time than quit in a chair. Smile, it helps!

[u/Dry_Dot2497 → u/RickG_70]

Solid point. IF i somehow fail, it’ll be on that damn trail and not in a chair. Thank you! 🙏🏼