15 Weird, Funny, and Surprising Lessons From my First Ultramarathon

How do you prepare for your first ultramarathon?

You don’t.

I thought I had everything dialed in for my the Pikes Peak 50K on July 25, 2020. But I’m here to tell you, those 31 miles leave plenty of time for the universe to work some mischief.

So if I had one tip, it’s to be ready for anything — and have fun with it. Even if you’re laughing through tears and gritted teeth sometimes.

And here are 15 other lessons learned from my first ultramarathon that might (or might not) save you some pain.

Note: I am not an ultramarathon expert and in fact came in third from dead last. So feel free to take these with a grain of salt.

But I promise they’re straight from the heart. ❤️

Special thanks to:

• Mad Moose Events — Pikes Peak 50K was a really well-organized event with awesome volunteers.

• Alison Naney and Uphill Athlete — My awesome coach who gets me to run more than I ever thought possible!

More ultramarathon and ultrahiking posts

• Grand Canyon R2R2R trip report

•  Try hiking an ultramarathon ... and watch your endurance skyrocket [podcast episode]

1. Carry Pepto-Bismol

I am serious about this! If a bear tries to tear off your vest, fight to keep the Pepto-Bismol.

I threw some Pepto-Bismol in my pack at the last minute because I saw it on someone’s online packing list. But I think that list was the universe speaking!

As we were driving to the starting line at 5 a.m., I started experiencing agonizing cramps in my gut. I’m not sure if it was the coffee, the anxiety, or messing with my diet during race week (see #2).

When we parked, I immediately took some Pepto. Then I ran for the bathroom. Bad things ensued. I literally ran from the bathroom across the start line.

But the Pepto worked some magic, and the cramps subsided. I was a little nauseous and didn’t eat anything for the first 10 miles. But after that, I felt great the rest of the way.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This blog post does not constitute medical advice. It is outside my scope of practice to recommend medications, even over-the-counter ones. Just telling you what worked for me.

2. Nothing New on Race Day

Ignore this one at your own peril. I made the mistake of stuffing myself with super-spicy Rasta Pasta the day before the race, and I think it probably contributed to my gut distress the morning of.

(By the way, if you’re in Colorado Springs and you’re not running an ultramarathon the next day, Rasta Pasta is delicious. You should totally check it out!)

3. Practice getting up early

Yet another thing that probably messed with my stomach! I’m a bit of an insomniac, so I almost never run in the early morning. This means that I never experimented with meal timing before the race.

I’d read in a book that some ultramarathon runners get up in the middle of the night and eat breakfast, then go back to sleep. This may be a great strategy for some people, but not for me!

I’d had a hard time falling asleep and had just nodded off when the food alarm went off at 2:30 a.m. After I ate a slice of pizza, I tried to go back to sleep — and failed miserably. I started the race at 5:30 with heartburn and half-digested pizza sitting in my gut like a rock.

So as painful as it may be, I think I need to dial in my morning fueling strategy before the next race. (And also practice running in the morning.)

4. Breathwork Helps Pre-Race Anxiety

I was so nervous before the race, I probably would have dropped out if hadn’t been for breathwork. I did tons of breathing in the week leading up to the race, including a long session the night before.

Breathwork is awesome because it helps you get out of your head and into your body and intuition. When I’m not overanalyzing everything, I realize:

• The world is basically safe (including the ultramarathon course)

• I was born worthy and have nothing to prove

• I am a divine being having a human experience. (I am so much more than my running accomplishments and race pace.)

• The world is happening for me in perfect timing. Ergo, I will have exactly the race I’m supposed to have.

If you want to check out this breathwork thing, follow Pause Breathwork on Instagram and click on their IGTV! They do live breathwork every morning at 8 a.m. PT, and you can also watch the replays.

5. You don’t need to carry 10 pounds of food (even in pandemic)

The info we got before the race made it sound like the aid stations might be a little light on food due to Covid (no burritos, etc.). So as insurance, I shoved dozens of Snickers, Honey Stingers, and peanut butter pretzel squares in my hydration vest.

The vest ended up so full, I looked like I was wearing a life preserver, and it was also a little heavier than normal. But I was totally prepared to be self-sufficient.

Honestly though, the food at the aid stations was amazing. One even had the forbidden burritos. Ditto bacon and tater tots. Other than a few Honey Stinger chews, I hardly ate any of my own food!

The situation no doubt varies between races, so see if you can get some details on the aid station food before the event.

6. Do carry extra water

I should have ditched the food and used that space to carry extra water! Two 500 mL hydroflasks were not enough for the 5–6 miles and killer vert between aid stations.

I actually had an extra (empty) flask in my vest. But it never occurred to me to fill it until I ran out of water on a steep uphill section and climbed for about 30 minutes totally dry.

Fortunately, after standing around the aid station rehydrating for a few minutes, I perked up and was able to continue.

7. Don’t get lost

The Pikes Peak 50K course was extremely well marked. But no ultra is going to be marked as well as a road race. At one point, I missed a switchback and ended up having to retrace my steps for about 10 minutes, which was super annoying.

So don’t zone out. Keep looking for trail markers! Carrying a trail map/GPS also helps! The Trail Run Project phone app includes tracks for many popular ultramarathons.

8. (almost) Everyone walks up the hills

When I started training for my ultramarathon back in the spring, I assumed I’d get super fit and be able to run up all the hills.

My friend Kelly (who is a more experienced ultrarunner) tried to convince me that walking up hills (even short ones) was just fine in a race. According to her, even Kilian Journet walks sometimes.

Well, it’s a good thing I made peace with walking, because I did a lot of it. I actually had a split on a really steep section that was 39 minutes! But I still finished comfortably in front of the cutoff. So really. Don’t be shy about walking.

9. Don’t chase

It’s so easy to start too fast, but resist the urge to chase the pack!

Because of Covid, runners started in like 20 waves of six to allow for social distancing. Somehow, I ended up in the middle when I really should have been in the back. So then I watched dozens of people pass, which wasn’t amazing for morale.

By the second aid station, as far as I can tell, I was second from dead last. However, I did go on to pass a some of those fast starters later. So I was really happy I stuck to my (very slow) pacing plan and didn’t try to keep up.

Pikes Peak Ultramarathon 2020! [Photo courtesy of Curtis Kincaide]

10. Get used to solitude

The Pikes Peak 50K was mostly a loop course. So once everyone settled into their pace, I went as long as an hour without seeing anyone. If you’re used to running road races in huge packs, this might feel weird. But given how crowded the trails are due to Covid, it might also be a welcome reprieve!

11. Rain makes you chafe and itch

Pikes Peak 50K is potentially a hot course, so we were stoked to see some rain in the forecast. However, as soon as I got wet, I was suddenly chafed everywhere!

At one point it got so bad, I took out the BodyGlide and just shoved it down my pants to reach a sore spot on my inner thigh. Seriously, I didn’t care who saw.

Fortunately, BodyGlide is super effective. Here's a link to the unisex version.

I was happy as soon as the rain stopped. But as I began to dry, I started to itch. I’m not sure there’s a way around this short of changing your pants. (Rolling mine up helped a little.)

12. Pickle juice is a superfood

I always struggle to replace enough sodium during runs. But I found the solution. Pickle juice! It was at all the aid stations, and when you’re on mile 22, it tastes like heaven.

I used to hike with a lady who carried dill pickles on trail (I thought it was hilarious at the time). So if you’re looking for a portable for training runs, there you go.

13. There’s a secret password

The course had an out-and-back section that summited Mount Rosa. To get to the top, you have to run the last 1,000-ish feet of vert of 7,500 ft. total.

If that weren’t hard enough, the Mount Rosa Trail is super annoying and has a couple of false summits. After the second one, it occurred to me that the runners were pretty spread out, and I could totally cheat and just turn around.

But you shouldn’t do that, because at the top of Mount Rosa, there’s a sign with a password! I was pretty tired at that point, and I didn’t think I could remember the password. So I took a picture.

14. Your brain will be tired

After the race, my body bounced back pretty fast. But I had the worst brain fog and kind of a crappy mood for at least a week. It got worse after the initial euphoria wore off.

I suspect it had to do with CNS fatigue, and also the fact that I didn’t run much the week after. It’s now day 9, and I’m just starting to feel a little bit sunnier.

So be kind to yourself after the race! If there’s a way to lighten your work and family commitments, plan ahead to do so.

15. If you feel like crap, just wait 10 minutes

There were at least nine times (I stopped counting) when I had a thought like … If I don’t make the next cutoff, I would be totally OK with that!

It sucks when you don’t feel good in the middle of the race. At one of my low points, I ran into two bros who were like, “Haha, you’ve still got a long way to go!” Yeah, thanks. If I hadn’t been so tired, I might have kicked them in the crotches.

But it’s amazing what a little snack, a shot of pickle juice, hitting a sweet downhill, or a cool rain shower can do. One minute you can be in the hurt locker — and ten minutes later you can feel like a new person.

So just hang in there. Like life, an ultramarathon is magic and tragic by turns.

So there you have ‘em. My 15 best first ultramarathon tips.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to give the 50K distance a try! Really, it’s only 5 miles longer than a marathon. OK, with potentially more vert. But still.

And if you need some extra support during training, hop in the Facebook Group.

Originally published August 4, 2020.