OT: Trail/Ultra Running

[NickRU714]

Anybody else trail run or do ultramarathons?

After doing obstacles course races - Spartan Races for the last couple of years, looking to up the ante in 2019.

So far, only signed up for the Spartan Race Ultra in April.
30+ miles and 60+ obstacles at Mountain Creek Resort.

 

[ScarletCrimson]

I haven't tried but am interested. The book Born to Run was an incredible read.

 

[kcg88]

I did the Ultra this year at Mountain Creek... Great experience although one toenail is still recovering. Doing the plain beast next year but I wish I was doing the Ultra again... Signed up in the spring on a sale and now it'd cost me an arm and a leg to switch. I'll be back for the Ultra in 2020, though.

That's been my only race past 26.2. Gonna be doing a Ragnar relay in Cape Cod in the spring with some buddies, that'll be 31-34 miles but broken up into a couple chunks with time to rest in between.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Go big or go home. Try the C&O 100 - https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=60125 . Well organized ... flat ... great aid stations ... shade.

 

[NickRU714]

I did the Ultra this year at Mountain Creek... Great experience although one toenail is still recovering. Doing the plain beast next year but I wish I was doing the Ultra again... Signed up in the spring on a sale and now it'd cost me an arm and a leg to switch. I'll be back for the Ultra in 2020, though.

That's been my only race past 26.2. Gonna be doing a Ragnar relay in Cape Cod in the spring with some buddies, that'll be 31-34 miles but broken up into a couple chunks with time to rest in between.

I've done the NJ Beast ('16 '18) and Killington Beast ('17 '18) each twice.

There was a code a couple months ago for any northeast Spartan $89. I figured for such a value, sign up for the Ultra.

Will be my first past 15ish miles.

The road Ragnars seem like a lot of work and logistics.
Although, Ultra with 1 van is easier?

I'm trying to get a team together for the NJ Waywayanda Trail Ragnar in Oct/Nov.

 

[NickRU714]

Go big or go home. Try the C&O 100 - https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=60125 . Well organized ... flat ... great aid stations ... shade.

That looks great.
Definitely enamored with building up for a 100.
Maybe 2020 or 2021.
Flat sounds perfect honesty for a first try.

 

[kcg88]

Hats off... I don't think I have desire to push past 30-35.

And luckily I don't have to worry about too many of the logistics for Ragnar. My friend lives in Boston and is running point on all the details. Definitely seems easier with 6 people instead of 12.

 

[Ronnie_B]

Anyone who has never run trails and plan to do so for first time take this advice - wear gloves. The first time you trip on a root and use your hands to break your fall you'll thank me.

 

[chrisru99]

Do the run for the red it’s a marathon in the Pocono mountains ran on May 18 I believe. This will be my 3rd one this spring. It’s the easiest marathon ever because there are no uphills. I did nyc and that was hard every time after the 59th st bridge.

 

[RUhasarrived]

Good luck.The farthest I've ever run was 20 miles-in around 2:15- back in 71'.I'm out the door in a few minutes for a sensible 5 mile walk.

 

[jreinsdorf]

Ive done a few Beasts in Killington and Mountain Creek. Great time and awesome challenge. At 44 years old the pace of the Goruck 50 mile Star Course sounded intriguing so i did the DC one. Hardest event ive done, especially with a steady cold 20 hour rain the entire time but ill likely do another in Boston or NY in 2019

 

[daneman100]

Most I have ever run is the Hashathon, but then I am a hiker rather than a runner. Just did that for fun.

If you are going to run trail gloves are a good idea, but also choose your shoes wisely. Hard to "embrace the mud" in sneakers meant for the road.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Anyone who has never run trails and plan to do so for first time take this advice - wear gloves. The first time you trip on a root and use your hands to break your fall you'll thank me.

Good point, but no roots on the tow path, only a few rogue stones.

And accept that your minutes per mile will be about 10% slower than your pavement pace. But your knees and lower back will thank you.

 

[NickRU714]

Actually thinking of doing the Rutgers Half Marathon in April as a last long run before my 30mil OCR.

Anybody done it before?
Would be cool to see the rest of campus again - aside from the just stadium and RAC parking lot.

 

[NickRU714]

Most I have ever run is the Hashathon, but then I am a hiker rather than a runner. Just did that for fun.

If you are going to run trail gloves are a good idea, but also choose your shoes wisely. Hard to "embrace the mud" in sneakers meant for the road.

I'm always amazed at people about to start a 14mil obstacle course race, up and down a ski mountain, through mud and water, wearing regular sneakers or gym shoes.

 

[superfan01]

Actually thinking of doing the Rutgers Half Marathon in April as a last long run before my 30mil OCR.

Anybody done it before?
Would be cool to see the rest of campus again - aside from the just stadium and RAC parking lot.

I was thinking of running that too. I have heard good things about it.
I was fortunate and got into the NYC half for March so excited for that.
I was always impressed with Ultras and the people who ran them. Read several books including Born to Run and Finding Ultra. Both great reads.
Also listen to a lot of David Goggins on podcasts and just bought his book.

The NJ winter series does a lot of long distance trail runs throughout the winter so night want to check that out.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Unite 13.1 is an easy course. I wish they’d run more on the campus in place of the loop in Johnson Park and the short lollipop in Buccleah Park. Good aid stations and a great finish stretch up College Ave.

 

[ScarletSince86]

Actually thinking of doing the Rutgers Half Marathon in April as a last long run before my 30mil OCR.

Anybody done it before?
Would be cool to see the rest of campus again - aside from the just stadium and RAC parking lot.

I have done it every year they have held it. It’s a nice run and we’ve been lucky with the weather. It’s mostly on bush and Livingston. The crowd isn’t too large so not much traffic to run through. I like it much better than long branch half.

 

[Zachary.Peril]

I am interested in what many of you do for a living and your family situation. How do you find the time to train because this is some serious commitment.

 

[WhiteBus]

Michelob Ultra sucks. I don't run to get it, I walk away from anyone serving it!
Oh wait. Is the Beer thread??

 

[koleszar]

My 70 year old father in law does this crazy sh*t. He's retired from the Air Force and him and his old service buddies do these races all over the country. They also do ruck sack races and the Bataan Memorial Death race out in White Sands, New Mexico. I used to do Tin Man races after college football was over, what you guys are doing is just flat out nuts.

 

[Section124]

I'm always amazed at people about to start a 14mil obstacle course race, up and down a ski mountain, through mud and water, wearing regular sneakers or gym shoes.

Never did this type of race. What kind of footwear would you recommend?

 

[Crazed_RU]

Hats off... I don't think I have desire to push past 30-35.

And luckily I don't have to worry about too many of the logistics for Ragnar. My friend lives in Boston and is running point on all the details. Definitely seems easier with 6 people instead of 12.

12 person Ragnar is fine. It’s really just 2 vans of 6. You only interact with the other van at the major exchanges. Other than that you are with your van the whole time. Having 12 people also opens up your team recruiting to a wider set of runners. I’d gladly participate in a 12 person Ragnar team where each runner is doing 15-20 miles in 24 hours, but it takes very well trained people to do twice that in 24 hours. I pass on that. I’ve done Adirondacks and Washington DC courses.

 

[NickRU714]

Never did this type of race. What kind of footwear would you recommend?

Any trail shoes really.
Something with lugs to grip going either up or downhill.
Especially Spartan Races - which focus more on using the terrain and mountain as an obstacle.

Most obstacle course races prohibit metal spikes.

 

[RU Kicker 91]

I just ran the Naked Nick 50k yesterday in Leesport, PA. Mostly single track trail, and mud everywhere. There is actually quite a healthy trail/ultra community in NJ/NY with a lot of great trails in the area like Watchung Reservation., Sourland Preserve, South Mountain, and Round Valley Reservoir.
Raritan Valley Road Runners (www.rvrr.org) out of Highland Park has a very healthy amount of members that run trails and mountain ultras, and are always happy to welcome newcomers.

Check NJ Trail Series online as well as UltraSignup for events in Jersey and the northeast. The big event each year is the North Face Endirnce Challenge up at Bear Mountain, NY in May which has main distances at 26.2, 50k, and 50mile.

Spartan and other such obstacle races are difficult, but it is a different type of event and experience from pure trail running. I’m not saying one is harder or better than the other but just that they’re each difficult for different reasons.

 

[RUnTeX]

Michelob Ultra sucks. I don't run to get it, I walk away from anyone serving it!
Oh wait. Is the Beer thread??

Along the same lines I noticed someone posted that there's a deal for $89 to run in one of the events and thought to myself, well that buys a helluva lot of beer instead!

 

[WhiteBus]

Along the same lines I noticed someone posted that there's a deal for $89 to run in one of the events and thought to myself, well that buys a helluva lot of beer instead!

[cheers]

 

[mildone]

I'm trying to get a team together for the NJ Waywayanda Trail Ragnar in Oct/Nov.

If this is one of those divide and conquer deals where some team members run while some, or one even, team member gets to sit in a lawn chair, sip Gin and Tonics, nibble pizza bagels and keep an eye on the equipment, then I'm in.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

The people who do and finish those crazy races are a special kind of tough.

I wonder how many weeks it takes to recover from something like that?

 

[RU Kicker 91]

The people who do and finish those crazy races are a special kind of tough.

I wonder how many weeks it takes to recover from something like that?

It depends on the distance of the ultra (50k, 50mile, 100 mile) and the type of terrain (rocky, mountains, flat, rolling) but for the most part I would say generally 3-4 weeks of recovery before you’re feeling back to 80-85%. You could probably run a short/easy 3 mile shakeout about 3-5 days after the race to get things moving and start to break up the cement in your quads, but no real “serious” running for a few weeks to be safe.

 

[0wl]

There is an incredible ultra trail run that starts in High point NJ. Next one Sep 2019. 70 miles in 28 hours. I'll be there.

https://www.longpathraces.com/shawangunk-ridge-trail-run