Newbie to Ultras

Hello all! First, a little intro. I have been running most of my life. I started as a sprinter in high school, and during the summer I ran up to 7 miles. I ran casually until I had my first child (I now have 4), and then ran my first marathon when he was 1 1/2. I have now run 10 marathons, and plan on running my first 50 miler in June. I am both excited and nervous about this distance.

Feel free to give me any advice or encouragement! And hello, I am excited to learn from all of you!

Think seriously about what kind of challenge/experience you are looking for in entering a 50 and then train toward that experience. You probably cannot run 50 miles at your marathon pace, and going out conservatively becomes more important than ever. Spending most of the day (or longer) outside, hopefully in a pretty place, moving briskly and efficently, and keeping yourself hydrated and nourished and REASONABLY COMFORTABLE is a very worthy and challenging goal for a first 50. It's not like a long marathon, it's a completly different universe. Resolve to enjoy it.

If you must race, race the second one.

Just FWIW. Good training and good luck.

Thanks for your input. It really helps. How do I make sure I am eating and drinking enough. Do you use some sort of formula? Or is it just trial and error while training?

I had a bad experience at my most recent marathon where even though I was drinking enough, my body was not absorbing it. I became extremely dehydrated and collapsed at the end. I had no idea what was going on. After an iv it still took a few days to feel better. I do not want that to happen again. So in a 50, I really want to make sure I am drinking enough.

Any thoughts on hydrating?

There's not much I feel qualified to say as everybody is different and I'm no expert. You are a more experienced runner than I. Latest advice seems to be to let hydration be dictated by thirst, realizing that you probably can't replace all you are sweating if it is at all warm. That is, gradual, mild dehydration may be the norm and "drink before you're thirsty" presents some dangers. Almost everything you eat will need a little water to digest, particularly gels, which I don't much care for. Don't send a gel down without a little water to follow it. I personally find my stomach prefers liquid food, Ensure, Hammer Perpetuem, etc. When you have a stomach problem you have a real problem. Not only are you miserable, you can't stay hydrated and fueled. Hammer's website has some advice on these subjects which I have found works for me. Do your reading and then try things out in your training. For me, little sips of liquid food and some water every, say, 15 or 20 minutes, right from the start, is the way to go. YMMV.

Ideally, you work this stuff out in training. And, if you can train on the race course, even if it means only a couple of sessions and travel to do it, by all means, get whatever familiarity with the course you can.