100% yes! And I’d say that for anything really. When I think about that question “Is Ultra Running for beginners?”, it’s actually annoying to even say. I was always told as a kid, if I wanted to do something, I should go and do it. But reality is that kind of undying support isn’t always the case when growing up. So as an adult, in my forties, setting sail on my ultra running journey, I want to shout from the mountain top “If you want to do something, then go do it!” The only person to tell you you can’t run (or walk/hike/jog) an ultra is you. I wholeheartedly believe this and am sticking to it. Even if I continue to hear snarky comments from others.
Rewind to 2024
Last summer, I became obsessed with gravel bike racing and wanted to dive head first into it. I trained for my first race, and it was a blast to cross the finish line. But biking for me is something that Alex and I started together. We always rode as a duo and that’s what made mountain biking fun. As I trained for the gravel race, I had to do most rides alone and on different trails. I was a bit surprised at how much I did not enjoy riding alone. And the thought of having to do this every day to become competitive in racing wasn’t what my heart wanted. No shame in saying, I had to pivot. I needed a new direction.
Why at 46 am I Running Ultras?
I’ve read so many books about Know Your Why… and I agree. You must have a WHY. Because 10 hrs later when you’re still out there shuffling along, the why will pop in your head and keep you moving.
Enter 2025.
And to answer the question above, why not! I needed an athletic goal. Something to work towards. I already have the discipline to go to the gym regularly but that just isn’t enough for me personally. I have plenty of friends that enjoy working out just so they can have fun outdoors. But for me, it doesn’t do it. My competitive spark doesn’t turn off because I’m frolicking outside. I must frolick for a purpose. My WHY is I want to explore the world, on my feet, while doing really hard sh*t, and cross that finish line as an older outdoor gal, crushing it one step at a time and hopefully having a few friends with me.
And I’m not being delusional that I want to enter Ultra races and hit the podium, knocking off the young, super athletes of today. That’s not my ambition. Ok, sure that would be fantastic. But setting a goal like that is just lending myself to failure and disappointment. My desire is to grow personally with the sport and become part of a new community, not feel defeated after every race.
What’s the Draw to Run… Forever
My internal motivation is simple. I just want to show myself that I can do it. Never in my 46 years have I ever pushed myself like this, especially mentally. I’ve actually never been a runner. I didn’t run in school or even as an adult until recently. And the half-marathon I did run 15 years ago, I only ran to train for it and then not much after. I did try to run the Chicago marathon, but overtrained myself to the point that I stress fractured my foot and missed the starting line. That’s when I hung up my running shoes till 2025.
Running is Like a Mental Massage
Even with so much time passing between then and now, I still always remember how I felt running. To me, running is like a mental massage. I work out all sorts of problems, get great ideas, let go of anything upsetting… running is like a therapy session between me and nature. And I’ve always loved it as a solo endeavor. I like running alone so it’s just me and my own thoughts. I’m not much of a trail chatter, but I will if others are there and the time does go by faster with friends. But my first choice is to head out alone and come back refreshed.
Tune Out the Negativity
Just like last summer when I wanted to gravel race, I still get stupid comments when someone finds out I want to run ultras. Common remarks are “why would you want to do that?”, “that sounds awful and pointless”, “ultra runners don’t even run”. And the list goes on and on. But after I roll my eyes and move on from the conversation, I remember my why and keep on pushing forward. Sometimes I feel like people cast shade on you for working towards something because they couldn’t do it themselves and somehow it projects out on others.
When it comes down to it, the more negative or snarky someone is, the more motivating that becomes. If they are taking the time to tell me all their inner thoughts on why what I’m doing is ridiculous to them, I must be on the right track! You could probably apply that to anything you’re doing in life.
Where Did I Even Start
My last attempt decades ago to run a marathon ended in disaster with a broken foot and no starting line. I know myself and if I were to make my training plan now, I’d repeat the past and once again not hit my goals. As an athlete, I am impatient and always seem to go from 1 to 10 in a couple weeks when in fact I should be playing the long game of a 6 – 12 month training calendar.
I’ve had a training coach for years and while he’s always been an endurance coach at his core, we never tapped into that together – until now. The first step was choosing my ‘A’ race and then planning up to that. I set my sights on October 2025 for my first 50K, giving me ample time to finish out winter, focused on snow sports, and then still having six months of solid trail running to get me ready for October.
The Plan for 2025
Running commenced at the end of March, where I focused on building up my base for about six weeks. Lower mileage was the theme to help strengthen my lower legs and feet for the stress of the trails. And can I say, it went great! Then in May I moved into a more lactate threshold push with a longer run added to the weekends. LT training isn’t on my fun scale but you do feel accomplished when the sessions are over. And when I’m in a race and need a burst of speed for some terrain feature or a time cutoff, I’ll appreciate this. Unfortunately, several weeks back at the end of a long Saturday run, something extremely painful *snapped* in my left calf, and I’ve had to pivot.
Snap in Calf… Time for Plan B
My original training plan didn’t have weeks of rehab in it, but the body does what it does, and I have to go along with it. We haven’t let this sideline me completely. I could effectively cycle without further straining my calf, and it helped to keep my cardio going while I healed. Slowly I came back, doing several trail runs recently as I keep massaging, stretching, and soothing my boo-boo.
I do have a ‘C’ race on the calendar mid-June, and I’m still expecting to run it. I’m treating it more as a training run for a race day experience and fuel/equipment checks. Of course not at the expense of the real goal in October but hope is still there for me that I’ll cross the June finish line, even if just for practice and not race times. The next two weeks will dictate what happens for June, but my heart is fully committed to October, and I’m trying not to be too distracted looking at future spring and summer 2026 race schedules as registrations start opening. It’s so hard to not just keep signing up for races… even as a 46 year old beginner!
