WHAT I LEARNT FROM MY FIRST ULTRA MARATHON

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In todays vlog i go over what I've learnt from my first ever ultra marathon, the Stour Valley 50km as well as a race recap. Although for me the race didn't go as planned i absolutely loved it!
Let me know in the comments how your first ultra marathon when or if you are yet to do one, has this tempted you to take the plunge?
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[@triathlondude6244]

I did that race too, Ben. I started just after you. It was a very hot day and a undulating route that drains the legs. It wasn't a day for racing, it was a day of surviving the heat and trying to balance effort with potentially overcooking it. Huge congrats. I only think you have neglected to mention is that there was a decent tail wind that day blowing from Sudbury to the coast. See you on the start line next year.

[@scrungobepis4598]

By far that race vlog was the best video on this channel so far! Love hearing about the running journey in all it’s highs and lows more than gear vids. Would be great to see more like this :)

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you scrungo! I really enjoyed making it…I’ll have to run a 50km every weekend!! 😂

[@amandawashington4239]

You showed a lot of courage, sharing your most intimate moments during that 50k, which made me reflect on my own struggles. So good to hear you are not done with the Ultra's, and will cheer you on from across the pond! PEACE

[@BenIsRunning]

Thanks Michelle for your continued support! It’s only spurred me on to the next :)

[@runningoneddie]

Interesting post mortem on your run. I am glad you are taking the time to do it. Thinking about what went wrong can help prevent it from the future. I haven't done any ultras yet but have run my share of full marathons. Some important things I've learned: 1) Adjust expectations to the conditions of race day. 2) If you haven't put in the training for the distance, you should either skip the race or downgrade to the shorter race (if applicable). Love your content and enjoy your work. Cheers and I am glad that this race experience hasn't discouraged you.

[@jaredbowie7193]

I'm not an Ultra runner but definitely learnt the hard way today of the effect the heat can have on a planned long run. You've given great perspective on this video, showing that it's important to look back on the positives! 🙌👏

[@BenIsRunning]

Thanks jarred! So important to adjust to the conditions

[@jamezday]

I've done a few ultras now, pace is hard to judge but I always let the front go and chase, people always run the first miles too quick, ultras are a waiting game, I still bonk in them but I seem to be able to mentally get through them now, find Clif blocks helps as a pack is about 1 hours energy, finishing any ultra is great, well done 👍

[@AshRolls]

Salomon serpent trail 50km would be a good one for you to try. A fast (not too hilly) route

[@FreeLancerLondon]

Ben watched your vlog on your ultra and it was really moving. You did a fantastic job and showed tremendous guts to get to the finish line. What an incredible challenge for you, way out of your regular comfort zone. And as you demonstrate in this post, lots of valuable lessons learned going forward. Well done mate. Doesn't matter where you finish you're a winner in our eyes. Very tough for you and very brave to share with us. Congratulations on your first 50k. Brilliant 👍 Cheers Paul and Gill.

[@rogerhyland8755]

I felt you pain, Sunday HM, weather changed to hot and I crashed from 4 mile, had all the symptoms you had and really struggled even though I trained for it I've never felt so unwell for 24 hrs. I ate before hand which is something I rarely do, I'm 66 and 35 years running experience, still make mistakes. Going forward you are a very talented runner and honestly think you could make a name for yourself in the marathon but you would need to solely concentrate on training correctly and being disciplined, ultras can come later at some point in your career this is what I see as an outsider. I wish you all the best whatever you decide.

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you Rodger! It just goes to show that on the day you never know how your body is going to fair. Looking at some of my favourite marathon runners in Tokyo having to call it a day after just 10km was a reminder for me that no matter how hard you train you can’t control your result. Appreciate your feedback too, at the minute I still feel relatively new to running so am happy to race any distance for the experience more than anything but one day will target a marathon with a proper 12/16 week plan :)

[@goonchamp]

9 weeks out from taking on my 1st ultra marathon can't wait. great insight to the day and what could happen. great video's love them keep it up ben

[@SwimBikeRunFastest]

How did it go?

[@lefterisnydras4860]

Basic Hydration rules in Ultras 1:400-600mg of sodium/hr (ACSM Recommendations) 2:Powder with electrolytes and carbs in your water, 1L-1.5L/hr depending of the temperature. Basic energy consumption in Ultras: 1: 200-300 calories/hr or 1g of carbs per kg of your bodyweight/hour. Hence energy gels of 23-40g of carbs. 2: Have both sweet and savoury food on you that you know your stomach likes. 3: Except gels, have also some solid food high in sugar, like bananas, energy bars, sugar bites, salted corns. You have no idea what your stomach will crave after 3 hours in running. PS: Ultras regardless if you are a fast runner or not, regardless if you have high mental fortitude or not it's mostly a refueling race. Practice a lot in your long runs what works for you, every individual is different. Final points -Not all of us are sweating the same, the more you do, the more your need for consumption. -You don't run always on the same pace, the faster you run, the more your need for consumption. -Not every race is the same, the more difficult the terrain (more hills), the higher the temperatures(above 26c), the more the humidity (above 60%) the more your need for consumption. -Practice in a terrain tha mimics your race enviroment and test all the above again and again to see what works for you. -You need to run 3 times/week on slow pace to exercise your type 2 muscle fibers in your muscles responsible for longer duration activities. -Run Ultras in zone 2, zone 3 of your HR max at least in the first 3/4 of the race so your lactic acid production is not high enough. -The more experienced runner you become and after you built a pretty solid cardio base(3 months minimum, i strongly reccomend 4-6 months) then you can implement tempo runs & intervals to become faster. -The more you practice in your long runs, the more your ergoeconomy will be of your body, the less your need for consumption. -It takes time and patience, months to years. Its a journey, enjoy it! Effects of Sodium Intake on Health and Performance in Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Sports: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8955583/ I hope that helps

[@DustinUnderwoodMKE]

Great vlog. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on race strategy and lessons learned. Talking through the strategy side of running feels like fresh material for KZbin.

[@AlbertWeijers]

Hello Ben, I did my first ultra trail run 50k last week. It took me 6,5 hours of which I ran about 5 hours. We had to go through knee-deep water and a lot of mud (not knee-deep) so that was cold and tough. Still a great experience.

[@markg99]

I'm sure these lessons sink in better when you learn them yourself through experience, even though we've all heard most of them before. Some cool new lessons and perspectives in here too mate. Can't wait to see your next ultra 👍🏻🏃‍♂️

[@BenIsRunning]

100% I’ve heard them all before here and there but it’s only first hand that they actually sink in. It’s worth making the mistake if your going to learnt from it /)

[@frauhorn]

never done an ultra per se, but did do Oxfam trailwalker which was 100km which my team walked in 19 hours. I lost 9 toenails for my troubles so it was no walk in the park! Training for a full marathon now. Looking forward to doing an ultra or two when I can no longer hit PB's in

[@BenIsRunning]

9 toenails!!! That must of been one painful walk, not for me 😂 best of luck with your training for the marathon, hope you can keep more of your toenails on that one :)

[@aephemerial]

big inspiration! 🙏 just stumbled upon your channel and watched a bunch of your videos and I can relate so much to you (as a runner myself).

[@BenIsRunning]

Glad to here it! Thanks for the support 👊🏻

[@robertbradshaw9367]

What a great video. Good to see just how much all this means to you. You're a superb runner and you're only going to get better Ben.

[@teetertotter5787]

Electrolytes are key. Thanks for sharing your lessons learned. Very inspiring.

[@dannygrays]

Great learning from this Ben. Honest commentary with a view to going at it again. Impressive work and love the mindset

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you Danny! Don’t get me wrong I was disappointed but certainly plan on building from the experience and coming back I’m even stronger and more prepared next time! May have to watch this video before the next one just to remind myself 😂

[@Ultrarunnerdad]

Great video, really shows the highs and the lows. 50k is my favourite trail distance, I have 2 50's and an 80k booked in already for next year, probably put a couple of 100's in to keep me honest! Love the long slow miles, I am not built for speed lol.

[@benjaminleeds4024]

Great insight to run and you had learned from the hole experience. Yep I’m sure when you get right you smash it out the park. Trail Ultra and marathon can be unforgiving at times Small mistakes can soon become big issues! I ran the SVP50 in 2020 had good run! But I think I learn a lot from the mistakes i made on stour valley marathon in 2019! I probably wouldn’t of had such a good time on the SVP50! Ps well done on becoming Essex 10,000m champ I just seen the results on the Essex athletics FB page ! 🥇👏👍

[@BM24DK]

7:52 glad you learned from your mistake there. It is so risky to change your fuelling routine moments before a race. Especially the decision to take a gel before race start. I don’t think my stomach would’ve been satisfied with that either 😅

[@BenIsRunning]

I don’t know why I did it 😂😂

[@JackD87]

Brilliant. Just found this channel. Really enjoying flicking through the content. Thanks for making it! Going to follow you on Strava for some more inspiration!! Have you run a marathon yet? What’s your pb?? Jack

[@davidcallan7844]

Good tips, good lessons. Congratulations on your finish.🤘👍🏃‍♂️

[@Soferrytiresome]

Well done mate! Chest pains? Hopefully minor... do you know if they were GI or muscular? I hope they didn't feel like a heavy weight across your whole chest as I've been told that is a sign of cardiac trouble... I've had some scares, but were ruled out as muscular, scary either way. Love hearing you have 'unfinished business' shows you're a man on a mission, good luck!

[@danieltsuedo334]

thank you for sharing this.., and that you had a bit of trouble with the race, and finishing it. i am planning on running my first 50K, on halloween, having only run half marathons before.., i am looking forward to it.., but finishing is the number 1 goal.., and the next is a very generous target time.., but again, the main goal is to finish before the cut off time. good work

[@BenIsRunning]

Best of luck Dan! May I ask which race? Hope your training goes well in the build up 👊🏻

[@danieltsuedo334]

@@BenIsRunning thank you, it is a Spartan Trail event (no obstacles), over here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. still working on nutrition and hydration, first 20K should be fine.., after that, well.. we will see

[@garrymuir1084]

I ran my first Ultra (55 k) 2 days ago and can totally relate to everything you've said in this vid. I however managed not to get carried away with the lead pack and sat back with the chase pack( who actually still felt slightly faster than what I was comfortable with) who eventually started dropping till it was me and one other guy hunting down the 3 front runners somewhere Infront of us. Before the halfway point I could feel my quads tighten which made me worried but decided to stick with it. Then at the second aid station our drop bags had never arrived so ended up running with no gels or fluids which then lead to cramps soon after! Regardless of this we slowly clawed in the front 3 runners and we were in the lead from around the 35k mark. Once we reached marathon distance I was in some real trouble with cramps and was forced to walk a few times. I eventually lost sight of other guy I was running with and he went on to win. I held on for 2nd place and was still under the course record so very happy with the outcome. Ive never felt such a sense of achievement before from a race, you simply don't get that from 10ks or 5k's like you said. I also felt emotional which was a first for me. I can't wait to tackle another ultra and hope all goes well for you on your next one. Il be watching 👍

[@BenIsRunning]

Incredible story there Garry! That sounds like an experienced ultra runner running a close to perfect race, should be chuffed with that! Sounds like you got the pacing spot on! Which race was it if you don’t mind me asking? Great run to get 2nd 🙌🏻

[@garrymuir1084]

@@BenIsRunning Thanks Ben. Yeah it's Tiree Ultra marathon. Its a small island event but that takes you around the coastline of the whole Island and is growing in popularity if you consider all 3 poduims came in under course record. You should come and do it one year and smash it!

[@TeddyFaceFiver]

I knew you were buggered when you decided to wear Vapourflys to a 50km trail race.

[@Yud45]

Can you make a video overviewing how you got to this level?

[@BenIsRunning]

Cheek out my how to improve your 5km video :)

[@blek1987]

Good content! Keep it up!

[@JRJapaneserunnerinUK]

Love to try one day💪. I think you should try Lake50!! Next!!!

[@BenIsRunning]

Its defiantly one to add to your bucket list!! Whats the lake 50? :)

[@ryancorr1006]

Hi Ben - how much did your goal pace differ from Marathon pace due to the trails and the extra distance? I am really not sure what my target time should be (3h25 marathon PB this year)

[@lurker916]

First ultra was 64km in 6hrs 35mins. Got the fueling right but the pace wrong (to fast). Died a DEATH in the last 90 mins and was utterly hating life lol.. finished though.

[@BenIsRunning]

Wow great run! To only blow up with 90mins to go isn’t too bad so you must have only just over cooked it! Done many since?!

[@lurker916]

@@BenIsRunning Not since but keen for more! Will certainly sign up for one here in the Lake District in 2022. Look forward to seeing you tackle another one for sure.

[@christiandonaj8257]

Great video. Just getting into running and preparing to participate in my first event doing a 15,5 km trailrun. What’s that top from? Like the design.

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you! Good luck with the race and it’s from a small company called we are Zouma on Instagram :)

[@christiandonaj8257]

@@BenIsRunning amazing, thank you for the fast response

[@wallyevans4228]

Thanks for being honest…doing my first 50k for my 70th Leanhorse 50k

[@leslie7922]

Nice work

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you

[@fabsterun]

Ben what brand is your hat? They look quite nice .

[@fabsterun]

Ow seems you answered it near the end of the vid.. VaGa is it?

[@BenIsRunning]

The blue one is by Team vaga :) and it’s the new vantage short peak one :)

[@fabsterun]

@@BenIsRunning yeah not available here in netherlands :(

[@BenIsRunning]

@@fabsterun drop them a message on Instagram and say your from Ben is running and they may be able to sort you out!

[@fabsterun]

@@BenIsRunning i can actually buy them using their instagram that was a good idea 💡 gonna order one fore sure . I'll try and figure out how to let them know you send me

[@Gillibrand65]

Hi Ben, have ran a Marathon yet?

[@BenIsRunning]

Hi Kevin! I’ve covered it he distance a few time but never raced one

[@Gillibrand65]

@@BenIsRunning I’d race a marathon before I raced an ultra

[@Gillibrand65]

You are clearly a sub 3 hour Marathon runner, so surly you should focus on setting a really good marathon time?

[@BenIsRunning]

@@Gillibrand65 I’m more focused on the 5/10km at the minute but certainly will give marathons a go at some point :)

[@Gillibrand65]

You’ve certainly inspired me to run faster 5 & 10k by increasing my mileage.

[@ThatRunningGuy]

WHAT I LEARNT FROM MY FIRST ULTRA MARATHON …NOT TO DO ANOTHER 🤣

[@BenIsRunning]

😂😂😂