Ultra-marathon advice that saves me

Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash

I learned how to navigate the ultra-marathon world by making every possible mistake but learning from each one. Finally, I decided to add the expertise of an ultra-expert to the lessons I have learned, so I asked my friend to share everything he knows about ultras. The result was three pages of notes, and the feeling that I was finally prepared to take on this beast, which is unlike any other race. Here are a few pieces of advice that have saved me more than once.

You can do almost anything one more time. Instead of looking at the total mileage ahead, take it one mile at a time. I mostly do loop ultras, so I tell myself to do one more loop, and then I can see how I feel; then I continue to do that.

You have to know how to fuel the machine. Experiment with various foods and drinks to determine what works best for you. I cannot drink the typical electrolytes offered at races because they are too strong for my stomach, so I had to find something gentler. I alternate between drinking that and water. I eat half of a peanut butter sandwich before the race starts, and I eat something every hour to continue replacing the calories I am burning. When I reach higher mileage, I often feel slightly nauseous. When that happens, I eat 5 ginger cookies, and that calms my stomach. My two worst experiences were related to my stomach. The first incident occurred because I…