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Every runner I know who still has a passion for their sport even after they have a few marathons under their belt eventually think about participating in an Ultra Marathon. And on this, the first Thursday in June, the Runner’s Lounge has asked us to write about any race that takes us beyond the plain old marathon. There are a few options to choose from when you take this subject on: there is the triathlon for the swimmers and bikers amongst us runners, a race that, if you stick with it, will ultimately lead to a full Iron Man. Although I am always intrigued by the Iron Man I  really never had the urge to train for a triathlon myself. It is a swimming part that keeps me on land. I would do the 100 mile bike race and marathon in a heartbeat but I really really do not like to swim. I love water, but my idea of a fun time in the liquid element is floating about in turquoise, bathtub warm Caribbean seas. Just the idea of having to wear a whole body suit in order to complete the swim portion of the triathlon is enough for me to keep on running.

The idea of training for and completing an Ultra Marathon however is one I definitely would like to explore one of these days. After countless 5ks, 10 milers, a few half and full marathons maybe “The Ultra” is just the next logical step. For me personally the seed was planted while watching the movie “Running on the Sun” with a good running buddy (let’s call him The Ladies Man) of mine. Running 135 miles from Badwater/Death Valley up to Mount Whitney Portal in the middle of July is just something I really want to cross off my bucket list. Have you ever been to Badwater? It is hot! And by hot I mean 130 degree Fahrenheit hot! People have fried eggs on the road and Badwater Ultra marathoners usually run on that white line on the side of the road so their shoes do not stick to the asphalt.

While we were watching the movie and saw the toll this race take on runners we were literally feeling their pain. Living in a rather hot climate year round I know how hard it is to keep on going when the temperatures reach triple digits and it is almost impossible to hydrate appropriately. And my few daily miles definitely do not come close to the achievement of those absolutely amazing athletes that complete this race in Death Valley. In July. Also knowing just how painful it is to finish a marathon, Badwater really is the ultimate in endurance and after the movie ended, The Ladies Man and I looked at each other and both said in one breath “I want to do this!”

Of course, as you can probably guess, running Badwater is not as simple as just wanting to do it. There are strict rules and regulations to even enter this race and they definitely do not let any old rookie in who is out to seek a new adventure or to find out how close he or she can get to dying without actually crossing over. You have to be a well seasoned Ultra Marathoner to even be considered as a Badwater participant.

So, if I ever want to participate in this monumental event I will have to start small and it is truly my goal to venture into the world of ultra marathoning in the next five years. Badwater is a long ways off but I will have to start somewhere. I guess what attracts me most to ultra marathoning is the relatively relaxed pace (I will never win so I might as well have fun while I am out there) and camaraderie amongst the runners. You have the latter in marathons as well but not on the same scale mostly due to the fact that a majority of marathoners are totally focused on their finish times. And then there are the miles of total solitude which every long distance runner knows so well. Overall it just looks like a good way to spend a day or two.

Now I just have to set my mind to it and up my daily mileage. I hear that running 26.2 and more will be a regular part of training.  I can hardly wait!

* that's Dean Karnazes, age 46 (no lie!!!) who is the best known US Ultra runner. He once ran 350 miles without stopping in 80 hours and 44 minutes!!!

Today’s Running Tip: Run a marathon? Don’t think it qualifies you for running an Ultra!

Ultra Marathoning is a whole different ball game than marathoning and takes some preparation. Runner’s World has had some good features regarding Ultra running and you should definitely educate yourself before signing up for a 50 or 100 miler!