a steady pace gets you further

Do not hurry; do not rest. — Goethe

Have you ever tried to sprint a mile and then rest for a few minutes and then repeat that several times? Compare that to running at a steady pace for the same total distance. The latter is a million times easier. There are so many things in life like this, where we are doing the sprint/rest instead of a steady pace. What would it feel like to do the steady pace?

Ultramarathon running is all about training yourself to hold back. It is so hard to start off a race and not go way too fast. There is so much energy in the air and often times you are cold and jittery and you just want to sprint. But you have to think of your future self hours down the line and put on the brakes. It is the only way to make it through the long events. The longer the race, the more important this becomes. Half marathons you can suffer through. Marathons require a little more discipline. And ultras require the most restraint.

I think each decade of my life has required a different race distance mindset. 10-20 was a half. 20-30 was a full. And now 30-40 is an ultra. My tactics that I could get away with when I was younger do not work anymore. Just like a half-marathon strategy does not work for an ultra. We need to update our strategies and mindsets for the particular situations we are facing.

During ultras you have to eat. During a half you don't need to eat at all. Ultras require breaks where you walk and eat (unless you are good at chewing, swallowing, and breathing at the same time — I am definitely not!). You just keep moving along. At a steady slow pace. You stay hydrated. You stay fueled. You keep your feet dry. And you cover a ton of ground. This decade of my life will require the ultra mindset. One foot in front of the other (hoping my toenails don't fall off).