@Ms Kate: I hope you be volunteering to draw up a similar thread for next year races as well? Many thanks :-)
@BSB: Thanks. And when are you running in this part of the planet? Looking forward to that.
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| Hi all,
I just completed my first ever marathon last weekend (the Lausanne marathon) and i absolutely loved it!
I am now looking around for other races near me, and in Switzerland generally, but i'm not sure where to look. I have seen the post at the start of this thread listing plenty of amazing events, but many of them seem to be the larger (and longer distance) events....and possibly a little beyond my abilities at the moment. I would love to eventually move to trail running and ultra marathon distances, but i think i need to do some 'easier' events first to ease me in.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions, or know of any events that might be suitable for me? I have fantasies of doing the Jungfrau Marathon one day soon, or even the Mont Blanc Ultra one day, but need to work my way up first!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
K | |
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Hey K,
Firstly, hearty congrats
I have had similar thoughts, and probably similar fitness as you, I'll just leave some thoughts here and the veterans can then correct me. I personally don't see trail running as a logical progression from flat city running;
I see it as opposite.
The thing is, I never did a flat marathon or even a half marathon or any race for that matter; I straightaway attempted tough mountain halfs-maras and ultras...but you know what, I felt a flat urban mara is probably tougher on the heart than a trail ultra. What happens in a trail is, the slower ones end up walking most of the uphill parts, the pace is
much slower than a flat run, and I would say closer to what our hunter-ancestor evolved to do... the terrain will be so varying and steep that they act as a safety mechanism...unlike fast repetitive motion on asphalt for 3-4 hours in a city mara.
At these speeds (and generous feed breaks), I could easily eat and digest and not go into an energy deficit. I heard the front runners barely paused to eat; in contrast we at the tail-end used to sit and eat for 15-20 mins and enjoy the meal
That is one reason perhaps, that I recover very fast after the races I have done (e.g. I was back in the trails doing my local hill just the day after my Inferno HM)...
I wouldn't probably be able to do it when I do it again next year after being well-trained and faster at it...and am sure to face some tummy troubles
I am obviously not saying an ultra is easier or safer than a flat marathon, but I am just pointing that it need not be as over-awing or daunting as many people would think. As others have pointed earlier, mountains obviously have their own set of unique challenges, so I am really not sure which is tougher.
Just some thoughts; those who have done both can comment.
As for your race choice you can read some of the race reports further ahead in this thread and feel free to ask any clarifications on them. Btw, what was your marathon time, and how well did you feel after the race, that should allow others to advise you better.