Smarana Puntigam has been running multiday races for over 20 years, including the 3100 mile race eight times. This is the first of a series of articles on dealing with common issues that crop up during multiday races...
How to avoid blisters? - that is a big one for a multiday runner. If you do shorter races, blisters are inconvenient, but easy to deal with because you do not have to run on them the next day. However, once you have blisters in a multiday event they can really influence your performance a great deal. Depending on the area the blisters appear in, and whether they get inflamed, the range of pain goes from hardly-felt to “I think I have to stop, I just can not take the pain.“ So, the best thing is always to prevent blisters in the first place.
Here are the main issues to deal with:
1. Wet feet
One of the most important things is to keep your feet dry - if there is a lot of moisture, the skin gets very sensitive and prone to blisters.
Powdering your feet several times a day with foot powder or baby powder can help you to reduce the friction in the shoes and to keep your feet dry. There are also excellent crèmes that keep the feet soft, elastic and reduce also the friction. Vaseline is not so good, because it does not allow the feet to breathe and I always feel that my feet are sliding around too much inside the shoes. However from my experience if the race is longer than a day, powder is the way to go.
There are runners whose feet simply sweat more than others, and who will always have wet feet. Many runners cut open their shoes to let the steam and heat out of their shoes.
Rain makes the skin on your feet 'crumple' and become much more blister-prone. Our article on rainy weather has a whole section on this...
2. Choose your socks wisely
The big variety of socks is sometimes confusing - there is such a big selection of socks, each promising their own special feature.
Don't use cotton socks - they get soaked with sweat and moisture, which does not go away. This was one of my main problems when I started ultra-running and that is why I got a lot of blisters. Dipali Cunningham, one of the leading female multi-day runners, was shocked when she saw me showing up for my first 700 miles race with cotton socks, and gave me valuable information in this regard.
Use socks that are not too thick and are made of a fabric that does not store water (i.e. coolmax). For example Nirbhasa Magee, who ran the 3100 Mile race in 2015 and 2017, is very fond of WrightSocks, a thin sock with a double layer - this means the layers of the scok rub against each other rather than the skin.
3. Ill-fitting and narrow shoes
Cutting to avoid an upcoming blister on the side of the foot, just below the toe
Don't take new shoes for marathons or long distances; it takes some time for the shoes to get the right shape for your feet. They have to get used to one another. The shoe size should be at least one number bigger than the size of your foot, with plenty of room in the toebox so your toes don't rub against the front.
When you are running ultra distances your feet keep swelling, and you may need extra wide shoes. The first day you can still run in your usual running shoe, but as the race progresses, your feet keep changing. A shoe that perfectly fits on the morning of the third day of a multi-day rice, might not fit any more in the evening.
Also you may need a different insole, or to cut the one you have. The insoles that come with the shoes are not flat in the heel area, but have edges that bend upwards. As your foot swells, the heel doesn't fit any more into the area of the insole and the edges of the insole can cut into the heel and sides of the foot, creating blisters.
Blisters or potential blisters on the toes or sides of the feet might be alleviated by cutting away the part of the shoe that is rubbing against it, as long as it does not affect the shoe's stability. You will probably need to cut down all the way to where the top of the shoe joins the sole to remove the friction.
4. Hot feet
Where there is friction, there is heat.
Some use creams to reduce the friction, but on the long run from my experience powder is the way to go, since it keeps the feet dry and reduces the friction.
Again, cutting your shoes reduces heat as well as friction.
There are creams that help to cool down your feet. The skin absorbs the cream, so that you can take powder after some time.
During breaks, you can put your feet into a plastic bag and put them into ice water to cool them down and reduce the swelling.
Changing your socks and shoes frequently will help to air the feet and get rid of moisture and heat.
5. Taping 'hot spots' and callouses
As a runner you most probably know your 'hot spots' - areas of the feet that very easily turn hot or red during a run. If you don't know them yet, check your feet after a longer run and try to locate them. Once you do know them tape them before ultra runs. You can use paper tape or very thin tape, but do not use kinesiology tape - it creates a lot of heat and you will get blisters right there.
If there is a callous - very often in the heel section - take it away with simple sand paper or special tools from the drug store. When the feet start to swell during multi-day runs, the normal skin is elastic and can expand, while the callous cannot. Spots like that are predestined for blisters.
Multi-day tips, part 2: Coping with rainy weather
This is the second in a series of articles from Smarana Puntigam, a 20-year veteran of multidays, on dealing with the many challenges that a multi-day race can throw up...
Rainy weather is a real challenge for a multiday runner. The rain can soak through and make you cold and miserable, and also lead to chafing and blisters. Keep an eye on the weather reports and try and anticipate what the rain is going to be like, and plan accordingly.
1. Keeping dry
There are multiple options that one can choose from, depending on the type of rain and your physical strength at the time.
Rain solutions, from left: 1. Ponchos, 2. Small umbrella and O2 jacket, 3. Large umbrella, 4. O2 jacket and trousers
A cheap plastic raincoat is very efficient and keeps the rain out. However, if used for a long time, it may lead to overheating. After a while, you also get wet from inside because it is not breathable.
Even with breathable jackets, overheating and sweating is an issue, particularly with heavy Gore-tex jackets and trousers. There are paper thin rain coats and trousers on the market, for example those from H2, that are breathable and also quite inexpensive. Some runners cut the legs of their trousers short to allow more breathing.
Running with an umbrella has the advantage of not sweating as much, and also keeping the rain off your feet for a while. But in the course of time it needs extra energy to carry. Smaller umbrellas are better for running; for walking and shorter periods of time bigger umbrellas keep the feet dry for longer.
Ponchos keep the rain off and allow the air to circulate inside, however they can be troublesome in windy conditions.
For short spells of rain, you can also try and time your breaks to coincide with the rain. Some areas (such as NY) are more difficult to predict the exact arrival of weather than others due to competing weather systems, however usually the forecasting models 'converge' an hour or two before the rain starts and you should be able to plan with plus or minus 15 minutes accuracy.
2. Chafing
As soon as there is moisture and friction, the danger of chafing is very high.
It might be possible to tape areas that are likely to chafe.
Before you get a problem you can also apply petroleum or other creams that help to reduce the friction - in the long run, however, it is better to keep these areas dry. Corn starch is a very efficient solution, as is talcum powder with zinc, or powder with essential oils.
Compression shirts and compression tights can be a big help in rainy weather to prevent chafing.
3. Blisters
The most important thing for a runner is to keep his/her feet dry. If your feet are wet, the likelihood of blisters multiply exponentially.
If the rain is scheduled only as short and heavy rain, try to run with a large umbrella to keep the rain off your feet.
Some runners apply coconut oil or olive oil to their feet, before it rains, so that the feet do not absorb water and crumple up the skin.
Change shoes and socks as soon as the rain is over, and apply powder to your feet for faster drying.
During longer spells of rain, you should not run for too long without changing your shoes and socks - a good rule of thumb is 90 minutes, although you may have to change sooner if your feet are more sensitive. A prepared runner will pack enough socks to last a long spell of rain. It is obviously more difficult to have as many shoes, but you should have at least 2 pairs on standby in addition to the pair you are running in. If it looks like the rain will last longer than a few hours, you can dry your shoes by stuffing them with tightly-rolled newspaper, which will absorb the water. A good helper saves you a lot of time here, especially because you may have to replace the newspaper after 90 minutes or so if the shoe got completely soaked. However if the rain persists and you need to use the shoe again after 3 hours, it should be dry or almost dry.
When the sun is back out, remove the insoles and leave shoes and insoles to dry in the sun.
Multi-day tips, part 3: Dealing with Achilles injuries
The achilles tendon bridges the gap between the calf muscle and the calcaneus and is the largest tendon in your body. An achilles tendon injury can happen to anyone, whether you’re an athlete or just going about your everyday life.
The range of pain can stretch from a faint pulling pain to a severe burning pain. If the tendon is torn you will hear a loud sound and can dig into the tendon with your fingers without much resistence.
Possible causes of problems:
Cold start
Starting without warming up, in combination with an abrupt acceleration, is very often the cause of a pulled achilles tendon. Solution: Use a kineo tape and support the tendon. I have found DMSO cream to be exceptionally good in cases of inflamations.
The wrong shoe
The right shoe is very important. Every runner has a different foot. Some are pronating (the foot turns more inward than normal), while others are supinating (foot is rotating outwards), while others have a normal foot. If you are a strong “pronator" or "supinator" and you run for a long time with the wrong shoe, your Achilles gets an extra challenge and you might end up with an irritation. Solution: Get the right shoe! Some shoes have an enforced medial part of their sole and are made for “pronators”, some have it lateral (“supinators”), while others have just a normal sole. It is also good to have different brands of shoe, so that you are not getting the same pressures on your foot every day. A change of shoe model places a slightly different stress on your foot than what went before.
Heelbox pushing against tendon
If you are running in a multiday race so many small issues can build up over days and weeks, culmninating in a problem. For example the upper end of the heel box can push against your tendon. This small irritation does not have any effect if you run your everyday 10km run, but if you run for 50-100km for few days in a multiday race it can cause a problem. Solution: cut the upper part of the top heel box, removing the two 'peaks' at the top
Not enough drop in the shoe
Some shoes have a zero drop or a a 2-4mm drop. If you are not used to this kind of drop, this can strain the achilles tendon and can create problems. Solution:If you feel the pull, put something under the heel to lift it up. You can buy silicon wedges or simply use some cardboard, cut into a 'D' shape to fit the heel and then placed under the insole. You may need to use 2 or 3 pieces of cardboard taped together, of different sizes to create a gradual rise towards the back of the heel.
Calcaneus
The calcaneus can shift during a longer race and can cause an irritation of the tendon. One year, I had Achilles problems for a few days, and I could not figure out what the cause was. One of the other runners asked his chiropractor, who said said that my calceneus was moving and that this was the cause of the irritation of the Achilles. Solution: Tape your foot starting on top of the foot and continue in a '8' shape around the heel and back to the top. That helps to keep the calcaneus in place.
This is probably the best calf stretch for achilles
Cramps
Ongoing cramps in the calves can create a pull on the tendon and cause problems. Solution: Find the cause of the cramps (for example a lack of Magnesium) and also elevate your heel.
Tension
As the last point I would like to add a story from one of my 700 mile races.
I was 8 days into the race and doing really good according to my standards. Suddenly my achilles tendon started to swell and nearly doubled in size. I went to the medical tent and luckily there was a kineseologist, who checked me out. Suddenly he said, that the problem comes from my bladder. I have too much tension and I have to let go of that tension. He told me that there is an energetic connection from the bladder to the tendon. He gave me a homeopathic remedy and within a few hours the swelling was gone, despite the fact that I had been running the whole time.
The general point here is that our physical well-being is very much connected with our thoughts...the longer the races get, the more importance you have to give to this aspect.
Multi-day tips, part 4: What to do about blisters when you get them
Nearly every runner has had the experience of blisters - who really wants to befriend them, but what can you do when they show up? In my years of running I had to deal a lot with liquid filled bubbles on my feet, especially when I embarked into the ultra-running world.
If you run a 10 km race or a Marathon and you get these little or large beasts, you can endure them, rest afterwards and give them time to heal; but once you have embarked into ultra-running, you have to find a way to run on blisters. Some people are very fortunate and they hardly get any blisters, while others are smart and take care of their feet. I had to learn it the hard way; much can be done with prevention. (We discussed how to avoid blisters here.)
Dealing with blisters
The main way of dealing with blisters is draining it, disinfecting it, and dressing it.
Draining: I personally like to pop the blister with a needle and then squeeze it. Pulling the needle with a thread through your blister to drain it is also a very popular solution.
Disinfecting: The traditional way is to use iodine for disinfection, but I prefer tea tree oil. It is natural, is very strong, it dries the blister, plus has a tremendous effect on pus. A blister that is filled with yellow-white liquid is a serious problem, and tea tree oil reacts with pus and heals it. One disadvantage from the oil is its smell, that is very intense and not everybody likes it. Lavender can also be used with the additional benefit of faster healing of the skin and a very pleasant smell. Again there is DMSO cream, a very strong disinfectant that also helps the healing process.
During the 3100 Mile Race in 2017, I had quite a lot of blisters - fortunately I had a helper, Horst, who knows everything there is to know about treating them! Here he is using a combination of ribwort and paper tape.
Dressing:
1) Second Skin: a rather ambivalent solution as far as I am concerned. If it is just for a day it is fine, but if the race goes on for days, it slows down the healing process considerably. Since the broken blister is always kept wet with the second skin, it can hardly heal. If you do use it, it should be fixed with paper tape.
Ribwort
2) Instead of second skin I have also used paper tape, or ribwort and paper tape. Ribwort grows as a weed pretty much everywhere, even in urban areas. You pluck it fresh, wash it and put it with the smooth side on the skin, after a few hours you can change it. This herb is also anti-inflamatory.
3) Special blister sticking-plasters are getting more and more popular. You cut the skin from the blister and stick the plaster on top of it. You keep it on the blister until the skin is healed. Again from my personal experience, I would not recommend it for a multi-day race, since it can create heat through friction and even worsen the problem.
4) If the blister is really painful and not too big, you can cut a hole into a soft material and fix it to your foot with paper tape, placing the hole over the blister (see picture). This might stop the blister from rubbing against the shoe, as the pressure is now on the adjoining areas.
5) Sheep wool is very useful as an extra cushion on top of the paper tape, to take pressure and friction away from the blister. It is also usefull for hot spots or areas where there is pressure in your shoe.
Multi-day tips part 5: An equipment checklist
Here is a suggested checklist for an ultra race - This is of course not a complete list, but a selection of helpful items. The links below go to suggested pages on Amazon (this is where we ordered them and as such it might be helpful to you)
Helpers - as a rule of thumb, a good helper can save you anywhere from 2 to 4 miles every day during a multi day race. If you are starting for the first time, it is definitely wise to get helpers who have either done multidays before, or have proved themselves in helping others.
Phone + charger: If you are doing a longer multiday, talking to your friends and family is a really good way to keep you cheered up. If you are travelling abroad, make sure you dont skimp on the phone plan, and that it is sufficient to let you call whoever you need to call, even if it is half way around the world.
Money
Earplugs You may be sharing your sleeping quarters, and earplugs can be of great help if your neighbour is snoring
Sun lotion If you are exposed to the sun the whole day, you need a proper protection factor, factor 30 or higher. For longer multidays, .
Caps to deal with different weather. At least two caps for change and if the sun is beating down all day, it is advisable to have also a cap with neck protection, as the neck is predestined to get over exposed to the sun and here many important nerves run through. Those who get a sunstroke know that you barely can stand on your own feet, let alone run well. You feel a sunstroke even the following day. One such hat can be found here.
Clothing: The amount of trousers, socks, t-shirts etc depends of course on the length of the race.
- For a 6 day race I would recommend six trousers, 12 t-shirts, two rain jackets, 12 pairs of socks and three pair running shoes.
- For a 3100 Mile race, compression shorts which might help for chafing
Orthopaedic Inserts: It may happen that the long arch drops after days of running. Therefore it's good to have a support for the middle part of the foot or for the front arch. It's advisable to test the inlays in the training to avoid pressure points in the race. Personally I cannot use inserts, because I get blisters in the front arch, therefore I use metatarsal pillows, which I can stick in the shoe and support the long arch.
Rainclothes and umbrella: An umbrella can be of true help in case of heavy rain. Best to have both a small and bigger umbrella.
Sunglasses
Mp3 player/ipod - it is good to have more than one, and keep the other one charged.
Supplements and medicines: As you do more races, you will find out what works for you. It is also very useful to test supplements in training. I found out that the following food supplements are important for me.
- Iron, Magnesium, Calcium and a multivitamin compound with a big dose of vitamin C - these supplements should be as much as possible from natural origins.
- I would like also to point out Arnika in homeopathic form. In grade D4 or also C30 it helps to relax the muscles during running, and is also helpful to reduce swellings in the legs. If you sprain your ankle, Arnika is the best choice.
Lotions: Vaseline is good as ointment for friction areas, once these areas are irritated Vaseline must be avoided. There you should use a calendula lotion to alleviate the irritation, a true blessing with healing effects. Horsebalm for the foot are a true refreshment and the feet are pleasantly fresh.
Scissors and duct tape - something always needs cutting or putting together!
Multi-day tips part 6: dealing with Shin Splints
I think I might have a shin splint...
Shin splint is a very common injury among ultra runners. At the beginning it may be only recognizable through pain and a slight red spot, mostly starting from the ankle and moving slowly up the shin-bone. However, as it develops the intensity of the pain as well as the coloring increases. In an advanced state also a swelling of the area arises.
In my running career I myself had the pleasure to enjoy a shin splint twice. Especially at a multi-day race, you have to react quickly once you detect the first signs, otherwise there will be no next running day: very soon, the skin gets irritated, separates further from the bone and fluid enters between bone and skin. Then the bone is unprotected and a exhaustion fracture can take place.
The following measures have proved to be good for me and many friends of mine.
Changing your running style If the irritation is still very new, start immediately to change the running style, so as to change the stress on the foot. In every case, shin splints are connected to an overload of the shin-bone muscle.
Implement backward walking Walking backwards from time to time stretches the shin-bone muscle and helps to relax the stressed muscle.
Bioplasma A combination of "Schüssler" salts, that contain important information for the cells.
White cabbage Now you will probably smile, but many people swear by white cabbage to prevent inflammations. It can be eaten or also be applied directly on the affected area. To apply on the area, take one or two leaves of the white cabbage and flatten them (A rolling pin is good if you have it, to help the cells break up a bit), then you place the leaves on the spot and bandage it. Change the leaves every 6 hours. When I had a shin splint during a 3100 mile race, I put this method successfully to work and after 4 days I could run normally again.
One possible way to tape the shinsTaping If the shin splint gets worse, it is advisable to tape it, so that the ankle will be limited in its movement and the stress will be reduced.
Inflammation inhibiting lotions
Massage the liquid out If there is already an accumulation of liquid, then it must be massaged out regularly, or the skin cannot grow on the bone.
Socks The band of the socks should not be to narrow, otherwise the liquid can stall.andage/tape
Arch support
There are two different arches on the foot: 1) The long arch on the medial of the foot and 2) The front arch, built up by the metatarsal bones.
Both arches can drop through overexercise or fatigue. Very often it is the front arch that gives way, and it can cause considerable pain while running. Orthopedic insoles can help you support both arches, but they are not so good for long distances. They are made of hard materials, that start rubbing and putting pressure at your feet.
The front arch
For the front arch it is advisable to keep your normal insoles and stick metatarsal-pillows on them. The pillows are soft and don´t create any rubbing. Or you can do like 3100 mile runner Rathin Boulton, who used a piece of bandage, rolled and taped it on the insole. The most important thing is to take the pressure away from the metatarsal bones - to do this you have to put the pillow before the metatarsal bones (towards the heel bone) and not directly on them.
The long arch
For the long arch you can get arch bridges, which come sometimes with the running shoes and enforce the insole. You can also get insoles that lift the long arch to various degrees. Depending on the length of the race, it might be good to keep a couple of pairs of different heights on hand if you know you have an issue.
Picking the right clothing and Shoes
Shoes
For a runner shoes are naturally of special importance. Each runner has a individual formed foot and must therefore find the right shoe. Most athletes are pronators, which means the foot turns inward in the movement. If you turn your foot outward, this is called supinating.
You can find which type you are easily by looking at one of your old shoes. In case of strong pronators, the inner part of the shoe sole is worn out, while for strong supinating it is the opposite - the border on the outer back of the sole is more worn. Runners with normal foot movement wear out both sides of the sole equally. It's important to find out what kind of runner you are, so that you know what kind of foot support you need to harmonize the movement of the foot.
As the foot swells during multi day races, it is also good to know that brands also offer different widths as well as sizes - for example, extra-wide shoes are noted as 2E or 4E (normal shoe width is denoted as D or sometimes B).
For races that are lasting for more days, you need to have shoes ready with sizes up three numbers bigger then your usual size. I still remember my 700 mile race (1994), on which I went to the start with three pairs of shoes. After the second day already all my shoes were too small and I had to torture myself for the remaining days with those shoes and blisters became my best friends.
During a race, many ultra runners mutilate the shoes with knives and scissors to deal with blisters and other problems, sometimes at the end they look more like sandals than shoes! To swiftly solve shoe problems during a race, you absolutely need to have creativity and spontaneity.
Socks
The socks play an essential role. There are many different models on the market, and it is important not to try to save money here. In my case thin, fine vowen coolmax socks turned out fine. I get easily warm feet, therefore the socks cannot be to thick and must easily transport the humidity. It's also important that the band is not too narrow, because liquid could collect easily and provoke infections of the skin.
Clothing
"There is no bad weather, there is only wrong clothing" - There is a lot of truth in this expression.
Coolmax, Transtex, Goretex …cost some money, but if you run for hours you learn to appreciate the better quality. Cotton t-shirts are comfortable to wear, but once you are soak with sweat it takes a long time to dry up and you cool down very fast.
Try an alkaline-base diet
(Note: this article is based on my personal experience and those of many of my friends)
A pH value of 7 is the perfect balance between acids and bases; we call everything under it sour. The ideal range for the body is slightly alkaline. The pH of the blood is extremely sensitive to fluctuations of its optimal range between slightly alkaline until 7.3 Ph.If this value stays under the minimum for some time some serious, even life-threatening problems can occur that - hence one of the main worries of the body is to keep the blood pH in a stable area.
The problem is that our meals are overloaded with acids. We eat and drink masses of sugar, white flour, sodas, coffee and industrial fats. It tries to get rid of the excess of acids through the urine, the digestion, the respiration and by taking calcium from the bones and teeth to neutralize. Since the amounts are so massive the regulation mechanisms of the body are not able to get completely rid of it and the rest ends up in the intercellular space.
Our biological system consists of 60-100 000 000 000 000 cells. A cell is the smallest working unit; with a kernel (genom), Golgi System (production of new cell material), Mitochondrias (power plant of the cell) and the Lysoms (garbage user). Each cell employs approximately 10000 cell enzymes for its work and these enzymes are made from many micro-essential vitamins, minerals, trace elements for a specific function in the body. These cells "swim" in the intercellular liquid. All essential processes of and to the cell are taking place in this liquid.
Since we hardly give opportunity to the body to eliminate this poisons, the formerly clear liquid within the cells changes into a jelly state. It becomes ever more difficult for the supplies to reach the cells and the wastes to leave the cells. As these wastes cannot be eliminated from this jelly fast enough, this fluid becomes more and more solid. The result is, the amount of germs and therefore of infections grows more and more.
If the Ph value falls out of balance, also big problems in the digestive area arise. Germs, parasites, mushrooms have a great time under this conditions.
Some problems disappear automatically if we follow a base-diet. As a multi day runner I have the possibility to try out many possibilities during the running and I have realised, that there are two types of wounds created by running or walking and some skin problems have a lot to do with excess of acid. The change to a diet based on bases always brought an improvement of the situation.
A revolutionary access to a effortless and injury free running.
Danny Dreyer picked up many movements from children and from his Thai Chi teacher. He collected this experiences and movement patterns in a System named by him Chi Running.
The basic principles are very simple, easy to learn and help each runner to run more relaxed, efficient and above all injury free.
1) It is important that the movement comes from the Tan Tien (Chinese energy point, a view finger wide under the navel).
The arms and legs are rather considered pendulums, moving with the torso.
It is essential to consciously leave the extremities lose.
By practicing it you will realize how tense the body is and how much energy is wasted by this.
2) Head, shoulder, basin and ankle joint should be in one line while running. As for gentle running it is important not to tilt the basin to the back and push it slightly to the front. The basin is like a vessel filled with energy, if you tilt it then you will spill a part of the energy. It might sound a little strange but once you have tried it you will understand.
3) If this position is taken, you have to let you fall to the front like a Nordic Ski-Jumper and before you really fall you make automatically a step.
The idea behind this is that the runner is being pulled forward by the gravity instead of fighting with muscle power against gravity. The faster you want to run the more you have to lean to the front.
Hereby the step frequency stays firm on 85/min, only the length of the steps is changing.
4) You should touch the ground with the middle part of the foot.
You can practice this very easy on sand and check out the foot prints.
The foot print should be very regular.
For more information I would recommend the book "Chi Running" or the Video.
You can reach the website with the following link.
If you recognize that you have reached your limits at the marathon, if the marathon have become a routine or if you just feel it's time for something new, than you can start training for a distance beyond the 42 km and set yourself new goals.
The training for an ultra runner doesn't differ much from that of a marathon runner: a long distance run per week, a speed unit (interval) and try to run a mileage of 60 to 90 km.
The long run should be at least 30 Kilometres long and be run with a pleasant regular pace. In between there should also be view walking periods where one can have a refreshment or relax the legs. At the first ultra it's not a matter of running fast but the goal is to reach the end and collect the first experiences on this distance.
The weekly mileage needs not to exceed that of a marathon training. More doesn't have to mean better. The priority is the long run, everything else is for the maintenance of the shape and fitness. You have to restrain from over training, with running and especially with ultra running enjoyment should always come first.
Experienced runners recommend a speed work per week. That means not 100 meter sprints but interval training or speed variations on longer sections: for example alternatively run one kilometre faster and one slower. Speedwork allows you to run faster certain sections of the ultra race. The legs become stronger and this leads to better timings at the ultra. Also the general fitness is being increased, which again is contributing to a general stamina.
For a first ultra race the 6 hour race is better suited, because there you don't have pressure for the timing, no matter how fast or slow you run, you always reach the finish together with the winner. At the 6 hour race you can make your first experiences with ultra running, which will help you for the 50 Mile race, the 100 km race or the 12 hour race.
Following has to be observed for the race day:
1. For your first ultra choose a race with a plane course. Hill races are only for experienced ultra runners.
2. Start slow, during the race you can increase your speed if you want to. Don't make the mistake to run the first laps with the front runners.
3. Find a good rhythm and take walking breaks on regularly basis. Walking is the best friend of ultra runners. The walking breaks have to be adapted individually to you. You can run for 5 minutes and walk 1 minute. Or you run for 3 Kilometres and walk for half a Kilometre.
4. Drink and eat enough during the race. Water, juices, electrolytes, Coke, Coffee or other drinks are suited for drinking. Fruits, bread, granola bars, energy bars etc. are recommended as food. A good common rule is to use during the race that which you have successfully used for your long runs. This applies for the food as well as for the running shoes and clothing.
5. Remain happy and joyful during the race, enjoy the race.
By now there are in Austria a couple of ultra races qualified for beginners. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team is offering on the second weekend of September a 6 hour race in Graz for ultra runners to be. Everybody who's interested in trying is heartily welcome.
Roby Schiltz
MCT-medium chain triglycerides
As of 2012, less than 40 runners have completed the race since it was founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1997. Runners have to finish approximately two marathons a day from 6 AM to midnight for 52 continuous days in order to complete the distance in the allotted time. That translates into over 100 laps a day around the half mile city block in Queens where the race takes place during the heat of the summer.
MCT – the special fat
MCT do not have to be transported through the lymphatics during the digestion process. MCT fats are water soluble, you can drink them just by mixing them with water. The biggest advantage of MCT's is, that the liver does not need to release any bile in order to get these triglycerides in the metabolism. They can be directly assimilated. This way you can add great numbers of calories without excessive strain of the liver. The calorie value is admittedly slightly below of fats, but clearly above that of carbohydrates.
MCT fats can be used for moderate frying up to 150° C and for baking up to 180° C. MCT oils are very well suitable for salads. MCT's can be found in good health food stores and are also suitable for children.
The only thing to consider is, that the body has to adapt to them and you have to start with small quantities at the beginning, before you make a more massive use of them during a multi day race. I tested them myself at a 3100 mile race.
Powdering your feet several times a day with foot powder or baby powder can help you to reduce the friction in the shoes and to keep your feet dry. There are also excellent crèmes that keep the feet soft, elastic and reduce also the friction. Vaseline is not so good, because it does not allow the feet to breathe and I always feel that my feet are sliding around too much inside the shoes. However from my experience if the race is longer than a day, powder is the way to go.
4) If the blister is really painful and not too big, you can cut a hole into a soft material and fix it to your foot with paper tape, placing the hole over the blister (see picture). This might stop the blister from rubbing against the shoe, as the pressure is now on the adjoining areas.
Caps to deal with different weather. At least two caps for change and if the sun is beating down all day, it is advisable to have also a cap with neck protection, as the neck is predestined to get over exposed to the sun and here many important nerves run through. Those who get a sunstroke know that you barely can stand on your own feet, let alone run well. You feel a sunstroke even the following day. One such hat can be found 
