If only full laps count, you should be doing one mile laps.

7 max.

8 is beyond you. If you head out at a pace for 8, you'll blow up badly and only run 6 or fewer.

Pace yourself sensibly for 7 and you have a good chance of getting there.

Slot into a relaxed early pace with an experienced runner/s with the same mileage goal. Chat to them and seek advice.

DNF

Well, it was definitely an experience! I ended up doing 5 laps (56 miles total), in 7:46 (moving time of 7:23). I could have run walked another lap, but my goal was to see what I could do just running 5 laps and I accomplished that. If I continue to go down the ultra rabbit hole, I am going to have to learn to pace myself better and take in more nutrition and fluid. Looking back I only took in ~700 calories during the run and I think that affected me a good bit. It would have also helped if I would have had someone to run with at a similar pace, but I actually ended up lapping everybody but one guy. I think just having someone with more experience to run with and have conversation with would have helped a lot. I am also not a big fan of multiple loops, or time limit events. Like if this had been a point to point, or one big loop of 66 miles, I have no doubt I would have finished it. Anyway, it was a great learning experience and accomplishment for me and hopefully I will want to tackle another one when I recuperate from this one.

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Let food be thy medicine...

Good on ya!

That's awesome, good on you for knocking that out! I actually did my first ultra as well this Saturday at the US National Whitewater Center trails! Those trails are very technical and slow in many cases (as in my 5th overall in a large half marathon in January was an 8:20 overall pace, almost 9:00 if you cut out the mile of flat gravel at the beginning and end).

Tad under 32 miles, 5:44 moving time (10:50 pace), 6 hours elapsed time (2 stops at my car to reload water and food, plus down a bottle while there). Considering the NC summer heat and humidity set in, biggest challenge was staying hydrated. A 1.5L camelback plus a 750ml bottle in the pack only got me 1.5 hours after my initial 2.5 hour stint. I also ate about 250calories/hour, which I've found from long Z2/tempo rides on the bike is the right balance where I can digest and not deplete my energy further. I paced to keep my HR near the top of my Z2 and not spike it too much on the punchy up and down climbs- and had almost perfectly even pacing throughout adjusting for trail difficulty. Definitely could've kept going if I didn't drink all of the water that I brought with me (and if I had the motivation to keep running in 90 degree heat).

Best part, my legs weren't even that sore the next day- I've been way more destroyed after the marathons and 70.3s I've done. Interestingly, my hips were the most sore, while my quads and hamstrings were almost normal. I think that's because I've focused a ton on my form, and on increasing cadence and landing under my center of gravity (I was a bad heel striker when I started). I always said that I would never run longer than a marathon, but since that went so well and I'm naturally better a longer events (and better at trail than road running), I'm definitely interested 50k up to maybe even a 50 mile actual race!

Yes, mine was in Mississippi so had the heat and humidity as well. Congrats on your finish. Unlike you my legs are pretty sore. Only downside was I couldn’t run the next day and my run streak was snapped at 90 days.

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Let food be thy medicine...

Well done and nothing wrong with knowing when to pull the plug and feeling comfortable with your decision.

You can really only go into an event like this with a single strategy. Either 50 miles or running for 12 hours. It's difficult to have a race plan which accommodates both results.

It's a bit like trying to run a half marathon PR en route to a marathon. It inevitably turns very ugly.

Welcome to the dark side. You know you want it.

Prediction?
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.
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Pain

damn, beat me to it!

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

try to be cool, dude

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/