Could you run an ultra marathon, more than 55 kilometres over mountains and rough terrain, six months from today?
I asked myself that question in January of 2013, and would never have imagined the answer. Six months later, I was in the mountains, in the cold, at midnight, in shorts, facing an adventure I’ll never forget. Why? Because no one told me it couldn’t be done.
I’m 43 years old. I’ve never exercised in my life. I couldn’t run a hundred paces last January without collapsing in anguish. Now a marathon is a training run for me. I’ve been known to run twenty or more miles on a whim, alone.
In this book, much of it written during those first six months as I was training, I capture what it was like to go from a middle-aged couch potato to running in my first ultra marathon. I talk about diet, training plans, pain, and overcoming mental and physical limitations. I found a new love and a new respect for myself and for human potential.
It’s a short book. You can read it in an hour, but I hope what I learned lingers with you much longer than that, and changes your life the way it changed mine.
This is not a running guide. I made a lot of mistakes and was lucky to avoid getting injured, but the process taught me a lot and I hope my experiences can help others to avoid some of the mistakes that I made.
In this second edition, I've added more content based on feedback from readers. Thank you for helping me to improve the book!
I asked myself that question in January of 2013, and would never have imagined the answer. Six months later, I was in the mountains, in the cold, at midnight, in shorts, facing an adventure I’ll never forget. Why? Because no one told me it couldn’t be done.
I’m 43 years old. I’ve never exercised in my life. I couldn’t run a hundred paces last January without collapsing in anguish. Now a marathon is a training run for me. I’ve been known to run twenty or more miles on a whim, alone.
In this book, much of it written during those first six months as I was training, I capture what it was like to go from a middle-aged couch potato to running in my first ultra marathon. I talk about diet, training plans, pain, and overcoming mental and physical limitations. I found a new love and a new respect for myself and for human potential.
It’s a short book. You can read it in an hour, but I hope what I learned lingers with you much longer than that, and changes your life the way it changed mine.
This is not a running guide. I made a lot of mistakes and was lucky to avoid getting injured, but the process taught me a lot and I hope my experiences can help others to avoid some of the mistakes that I made.
In this second edition, I've added more content based on feedback from readers. Thank you for helping me to improve the book!
Reader Comments
"very empowering and uplifting"
Great read for the "ultra-curious"
"very enjoyable reading"
"It was inspiring"
"good window into the world of ultra running"
"useful tips for the mid-pack runner who is "ultra-curious" "
