Fatigue
The question is always pandered about on the internet - which is harder. A fast marathon, an Ironman or a 100 mile run. Pending the perspective of the person answering, the response will be very different. A fast runner, trained for three hours at the limit will view the Ironman and the 100 mile race as challenges. Finishing a race with the distance of run that is normally the race? Crazy. The ultra runner, used to covering long distances as steady, consistent paces might see the fast marathon as a challenge. The marathon is the warm up, not the actual race. And forget about swimming! And then the triathlete - more accustomed to covering the 100 miles on wheels, not on foot and then surviving the marathon after. I've done all three - at some stage in my life, so I have some semblance of an answer. There was the 2:47:17 marathon at the Top of Utah in 2003 that just missed out on the Olympic Trial Qualifying Time of 2:47. There were the Iron distance triathlons, including a 10:30 and 12th overall women (including the pros) at Ironman Wisconsin. And then there was Stories Ultra, where I covered 100.7 miles. But even so, answering which was harder is still a tough question. When I reached each milestone, I was training specifically for that goal.
First, Top of Utah. Running 2:46:50 was really a stretch goal, given that my fastest marathon to date had been a 3:00:42 at New York. But I had faith in my training and I knew that given a perfect day, I had the chance. It was a slim chance, but a chance. So when the gun went off, I cleared my mind of stupid runner math and took one mile at a time. Stringing together 26.2 miles at 6:23 pace isn't easy - mentally or physically. Seeing the time click over to 2:47 and then slowly count up was devastating. So close and yet, so far. But the hardest part was the physical afterwards. I don't think I ever hurt so much in my life. The day after, getting into and out of the car was a challenge. Three days later, I was still hobbling down stairs. There was no fatigue - just soreness on a scale I've never before and never since experienced. It was all physical soreness as well - the only mental stress was the agony of coming so close.
Ironman Wisconson - my fastest iron distance race out of the nine that I've done. The swim is always the easy part for me, so it really doesn't affect the fatigue. Riding 112 miles isn't anything to laugh at, but there's the whole mechanical advantage. Coasting is real! I'm not the fastest road cyclist - never have been, but I've always been good at pacing. When I hit the marathon, it was finally - I get to run again! How many people can say they qualified for Boston in the marathon of an iron distance triathlon? For me, I think the Ironman was the easiest of the three. I was tired, but not exhausted. I was sore but not in agony. I was able to gather all my race gear and drive back to the hotel and then return to the race venue walking somewhat normally to get my mother stuff and pick her up at the end of her race. I wouldn't have been able to do that after Top of Utah. Perhaps I didn't push myself to the limit like at Top of Utah, but in terms of race times, placing 12th overall is pretty impressive.
Finally - my semi unplanned first 100 mile race. I say semi unplanned because the goal was 100k. I really had no dreams of reaching 100 miles until the month of the race. So I was physically trained for 100k, but mentally in a position to just keep going. One step at a time, no matter the pace. I had a great crew keeping me going and on track and all I had to do was keep moving. Nick and I had discussed stopping and he had the ultimate authority to pull me from the course. His opinion might be a little different, but I was moving well until that final red loop. Then I was done, ready to stop moving. I had time to do a gold loop, but I'd hit the 100 miles and my body was done. I didn't need to push anymore. I though I would be in as much agony as after Sheep Mountain or Top of Utah - and for that first 18 hours after the race, I was. Trying to swim Sunday afternoon was funny. My legs just didn't want to respond to anything commands at all. There was no motor planning for any semblance of a swim stroke. But Monday when I woke up, I was tired - a deep deep fatigue, but not hurting. I was able to do stairs somewhat normally. I was able to run a few miles on Tuesday! But there was the fatigue - into my bones fatigue that took a few weeks to fully dissipate. There was also mental fatigue from focusing for so many hours, over the darkness of night. That went away with a few good nights sleep and liberal napping.
Of note - I've also done 24 hour Mountain Bike races in both Duo and Solo. I remember sitting in the chair after i finished my last lap at the 2014 24 Hour National Championships. My back was in agony, my legs were exhausted, my arms so sore and unable to even really hold a comb. I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes and my balance was so off I needed help with getting dressed for the awards. It's a different kind of fatigue - the whole body from moving the bike and working through rock gardens. The fatigue from Stories was most like the fatigue from the 24 hour races - both mentally and physically. In fact, I think my experience with 24 hour mountain bike racing has been the most beneficial for the new experiment with ultra running. There is nothing like the stupid tireds and the 2:00 AM demons in the middle of a cold night and still having to ride your bike smart and fast.
So my answer? The most painful was the fast marathon. The Ironman was a challenge, but not as hard as other events. The longest true recovery was between the 100 mile race and the 24 hour solo mountain bike race. But I can't answer the which is hardest question except with - it depends on the goals and the approach to the race. Any race, even a 5k, is hard if you approach it correctly.
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| The day of a new day means the chance to chase new goals Photo: Kelly Knott |
Ironman Wisconson - my fastest iron distance race out of the nine that I've done. The swim is always the easy part for me, so it really doesn't affect the fatigue. Riding 112 miles isn't anything to laugh at, but there's the whole mechanical advantage. Coasting is real! I'm not the fastest road cyclist - never have been, but I've always been good at pacing. When I hit the marathon, it was finally - I get to run again! How many people can say they qualified for Boston in the marathon of an iron distance triathlon? For me, I think the Ironman was the easiest of the three. I was tired, but not exhausted. I was sore but not in agony. I was able to gather all my race gear and drive back to the hotel and then return to the race venue walking somewhat normally to get my mother stuff and pick her up at the end of her race. I wouldn't have been able to do that after Top of Utah. Perhaps I didn't push myself to the limit like at Top of Utah, but in terms of race times, placing 12th overall is pretty impressive.
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| Running at Stories, channeling my inner triathlete with the number belt! |
Finally - my semi unplanned first 100 mile race. I say semi unplanned because the goal was 100k. I really had no dreams of reaching 100 miles until the month of the race. So I was physically trained for 100k, but mentally in a position to just keep going. One step at a time, no matter the pace. I had a great crew keeping me going and on track and all I had to do was keep moving. Nick and I had discussed stopping and he had the ultimate authority to pull me from the course. His opinion might be a little different, but I was moving well until that final red loop. Then I was done, ready to stop moving. I had time to do a gold loop, but I'd hit the 100 miles and my body was done. I didn't need to push anymore. I though I would be in as much agony as after Sheep Mountain or Top of Utah - and for that first 18 hours after the race, I was. Trying to swim Sunday afternoon was funny. My legs just didn't want to respond to anything commands at all. There was no motor planning for any semblance of a swim stroke. But Monday when I woke up, I was tired - a deep deep fatigue, but not hurting. I was able to do stairs somewhat normally. I was able to run a few miles on Tuesday! But there was the fatigue - into my bones fatigue that took a few weeks to fully dissipate. There was also mental fatigue from focusing for so many hours, over the darkness of night. That went away with a few good nights sleep and liberal napping.
Of note - I've also done 24 hour Mountain Bike races in both Duo and Solo. I remember sitting in the chair after i finished my last lap at the 2014 24 Hour National Championships. My back was in agony, my legs were exhausted, my arms so sore and unable to even really hold a comb. I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes and my balance was so off I needed help with getting dressed for the awards. It's a different kind of fatigue - the whole body from moving the bike and working through rock gardens. The fatigue from Stories was most like the fatigue from the 24 hour races - both mentally and physically. In fact, I think my experience with 24 hour mountain bike racing has been the most beneficial for the new experiment with ultra running. There is nothing like the stupid tireds and the 2:00 AM demons in the middle of a cold night and still having to ride your bike smart and fast.
 |
| 24 Hour National Championships - the mental fatigue here would teach me a lot about perseverance. |
So my answer? The most painful was the fast marathon. The Ironman was a challenge, but not as hard as other events. The longest true recovery was between the 100 mile race and the 24 hour solo mountain bike race. But I can't answer the which is hardest question except with - it depends on the goals and the approach to the race. Any race, even a 5k, is hard if you approach it correctly.
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