wow , a really interesting thread. If it's any help, there's lots of good advice on ultrarunning websites which trnsfers to walking. The pacing is crucial for running an ultra and never stop eating..it's great!!! Seriously , my first ultra was the lyke wake last year, i ran just to finish and set off very slowly, it was fantastic watching the sun come up over the moors. Roast potatoes were a good idea, easy to carry and salted , need it in summer. My longest long run was 30 miles , a month before and i left 2 weeks between longer runs. I loved all of the training , even in February on the NYM . My dog is the fittest in town!!! Have fun, that to me is crucial!

I agree on the sweet / savoury issue. After a few hours I recoil at the mention of sweet biscuits.

Did the Gatliffe 50k a few years back, at the last checkpoint I spotted a jar of gherkins at the back. I just couldn't face anything sweet so had one in a cheese sandwich and two on their own. The volunteers were aghast, but one piped up "see, I knew someone would want those gherkins..."

Simon

There's a few interesting food options discussed on a thread on the FRA site - 'what to eat on a long day out'. Slightly different as they are mainly having to carry their own supplies - so bang goes the hot meal option!!

As a generalisation it seems that sweet foods (the jelly babies etc.) only have a limited life before the body says ... "I've had enough". A certain amount of fat (and salt) seems popular, but one guy seems to live off pork scratchings, which sounds ummmmm interesting? Matt.

Sorry can't edit last post so here's more:

With relation to eating, I don't think you can do enough! I normally munch on chewy bars between checkpoints and grab cake and sandwiches at the checkpoint. This normally keeps me going fine. However, for the first time ever (on the 3 Forests Way) I couldn't resist the "hot meal option" - a steaming bowl of veggy pasta stew with sprinkled cheese and french bread at the hot meal checkpoint.

I'm sure it must have been laced with amphetamine as I was absolutely flying after it had kicked in!! A piece of advice I read (I think on the American Ultra Runner site) when someone asked what the difference was between a 50 and a 100 was "go slower and eat more" Sounds ok to me, maybe I'll try it if I get permission to enter a 100! LOL.

Simon

I agree about switching off, it's too easy for some to follow all the way. Prehaps unfairly (as one who always at least attempts to have a thumb on the pertinent line of the description), I sometimes ask fellow travellers to take the lead for a while, this often leads to a flustered "where the **** are we?" type response! Most gratifying, they normaly pay a little more attention, (at least for awhile) after this... ;-)

I agree with all the above apart from 'grouping to share the burden of navigation'.....Time and time again I have passed groups of walkers especially at night who navigate by committee - the Wye forest was a classic example. I kept passing the same group of people, who kept stopping to have a committee meeting over every single line of route description - you often get one dominant member of the group who takes charge, who often hasn't a clue. After I had passed the group who were still deciding, and yelled 'this way' to them, they frankly didn't believe me and disappeared into the woods in the totally wrong direction, before bursting out of the bushes some time later further on the path which was rather funny. It turned out they were on the totally wrong line of the route description so no wonder it didn't make sense!! I think it works to share the burden if there are no more than 2 of you, but any more you just get leaders and followers, and the leaders don't necessarily know where they are going and the followers have just switched off.

Everyone has their own ideas, but the following works for me:-
1. You don't have to be super fit to walk a Hundred. A steady 3mph will get you in before dark on Sunday, and you don't have to average much more than 2mph to finish. As others have said, It's all in the mind.
2. Do a 50 to get the qualifying distance, get used to walking at night and find out about the little problems that can be irritating on a shorter walk but disastrous on a Hundred. But don't feel you have to do lots of them.
3. If possible recce the section of the Hundred that you expect to walk in the dark - it's a big morale booster to be confident where you are going late on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Do the recce as close as possible to the event, or you will forget it all. Don't recce any more than that, the novelty of walking new territory keeps the interest level up.
4. Wind down before the Hundred. I had a shin splint problem a month before my first Hundred which forced me to stop walking. It was the best thing that could have happened, I started the event fresh and completed with no problems.
5. Start off at a conservative pace that is comfortable for you. Try not to get caught up in the initial rush, easier said than done. On my first Hundred I had no idea how fast I could walk for a 100 miles so took it easy. After 12 hours I speeded up (actually the times show that I merely maintained pace while those ahead were slowing down) and overtook at least 100 people before the finish. It does wonders for the morale when you regularly overtake people.
6. I prefer to walk at my own pace for the first half of a hundred, it can be very uncomfortable trying to keep with someone walking a little faster, or slower, than your natural pace. When tiredness and lack of concentration sets in, which for me is around 10am on Sunday, I try to join up with similar paced walkers to share the navigation burden.
7. I don’t like to spend too long at checkpoints as I tend to stiffen up. I find Ibuprofen also helps to reduce stiffness , or at least to delay it until Monday.
8. Above all take all possible care to avoid blisters and friction between any parts of the body, and deal with them as soon as possible if they arise. Thank goodness for Vaseline.

Enjoy your first Hundred – I did. The problems really start on your second Hundred, when you think you can knock hours off your time, and all the above advice goes out the window!

Simon, I simply arrived at a checkpoint, had some food and then sat at a table and lay my head on my folded arms. I went out like a light. I woke up clammy and leaden 15 mins later but by the time I started walking again I felt really good. I too take power naps during long drives. In this case I pull up at a service area and push my seat back.

The biology behind this would be fascinating to learn. What is it that gets recharged in such a short time ?
G

"I was so tired I had to have a 15-minute power nap."

Do many people have a brief kip during a 100? I know if I'm driving in the afternoon and feel sleepy after a big lunch, just 15 minutes works wonders. Do you find a nice bench in the sun or have to take refuge behind a wall in a howling gale? How does it work?

Cheers,

Simon

On this years 100 I only stopped briefly at all but two checkpoints. One of the longer stays was, naturally, breakfast. I'd been dreaming of toast and jam for miles ! The other was at around 80 miles when I was so tired I had to have a 15-minute power nap. This worked wonders and I was relatively chipper for the remainder of the walk. (well, as chipper as one with a sore derriere can be).

Hmmmm. On reflection I lost my chipperness when I saw the final climb up to the ridge and the final self-clip! - G

Good question! I did the Longmynd Hike 50 last October and have just done the 2006 White Cliffs Challenge 50. I'm planning on doing the Longmynd Hike again this October.

I'm now getting around to thinking about "I wonder if I could do a 100?" I'd really appreciate any more comments people could make, especially about resting en route. Coming from a running background, my time in checkpoints tends to be minimal - check in, fill up with water, grab some food and off, munching as I go.

From experience I tend to get cold and stiff if I wait to long at checkpoints drinking tea and sitting down, but I know it's a personal thing.

This site: http://www.ultrunr.com/ has a lot of good stuff but I'm interested in getting a UK perspective.

Cheers,

Simon

Hi-I tend to start training for the 100m after the new year celebrations, and normally book a series of challenge walks so I know I'm definately walking a set distance each weekend as I wouldn't have the discipline to train without it being an event. There is normally a 50m challenge walk easrly to mid April, and again at the beginning of May, there is noramlly a couple of 40milers to chose from. I then do a 25miler at the middle of may, then nothing until the 100m.

By biggest bit of advice for your first 100, is take all the pressure off yourself. Tell yourself you are just going to complete, and don't get too hung up on trying for a good time for your first one. I have walked through 2 second nights, and it really isn't all that bad, and the round of applause at the end makes it all worth while. Pamper yourself at the end with somewhere nice to stay very close by if you can, as this also takes the pressure of having to finish by a certain time.

Another bit of advice is look after your feet. Don't ignore small blisters as they very quickly progress to big nasty ones which will slow you down to crawling pace. GOOD LUCK!!!!

I agree with Garfield, long distances e.g.40 miles each weekend is not necessary and probably excessive in terms of bodily wear-and-tear. I don't consider myself fast at all on the '100s', and my training consists of doing about six 25-50 mile events throughout the year and also walking about 4 miles on 4 mornings per week just to keep the soles toughened and used to walking.

Bill.

A few thoughts come to mind. One is that you always have far more in reserve than you can imagine. The body is capable of pushing itself well beyond 100 miles if reasonably fuelled. The real problem is the mind. Keeping yourself thinking positively is very difficult when faced with so many stresses and strains. The blood sugar inevitably runs low and this is the danger point. Have a rest - top up your food and water levels and you'll be fine. On the last 100 I had a sore derriere and foot blisters but because I kept eating and drinking I felt able to overcome the pain and carry on.

Unless you want to finish in a very quick time, I wouldn't recommend 40 miles every weeekend. I probably do that distance once a month. The pleasurable 25 milers are as important as the longer ones. - Garfield

a relative newby to the long distance scene, have walked up to around 40 miles on my own, but looking to do an hundred in 2007, any tips on the training involved. do regulars go out for 40 miles every weekend. appreciate any thoughts!!