Do you have what it takes to run an ultramarathon?

When suddenly it seems like everyone and their neighbor has run a half marathon, and full marathons are exploding in popularity, it's easy to wonder if you might be capable of more.

But running an ultramarathon — 50K, 50 miles, or even 100 miles — isn't for everyone.

That stat isn't something I just made up. It's straight from ultrarunning.com's database, and in fact, is probably a big (2-3 times) overestimate of the true number, since it counts total FINISHES, not unique FINISHERS. So if one crazy guy runs 5 ultras in a year, he artificially pushes number up.

It's quite likely the actual number is closer to 1 in 10,000.

The point is: running an ultramarathon puts you in elite company, because few people will ever do it.

With stats like this, what I'm going to say next might surprise you:

If you've run a half marathon, I believe you can run an ultra.

I'm not saying you should go do it tomorrow. But if you're willing to put the time in to train, to learn how to fuel effectively, and to understand the different mindset an ultra requires, I think you can do it. 

And it'll be a far more pleasant experience than you think... and, in some ways, easier than training for and racing a shorter distance (don't worry, I'll explain).
 
You see, a lot of people ask me how I ever ran a 100-miler, when running a half marathon feels like their absolute limit. And what I tell them, every single time, is that I used to feel just like they do.

But running 50 miles isn't twice as hard as running a marathon, just like running a marathon isn't twice as hard as running a half. 

Believe it or not, I wasn't in any better shape when I ran my 100 or my several 50-milers than I was when I was at my peak as a marathoner.

Here's the secret most half- and full-marathoners don't realize about ultrarunning: it's a different mindset. For most people, running ultramarathons isn't about running certain times... it's about finishing, period. 

It means a slower pace overall. More time at aid stations to make sure you get the fuel you need to keep going and take care of any equipment issues. And, my favorite part, hiking up the steepest hills (or for some people, all of them), and sometimes taking planned walk breaks, even before you think you need them.

In other words, ultrarunning is about getting good at not quitting, much more than it's about running fast.

In many ways, training for and running an ultra — something most people assume must be a super-intense, painful process of mind over matter — can be FAR more pleasant than racing a half or full marathon against the clock, worried about losing precious seconds for a bathroom break or to tie a shoe.

But let's keep that between us, and let everybody else marvel about how we did it. ;

So how do you get started? 

How to you go from half (or full) marathoner... to ultrarunner?

If you've ever listened to our podcast, No Meat Athlete Radio, you probably already know that Doug Hay and I are both ultrarunners, with several 100-milers, lots of 50-milers and 100K's, and a bunch more 50K's between us...

...but that neither of us was very good at running when we started out.

When I was a kid, I always DREADED the mile run in gym class. I quit several sports teams simply because I hated the running. And when I finally did get motivated to become a runner, my first marathon took me close to 5 hours.

Doug's background isn't so different from mine. Although he's far surpassed me as an ultrarunner — finishing some of the toughest 100-mile courses out there and even winning a 24-hour race — there was a time when I had to convince him he could finish an ultra.

Doug is now a USATF-certified running coach who specializes in helping his clients tackle the ultra distances from 50K on up to 100 miles. He's vegan, just like me, and because of all this, he was the perfect fit to continue our No Meat Athlete tradition of creating easy-to-follow "Roadmap" guides... and that's how the Ultramarathon Roadmap was born.

Simply put, the Ultramarathon Roadmap is everything you need to get your ultra finished, and nothing you don't. It's years of ultrarunning experience, distilled down to the very most important concepts, and made into a step-by-step training plan to get you across the 50K or 50-mile finish line, injury-free and with a smile on your face.

Here's a sampling of what's included: