Anyone run ultras?

[silly nanny24]

Wondering what the comparison is between ultrarunning and an AT thru hike? Thoughts about each as far as difficulty and such. I've done a 50 mile and planing on doing a 100 in the near future and want to know how that compares with the AT thru hike.

[snifur]

The AT is more than 2100 miles long. Which is more than 2000 miles longer than your simple ultra-run. I have never seen an ultra-runner carrying all their life necessities gear on their back for a run let alone for 4 months. There is a small subjective difference between the two.

[Lone Wolf]

Wondering what the comparison is between ultrarunning and an AT thru hike? Thoughts about each as far as difficulty and such. I've done a 50 mile and planing on doing a 100 in the near future and want to know how that compares with the AT thru hike.

i've run 5, 50 milers. much more tougher than thru-hiking/long distance backpacking. i didn't find thru-hiking physically challenging. covering 50 miles in under 9 hours on the other hand is physically tough

[ChinMusic]

It's just jogging.......

[Lone Wolf]

It's just jogging.......

no, it's runnin'. weenies jog

[JAK]

I guess both would be as hard as you want to make them.

[Malto]

I haven't run organized ultras but have done ultra trail running distances multiple times. I would say that a ultra trail runner ( recent experience) would have a fairly leg up on a thru hike assuming they are fairly lightweight and have at least enough backpacking experience to avoid doing something stupid. The biggest advantage they have is the mental toughness to get through some tough times. there would still things to learn but I personally believe that trail running is onevofthe best training methods for backpacking. ( lightweight caveat still applies).

[SpottedCow]

I've run 8 ultras now, up to a 100K. Planning on running a 100 miler in the next year or so. I've never thru hiked, but I don't think you can make much of a comparison. But I agree with the above that the mental toughness gained by running ultras would definitely carry over to a thru hike.

[jburgasser]

+1 on Lone Wolf. I would say that an ultra runner with no hiking training would have an easier time at a thru hike than would a thru hikerwith no running experience have at an ultra.

But to answer the OP, I don't know that you can compare the 2. One is a one day event, the other is several months. But if you are an ultra runner and have hiking experience, you should the thru hike a wonderful experience; and of course you will be met by several physical and mental challenges.

Ickybod

[silly nanny24]

Alright, Kinda what I was thinking. Probably the biggest difference will be the time on trail, physical challenge not so much. Thanks Guys!

[ChinMusic]

Ultra: Beat yourself up, go home, lick your wounds.
Thru: Beat yourself up, go to sleep, wake up, and do it again.

[Lone Wolf]

Ultra: Beat yourself up, go home, lick your wounds.
Thru: Beat yourself up, go to sleep, wake up, and do it again.

not even close. thru-hikin' is easy

[HikerMom58]

not even close. thru-hikin' is easy

Don't be braggin LW! I like ChinMusic's post.

[SpottedCow]

I would say that an ultra runner with no hiking training would have an easier time at a thru hike than would a thru hikerwith no running experience have at an ultra.
Ickybod

Absolutely. The thru hiker wouldn't have a problem with the distance, but with the cutoffs. It's a different ball game going 50 miles in 12 hours than doing it over 2 days.

[map man]

I've participated in some Ultras. The toughest was a 50 miler on some fairly rugged trail. I have not, however, done a thru hike, so I can't compare that particular apple to that particular orange. I have found that the volume of running I do on irregular surfaces to get ready for a trail ultramarathon is very good physical preparation for backpacking trips. The training toughens up my feet (I don't tend to get blisters anymore when I backpack) and the small lateral stability muscles that come in handy when hiking on trails are given a good workout when you run on trails or other irregular surfaces (like my local cross country course). And the increased cardio-pulmonary fitness you achieve when doing a lot of running (on trails or otherwise) always comes in handy when backpacking. I've found that when I'm in ultra-shape even when hiking at high elevations in the Rockies I can go just about all day, and then get up and do it again the next day.

[Malto]

I thought about this question on a long hike this weekend. An experienced ultra would have learned a number of important lessons which are directly applicable to a thru hike such as blister prevention, shoe and sock selection and sizing, chafing prevent and probably the biggest which is nutrition. Knowing how to fuel can be very important especially for folks doing high mile days or hiking in heat. Knowing the signs of hitting the wall and how to recover has likely been learned by ultra runners.

[Mags]

Many trail runners have no outdoor experience off a marked trail. Something like the AT? No problem. The CDT (or even more obscure), they have run into trouble.

An outdoors person who also happens to run ultras could do well on the more obscure trails/routes. An ultra runner who happens to be outside for his activity may run into trouble.

(cf. Horton on the CDT. Heat exhaustion, getting a little lost, etc on a relatively well marked portion of the trail. Not trying to say anything bad, I just think it is more of an apples/oranges comparison then some of you may think)

[SpottedCow]

I more of a trail runner than a backpacker. However, I am currently injured, so I am not doing any running at the moment, but a lot of hiking. My ass hurts. Running doesn't engage the butt as much as hiking does! (Sorry, random semi-related thought!)

[RockDoc]

I've done over 40 ultras, about 70 events including marathons. Did one/month for several years. Currently injured.

The difference is that with hiking your heat rate is only moderate most of the time, and you generally are not drenched in sweat. With ultras, the heart rate is significantly higher and the sweat pours out. You can't keep your clothes dry. Hypothermia is a real issue. How are you going to dry your clothes if you are running every day? That's the big problem that I see in multi-day fastpacking. That's one of the reasons why most of the runners on the AT have had serious RV's to retire to in the pm.

[fiddlehead]

I'd have to say ultras are harder (except short ones)
50k's are considererd ultras and not that hard.
100 milers however take a LOT more training.
I trained for over a year to complete Leadville and that included speed hiking the Colorado trail the year after I thru-d the CDT.

It's all good. One is harder than the other on some days and easier on others.
Almost all ultra runners will have the occasional DNF.
Many thru hikers too.
For different reasons though.

Looking back, I have to say my first CDT hike was the hardest thru I've done.
But completing Leadville in under 30 hours (26 hours 38 minutes for me) was harder.
2 years later I DNF'd it. (dehydration on a hot day)

I think if I decided I wanted to do another one, it would take me 3 or 4 years to train now.
A thru hike doesn't need nearly as much training.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.