Yes, the event is named so, and my return from injury felt like a continuous slog. Got second place in a July 50k, but I burned out in the last 5 miles.
You can gauge the success of your race based on how you finish. Burnout means you misjudged your race strategy, are mentally unfit or need more distance training.
During the Hamsterwheel 12 Hour, I was just in the zone. I had stomach issues, which lead to me not eating in the middle of the race, had calf cramps and got really sick towards the end. Regardless, I wouldn’t be denied. Not this time.
The hardest moment was finding out before my 19th 4-mile loop that I could do 1 last loop if I started before 12 hours ran out. When my wife told me, I was flabbergasted and incredulous with frustration. I kept telling myself 1 more, starting with the 1st lap. At this point, I was satisfied (I promise) with my performance.
As I was running my 19th loop, I grudgingly made the decision to walk the 20th with my wife. Took me 25 minutes (:
Ultra running is all mental I’d say, once you get past a 50k distance or a 6 hour timed loop race. My opinion.
JF's Blog 