The George Blumenthal professor of political economics and a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, Dr. Sharyn O’Halloran has worked in the political science field for more than a quarter of a century. Outside of academia, Dr. Sharyn O’Halloran is an avid runner. She has completed several half and full marathons and recently ran a 60K ultramarathon.
Preparing for an ultramarathon takes time and dedication, especially if the race will be a runner’s first ultramarathon. Increasing running distance is an important part of training for an ultramarathon. While experienced marathoners may already be familiar with longer runs, new runners will need to gradually work their way up. Completing the full race length three to four times before the actual race is also important. Instead of doing the full length in a single day, however, it is best to complete two back-to-back long runs that add up to the total time. This gives runners a basic idea of where they need to improve without fully exhausting the body and mind.
Since ultramarathons are so long, runners must learn to keep themselves comfortable and hydrated during the run. Although there are aid stations set up along ultramarathon courses, they may not be interspersed enough throughout the course for runners to stay strong. Bringing a hydration pack can be extremely helpful for this. Further, runners may place drop bags along the race that contain food and other nutrition items, and they should practice going through these packs quickly and efficiently to ensure valuable time is not wasted. Additionally, certain clothing items may not be as comfortable during the longer run, so testing out different garments while training can be helpful.