Changes

* '''Pacing'''. The key for the vast majority of runners is to find a pace you can maintain without slowing up too much for the entire 24 hours. There are a few elites runners like Mike Morton that can go out at a suicide pace and hang on for the duration, but that approach does not generally work well, even amongst the elites. A capital mistake is to run until you can't run anymore and then walk the rest of the race. This is a recipe for a slow and generally miserable race.

* '''Walk early, walk often'''. Unless you believe you can run the entire 24 hour period, [[Walking Breaks]] become critical. My general recommendation is to walk for part of each lap, finding a routine and rhythm that works for you. I generally run the first few laps to pull clear of the crowd, then start my walking breaks after 5 to 10 miles. I aim to begin each walking break at my aid table, so that I use the walking break to eat and drink. Tweaking the time you're walking can allow for changing your overall lap time without altering your walking or running pace. Occasionally you may want to walk an entire lap, to eat more food or to cool off, but keep these to a minimum if you want to achieve high mileage.

* '''Planning'''. It can be hard to estimate what mileage you can achieve in 24 hours, even if you are an experienced at racing 100 mile races. My approach has been to run at my most efficient pace, walk at my most efficient pace, time my walking breaks to give me a reasonable break on each lap and then see what happens. My goal is to set a pace and routine that I think I can manage for the full 24 hours, though in reality I tend to slow down as time passes.

* '''Run the tangents'''. As a much as is possible, run the tangents, taking the shortest path possible. Even small deviations from the shortest path can add up over the course of 24 hours.

* '''Just one more lap'''. When things become tough on a 24 hour race, it can help to focus on doing just one more lap.

* '''Fixing problems'''. Knowing how to quickly and effectively fix the type of problems that are likely to occur is obviously important. See [[Fixing problems in Ultramarathons]] for details.

* '''Don't stop'''. While walking breaks don't slow you up as much is you expect, being stationary has to be avoided as much as possible. You should set up your aid so that you can grab nearly everything you need as you walk past, rather than having to stop. Obviously there are some situations where you have to stop, such as using the toilet or changing shoes, etc., but these should be relatively infrequent. The time you spend stationary goes past much faster, and it's easy to burn chunks of time without realizing.

* '''No sleep'''. To achieve big miles in a 24 hour race you have to avoid sleeping. If you're having serious sleep deprivation problems, then a 15 minute nap may be required, but try short periods (100 yards/meters) of picking up the pace to see if that helps first.

** There is no delay in getting to the aid as you negotiate other runners. This is rarely a significant problem, but even minor delays add up.

** You can mix up your drink ahead of time in disposable bottles that are the right size. That way you can grab a drink, consume it on your walking break, and then throw it in the trash bag. (24 hour races typically have trash receptacles at appropriate places. Make sure you place your aid table far enough ahead of the last trash to have time to consume your drink or eat anything that might leave trash.)

* '''Don't carry stuff'''. Because your aid is always close, don't carry anything you don't need to. This is especially true of hydration as water is heavy. Avoid carrying a water bottle and use disposable bottles or cups that hold about the right amount of drink. Don't use a hydration pack!

* '''Using a crew'''. While it's quite possible to run big miles in a 24 hour race without a crew, some support can be useful. A crew can do things like getting lights or MP3 players ready for you, changing batteries, getting your shoes out, etc. You could even have your crew hand you your drinks rather than pick them up from the table, but that is not really necessary. Some elite runners will work out hand signals to let that crew know what they're after as they approach, but typically it's easy enough to tell your crew what you need on the next lap.

* '''Lights'''. Some races will be illuminated, and you won't need to carry a light, which is really nice. However, it's best to be prepared in case the illumination is not working. I would also recommend a small colored flashing light to put on your aid table to make it easier to locate it in the dark. Make sure you don't blind or annoy other runners. I've found I can point a flashing light down to the table and still see it well enough to be functional.

* '''Lap recording'''. Different races have different techniques for recording your lap count, from a human making a note on paper through to electronic timing systems. Regardless of the system the race uses, I would suggest that you keep your own tally using a good sports watch that will record each lap, along with the lap time and ideally some idea of the lap distance. [[Best Running Watch| GPS watches do not have the battery life]] to record the GPS data at sufficiently high resolution to be much use. I would recommend disabling GPS and using a [[Footpod]]. This data will help if there is any problem with the timing system or lap count. If this does happen (and it's happened twice to me), politely mention it to the volunteers and ask them to look into it. They may be able to find the problem, but if not, you have a record you can use to discuss the issue with the race organizers after the race.

* '''Be nice'''. I believe that it's better to be nice to everybody in the race, and encourage everyone. I try to take time to thank the volunteers, and to encourage other runners regardless of their pace. In addition to general encouragement, I also like to check that other runners are doing okay. With practice, you can tell a lot about a runner's state just by their initial response, and sometimes just the look in their eyes tells you if they're really in trouble. I believe we're morally obligated to help people in need, and I'll stop to help a struggling runner, or seek out support staff to help them. While I do this because it's what I believe is the right thing to do, there are also some psychological benefits to encouraging others. It helps you realize you are not alone in your misery, and changes your focus from to be more outward.

* '''Use psychology?''' If you are aiming to win a race, then out psyching your competition can be a powerful tool. Overtaking your competition while looking strong and moving faster than your average pace can demoralize and help defeat your opponents. It's up to you to decide if you wish to use these techniques. Personally I would rather encourage my competition and be beaten than to win using that approach. However, you need to decide your own ethics. (I will go past a runner faster than usual if I want to be left alone rather than talk, but that seems different to me.)

* '''Weather'''. You want cool, windless conditions for a good race, but you don't always get what you want. If the weather is warm then your performance will suffer. However, ignoring the heat and trying to run as if it were cooler will result in more dramatic problems. The best approach is to slow up during the warmer part of the day and save your energy for the night. Your walking breaks can help you cool off a little, but also use the usual [[Running in the Heat| techniques for running in the heat]].

* '''Downhill training'''. Even for a flat 24 hour race, [[Downhill Running| Downhill Training]] is important as it builds up the ability of your muscles to withstand the long distances.

* '''Morton Stretch'''. When I saw Mike Morton run 172 miles in 24 hours, he used what I call the [[Morton Stretch]] and I've found that it gives my legs new life when I do it. I've found that about every 5-10 miles is about right between Morton Stretches.

* '''Boredom'''. There is a general expectation that running a short loop course would be boring, but I've found that a loop course has a continual change in view, and I always feel like I'm making progress. By comparison, I've done long point to point races where I've felt like I've not moved in the last few hours.

* '''Non-linearity'''. In a distance race, if you go faster you're finished sooner, but in a timed race you have to go further. This means that to increase your distance by 10% you have to run 10% further and 10% faster, a non-linear increase in difficulty.