"People think ultra is some kind of spaghetti eating contest for people
with no talent to do anything else. But there’s a lot going on. I break
it down into the physical, the mental and endurance. Physical is the
only gender-specific area; men have more muscle mass, the strongest man
is always going to be stronger than the strongest woman. But I think
physical is only a small percentage of ultra. The mental part includes
preparation, strategizing, problem solving. How do you deal with 22
miles through snow, then overheating? How do you avoid allowing someone
to lure you into running their race? You have to learn how to run over
rocks downhill without trashing your quads; it’s like skiing or dancing.
And then endurance. An ultra is not about pain - I think a marathon is
about pain, about intensity - but it’s about hanging in through
tiredness and about staying nutritionally fueled. There is some evidence
that women may use fat more efficiently. And you have to want it, you
have to have the passion, you have to be willing to take the risks. You
can never be sure you’ll finish."
The great Ann Transon
