Reality check: Am I prepared enough to run Superior 100 in 3 weeks?
I’m looking for some perspective from more experienced ultrarunners because I’m having a hard time figuring out whether I’m being realistic or letting my emotions get in the way.
I’m planning to run Superior 100 in three weeks. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the volume I was hoping for. My last 9 weeks have looked like:
24 miles / 4 hours
30 miles / 4.75 hours
26 miles / 4 hours
34 miles / 5.5 hours
24 miles / 4 hours
29 miles / 5 hours
36 miles / 6 hours
43 miles / 6.75 hours
43 miles / 6.75 hours
I’m confident in my fitness, so that’s not really what concerns me. Over the past two years I’ve run two 50Ks and a 50-miler, all on the same course. The 50-miler was the back half of the 100 last year, and I ran a 50K on the course this spring, so I’m very familiar with the terrain and what I’m getting myself into.
I’m planning to taper well, and I have two more long runs coming up that should hopefully give me some additional information about where I’m at.
The bigger concern is my knees. I’ve struggled with runner’s knee over the past few years, and my knees tend to flare up in the few weeks leading into races. So far, the actual races have gone surprisingly well with minimal knee issues. I saw a PT a few months back but I failed to fully follow-through on the exercises and drills I was prescribed.
This past weekend, I did a 4-hour night run after spending the entire day working on my feet. I ran on roads, and my runner’s knee flared up pretty badly during the second half of the run.
That has gotten in my head a little. If my knees are hurting during a 4-hour run, how realistic is it to expect them to hold up for 28+ hours?
I’m emotionally invested in this race, so the thought of a DNS hurts. At the same time, I understand that a DNS is much better than causing a serious injury because of my ego.
For those of you with 100-mile experience: How would you approach this?
Would you still plan on starting and see how the next couple of weeks/taper go?
If I do start, my mindset would be that I’m committed to finishing, but I’m also willing to drop if the knee pain becomes significant enough that continuing could cause further injury.
I’d really appreciate some honest reality checks - especially from people who have been in a similar situation before. Thanks for the help!